Suresh Gyan Vihar University

Dr. Santosh K. Singh is the Principal, School of Pharmacy at Suresh Gyan Vihar University. Having an experience of over two decades, he brings a vast learning experience to educate students and help them prosper. He believes in bringing an interface to connect between students and industry in order to learn industry relevant skills. Read here what he has to say in his interview.

How do you strategize about the key programs and plan for the marketing and administration of your department?

“I ensure a smooth functioning of the department ”

It is my job responsibility to run my department smoothly and effectively and contribute to the growth of the department in teaching and research. Department will work properly when the different programs are well planned and executed timely by describing my colleague's role in that particular program. In today's world, research is the field that will help my department to get recognition in society; hence, it is always beneficial to promote the research activity in the department by motivating my highly qualified faculty member. It will attract funding from different funding agencies, leading to a solid research background leading to better admission and placement.

How do you strategize the curriculum and how often it gets updated to make it befitting for the students?

“Our strategies for curriculum development are based on different strategies”

1) Focus on the Students: Firstly, the student needs to understand the primary objective, future vision, and identity by utilizing its various resources. Students need to develop leadership character by his/her good and bad experiences

2) Ask for Help: A good leader always learns from his mentor or senior. If he doesn’t have a mentor, think about asking a fellow teacher if he or she would be willing to walk alongside you during the first year. 

3) Schedule Planning Time: It's vital to schedule planning sessions and blocks of time to work on the curriculum. Learning how to manage that time is also essential.

4) Plan for Feedback and Assessments: The student will need to be able to measure how well he is doing. Encourage students to speak up if they didn't understand some of the material presented as well.

As the department is running as per the PCI Curriculum, updates are based on the PCI changes. Besides, we provide various life skills and employability skill courses, training, industrial interactions, and site visits to make students job-ready.

What are the best practices offered by the department to the students which will help them to gain the necessary skills?

“We ensure students learn skills from different verticals”

Gyan Vihar School of Pharmacy runs under the Vision and Mission of SGVU. Its best practices revolve around the University's 20 Mission Points, which develop students' academic and extra-curricular skills. We run an entrepreneurship cell to help & develop the ability of entrepreneurship. We have linkage with various International Universities and Multinational Companies through the Global Linkage Cell, Industrial Mentorship Program, and Training & Placement Cell. We provide students with opportunities to get broad academic exposure. Through students' active role in Research & Publication, we provide research exposure to the students and support this. We have world-class library facilities with one of India's most important libraries in our University. Through Community Clubs, Collegiate System, and Sports Clubs, we target the extra-curricular development of students. And lastly, through Personal Tutor System and Employability and Life-Skills Classes, we provide co-curricular knowledge to students. Over 30 experienced & qualified employees and about 350 students every year make the family of the school.

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What are the challenges you face to uplift the quality of education in your department?

“There is a need to put emphasis on research and practical approach”

Research suggests that failing to increase appropriations to keep pace with enrollment growth tends to reduce learning and even lower graduation rates. Aspiring college instructors also need to know much more now to teach effectively. The advent of new technologies has given rise to methods of teaching that require special training.

The Need for Research- Finally, there is an urgent need for more and better research to improve the quality of undergraduate education and increase the number of students who complete their studies.

How does the program differ from the other professional courses and what is the future scope of the program from your institution?

“In the current era, no one can think of a world without Medicines”

We cannot compare various professional courses because each course is unique. Still, it can be undoubtedly stated that medicines are an essential aspect next to food in today’s world. We help students to explore new opportunities in the pharmaceutical and medical sectors. 

The Future Scope of the Pharmaceutical Field is very wide and its production processes of various dosage forms, and Quality Assurance which involves the process of quality documentation and quality practices to be practiced in the pharmaceutical industry. It also involves Quality Control which deals with pharmaceutical testing procedures and Formulation and Development which deals with the research approach toward novel drug delivery systems. The scope deals with API Synthesis which involves chemical synthesis and development of new chemical entities. Pre-Clinical & Clinical Research which revolves around testing of new medicines on animals (Pre-Clinical Studies) and humans (Clinical Studies) to Medical Transcription and Data Management which involves Pharmacovigilance, and Regulatory Department which deals with various regulatory aspects covering IND, NDA, ANDA, CTD, etc. and well aware of various guidelines of MOHFW, USFDA, WHO, ICH, etc. 

Last but not the least Pharmacy gives career opportunities in Government Organisations where specialized pharmacy jobs as Drug Inspectors, Drug Control Officer and Pharmacists at State and Central Level are there.

What goals do you have for your department for the next 5 years?

“An essential part of learning is to bring in different and unique approaches”

I hope to create more excitement for learning among our student body by generating more enthusiasm for teaching among our staff. I also plan to improve staff morale by recognizing teachers and staff achievements and their duty above and beyond the call. There the whole staff will work in concert to connect classroom lessons with real-world situations. We have a volunteer coordinator who links our students to pharmaceutical industries and who will mentor our students. The faculties will also apply for various government project grants, including various new ideas toward research work.

What do you think your role and responsibilities to the university and the students are?

“I ensures a smooth learning process and keep a check on other processes as well”

My responsibility is to provide quality education to students and check on teaching-learning processes and infrastructure for professional aspirants hailing from both rural and urban areas students. To impart technical education that encourages Independent thinking develops a strong domain of knowledge, new skills, and Positive attitudes towards the growth of student’s minds. The principal’s role also involves providing strategic direction in the college, developing standardized curricula, assessing teaching methods, monitoring student achievement, encouraging parent involvement, and properly revising policies and procedures. Time to time and adequately evaluate staff and overall other facilities. 

How do you tend to establish a healthy relation and environment at your University?

“Working together towards a common goals helps an institution to grow”

Being a department principal, I am the person responsible for establishing the discipline and high working standard in the department where my team and colleagues will give their high standard output. As a principal, I have to develop caring, professional relationships with teachers, students, parents, and board members. I have to listen carefully to what they are saying to me. I will always show my interest and discover an underlying problem or issue that my team and I can solve. I should take action in a stipulated period to solve problems, as it will help run my department more smoothly. 

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What suggestions would you like to give to the current students, who are pursuing pharmacy courses?

“Explore the domain and find the right opportunity you want to excel in”

The field of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences is vast. Likewise, the career opportunities after studying Pharmacy is also extensive and open – both in terms of job profiles and job sectors. The first advantage of studying Pharmacy is that you explore a variety of subjects. You can enjoy medical research if you pursue higher studies in any of the branches of Biomedical Sciences. If you are someone who wants counseling and interacting with patients, then Clinical Pharmacy is also there. Government job options like Railway Pharmacist or Drug Controller, Food, FMCG, IT, Healthcare, Academia, Govt. sector, etc. are also there. I am saying from my experience work hard, and you will get success after completing your graduation.