Kalinga University Registrar: Dr Sandeep Gandhi Interview

Dr Sandeep Gandhi is the Registrar of Kalinga University, Raipur. He has over 29 years of experience in the education sector. He has worked in several important positions in educational institutions including Administrative officer, Principal, Registrar and Deputy Vice-Chancellor of a University. He holds an MBA degree with a specialization in Marketing and Finance and a Ph.D. in Management. He is a certified Trainer of Various Sector Skill councils of the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC). He is a member of several professional and social organizations including the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) and PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PHDCCI). 

What is your philosophy of leadership?

“The policy of open doors and transparency is important to us”

At Kalinga University we believe in an open-door policy. The door of my office is always open, not only for the faculty members but also for all the students. We also encourage students to give their feedback through formal and informal channels of communication. In all sessions, students are asked to give feedback about the teaching-learning process, skills, knowledge and attitude of the faculty members. The University also allows students to give feedback through the ERP logins of the students, grievance redressal form given on the University website and also complaint and feedback boxes.

How does the curriculum of Kalinga University ensure the best practice of industry?

“By gathering input from various stakeholders, such as students, faculty members, and recruiters”

At Kalinga University we ensure that the curriculum is updated every year. For this, we have created a mechanism of regularly taking feedback from various stakeholders including Students, Alumni, Faculty members and recruiters. We have also inducted representatives of the industry and other academic institutions in our Board of Studies and we give due weightage to their opinion received from time to time. We also have MOUs of academic cooperation with various national and International Universities and we inculcate the best practices being followed by them in their universities.

What do you think should be the University’s top priority over the next 10 years?

“Introducing dynamic new courses and imparting skill-sets that are in demand”

At Kalinga University we are constantly striving to adopt new technologies and introduce new courses based on the feedback received from industry. Also, keep track of the projections regarding the demand for specific skills as projected by industry associations like FICCI, ASSOCHAM and NASSCOM etc. Accordingly, the University plans to introduce courses in Design, Yoga, Hotel Management, full-stack development, artificial intelligence, machine learning, etc.

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What do you see as Kalinga University’s greatest strengths?

"Diversity, inclusive growth, and multicultural environment"

Our Core Values are our greatest strengths,these are 

• Holistic Development: We believe that learning should not remain confined to the classroom and aim at holistic development.
• Illuminating the World with Light of knowledge: We aim to support learning that will advance human knowledge to develop and educate the leaders of tomorrow.
• Global Diversity: We warmly welcome students from all over the world and offer them a safe and nurturing place to live and study.
• Multicultural Environment: We believe that students learn better in a multicultural and multinational environment.
• Team Spirit and Bonding: Kalinga University is an extended family where students are integrated into one family with a close bond spirit.

What plans do you have in place for Kalinga University international students?

"A separate cell to support International students in their academic and personal lives"

Kalinga University is proud of its culture and is home to more than 600 students from various foreign countries. That makes it a truly international university.

Kalinga University has a separate cell for international students to provide them academic and personal support. The cell creates a bridge between the students and the administration.

The cell assists and guides the students on matters related to:

• Admission formalities and Hostel allocation
• Issue of offer letters for provisional admission (By International Counselor)
• Guidance to register with Foreign Regional Registration Office (FRRO)
• Extension of VISA
• Addressing any other academic or administrative problem of students
• Redressal of student grievances
• Issue of all official letters and documents related to International students

How is the University promoting Entrepreneurship within the students?

“We turn their ideas into viable business initiatives by providing excellence and service"

With a vision of social transformation through technological innovation and a mission of nurturing aspiring entrepreneurs, Kalinga University has established an exclusive incubation centre.

• The primary purpose of the incubation centre is to facilitate the creation of ideas and inventions that benefit society. 
• The faculties of the university provide corporate engagement, structured mentoring and service partner tie-ups. 
• The University is also utilizing its talent pool in developing Skill Pathshala in village Kotni for imparting training to the youth. The youth of the village is being trained for cooking, sewing and security services.

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How is Kalinga University managing operations in these Covid Times?

“A special online portal and unique learning module for continuous learning of students”

Kalinga University has given training to all its faculty members on switching from traditional mode to online mode. Also, we have helped them increase the e-content which has been uploaded on the state-of-the-art ERP module for the benefit of the student. The University also launched its own Youtube channel. It features the lectures of the faculty members for the benefit of all students whether from Kalinga University or other institutions. We have also launched a web portal by the name of Kalinga Plus for the student community.