Interview by Kritika Gupta

HIT

Mr. Ajay Jasola is designated as the Chairman of Himalayan Institute of Technology (HIT), Dehradun. He has more than 20 years of experience in various field of higher education. His rich exposure to the TCS-CMC, Delhi Business School, and HIT have empowered him with a diverse and innovative approach as an academic leader.

The dedicated educationalist holds a Post Graduate degree in Management. Students are the prime focus of all his effort in work. He sincerely believes that real education lies way beyond books. He is a firm believer of "teaching the student and not the subject" which involves experiential learning strategies that foster critical thinking.

Experience as an educationalist for more than 20 years 

My experience in the education industry for the last 20 years has been excellent. Well, it was long back in the year 1996 when I started “Himalayan Institute of Technology (HIT)” for imparting quality education to students in Dehradun. Since then it has been a long journey, progressing day by day, month by month and year after year. Today HIT is one of the best institutes in Uttarakhand.

This industry is the best one to work in because one gets an opportunity to serve the society by imparting quality education to the students. One gets a chance to help the upcoming youth become the real citizens of our nation India.

Mr. Jasola's Leadership philosophy and style 

Everyone knows that a leader, as evident, must have the quality of leading the masses, particularly in the field of his/ her domain. My area of domain is education and right from the very beginning, I have acted for the betterment of quality of education that we impart to our students.

The method and ways that we have opted here at HIT have proved to be great, as out Institution has received Higher Education Award 2016 and 2017 for two consecutive years from the Chief Minister of Uttarakhand. The Institute has also received “Top Institute of India Award 2018” from CSR India.

Challenges faced as a Chairman of HIT 

Challenges are always there in the education or any other industry. If your institute has a large number of students, that too from various places, it sometimes becomes difficult to maintain harmonious relations among the students in the institute. Our institute has a team of highly qualified faculty and holistic atmosphere, we accept the challenges and win over it successfully.

USP of HIT’s curriculum 

The curriculum design and pedagogy emphasize the development of students’ skills and abilities. We take pride in the academic rigor and relevance practiced at HIT. We also believe in the power of experiential learning, which is one of the pillars of education at the institute.

Every element in our action is outcome-centric and the curriculum is geared towards teaching students through real experiences acquired for the last so many years. I am sure that our curriculum ensures that every student achieves a fulfilling career of his/her choice.

Mr. Ajay’s views on placement opportunities at HIT 

Most of the students of HIT are recruited in different organization well before their result is out. For this, we have a separate placement cell, which is working all year long for helping the students for getting them selected in the organization of their interest. Even when the students pass out finally, we do not leave any stone unturned in helping our students getting a suitable job until they need it.

Approach followed to build a healthy relationship with the students 

As an academician, I make sure that I am always available and approachable to my students. I never keep a distance. I make it a point to interact with my students quite often. My relationship with the students is that of a daughter/son. I am available to them all the 24 hrs. for their problems if any.

Ideal school environment and culture as per Mr. Ajay Jasola 

An ideal school environment and culture should have a holistic environment like ‘Gurukuls’ in the past. Our system and curriculum must be made lovable and meaningful. Every university should come forward to inculcate this culture and spread it everywhere in their domain.

Top qualities that a student must possess 

In the field of professional education, aspiring students must have a smiling face with the following qualities as well:

  • Willingness to do any job assigned
  • Smartness
  • Politeness
  • Neatness
  • Cleanliness
  • Cheerful attitude
  • Honesty
  • Courtesy
  • Gentleness
  • Kindness
  • Tactfulness

Goals for HIT in the coming years 

Currently, we are running three different campuses in three different places in Dehradun. In the coming years, we are planning to upgrade our institutes as an international standard University in Dehradun.

Suggestions to the youth and aspirants

The youth of today must be mentally and physically healthy. They should have a focused “GOAL” like that of Arjun’s focus on the eye of the bird in Mahabharata so far, their studies are concerned.