Vice President of K L University, Mr. Raja shares tips for effective decision making with the young minds

Interview by Sakshi Aggarwal

Founder of TechStartInc, Mr. Raja is currently serving as the Vice President of K L University. TechStartInc is a Vijayawada, India based technology and business startup incubator that helps students startups and early-stage companies to develop by providing services, training and office space. Mr. Raja is also the Vice President Operations at K L University.

Prior to K L University, Mr. Raja was working as the Graduate Research Assistant in NorthShore University Health System Research Institute. He was the Intern Research Assistant at Emory University and net Math Mentor at the University of Illinois where he mentored calculus courses via Mathematics software and Web.

Mr. Raja’s educational qualification include M.S, Biotechnology from Northwestern University, and B.S, Molecular and Cell Biology, 2007 from University of Illinois at Urbana-Campaign.

Key factors that supported Mr. Raja’s success

Creating a history of being number 1 in both Telugu states gives me utmost satisfaction. But at the same time, bears me the highest responsibility to sustain this legacy. KL Deemed to be University’s relentless commitment to place its alumni in the best corporates of the world, personality development programs imbibed in the curriculum, and the trust of parent and student communities in us are the key factors that reflect the standards we set on our way to realizing our vision.

Mr. Raja on how he ensures the faculty and students are at par with growing industry needs

The recent reminiscences of my student life are an advantage that reflects in my work as a young academician. Having this in my mind, I take up a dynamic approach towards the growth of both students and faculty members by engaging them mutually in start-ups, incubation centers, innovation practices, professional enhancement, workshops, training programs and research endeavors. Knowledge-sharing between students and faculty work at its best in this scenario.

Read about the faculty at K L University here.

Learning culture and environment at K L University

KL-Deemed to be University is a common place for diverse learning. Positivity is at the very heart and soul of KL-Deemed to be University as a medium of Freedom-for-learning right from its inception.

Although students come from different castes, creeds, cultures, regions, and even nationalities, they join their hands with mutual respect for the best results in full vigor.

Practices followed by Mr. Raja to make the students technically skilled as well as socially responsible

I believe that a student is both an individual and a social being at the same time. Hence, I insist on the overall personality growth of our students by offering them not only innovative technologies on par with international standards but also ensure them with the best infrastructure to acquire necessary skills. Discipline and dedication is what our university prudently inhabit our students which help them to become successful and socially responsible professionals. I also create a flat form for the students to take these technical learning to the doorsteps of the society through IoT based projects.

Read about the placement opportunities available at K L University here.

Goals in mind for K L-Deemed to be University

Our university’s vision is to see KL-Deemed University be a “Globally renowned university. Here, I would like to mention the main aim of our vision is to bring all global resources, global wisdom, and global infrastructure to the reach of our students at the regional level. Our students should be able to exert all their global aspirations at one place without any geographical limitations and be globally competent.

Mr. Raja on how he manages his relationship with various stakeholders

Everybody has their own share of contribution feeling self-responsible as an integral part of KL Deemed to be University’s destiny. This bondage is possible because of healthy human relations we incubate in all our stakeholders.

My open-minded approach towards stakeholders helps me to create a student-friendly environment. I am inspired by this younger generation’s capacity to augment their scope of aspirations, and hence provide them all support they deserve to become the great assets of the society. I do initiate changes in adapting to emerging trends and in doing so, motivate and empower my team members to work as a coherent unit for the desired change.

Mr. Raja’s philosophy of leadership and his leadership style

I believe that everyone is potentially a leader where one has to work out his own strategies to realize a leader within him. To lead one’s life in a disciplined manner is itself a quality of leadership.

I define leadership as the capacity to transform his vision into reality. The very purpose of my leadership is to produce more leaders out of my students. I want to be a leader who strives to become better than what I am and help students to lead their careers and lives successfully.

Here, every student is conferred with opportunities for start-ups, projects, innovation clubs Samyak – student organized technical fest etc. to realize one’s own leadership capabilities.

Suggestions for the current youth and the aspiring students

The most important suggestion I want to give is about decision making. It is undoubtedly the most crucial aspect of student’s life. I insist students take decisions, not by their emotional-senses, but their cognitive-senses. Enquire experts, discuss with peers, and listen to what their parents have to say, but ultimately decide by and for themselves for a career path that suits them the best.

Let them discover own fact-finding mechanism that comes from their individuality. Once chosen, strive and drive to achieve the same no matter what it takes. Develop the ability to adapt to quickly changing the world in order to balance both professional and personal lives.