Interview by Bhawna Rawat

Dr. Surya Praveen Kumar, Rachnoutsav Academy

Dr. Surya Praveen Kumar (DMS, MBIS (Australia), BGCC(Australia), BPR(Germany), PGDSHRM (U.K.), B.E. -Mechanical (India) is currently working as the Head of Academic Affairs at Rachnoutsav Academy.

Dr. Kumar has 18.5 years of cross-functional area experience as Director, Deputy Academic Head of Business Schools, General Manager, Programme Head, Coordinator, Teaching, Training and Operations Manager in Education and Corporate Sector in U.A.E (Affiliated to the U.K), Malaysia, Singapore, Australia, U.K, and India. He has designed and developed the Curriculums for Diploma to Masters level in the areas of business by taking the current market scenarios into consideration. He was part of World Education Conference Member in 2016 and also participated in major events which include Nobel Prize Ceremonies.

Dr. Surya’s experience in the education industry

I have about 18.5 years of experience in the education industry in India & Abroad together. After working with top business schools in the world, I observed that the education system in India has to be changed with respect to the syllabus (content) & delivery methods for the better career of the student and simultaneously for the betterment of the society. The education industry has the power to shape one’s life & being a part of it has been my passion.

Significant challenges faced by Dr. Surya as the Head of Academic Affairs of Rachnoutsav Academy

The quality of new students registering are not up to the mark; they have no clue about the real education system & its impact on their career. Most of them are only focused on marks which I’m completely against off as the real challenge is to make them realize the importance of knowledge & the impact that will have on their career.

Rachnoutsav Academy’s curriculum ensuring the best practices of the industry

The curriculum is designed and delivered in order to enhance their skills in a practical way rather than just theoretical. The case scenarios that we teach the students are not more than a week old, these scenarios are prepared based on the real incidents taking place in today’s market. These help them in being up to date.

Goals for Rachnoutsav Academy

I want Rachnoutsav Academy to be the best in the education industry by producing the right candidates for the industry and society. I want to ensure that every student becomes resourceful either by working in the industry or by setting up their own firm.

Dr. Surya on ensuring the quality of education at Rachnoutsav Academy

We have the best evaluation system to understand if the student is moving ahead in the right direction. During the course, we send our students to take part in live projects/ events that will help them in understanding their capabilities & the knowledge gained. Based on the feedback provided by the supervisors at the workplace, the necessary training is provided to fill in the gap.

Dr. Surya on building a positive school culture or climate

Positive culture comes in with the positive mind of our team & in order to maintain the same, the faculties are exposed to a lot of Faculty Development Programs & external activities that makes them understand the learners (student’s) capabilities and deliver the knowledge as per their capability, according to their requirement. This approach maintains a symbiotic relationship between the staff and the students with a healthy culture.

Rachnoutsav Academy

Dr. Surya on establishing a relationship with the students

Every individual possesses an attitude & every attitude has to be entertained in a healthy way.  Since every student has a different mindset & expectations, fair standard operating procedures have been created which makes every faculty approachable to the students. Every faculty acts as a mentor to a particular number of students which makes students more comfortable in order to build a healthy relationship with the faculty.

The growth of students through opportunities available at Rachnoutsav Academy

Based on the unique curriculum followed at the Rachnoutsav Academy, there is a lot of demand for our students from different industries & we are yet to create more professionals in order to meet those demands.

Dr. Surya’s philosophy of leadership

In my opinion, a person should have an attitude in which he thinks if the people around him are happy then he is happy. With this mindset, he can become a good leader and will be able to show the right path/direction to the team and help them in building their future despite any challenges. My leadership style changes from time to time, based on the team I lead. For me, a specific leadership style is not applicable in all situations as I have to deal with different scenarios & mindsets.

Suggestions for the current youth and aspiring students

Never choose a career path based on the market requirement, as demand changes by the time you graduate. I have observed that most of the students are working in different fields/ sectors which has nothing to do with the degree they own.