SRM University, Sonepat, Director - Admissions: Mr. Manoj Interview

Mr. Manoj has been working as the Director of Admissions and International Relations at SRM University, Sonepat, Haryana since 2017. Before joining SRM, he was working in the domain of Domestic Student Recruitment, Marketing Strategies & Planning and Enrolment Management in the Admissions Department. And being in the position of Director of Admissions, Administration & International Relations, he shoulders the responsibilities of establishing International academic partnership, organizing International events and conferences, recruitment of International students, and exploring areas of research and industrial collaboration with global institutions and heads the office of international relations. And on the administrative front, he is responsible to streamline operations, ensure that administrative functions run smoothly, eliminate wastage by resource optimisation, and improving the organization’s financial standing through accurate expenditure monitoring and budget forecasting. Apart from this, before joining the education sector, he has worked in an IT Company, been an Entrepreneur and also served in an Automotive Company DICV Pvt. Ltd. – Mercedes Benz. He has also volunteered the NGO movement ‘BakthiSakthi’ in Malaysia, worked towards deprived Tamil communities by giving them free courses on technical topics and has also organized self-employment and motivational classes for the needy students. He did Bachelor's in Technology (IT) from Anna University, Masters in International Strategic Management from University of Bradford of UK and M. Sc. in International Business Management from Kozminski University of Poland as part of his education. In addition to this, he has obtained Erasmus+ Scholarship for International Business from RWTH School of Business, Aachen of Germany. And he is proficient in many languages including English, German & Polish, Tamil, Malayalam and Hindi.

What is your philosophy of leadership?

For me, true leadership is when a leader can lead people by example and motivate and co-inspire his/her fellow colleagues without feeling burdened or burnt out. It is often misunderstood that a good leader needs to be authoritative and commanding in nature, but this is an era of cooperation and collaboration wherein leading by demonstration is the key to ensure that every team member portrays voluntariness over compulsion in order to yield better outcomes. Mere skills and know-hows are overrated when it comes to achieving success. 

How does the curriculum of your University ensure the best practices of the industry?

For us, achieving the objectives in a heterogeneous cohort we have set for our programs is a challenging task. Hence at the start of each session, we first identify the varied strengths and weaknesses of each learner and then train them by providing experiential learning opportunities in collaboration with IBM, Xebia, Siemens, Bosch, TCS and other industrial partners, because our aim is to transform our students into next-gen leaders, professionals and researchers in their area of expertise. All this not only enables the learners to recognize their potential in creating an ecosystem but also nurtures a conducive environment for global research and innovation.

How is your University more welcoming to students of different races and backgrounds?

Our University accepts students from all over the country and at present we have students from 24 states and many other nationalities of South East Asia and Africa. And we cherish the diversity of students that we have on campus because students of different religions, castes, culture and ethnicities co-exist here peacefully. We also organize various events for the students coming from underprivileged communities and 3 different food menus are available to serve delicious food to all. In addition to this, we conduct anti-ragging, anti-racial seminars and workshops from time to time and orientation sessions are organized for freshers to make them aware about our campus. An anonymous grievance cell has been established under the Student Welfare Wing to address students issues and combat academic challenges and any kind of discrimination is strictly prohibited in campus, then there is a mentor-mentee system that enables a better bonding among student community as research scholars and PG students guide budding graduates and harsh punishments are defined for people who commit any ill-mannered acts like ragging, bullying, cyber taunting or eve-taunting etc. Last but not the least, reservation policy adopted by SRMU also helps students to get quality education with scholarships like Haryana Domicile and Sports based scholarships.

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How do you contribute to the growth of SRMU and it's students through your role and responsibilities?

My journey with SRMU started back in 2017 as a Director of International Affairs and University collaboration increased from 6 to 45 partnerships and we have come together with University of Oxford, Coventry University, Singapore Polytechnic and many students of our institution are exploring amazing opportunities in anglophonic nations and have received benefits from exchange programs of Chiba University of Japan, Kyungdong University of South Korea, Providence University of Taiwan etc. Apart from this, we have organized 6 major international events and conferences where 2 Nobel laureates and many eminent personalities joined us and gave their valuable insights.

And when I got the responsibility of Director of Administration in 2019 and led a special Covid-19 combat committee in the University and ensured 100% vaccination for everyone by organizing a special vaccination drive. I have also played a pivotal role in launching SIEMENS – Centre of Excellence in campus, have assisted Placement Cell to work with special trainees to increase industry outlook and as a result of it, our students grabbed a whopping package of 35 lakhs during 2022 recruitment drive. Apart from this, I have established Alumni Association, in-house LMS and facelifted ERP through student survey and stakeholders’ feedback in the system and crowd-funded lakhs of rupees for the deceased student in Uttarakhand avalanche in 2022 and also served as an IQAC Coordinator and established the working committee to collate data necessary for accreditation and ranking.

In your opinion, what should be the University's top priority in the coming 10 years?

By the year 2033, our University will complete its 75 years and will be transformed from a conventional pedagogy to modern application based education system. And in my opinion, in the coming years we aspire to make each and every program worthwhile for students by integrating entrepreneurial and industrial acumen in them. In addition to this, separate research cells will be established for each department to promote the culture of research and innovation in students and faculty members. And it is not hidden from anyone that in the upcoming time, India will become a hub for attracting the highest quality of academicians from all over the world and University studies will no longer be just about teaching, it will be more about enriched unmatched practical experience through the use of Ultra-VR classrooms where students would be able to remotely attend their classes. We are also putting our best to get a ranking for University in the top 500 ranked institutions of THE and QS Ranking. Lastly, we aspire to build a good nation for everyone by combating global challenges in collaboration with other international institutions and achieving the United Nations SDG 4.0 through our expert and diversified community.

What would you like people to know about your institute that distinguishes it from others?

Our University carries a rich legacy of 50+ years with a motto of learn, leap and lead and our education runs its DNA with 1,00,000 students studying currently at all our campuses. Apart from this, we uphold the highest standards of instructions in various Faculties and Departments and are committed to create a diverse community that inspires freedom and innovation to all its stakeholders by providing optimum development opportunities to them and imparting best quality education and value based to students with focus on their skill enhancement in accordance with industry and society requirements. And due to our sincere efforts, we have progressively augmented our infrastructure, laboratories, and other facilities to meet industrial needs and also by adapting quickly to changing teaching pedagogies and providing high quality research and Entrepreneurship opportunities to students and faculty members. Lastly, as we are very conscious of our social responsibilities, hence we regularly organize social outreach and extension activities to instill good values and empathy in our students and make them integrated and socially sensitive persons. 

What are some of the greatest strengths of your SRM University? 

The main pillars of our University's strength is our strong legacy and prominent national presence, modern infrastructure for teaching, learning and research, eco-friendly, gender and disability sensitive campus along with active national and international collaborations followed by MoUs we have signed with domestic and foreign institutions for quality research and academic outcome. In addition to this, we emphasize on industry-academia collaboration to ensure best quality experiential learning experience for our students. We also offer many interdisciplinary and industry-relevant programs along with value based courses on technologies such as Cloud Computing, Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, Mechatronics, Big Data Analytics, Internet of Things, Cyber Security and Business Analytics etc. and we have taken many environmental initiatives like we are using renewable energy sources in campus, practicing rainwater harvesting and have also built a no smoking zone and waste management system. Lastly, we have collaborated with community people, so I believe all these factors together have made us strong and resilient over time.

What biggest challenge are there in front of higher education institutions and your University nowadays? 

In my opinion, there are several challenges which higher education institutions including our University are facing at different levels and the very first roadblock is keeping pace with global developments and research work happening on a daily basis. In addition to this, fast changing technologies and pedagogical innovations alao demand quick adaptation from teachers, which we also know is not possible overnight, hence to overcome this challenge we need to provide rigorous FDPs and MDPs for which they need to squeeze out time out of their hectic schedule. We also have to make the campus fully residential and lack of funds to support projects, consultancies, research and innovation work has become a hindrance here. Last but not the least, making students pursue more courses through SWAYAM or other MOOCs platforms, reorienting students thinking that University is a knowledge hub rather than a recruitment agency providing job, motivating people to take up advance Degree courses post their graduation are some of the other hurdles we need to address on an earliest basis and most important of all, the low ranking of Indian institutions at global level is a demotivating factor which push them back despite being amazing in all terms.

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Any valuable advice which you would like to give to the young people?

I would like to advise my dear students to have a curious attitude towards anything they see and hear about their surroundings. Also, try to discover your life goals and purpose rather than working monotonously in a 9-5 job just because society expects you to do so.

We all know that exploring something new by coming out of your comfort zone is not easy for anyone but if you are confident enough and have fallen in love with your goal, nobody can stop you from achieving your goals, so just focus on outcomes and keep going. When one falls, hundreds may criticize them including their loved ones but always remember that it's you who needs to pick yourself up and start again from scratch. World is a tough and cruel place, so always learn to embrace and combat rather than crib, cry and shy away. Also, every new day will bring a different set of challenges for you , so don't panic but think how you can overcome those hurdles and make your day more productive because we all know that life without challenges will become boring and regretful. 

How do you establish healthy relations and environment in your SRM University?

At SRMU, we encourage students and staff members to take advantage of robust sports infrastructure and vibrant campus atmosphere which in turn helps them to explore their potential, develop their self-confidence and self-esteem, teaches them importance of team spirit, helps them to accept failures and manage varied emotions and last but not the least establishes long lasting friendships and improve interpersonal relationships between everyone. Then we have an Alumni Association at SRMU which we call as SRMUHAA and it's prime responsibility is to instill a feeling of solidarity amongst those who have graduated from the University and foster reciprocal relationships among the graduated students that will last a lifetime. In other words, this Alumni Association acts as a link between the Alma Mater and the Alumni in providing a platform for open and respectful interaction between Alumni, students, teachers and staff members. And to appoint the office bearers of this Alumni Association, elections are regularly held in a fair and transparent manner. Lastly, Alumni Meet is regularly organized to stay connected with the University and help drive the philanthropic initiatives, extra-curricular activities and networking events of the University.