The principals of engineering colleges are responsible for ensuring that their institutions maintain highest educational standards and meet the set objectives, Dr. S. N. Murugesan is one such principal, who has dedicated himself in bringing Rajalakshmi Engineering College, Chennai, to be an institution of excellence in engineering, technology and management education.
In modern times, an effective educational leader needs to possess not only the proficiency in their specific area of specialization but also an expertise in providing the right opportunities for the students which will make them creative, talented and globally competent professionals. Dr. S. N. Murugesan is also actively involved in projects sponsored by institutions like the Department of Science and Technology. He also collaborates with industries through the Industry Institute Interaction Cell of the college and enables the students to take up industrial training and internship and motivates the faculty members to get involved in consultancy activities.
Building a Brighter Tomorrow through Education
Ever since his school days, Dr. S. N. Murugesan has been passionate about pursuing higher education. After completing his B.E. degree in Mechanical Engineering, he joined the teaching profession at an engineering college. As he interacted with his students, he was inspired by their eagerness to learn and pursue higher education. This motivated him to take up post-graduate studies and subsequently he obtained his Ph.D. degree in Thermal Science, from Anna University, Chennai.
As a teacher, Dr. S. N. Murugesan took the responsibility of providing additional technical inputs to the advanced learners, while conducting extra coaching classes for the slow learners. He ensures that all his students achieve higher levels of learning and secure placement in the organizations of their choice, and he also supports and encourages students who aspire to pursue higher studies, by providing them with guidance and coaching for competitive examinations. Moreover, with years of experience in various technical institutions and currently serving as the Principal of Rajalakshmi Engineering College, he also focuses on providing opportunities for the students to participate in a number of co-curricular activities, national and international technical competitions and also in extra-curricular events of their interest.
Roles and Responsibilities as the Principal
“As a principal, my primary objective is to provide quality technical education imbibed with proficiency and human values”, Dr. Murugesan shares. “To achieve this, I collaborate with all the Deans, Directors, and Heads of Departments to develop a five-year strategic plan, which outlines our major focus areas including Academic Excellence, Research and Innovation, Infrastructure Development, Industry Institute Interaction, Student Support, and Institutional Excellence, and frame key performance indicators and set targets for each one of them”, he continued. By implementing this strategic plan, Dr. Murugesan and his team plan and execute appropriate steps to achieve the set targets, ensuring the satisfaction of all stakeholders year after year.
Despite the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic during the academic years 2020-21 and 2021-22, Rajalakshmi Engineering College was able to continue the teaching-learning and evaluation process effectively through the online mode, under Dr. S. N. Murugesan’s accomplished leadership. The prior experience in adopting learning management systems, like Google Classroom, was instrumental in achieving this, and the College found that the online mode of interaction was particularly helpful in overcoming many challenges and the uncertainty surrounding the completion of the planned syllabus and examinations.
Also, as the Principal, Dr. S. N. Murugesan is committed to motivating the faculty members to guide students in innovative projects, which will have the potential to result in publications in renowned journals/conferences and the filing of patents. He also urges the faculty members to follow the filed patents, answer the queries raised and get them granted, which will enable the institution to launch on start-ups. He also firmly believes that the institution should also train and encourage a significant percentage of students to become entrepreneurs. All such initiatives have led to the establishment of 15 Centers of Excellence in the college in various areas of emerging technologies such as Renewable Energy, Electric Vehicles, High-speed Jet flows, Medical Imaging, Biofilms, etc.
Beyond his Professional activities, on the philanthropic side, Dr. S. N. Murugesan takes part in a number of social service activities like conducting blood donation camps, initiating the cleaning of nearby villages, planting trees, adopting best methods for e-waste disposal and maintaining a green environment. He strongly believes that all technological advancements should ultimately promote national development and uphold the prestige of our country.
