Interview by Pratyasha

Acropolis Institute of Technology and Research

Dr. S. C. Sharma is designated as the Director of Acropolis Institute of Technology and Research, Indore. Having an excellent academic log, Dr. Sharma’s qualifications include B. Tech, M.Tech, PG Diplomas, and Ph.D. With a varied and rich experience of twenty two years. Dr. Sharma has worked in industry as well as in educational institutions in various capacities from assistant professor to director.

He has received many certifications from various distinguished universities such as The University of California, The Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and The Tenaris University. Not only this, but he has more than 20 published research papers also both in national and international journals. Being a devout educationist, his motto is to contribute toward the country and society by preparing young talents to combat future technical challenges ethically.

Education can help transforming a person into a better human

I have been in this field for more than 22 years, and in my view, education is not just a medium of providing and acquiring knowledge. It is difficult to define education in just one or two sentence; it is like an attitude that has the power to transform an individual from just a man or woman into a ‘human’. It helps in grooming one’s mind, body, and soul into a character that can stand tall in any situation favourable or adverse; a soul that is amiable, amicable, and above all pragmatic.

Being in the education industry, not only do we make the career of students but also shape the building blocks to make a great nation. It is said that “Life does not change in a second, but it changes with the decision taken in a second.” This is what, I believe, the real role of an educator is—to guide students to take the right decision at the right time.

Dr. Sharma’s philosophy and leadership styles

In my opinion, leadership is an individual’s approach with clear vision and farsightedness to take an organization and its members toward success both vertically and horizontally. I believe that the records are broken with a team working toward the ultimate goal, sharing the same attitude and positivity.

Also, unclipping the wings and providing enough space to flutter, ensures flights to the higher altitudes, this is what we practice with faculty members and students. Our faculty members are our backbone, and their knowledge, skills, and experience is bone marrow, and we are nurturing and strengthening both.

Challenges faced as Director of the Institute

We instil the habit of beating the deadline rather than just meeting it among the students. With this habit, they would be able to exceed the requirements of the industry. However, the lack of appetite for knowledge, distractions, and finally an average command on the universal language ‘English’ are the significant challenges that the students are facing. All exclusive efforts have been made by the institute to address these challenges, and a positive outcome is reflecting in their academic and placement records.

Acropolis provides an extra edge with their curriculum practices

In addition to the curriculum, Acropolis is the only institute which has initiated SKF Center of Excellence, AWS (Amazon Web Services) Academy, Alexa Laboratory, experiments on the complete working cut section of the actual engine with transmission.

Read about Acropolis Institute of Technology and Research Placement

Not only this but the institute also comprises a Tinkering Lab, BMW Skill-Next programme, dedicated Career Development Cell, exclusive workshop for vehicle fabrication, hands-on practice on commercial CNC machine, Virtual labs of IIT Bombay, Chapter of NITTTR Chandigarh, Collaboration with IITs, MOUs with UIPath, Redhat, Reliance, etc. All these initiatives enable the students to showcase their skills while working with industry.

Changes noticed in the education Industry

Since ‘Guru-Shishya Parampara’ is commonly understood as a moral obligation on the part of a student that he should always obey his teachers and follow their path. I would not comment on its righteousness but would like to say that the time has changed, and so have the students to a certain extent. One cannot impose one’s thoughts on the young generation as they are exposed to different avenues now. They have their own mind-set that satiates only after getting logic behind any concept.

Nowadays, most things are interdisciplinary, and students have to work accordingly. The transition has already started to break through the boundaries of simply theoretical knowledge and conventional examination. Students need to have both technical and soft skills to meet the expectations of corporate.

Dr. Sharma takes on his availability for students

I started interacting with all students in the first year itself in order to understand their expectations and make them comfortable in the college. This helps in boosting their confidence and making them feel at home and in the right hands. I keep myself available all the time as their concern is our concern and priority.

Check Acropolis Institute of Technology and Research Faculty

Goals for the Institute for the future

The institute has shown a perennial growth and has achieved many remarkable milestones since its inception. We have been marching on the path to become a leading institute for the better development of human potential. We are set to map each student to achieve his goals to serve corporate or becoming an entrepreneur or to go for higher studies. In the coming 5 years, Acropolis will be the most preferred destination for the candidates to pursue their higher education.

Dr. Sharma’s message to the young aspirants

Today’s youth have been living an easy and comfortable life due to modern technology. But it is essential to limit the excessive use of technology. I would like to suggest them to avoid excessive use of mobile phones. It will not only harm their health but it also distracts them from their studies and set goals, which ultimately leads to depression and often results in many other mishaps. My earnest suggestion to the youth is to be focused on their studies and dreams to be achieved and make their parents and teachers proud.