Dr. Meena Sharma is the Professor and Associate Dean of Finance at Vivekanand Education Society's Business School. She has an amazing experience of 17 years in the education field. She is a Post-Graduate Gold Medalist and a Ph.D holder in Banking and Business Finance from the M.S. University of Baroda. She is a passionate teacher and a keen researcher who has published many research papers in various well-known journals and even has authored many books. She has also received best research paper awards for outstanding research papers for two consecutive years in international conferences.

VES Business School

What keeps you connected with the education sector and how has your experience been so far with the institute?

"My passion is to educate the upcoming generation of our country"

I believe that the education sector is a very interesting sector where you keep on learning and up-skill yourself with the current market trend. I actually feel very proud while teaching the future generation of our nation, because I find an opportunity to shape young minds, encourage and motivate them to grow professionally and personally with confidence. I really love being with these young energetic minds and interacting with people who have passion in knowledge sharing. My experience has been really wonderful with the VBS institute and I am enjoying each and every moment of being with the students. 

What are your roles and responsibilities towards the students?

"I am responsible for academic activities, financial planning and curriculum development"

Being a professor I have to teach them various subjects related to the discipline of finance. For that, I plan my lessons and assignments to assess the learning outcomes of my students. Apart from that, I also need to design and develop a curriculum as per the industry requirements to make my students industry-ready. I even contribute to the administrative work of the institute on behalf of the VBS finance department. I am involved in different cells of the institute and along with the students we organize many activities and events like; competitions, seminars, workshops and conferences. In addition to all this, I guide students in their projects and fieldwork. 

Which extracurricular activities are organized in college to enhance the skills of students?

"We arrange corporate events and social service programs regularly"

We do organize a lot of co-curricular activities in our college at the department level as well as institute level to enhance the skills of our students. We organize sports events, and community service programs to promote the spirit of leadership, creativity, time management, problem-solving, team management, crisis handling, etc. The course structure also consists of industrial visits to different companies in India as well as at the international level in order to give students an opportunity to be acquainted with the global environment and interact with professionals. We also have a student exchange program with foreign Universities like the University of Cartagena, Spain, the University of Economics in Katowice, Poland, University of the Highlands and Islands Scotland, UK, ENAE Business School, Murcia, Spain, Center for the study of innovation Management (CSIM) college of business, Delaware State University, USA, Lincoln University, California and USA to name a few. These tie-ups help our students in experiential learning and getting exposure at the international level. 

How does the curriculum of your college ensure the future preparedness of students?

"It is backed by direct industrial exposure through internships and training programs"

We inculcate the best ethical values like honesty, integrity, transparency and respect in our students apart from teaching them the regular syllabus of various subjects through the UHV– AICTE program which is mandatory for all. Also, students get industry-driven exposure during their Summer Internship Projects (SIP), Yuva for Sewa and Management Internship Program (MIP). We have different cells at the institute level and every student has to be a part of a minimum of two cells of their choice. The training we offer to our students is mainly related to various management aspects like; entrepreneurship, project management skills, soft skills development, etc. 

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How do you bring in a practical and industry-oriented approach towards subjects?

"We assign various kinds of research projects, and assignments to students and also arrange industry sessions"

We promote the culture of experiential learning or learn by doing. Our students have continuous interaction with the industry through seminars, guest lectures and corporate visits. They even attend various sessions by corporate stalwarts. Business simulation, live projects, real-time case studies and industry collaborations are some of the other approaches we use to make our students industry ready. Our students are also sent for two months SIP to different companies where they learn about the real corporate world and in the end submit their reports based on their learnings, challenges faced and how they overcome those challenges. They are even exposed to different NGOs for 15-20 days where they arrange different activities for underprivileged people.

Which approaches do you bring in apart from curriculum to teach the students?

"Group based activities are organized for students in addition to social welfare programs"

We follow flipped classroom methods where each and every student has to participate in some or the other way. Group projects and presentations made in a group on the given topic is mandatory for all to learn teamwork. I use cases/case lets, class discussions, role plays, videos related to the topics, quizzes and even give assignments in my subject to make students understand the concepts. The Buddy program is also a part of VBS mentoring where senior students help and guide their junior students. Social skills are developed through ‘Yuva for Sewa‘ program, Blood donation camps and on environment day new plants are planted in the campus and surroundings to make students aware of their environment and taking care of the same. Special Remedial classes for weak students are also a very important part of our two years course where faculty helps weak students in their respective subjects.

What would you like people to know about your institute?

"We provide best ambiance to students to learn and grow"

VBS is one of the best growing business schools in Mumbai with a blend of industry and academics. We have continued lecture series on startups and entrepreneurship. We have tie-ups with international institutes for student exchange and faculty exchange programs. Through these alliances now students can even have dual degree courses. Students are encouraged to take up on-the-job training and corporate internships at various reputed organizations. In all, VBS has a good environment and facilities for a learner.

What do you see as the greatest strengths of your institute?

"Our students, infrastructure, faculties and programs makes us unique"

VBS has highly qualified, dedicated, energetic and experienced faculty who are experts in their respective fields. They prepare our students to face the challenges of the professional world. VBS is a research oriented institute and it also has well maintained infrastructure with smart classrooms. Our college has an excellent student-teacher rapport with emphasis on mentoring and counseling, supportive non-teaching staff, simple and transparent system, and excellent interface with industries and alumni. Flipped classroom learning is one of the major strengths of the institute. Also these things together make us resilient.

What are some of the biggest challenges you see, both for higher education in general?

"Teaching quality, examination system and values education are biggest challenge"

In this digital era where access to information is very easy and fast, young students need the right mix of academics, analytical as well as presentation skills to be more competitive. Lack of awareness, values and Rigidity is a big challenge for the higher institutions in today's time. The rapid expansion and reforms of the higher education system has brought several challenges related to efficiency, excellence and access to higher education. 

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Any suggestions which you would like to give to the current youth and aspiring students?

"Always believe in yourself and learn new skills but one at a time"

I would like to suggest to my students that always believe in yourself and keep exploring things as the world is full of ideas. And once you acquire a particular skill, try to convert those ideas into reality. When you join a course, you not only learn how to get a job out of it, but you also learn how to become a good human being and a good citizen too.