Vadapalli Kalyana Chakravarthi is the Vice Principal of Sri Venkateswara College of Engineering and Technology. He holds a B.E. degree in Civil Engineering, an M.Tech. in Geotechnical Engineering, and is currently pursuing a PhD from JNTUK. With over 25 years of experience, he has worked for several top institutes and corporations in India, like GMR Institute of Technology, Simplex Concrete Piles India Limited, and Navayuga Engineering Company Limited.

Chakravarthi has published 11 papers in international journals and four papers in national journals. Moreover, he has presented 16 papers at national conferences, all in his area of expertise. As a testament to his expertise, he has been awarded the Best Teacher Award six times.

Sri Venkateswara College of Engineering and Technology

You have held key positions at education institutes throughout your professional career. What are the key factors that keep you connected with the education sector? 

I am a Civil Engineering student and have worked in the industry for many years before joining academia. I had the necessary skills and practical exposure to teach students their course material effectively. This is one of the major reasons why I have been working in education. I enjoy teaching my students and inculcating skills in them. Employers today look for individuals who possess certain skills. I teach the students these skills and make them eligible for employment, which is a great achievement for me.

Being the vice principle of Sri Venkateswara College of Engineering and Technology, what is your philosophy of leadership? How do you describe your leadership style? 

Whether it is the Principal, Vice Principal, Faculty, or HOD, I believe in connectivity. I believe in communicating and mingling with everyone. Talking with them, not just about their issues but also about their lives and how they are doing, is important. I ask them for their feedback on what we can do to improve ourselves, and I give them feedback as well. Moreover, my leadership style is to provide everyone with the facilities and infrastructure they need for their studies. For engineering students, this is done through laboratories where they can practice their course material. All of these together create a supportive environment for everyone in the college.

How do you strategize about the key programs and plans for the marketing and administration of your college?

All B.Tech. students who complete their courses in Civil or Mechanical Engineering look for jobs. When looking for jobs, employers look for skills rather than bookish knowledge. We prioritise training our students with these skills. We look into the current market trends, look for trainers, and organise sessions for the students. Marketing wise we depend on word of mouth and the success of our students to speak for themselves and get new students.

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The education system in India and other foreign countries are structured very differently. In your experience, what can an inbound student gain from studying here in the College of Sri Venkateswara Engineering and Technology?

Most Indian colleges maintain the same curriculum of the same standard. B.Tech. students more or less learn the same material in all Engineering colleges. Inbound students will be able to pursue higher education in any part of India due to this reason. We have a vibrant culture that new students would benefit from experiencing. It will open up their minds and help them adjust to any country and culture.

Any insights into how your university could be more welcoming to students of different races or economic backgrounds?

All the faculty members provide individual care and guidance to the students. We do not discriminate against students on the basis of race or economic status. All students who meet our eligibility criteria can apply for admission and study here. We have scholarships and financial aid in place to help needy students and award students who perform well in their yearly examinations as well.

When you came to the Sri Venkatesan Engineering colleges, what was your vision and how are you trying to achieve this vision?

I joined this college in 2017, and the first batch of Civil Engineering students was about to graduate. So when I joined, I took it upon myself to get to know the students and understand them. I wanted to make sure they got placements with top employers. Thereafter, I looked into the infrastructure, which needed upgrading. Students should have good facilities and laboratories to be comfortable in and study in. Another of my visions was to help students work on relevant projects that would be helpful for them to learn new skills and practice their classroom studies. So far, I would say, we have managed to achieve most of these goals.

What are the inventions and approaches you bring in the abort from curriculum to train the students?

Our curriculum is dynamic because we are not an autonomous college. We are affiliated with a university, and they provide our syllabus and curriculum. However, we can choose electives and extra credit subjects to include. We try to choose subjects that will bridge the gap in studies that the curriculum lacks and that will teach the students skills for the job market. Some colleges also have optional labs where students can choose which lab to do. This is something we should also have in our curriculum.