Alard College of Engineering and Management: Prof Zarina Shaikh, HOD

Prof. Zarina Shaikh is the HOD (Computer Engineering Department) at Alard College of Engineering, Pune. She has completed her M.E. (Computer Engineering) and is currently pursuing her Ph.D. Her areas of teaching include Machine Learning, High Performance Computing, Cloud Computing. She aims to provide vast learning opportunities to all the students of this College.

Alard College of Engineering and Management

What is the latest program that you are offering in your institute?

“BE in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning”

In 2009, the Department of Computer Engineering launched its UG program BE(CSE) with 60 students enrolled. Currently, the department offers a BE in Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning. They will also have an opportunity to explore areas such as deep learning, natural language processing, robotics, computer vision, neural networks, and problem-solving. In the upcoming technological era, students with expertise in Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, and other emerging technologies will be able to stand out from the crowd and venture into careers.

What are the factors that make this program the best for the students to opt for?

“Stimulating intellectual atmosphere for the development of students with well-equipped laboratories”

It is located at IT Hub conducive to teaching, learning and research.
The intellectual ambiance in the Department is conducive to the development of the students with well-equipped labs.
We follow an outcome-based learning model wherein the students can be well-groomed with theory knowledge, understanding of the concepts and interacting with faculty.

What are some valuable insights into the program that you are offering?

“Department is conducting workshops and certifications in collaboration with IIT Bombay”

The Department of Computer Engineering offers knowledge of modern computers, from bits and logic to programming languages and software libraries. We examine what makes computability and algorithm design possible, and we teach students how computation and intelligence are related. There is a small amount of programming to provide students with hands-on experience with the concepts, as well as on-paper problem-solving. The Department advocates the use of open-source software. Staff in the Department are well-qualified and actively engaged. Most of them are pursuing PhDs in new fields such as artificial intelligence and machine learning.

How does the program ensure that students are being prepared for the future?

“The training courses provide value-added courses and soft skills”

By taking the value-added courses as well as the soft skills training, the students are prepared. By the time of placements, the students will be ready to enter the professional world. Students who complete their engineering degrees should be employable as soon as they graduate. Our students have access to internships provided by Internshala, which helps them gain real-world experience.

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How do you tend to build an industry connect with this program?

"A minimum of four industrial visits per year for students"

We plan four industrial visits per year for students so they can get a sense of how the industry works. A variety of workshops and seminars are presented by industry experts. Experiences from the real world are imparted to students. Moreover, students are able to interact with eminent personalities.

Most of the industry we deal with has an MOU with the Department, which helps us get connected with them.

What are the types of projects that the students are working on through this program?

"Students work on emerging areas like AI, ML, Cybersecurity, and Data Science”

The students select projects based on their interests and collaborate in problem-solving situations. They learn how to analyze, think critically, write in multiple formats and communicate information. The research information, find, sort, and evaluate data. Moreover, students work on projects in emerging fields such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, cyber security, data science, and data mining.

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What are the benefits and career options after pursuing this course?

“Students can work as Business Analysts and Machine Learning Engineers”

There are huge opportunities for different positions after the successful completion of undergraduate and postgraduate programs. Some of these opportunities are listed here