Interview: Shri Arpit Agrawal, Vice Chairperson at JECRC University, Jaipur|Collegedunia

Interview by Yash Panchal

Shri Arpit Agrawal is currently the Vice Chairperson at JECRC University, Jaipur. He is a charismatic mentor and coach who takes the leadership position. Shri Arpit Agrawal is a rare combination of a leader and as an executor. His association and network with the students’ community is the quality to be admired.

Mr. Agrawal’s devotion to work and his involvement in the core is something to be inculcated in once working. His passion for education and the necessity towards mankind has always pushed him in devoting his time and energy to understanding the perspectives and providing quality education. He is an avid lifelong learner and is passionate and the guiding force in building the University.

Mr. Agrawal’s experience in the education industry

Education is the foundation upon which a progressive nation stands and its citizens, made responsible by that education, are the building blocks of that foundation. JECRC Foundation, since its inception over two decades ago, has taken over the mission of nurturing students with the establishment of Engineering colleges in Jaipur. The institutions of the JECRC Foundation have a very strong research orientation and culture. The Foundation has a research portfolio of over INR 20 million worth of government-funded projects and the outcome is here to see... seven patents have been filed by students of the Foundation.

The students of JECRC benefit from strong research orientation. They get a chance for hands-on exposure to research on live projects at Therachem Research Medilab. Therachem is an offshoot of serious on-campus research activities and is now a full-fledged, independent research organization. Education industry creates and gives a big push to the social overhead capital. Education contributes to building up a cohesive and harmonious society. Education creates an eco-system for providing various skills ranging from technical, professional, self-employment, combating and manning the industry, agriculture, government, and social sectors.

Opportunities for JECRC University on the national or international stage

We have started with very high hopes and we are quite hopeful that soon it will start showing national impact. However, all these will take a little time for giving shape to all our vision towards making a national mark. Besides academic learning, we are also focusing on all-round development of the students. The university management is also fully supportive towards this vision. I am sure, when we have decided about not compromising on quality, we will ultimately succeed.

Core strengths of JECRC University

An idle state of art infrastructure, existing schools in multiple education areas, presence in the education sector for more than 20 years, competitive curriculum, good vision with a focus on quality education and all-round student development, international student exchange programs, employment, entrepreneurship, and corporate connects.

Ideas and vision regarding research in the university

As I said earlier, University’s main function is knowledge creation and knowledge dissemination. Knowledge creation is all about research which is one of the important activities of the university faculty members. How good they will be in research initiatives will ultimately depend on the quality of teacher intake. My endeavour will be to attract, retain and nurture best talent in this university. Once you have the talent pool, there will be a smooth ride, be it research or academic initiatives or technology integration. And we are ready to provide them with all kind of support in this direction. All evaluation agencies including international ranking agencies give utmost emphasis on the research quality. We believe in making JU a research-driven University.

Views on the increasing entrepreneurship in India through start-ups

JECRC has produced more than 150 Starts Ups. In a developing country like India, there is no dearth of opportunities as unfulfilled aspirations and desires are plenty, just waiting to be recognized and converted into meaningful businesses. Simultaneously, the appetite for risk amongst the youth – largely driving the start-up story – has increased dramatically.

Also, it would not be out of place to mention about the pivotal role of technology in facilitating the phenomenal flourish of start-ups. In the years to come, entrepreneurship will form the basis of the development process in India. Home-grown businesses will be key to filling the gap where public resources are too taxed to take up the challenge.

However, some caution would be well advised. Brilliant and innovative ideas without a sound business model can go downhill very quickly. Early stage start-ups need to work on long-term sustainability and not simply focus on expanding their footprint. If they can work like a start-up but think like an MNC, there is nothing to stop the budding entrepreneurs in India.