Dr. Vibhuti Sachdev is the Dean of School of Architecture at Gandhi Institute of Technology and Management, Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh. She is an Architect, Academic, Consultant and Author of 4 books in the field of Architecture. She is a qualified Architect from the School of Planning and Architecture. And after spending some time in practice and research in India, she undertook a PhD in architectural theory and completed it as a Felix Scholar in 1996 from the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London. 

After finishing her Doctorate, she worked as Lecturer of History and Art at University of Sussex till 2004, after which she returned to India. She also taught Architecture and History of art at SOAS, Sussex, JNU and SSAA, and supervised PhD studies. In addition to all this, she has worked as independent Writer, Lecturer and as a Consultant on the restoration of the Jal Mahal, Jaipur. And throughout her wonderful career, she has managed many research projects and academic conferences, and is currently the member of academic leadership and heading the School of Architecture at GITAM University.

GITAM Visakhapatnam

What was that one factor which encouraged you to start your journey with GITAM?

I observed that the School of Architecture, was part of a vibrant and multidisciplinary campus, and has huge potential under the aegis of GITAM. And I have also worked in the UK and in Delhi/NCR, hence the biggest motivating factor for me to join GITAM was the prospect of working in a contextually and culturally rich Southern India which I have always admired.

Being the Dean of the institution, how do you lead faculty, students and staff members of your college?

I have always aimed for a wholesome growth of my faculty members, students and staff. And I firmly believe that each of them must know, appreciate and respect what the other does. Being a community, we have to help each other to grow, for which, building a mutual trust and respect is very essential. Therefore, I make sure that every time a decision or initiative is taken for the institution, it must have the interest of our young minds and the future Architects at heart. This is how I work with the wonderful people of my School of Architecture.

What makes GITAM an altogether different and unique institution in comparison to others?

We have been accredited by the esteemed NAAC with A++ grade and it makes us a multidisciplinary deemed university of a high repute. The School of Architecture is located in a rich cultural and contextual landscape where global and local values meet with a clear aspiration of being a significant institution in the world. If I describe this in another way, as an institution, we uphold Gandhian values of simplicity and global ideals of sustainability, inclusivity and diversity. And all this makes our college a completely different institution from others.

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How do you stay updated with the latest developments of the Architecture domain and incorporate them into the curriculum of GITAM?

We periodically update and review our curriculum to incorporate new developments of the Architecture domain and trigger changes to encourage good teaching-learning practices. And I have built a wonderful network of international experts over the past 30 years of my experience in the field of education; hence I regularly connect with them to help and assist our students with the latest design ideas and also to make them aware about the latest technologies. And my professional network helps me to stay updated with the recent developments and trends of the Architecture world.

How does GITAM collaborate with reputed industries to leverage them for live projects, training and placements of students?

We have maintained good relations with big corporate houses and are actively involved with reputed industries through their real-time projects, recruitment drives followed by experts and visiting faculty. Apart from this, our college has established a Venture Development Centre for pre-incubation of startups and regularly encourages students to think of innovative ideas to solve societal problems and make people's lives easier. 

In your opinion, how would a candidate benefit after joining GITAM for Architecture courses?

When a student joins Gitam School of Architecture, they not only join an institution but a community that is committed to achieve excellence in its work and puts its 100% efforts to make sure everyone can grow personally and professionally.

Also, our college has a passionate and dedicated team driven by the University leadership which is both enlightened and committed to provide quality education to the young generation of our society. And hence students after joining GITAM to pursue their dream Architecture programs, will get a wholesome education that is deeply rooted and contemporary in its goals and ideals. Last but not the least, along with providing employment oriented knowledge and skills to students, we also pay equal attention on enhancing their critical thinking capabilities and design skills, whilst leaving enough room for extra-curricular activities and participation in social events within the campus and community engagement outside it. 

What are some of the biggest challenges that Architecture Colleges are facing nowadays and how does your institute address those hurdles?

In my opinion, the disappearing or altogether decreasing interest, perception and lack of awareness among the country's citizens about the relevance of the Architecture field and its benefits, is one of the biggest challenges higher education institutions, especially the Architecture Colleges, are facing nowadays. And I firmly support the concern that this issue must be addressed collectively by the architecture fraternity and its associated institutions. As there is an urgent need to make common people and aspiring students aware about the profession so that they can make informed decisions about their buildings and younger generation can contribute more effectively in the Architecture domain.

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How would you promote experiential learning and practical application of knowledge within the School of Architecture?

Experiential, immersive and exploratory learning all are an integral part of our college curriculum, hence to help students understand the theoretical concepts and their real-time applications in a better way, our institution organizes hands-on workshops and study tours from time to time.

What kind of steps GITAM is taking to bridge the gap between academia and industry requirements?

Our college has facilitated a collaborative learning environment to generate opportunities of mutual advancement for students in both the education and industrial sectors. Along with this, interaction sessions with Practitioners of Architecture are also conducted on a frequent basis to keep our ambitious youths updated with the happenings, development and trends of the corporate world and bridge the gap between their existing skills, knowledge and industries' ever-changing demands.