Education’s Primary Purpose: Enter Workforce, Add Value For Stakeholders

Reflecting on his dual expertise in academia and industry, Dr. R. D. Patidar, Vice Chancellor of OP Jindal University in Raigarh, Chhattisgarh, underscores the pivotal role of practical learning and collaborative partnerships in shaping students into industry-ready professionals in a conversation with Education Post’s Prabhav Anand. With a focus on implementing outcome-based frameworks aligned with NEP-2020, he outlines OP Jindal University’s commitment to fostering research, innovation, and inclusive education.

Q. Your professional journey combines academia and industry. How has your experience at Jindal Steel & Power Ltd. influenced your approach to academia, and what insights have you brought from the industry to OP Jindal University?

My experience and exposure in academia and industry have equipped me to develop valuable insights that eventually pave the way to achieve academic excellence at OP Jindal University. To produce industry-ready professionals, Higher Educational Institutions (HEIs) are required to promote project-based learning through long-term internships in Industries as it enables the youth to address the industry’s challenges and provide technological solutions.

We at OPJU have implemented a long-term industry internship model for our final-year engineering and management students, taking into consideration my experience at Jindal Steel & Power. Through this program, students spend the entire semester gaining practical exposure to industries, which enhances their employability skills. Our teaching methodology, which places a heavy focus on live projects, has produced amazing outcomes in terms of placing our students in well-known multinational organizations with competitive compensation packages.

Q. As the Vice Chancellor of OPJU, you’ve implemented an outcome-based framework. How has this approach enhanced the learning experience for students, and what specific outcomes or achievements are you particularly proud of under this framework?

I am exhilarated to share that OPJU has taken proactive steps in incorporating NEP-2020 as we have inculcated the academic research and internalization, institutional development plans (IDPs), maintaining quality parameters set by regulatory bodies, Academic Bank of Credits (ABC), fostering research and development support, program expansion, integration of Indian knowledge system (IKS), modification of ordinance as per NEP guidelines, expansion of online courses, flexible learning path, promoting regional language literacy, vocational skills integration etc.

With well-defined Program Outcomes (POs), Program Specific Outcomes (PSOs), and Course Outcomes (COs), the institution offers specialised undergraduate, postgraduate, and research-level programs. The effectiveness of each program is regularly evaluated through the mapping of COs, PSOs, POs, and PEOs, and corrective measures are taken in each academic session to enhance it further.

Q. Collaboration with industry is crucial. Could you explain how OPJU forms partnerships with multinational corporations, and can you share examples of collaborations that have benefitted both the university and industry partners?

OP Jindal University is the greatest place to pursue an Engineering and Management program because it is a Higher Education Institution (HEI) built on the foundation of industry-academia collaboration. The primary purpose of pursuing an education is to enter the workforce, where one’s duty is to add value for stakeholders and make sure that any organization grows and prospers.

Keeping in view the above facts and for the benefit of its students and major stakeholders, OPJU laid a strong emphasis on industry-academia collaboration & partnership and collaborated with over 100 prestigious institutions and industries across the globe. To assist students in finding internships and careers, the institution maintains strong contacts and collaborates with prestigious corporate groups. OPJU students are offered numerous opportunities to collaborate with esteemed business entities and the Jindal group of companies, which offer them both hands-on training and lucrative employment.

Q. If you had the authority to modify one policy in the education sector, what would it be? Can you share your thoughts on what specific area you would like to see improvements in? For instance, would you focus on making education more accessible to underprivileged students, or would you aim to enhance the quality of education by introducing innovative teaching methods?

If I had the chance to change just one aspect of our current educational policy, I would set up a single window system for all higher education institutions right away. The systems of regulation, accreditation, and academic standards will be streamlined with the creation of a single umbrella organization for all of India’s higher education. The current regulatory bodies’ framework impedes academic functions, resulting in uncertainty and complexity. The system of several regulations that colleges and universities must contend with will come to an end with the unification of the main regulatory agencies.

Q. What are your aspirations and goals for OP Jindal University, and how do you envision the university contributing to the broader educational landscape in the coming years?

OP Jindal University has gained accolades for the academic year 2022–2023 by securing the most prestigious awards and recognitions. OPJU is dedicated to achieving greater heights in the pursuit of academic excellence in the upcoming years by separating itself from other academic institutions through best academic practices and positioning itself as an all-inclusive destination for high-quality education. The university is consistently putting sincere efforts into fostering a welcoming and encouraging environment that promotes technical competencies, critical thinking, lifelong learning, and intellectual growth. We have submitted our SSR report to the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) and I am quite assured that the new academic year will bring a notable grade to OPJU by NAAC. In the following years, the university campus will grow and feature cutting-edge infrastructure development. At OPJU, I truly believe in establishing a research and innovation-friendly atmosphere that will boost faculty and student research opportunities and lead to a stronger emphasis on knowledge growth and academic achievement.