The Institute of Chartered Financial Analysts of India University( ICFAI), Jharkhand, is the State’s first private University. Professor ORS Rao, Vice-Chancellor, ICFAI University, in conversation with Elets News Network (ENN) tells us how the university is empowering and increasing the employability of the students.
What is the overview of ICFAI ?
ICFAI group pioneered quality higher education in India for over 30 years, with its motto – Meritum Ethicus ( Merit with Ethics). It has a pan-India presence in 16 states, with three strategic institutional units, which include 11 ICFAI universities, six IBS business schools and flexible learning programmes ( Distance Mode).
What is your university’s vision? What standard of quality does your university follow ?
ICFAI University, Jharkhand‘s vision is be a top ranking private university for students, staff and corporates and is recognised for excellence in higher education and research, especially relevant to social needs of Jharkhand. The mission of the university is to offer world class, innovative, career-oriented professional, post graduate and undergraduate programmes through technology –enabled pedagogies to equip students with the requisite professional and life skills as well as social sensitivity and high sense of ethics.
What made you to set up an university in Jharkhand ?
What are the opportunities you see in Jharkhand ? In 2008, when we studied the status of higher education in Jharkhand, we noticed that there was dearth of higher educational institutions that offer quality education. We saw an opportunity to make quality education, accessible to the students of Jharkhand so that skilled manpower is developed for the socioeconomic growth of the State. So, we set up our university in Jharkhand, which is the State’s first private university.
How is ICFAI different from its competitors?
ICFAI University, Jharkhand introduces programmes that are relevant to the State of Jharkhand, so that the graduating students are employable. The University is committed to groom its students into competent and successful professionals with values. In order to make it happen, we focus on imparting requisite knowledge and hands-on professional skills to our students, besides inculcating sound character. We revise our curriculum every year, in line with the changing requirements of the industry and developments in science and technology. We deploy technology in Teaching-Learning-Assessment processes, using a learning management system. In collaboration with Rama Krishna Mission Ashram, we designed a course on Values and Ethics, which is compulsory for all of our programs . In order to enhance our interface with industry, we constituted an Industry Council , consisting of Senior Managers from diverse industries in Jharkhand . The Council advises us on a continuous basis , how to bridge the industry academia gap. All of our students go through a course on Entrepreneurship and such of the students , aspiring to become entrepreneurs are groomed appropriately.
What are you doing towards upgrading the quality of the faculty, as the university has to be at par with the industry standards ? How is the faculty trained by university?
Our faculty members go through Faculty Development Programs in areas like use of Technology in Pedagogy, latest developments in specific disciplines etc. They also take up Consultancy Projects and Research Studies in association with Industry Associations. They also organize industry-oriented seminars and workshops in association with industry.
