Managing Director of PSIT, Shefali Shah Speaks about Building the Institute's Brand and Much More

PSIT, the crown jewel of AKTU, is the leading engineering college in Uttar Pradesh which is steadily climbing the ladder of rankings and achievements. PSIT has been awarded 1st among all Private Engineering Institutes in Uttar Pradesh (Non-NCR), 10th among all Govt. & Private Engineering Institutes in North India and 33rd among all Private Engineering Institutes in India.

The true worth of any professional educational institution is in the number of students it can place and the standing of its alumni in the industry. In this aspect, PSIT is savouring the sweet taste of success garnished by more than 3000 alumni who are contributing to the development of the nation fueled by the zeal, grit and never say die attitude.

Here is an excerpt from an interview of Shefali Shah Raj, the Managing Director of PSIT.

• PSIT is a well-known institute in North India and a top-ranked college of the state university. However, more than an institute, it is known as a brand. How has been your experience at the institute and how it has helped in building this brand?
  -The first passing out batch in the year 2008 paved the way to a lot of work from our side. Creating a learner-friendly environment for the students has been our prime goal. Any organization or institute envisions itself as a brand only if it takes care of the people and builds trust. We ensure that every query is addressed at their respective departments or sometimes, I look into the matter if required. And the second, and in terms of professional graduates, providing employment opportunities is the most important part. The institute ensures the opportunity for every candidate as per his knowledge and capacity. Thirdly, the connection with our alumni has strengthened our reach among the prospective students. Lastly, the events like Ignitia- annual techno-cultural fest has gained popularity in Uttar Pradesh region, International Conferences – that help in bringing researchers from around the world, MHRD Hackathon and many more showcase the institute’s calibre and repute.
• Any great institute, especially higher education institutes are known for its teaching methodology. How does PSIT maintain the standards when it comes to pedagogy?
  -The learning process is prepared in such a way that it helps our students adapt to the changing needs of society. I would like to tell you that special care is taken while designing the course content. Course objectives and program outcomes are well defined. The learning modules are designed in a way to take care of the cognitive, affective, and sensory domains of the students. Application-based learning is the main focus so that the students can apply the knowledge gained in their coursework. The gaps are identified on a need basis and worked upon suitably to transform the students into dynamic and responsible professionals.
• Employability is the major factor that contributes to the success and effectiveness of a graduating student. The offers have improved every year. Kindly enlighten our readers with the training and placement activities in the institute.
  -As I already informed that employment is the most important part of a professional graduate, we ensure that special care is taken. There are training modules designed by a dedicated training team and the focus is both on their technical skills and soft skills. Along with the coursework, the training module is attached in every semester so that students get a hands-on experience of the in-trend technologies. Towards the end of their third year, there are preparations for aptitude, group discussions, and personal interviews so that the students become ready for the placement process. Top IT giants like Infosys, IBM, Capgemini, UHG recruit from our campus every year. Whereas Tata Steel, Wabag, Asahi, ITC, MRF recruit from non-IT and Management programs. Our target has been to improve the average package every year and we have done significantly good over the years. Our corporate relations team takes that extra step to fulfil the vision and mission of the institute.
• Covid19 has affected everyone and we heard that PSIT took some eccentric steps in e-learning. Kindly share your views on the same.
  -Covid19 has affected everyone. Just like you and the entire world, we were not spared as well. The main challenge was the transfer of knowledge. I would like to thank all Directors, HODs and faculty members who provided the required resources to all the students and made themselves available to solve their queries virtually over Zoom or WebEx. The physical presence of the teacher cannot be replaced, however, all stakeholders got used to it and produced great results. You will be delighted to know that few of our faculty members were also included in the university’s faculty warriors list as they provided high-quality content for all affiliated colleges that were made freely available over Youtube for all students. There were several webinars conducted by industry experts to continue our industry-institute experience. Placement used to be on-campus most of the time. But in these situations, few companies recruited our students by conducting the entire process virtually and I am happy to share that a significant number of students got placed. We have decided to work upon a BCP like plan so that we can tackle any unavoidable circumstances in the future. We are working on it, so I will share it with you later.
• What are the key focus areas that you would like to share with the future generations who wish to pursue a professional course like engineering, management, and law?
  -The future generation students who wish to pursue a professional course must make themselves more aware of that profession and go through a complete background check about it. I would like them to read about the advancements in their profession over the years so that they can get accustomed. They should be open to new ideas and acceptance. As Dr APJ Abdul Kalam has rightly said and I quote “You have to dream before your dream can come true.”

Shefali Shah Raj, Managing Director of PSIT