All around the world, leaders from government and industry debate the future of work and the changes brought by technology and automation. Despite this, the world is not reacting fast enough to update our system of education both in content and delivery. So, what are we doing to prepare future generations to thrive in this changing landscape? “In most universities and colleges, we are still teaching subjects in a traditional way with the same old course content. Although some debates about the evolving future of education in changing times have already begun, there isn’t much action on the ground happening as a result of it. Thereby, addressing this very point and elaborating on how Sharda operates as a stand-alone entity towards imparting exceptional learning experiences for all, Dr. Parma Nand, the Dean of university, stated – “At Sharda University, we have an academic structure that grinds and polishes the students and provides them ample number of opportunities so that they become the best version of themselves both at personal level and professional level”.
Being that hub where an atmosphere of inclusivity is felt across every corner, and where every student, irrespective of his/her past academic record or background, is bound to get involved in different activities, the Sharda Community enables each student to become innovative and creative. Founded under the aegis of Sharda Group of Institutions, which has been a provider of world class education since 1996, and perhaps the biggest educational group in Uttar Pradesh, Sharda University with its state-of-the-art campus, based out of Greater Noida, Delhi NCR, the university has established itself as a high quality education provider with prime focus on holistic learning and imbibing competitive abilities in students.
Approved by UGC and proud of being the only multi-discipline campus in the NCR, the campus is spread over 63 acres and equipped with world-class facilities. Promising to become one of India’s leading universities with an acknowledged reputation for excellence in research and teaching, the onboard faculty members through their world class teaching standards, and innovative academic programmes, guide Sharda towards setting new benchmarks in the Indian education system, each year. Deriving its name to the “Goddess of Knowledge and Learning – Saraswati”, the university clearly signifies university in diversity, offering everyone present on the campus an ethos of collaboration, facilitating pathways to achieve pinnacles of success, anytime and anywhere.
Creating lifelong learners
“At Sharda University, we offer more than 200 programs at graduate, post graduate, doctoral and diploma level, actively implementing various initiatives towards following all the guidelines and norms set by the National Education Policy (NEP)”, shares – Dr. Parma Nand, explaining about how the university has always been in sync with the changing times, be it hosting up-to-date programs or following guidelines set by governments or governing bodies. Adding to his above statement, and specifically talking about the courses offered at the School of Engineering & Technology, he stated – “at graduate level broadly we offer Bachelor of Technology in Computer Science and Engineering, Civil Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical and Electronics Engineering and Biotechnology”. Through the conversation we also learnt that, as far as courses are concerned at Sharda, apart from regular courses that build the fundamentals, the university has included several courses which focus on developing soft skills and bringing out innovation and creativity to the forefront. For example, the university has incorporated Project based learning in the curriculum which is beyond textbook and requires brainstorming, creative thinking and meticulous execution. The outcome of this course has been exceptional. The students have got patents granted, published research papers in SCI/Scopus indexed journals, which is phenomenal. Along with fundamental courses, these not so conventional yet impactful courses contribute massively towards holistic development of the students, where it is ensured that students develop mental, physical, emotional, intellectual and social skills intended to help meet daily life’s demands and challenges.
Moreover, to achieve and maintain the brand-value and standards set by the group of institutions, several measures have been taken by the University. An Outcome-Based Education (OBE) system exists on the university campus, which is known to be student-centric, where the teaching and learning methodologies followed, are in pursuit of effective course delivery and assessments are planned to achieve stated objectives and outcomes. It aims at equipping learners with the knowledge, competence and orientations needed for success after they leave the institution. Adherence to the academic calendar, scheduling lectures for courses, preparation of course files and review of the course syllabus are a few of the practices that are followed to monitor and evaluate a program’s performance. Furthermore, feedback from the stakeholders, i.e. Students, Parents, Alumni and Industry Experts are collected on a regular basis and based on their inputs the curriculum gets evolved and upgraded.
Providing the best college experience to the students., the state of the art facilities and upgraded infrastructure, that match international standards, the technologically upgraded classrooms facilitate teaching through advanced tools and techniques. The university has centrally air-conditioned classrooms with Wi-Fi enabled projectors, tutorial rooms, multiple libraries, state-of-the-art seminar rooms and multiple fully equipped auditoriums. The university is enriched with renovated hostels, medical support systems (Sharda Hospital), modern gymnasium, a vast parking facility and an eco-friendly environment to its students by being a complete smoke-free zone, and it has also taken active steps towards the latest initiatives of solar heating, rainwater harvesting and many more. The university has taken extensive measures to address the need for vigilance and security, along with having a complete CCTV-enabled campus to cater to the safety requirements of the students and staff.
In pursuit of all-rounded development
Additionally, the diverse and multicultural environment of Sharda University not just focuses on giving the best education and educational platforms for a student’s academic excellence but also gives space for one’s paracems to be their reality. With equal emphasis being laid on vivid sports and cultural clubs, the university gives students a stage to excel. With proper trials, procedures and interviews which any student can apply for, student’s talent is identified and welcomed which subsequently gets brushed up. The Dean-Student welfare is the umbrella department that takes care of sports, culture, NCC or NSS in all aspects at every level right from university to national level, and the Dean of the university – Dr. Parma Nand, is the main incharge of this department.
Apart from regular curriculum, the university has taken numerous measures to enable students to match up with the evolving demands. For instance, addressing the increase in the potential of startups, Sharda University’s Business Incubation Centre (BIC) was established in 2013 under the umbrella of the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME), Govt. of India, New Delhi. The objective of the incubation centre is simple – to inspire and work with aspiring entrepreneurs to shape up business ideas into commercial start-up companies. Under the guidance of diligent and experienced faculty, candidates learn the dynamic process of business development and how to survive in their early stage. In addition, the institution also provides infrastructural support i.e. office space, meeting room to the candidates etc.
“In the coming few years we would like to follow our vision i.e. To become a globally acclaimed institution of higher learning in engineering and technology promoting excellence in research, innovation and entrepreneurship and as an institution we believe that we have all the ingredients to be one of the best academic institutions in India”, stated the Dean, summarizing the whole conversation, and by showing the world and our readers, how Sharda extensively works towards strengthening their relation with various industries, while improving the status of research and employability, welcoming students from 80+ countries to be a part of educational revolution, right on the track of making it big in their respective fields and careers.
Dr. Parma Nand – Dean
A Ph.D. in Computer Science & Engineering from IIT Roorkee, M. Tech & B. Tech in Computer Science & Engineering from IIT Delhi, Prof Parma Nand with his 28+ years of experience both in industry and academia, he has received various awards like best teacher award from Union Minister. He has successfully completed government funded projects and spearheaded last five IEEE International conferences on Computing, Communication & Automation (ICCCA), IEEE student’s chapters, Technovation Hackathon 2019, Technovation Hackathon 2020, International Conference on Computing, Communication, and Intelligent Systems (ICCCIS-2021) etc. He is member of Executive Council of IEEE UP section (R-10), member Executive Committee IEEE Computer and Signal Processing Society, member Executive India Council Computer Society, member Executive Council Computer Society of India, Noida section and has acted as an observer in many IEEE conferences. He is also having active memberships of ACM, IEEE, CSI, ACEEE, ISOC, IAENG, and IASCIT. He is also a lifetime member of the Soft Computing Research Society (SCRS) and ISTE. He has delivered many invited/keynote talks at International & National Conferences/ Workshops/Seminars in India and abroad. He has published more than 150 papers in peer reviewed international/national journals and conferences. He has also published a number of book chapters in reputed publications like Springer Berlin Heidelberg.