Interview by Bhawna Rawat

Dr. Sushil Mishra, Lakshay College of Hotel Management

Dr. Sushil Mishra is working at Lakshay College of Hotel Management as the Director since 2010. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Science and in Hotel Management Catering Technology & Applied Nutrition as well. He holds a Master’s degree in Hotel Management from Uttarakhand University and Master’s degree in Tourism Management from Madurai Kamaraj University. He holds a Ph.D. degree in Hotel Management and Tourism from Bundelkhand University.

A believer of the belief that an ideal leadership is situational and has no fixed style, Dr. Mishra enjoys his teaching profession and has faith in its contribution to society.

Dr. Sushil Mishra’s experience in the education industry

I have greatly enjoyed my professional experiences so far, and the work atmosphere and challenges of teaching students from different educational backgrounds, cultures and nationalities provided me with the opportunity to interact and develop a broader outlook towards my profession. In the past 16 years of career, I always believed, students deserve to know why we are teaching what we are teaching; why we are taking the approach we are taking. Responsible and responsive teachers explain how the skills they are teaching might be used. In other words, it is often a good idea to explain the rationale behind a particular assignment, project, etc.

So finally I believe that I can bring these values and contribute towards developing the career of students. I have chosen education as a career because I believe that education is perhaps the most important function performed in our culture, or for that matter, any culture.

I believe that teachers individually and collectively can not only change the world, but improve it

and in the process find personal and professional renewal. I want to be part of this noble profession.

Dr. Mishra’s philosophy of leadership

According to me, there is nothing called style in leadership. Leadership is situational generally; leadership is taking the team along.  Leadership by setting up examples and for college’s success. I always believe in working in a democratic manner with them and considering one’s self first among equals which further allows you to have a transparent approach. As Mother Teresa “I can do things you cannot, you can do things I cannot; together we can do great things.”

Significant challenges faced by Dr. Sushil Mishra as the Principal of Lakshay College of Hotel Management 

Maintaining and delivering quality education is a major challenge faced by anyone who is a part of this industry. We are in the field of Hospitality education, hospitality is a service industry with standards. As a result, throughout the year we look for quality people who can help us in enhancing the overall experience a student gets while studying.

We have realized the necessity of opening up to the international student market. There is heightened competition for share of the global student market. This is the challenge we right now encounter and we are prepared to meet this challenge as we have initiated all required steps for internationalization. A major challenge is bridging the gap between Academia and Industry. We strive to do this through Institution Industry Collaborations. Experts from Industry are involved in training the students to meet the global hospitality requirements.

Lakshay College of Hotel Management’s curriculum

The college has introduced Continuous and comprehensive evaluation and learning to motivate the students to innovate bring in teamwork and lifelong college also conducts regular industrial visits to hospitality organizations and organizes guest lecturers, workshops from industry experts, to strengthen the learning process. As part of curriculum development, our college faculty members are also providing valuable inputs to the University Academic Council

Read more about LCHM Faculty

The growth of students through placement opportunities available at Lakshay College of Hotel Management

The cardinal part of the hospitality industry has wide employment opportunities. Moreover, with globalization gaining acceptance with more and more countries, the hotel management industry is truly becoming global.

Additionally, we offer cent placements opportunities to our students. To name a few: Currently, our alumni are working in Russia, Canada, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Bhutan, Nepal, etc. You will find our Alumni working as managers, supervisors, and entrepreneurs in the hospitality and tourism industry. Their employers range from Indian establishments to large multi-national hotels and resorts. From the beginning of we are working towards developing the employability skills which includes: Soft skills such as communication, team working, customer handling, problem-solving, organising skills, attributes desired by employers such as initiative and flexibility.

Read more about LCHM Placements

Dr. Mishra on establishing a relationship with the students being the Principal of the university

During the morning assembly, I speak to the students, and also invite any student with a legitimate complaint or question to come forth. This will show that I am very approachable. I have an open door policy, and encourage all students to come and visit, either just to introduce themselves or to come in and air their grievances. If the student body feels as though the principal is there for their benefit, closer relationships are born when both parties are willing, so the Principal needs to come across a little bit less imposing. After all, you cannot spell principal without the word pal.

Dr. Mishra’s idea of an ideal school environment

Ideal school environment is difficult to define as there are no universal measures for defining it. Ideal school environment will be where everyone tries to attain their goals easily. However, an ideal environment would be where there is a balance between fun, learning and career-oriented goals.

The growth of Students through a course like Hotel Management in India

Individual student growth is a measure of students’ academic progress from one academic year to the next. Growth measures provide important information about students’ progress, and about how well the institution is doing. We at Lakshay believe that Academic Excellence is a characteristic of an institution that achieves a combination of experienced and professional faculty, industry-oriented course curriculum and experiential learning and development opportunities. Students pursuing their education from an Institute known for its Academic Excellence, tend to immensely benefit from the holistic learning environment, which enables the growth of students and contribute towards the achievement of their career goals.

Goals for Lakshay College of Hotel Management for the next few years

Goals, both short and long-term, are a great way to measure your success. We would like to be known as a pioneer hospitality institution that takes pride in academic and industry collaboration. We have plans and dreams in the years to come, introducing holistic Academics approaches for every division either accommodation operations or food and beverage by associating with external experts, speakers from allied industry and thus aims at the regular scrutiny of the quality of teaching and the content of teaching. This will certainly go a long way in enhancing quality education in accordance with the objectives of the institution and in serving society at large with sensitivity and commitment. We wish to serve as a valuable resource for the industry and to serve the community at large and remain a source of pride for all Indians.

Suggestions for the current youth and the aspiring students

My suggestion for students is to learn to step outside your comfort zone in order to make change happen. If you believe it’s a good idea, then just go for it and do it. Do not start with negative thoughts like ‘I cannot afford to start’ or ‘I will not be able to do it’. Many people start with that train of thought, but thinking like that gets you nowhere. Learn to work out how you can make it happen. New challenges are always just around the corner, so

finding a way not to take setbacks and challenges personally has been the most important thing I have learned

on my journey. If you can take the headspace needed to look at situations objectively, you can learn so much more from them, and you can also react in a more measured and effective way.