Dr. Kalyanasundaram P. is the Director of Academics at SJES College also the Management Representative for Quality Systems Implementation. He has done BE, MBA and M.Phil. from Madurai Kamaraj University and his Ph.D. from Annamalai University. He has over 28 years of experience. He has attended several seminars, conferences, FDPs and workshops and has published 37 papers in national and international journals. He has won 3 awards for paper presentations at National Conferences on Management. He had also been a resource person for conference sessions at leading institutions. He has carried out market research projects for M/s. Vital Wave Consulting, Learn Nature Computech and Centre for Public Policy. He has trained beneficiaries of the Prime Minister's Employment Generation Program through Khadi and Village Industries Commission. He has organized various National and International Conferences on Management and has edited 5 Seminar/Conference Proceedings. He had undergone Six Sigma training, Digital Marketing, Export Management, Training in Instructional Design and is a Life Member of the Quality Circle Forum of India and the Indian Society for Technical Education. For academic and industry tie-ups he has visited universities/higher education institutions and industries in Singapore, Malaysia, Srilanka, and the Netherlands. His interests include History and Eastern Philosophy.

SJES College of Management Studies

You have held key positions at education institutes throughout your professional career. What are the key factors that keep you connected with the education sector?

The major factor that keeps me connected and motivated with the education sector is that Education is a social leveler – It can ensure social equality and bring equanimity and progress in the society and aid national development. Education leads to individual development which ensures family and societal development and so on.

Being the Academic Director of the college, what is your philosophy of leadership? How would you describe your leadership style?

I wish to lead by demonstration of work, focus and commitment and my style is participative, facilitative and coaching. While I ensure that colleagues are coached and taught, when required, I must also mention that staff should learn to do things on their own - independently without any hand-holding keeping in mind the interests of the institution. At times when it is needed micromanagement also is required. 

The education systems in India and other foreign countries are structured very differently. In your experience, what can an inbound student gain from studying here in your institute/ university/ school?

Students at SJES gain from the vast educational and industry experience the faculty members carry with them. The average experience of the senior faculty members is 21 years and the average experience of all the faculty members put together is 14 years. We follow the NEP of the Bangalore North University where we have futuristic, employment-oriented, skill-based, value-based and discipline-specific electives which is almost similar to western education systems like the European Credit Transfer Systems. Here, at SJES the focus is not only on academics, we ensure that development is holistic and all-round encompassing ethics and ensuring value-based education.

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How does the curriculum of SJES ensure the best practice of the industry?

Broadly speaking, our curriculum is prescribed by Bengaluru North University. But with regard to courses like BBA Aviation Management, BCA, MBA, BHM and MTTM we offer many industry-relevant value-added courses leading to industry-related certifications. This is what we offer beyond the curriculum. Courses like BCA with Cloud Computing and Cyber Security Certification, MBA with Aviation and Logistics Management, Amadeus GDS Training, etc. will add value to the repertoire of skills of our students and for sure will enhance their employability. The NEP syllabus also has new and industry-relevant electives like Cyber Security, Cloud Computing, Data Science, Business Intelligence, Machine Learning, Mobile Application Development, etc for the BCA Course and electives like Business Intelligence, Banking Financial Services and Insurance, HR Analytics, Logistics and Supply Chain Management, Retailing for Management Courses. I must say, SJES has over the years evolved as a top College in Bangalore in these domains.

Any insights into how your college could be more welcoming to students of different races or economic backgrounds?

At SJES, we ensure access and equity in higher education. We have students from all the states in India. A special mention would be the students of J & K (which is now UT of J & K and Ladakh) where we have students studying under the Prime Ministers Special Scholarship Scheme wherein they are funded 100% by the Central Government. We also have the National Scholarship Opportunities wherein students from religious minorities are other eligible beneficiaries are supported under various schemes. These students are from various communities and economic backgrounds. We have the OBC and SC/ST cells which create awareness about the various government schemes and ensure that they are supported financially through these schemes. We also have students who are funded by NGOs/Voluntary Organizations.

What do you think your roles and responsibilities to the College and the students are?

Broadly speaking my responsibilities include ensuring delivery of the curriculum to the students in a seamless manner, preparing them for the fiercely competitive corporate world, making them aware of their responsibilities to the society and the country, enhancing their employability and preparing them for an illustrious career. Out of the many that I mentioned here, making them responsible and focused citizens is what I love the most.

What would you like people to know about your College they may not know?

We are a team that is rich with experience, knowledge and skills – combined with a student-centered approach towards learning. The College conducts many activities like local industry visits, Industry tours, field visits, debates, International Conferences, short-term training programs, Seminars, Inter and Intra College Competitions to update and hone the skills of the students. The academic rigor that we have nevertheless need a mention. We also have MOUs with many leading organizations for placement and training.

What do you see as SJES's greatest strengths?

First mention would be the supportive management who encourages and guide us in offering world-class education to the student community. Our Secretary, Sri. K. Nagaraj Sir, and Administrative Director Sri. N. Dhiresh Kumar Sir are very kind and supportive of all the student-centered initiatives at the campus. The second would be the team that is dedicated, focused and committed under the guidance of Prof. Dr. B. Lakshma Reddy, the Principal, is hand’s on in his approach. The third is the strong legacy that SJES brings with its 40-plus years of experience in the field of education and the strong alumni base it has. Our alumni are now in very senior positions and this is certainly a great advantage in terms of placements, mentoring and support to the current learners. 

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How do you tend to establish a healthy relation and environment in your institute?

A healthy and vibrant environment is ensured on the campus by organizing freshers’ welcome parties every year. This fosters bonding and camaraderie among the freshers and the senior students. The farewell day is also held for the passing out batches every year. Other events like graduation day, annual day, ethnic day, etc. are being organized to engage the students and keep them active wherein they learn organizational and managerial skills. We have an elected student council that organizes all the student-related activities like Sports Day, Management Club, Literary Club, National Digital Library Club, Hotel Management Club, Computer Science Club Activities, etc. Alumni day and Parent-teachers meets are held to ensure alumni and parents know what is happening in the College. We are very transparent in our policies and procedures. Every communication to students is displayed through circulars/notices and published on our website. A student counselling facility is available and student grievances are addressed immediately. Students are at the core of all that we do as they are the main stakeholders and beneficiaries of the activities of the College.

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

My suggestions to the youth and aspiring students would be the following: 

  •  Learn what you are passionate about. You can carve a career out our anything that you learn. 
  • Choose a course and learn with passion, focus and discipline and seek a career and do not look for mere jobs. There is no doubt that you will get a job, but you need to learn how to make a career out of it.
  • Learn to be responsible, accountable, focused and ethical. You will not learn honesty, accountability, integrity, etc. anywhere but much needed in the journey of life. Incidentally, the curriculum talks about this in a paper-like Business Ethics and Corporate Governance but real-life experience or learning happens only when you interact with people in the society and in the college. Take up responsibility and tasks and you will be able to demonstrate and learn these attributes. Do not be glued to your cell phones or other gadgets and live in a virtual world. Be in the real world. 
  • Your happiness or peace is dependent on the happiness of the people around you. For that, you need to be empathetic and be concerned about everyone around you. Do not be hedonistic.