“Corporates are looking for highly trained & industry-ready skilled managers and workforce,” remarks Dr. Prafulla Ranjan while commenting on the current Academic-Industry scenario

Interview by Yash Panchal

Dr. Prafulla Ranjan is currently working as the Director of Symbiosis University of Applied Sciences (SUAS), Indore, India.  He has earlier worked as the MD and CEO of Jharkhand State Cooperative Bank Ltd. He has also worked as the Senior Professor at Times of India group (Times pro) for Bank Training. He has worked as Director and Professor at IEM Management College, Lucknow. He has worked as the VP & Regional Head at IndusInd Bank, as the Branch Manager of ICICI Bank Limited, Kolkata, and as the Various Locations Probationary Officer to BM at Syndicate Bank.

Dr. Prafulla Ranjan’s experience in the education industry

Education is no different than any other industry as it also has the consistent pressure of performance in terms of numbers and targets, the bottom-line is of primary concern. I will not say it is the best industry to work but yes it is less dynamic and more subtle industry to be in. One thing that I like about this industry is that it gives you an opportunity to interact with the young generation that is going to shape the future of our country and you take a lot of pride in being part of this process of metamorphosis of young, fertile minds into future-ready and industry-ready skilled professionals.

Dr. Ranjan’s philosophy of leadership

I do not have a leadership philosophy as I firmly believe in teamwork and working as a team player. Every Manager is as good as the weakest member of his team so I just try to work on the weaknesses of my team and at SUAS I am fortunate to have a very dynamic, strong and positive team.

Significant challenges faced by Dr. Ranjan as the Director of SUAS

Nothing was a challenge as Symbiosis is a brand that has its presence in Pan India as well as Abroad. The only focus is to maintain and add to its brand equity. The focus is on maintaining the highest level of education that Symbiosis is known all over the world. I am quite delighted to be the part of this esteemed institution that has been ranked quite high in echelons of Indian academia.

The curriculum of SUAS ensuring the best practice of industry

We request industry to be our partner in the complete process from Curriculum design to evaluations and Training plus internships. It is a very basic process followed by world-class institutions and Symbiosis being among them is no exception at this. All programs at SUAS are completely industry integrated at all levels.

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Changes noticed in the Education Industry over the past few years and the skill set required by corporates in a student

The industry is industry! It is ever dynamic. Education institutions have to understand that their age-old methodologies of teaching and sheer emphasis on providing Foreign Trips, AC classrooms and laptops is not what the corporations are looking for.

Corporates are looking for highly trained, future-ready, industry-ready skilled managers and workforce, to provide that Symbiosis as the forerunner has adopted and started delivering skill-based education by initiating two Skill Universities.

Dr. Ranjan on establishing a relationship with the students being the Director of SUAS

If you have to make efforts for establishing a rapport or to make yourself available to the students, you are not a teacher. I am a tutor and an academician first than any other official. I am always available for my students. As the happy students are the successful students, besides they are the torchbearers for SUAS. Symbiosis has always been a dedicated institution towards development plus advancement of students and I follow the same philosophy.

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Goals for the Institute for the next few years

As an Institution, we have to follow the highest standards of research and my aim is to make SBFSI at SUAS as one of the research-driven, highly skill based and complete industry practices integrated school.

Suggestions for the current youth and the aspiring students

Today is the Era of youth and young. Vibrant India has a lot of expectations from them, I would just like to request the Youth to be positive, be productive, be skilled and get future-ready and industry-ready as the time to come belongs to them.