Dr. Rakesh D. Amrutkar is presently working as an Associate Professor and Head of the Pharmaceutical Chemistry Department at K. K. Wagh College of Pharmacy. He has completed his Ph. D. from Jaipur in the year 2008 and Masters and Bachelors in Pharmacy from Pune in the year 2006. He has 13 years of teaching experience and has published 27 research papers and review publications in various national and international journals. He has presented 07 poster presentations at national and international conferences. His areas of research include Design, Synthesis, Biological Evaluation and CADD.

K. K. Wagh College of Pharmacy

What are your roles and responsibilities?

“To provide them an environment where even an average student can grow”

According to me, apart from being a tutor, it is equally important to drive the responsibility of building trust with students if you want to establish a healthy connection. My main accountabilities include understanding their weaknesses because only after knowing their high and low points, I can categorize them in the perspective of their capabilities. And once it is done, I prioritize the concept of “better less but deeper” which will ultimately make their concepts better.

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

“Urge to enhance my knowledge through challenges which this field offers”

The experience is great. It’s like I am living my dream every moment. The education sector has its own challenges which keep you striving for the best. You need to generate a hunger to upskill, to learn current trends. I believe in the individualization of education and exchange of experience and these are the two things that keep me connected with the teaching-learning process.

What extracurricular programs are organized in college to enhance the skills of the students?

“We do provide them on-site and research-based activities”

In my opinion, real-world experiences are quite different than imaginations and thus tackling them makes students sustainable and tangible. Cyber ethnography, case studies, field visits, socio-scientific issue-based instructions are some of the activities that we offer to students to enhance their skills to tackle real-world challenges.

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

“Outcome-based teaching makes us different in terms of the curriculum”

We always try to inculcate a culture where our students can become learners by heart. We engage them in thought processes around three major functional fields like patient-centered care, population-based care, and systems management as part of our curriculum.

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

“I supplement theoretical knowledge with professional visits and pedagogy”

For our college, we do follow an outcome-based approach where the necessary framework has been designed to transform pharmacy curricula away from a baccalaureate focus to a professional focus. We invite experienced professional people from the industry on regular basis to do workshops where our students get to know the exact demands and skill set requirements of various industries. And we also ensure that students are attending all the training programs and internships which are being assigned to them.

What are the approaches you bring in apart from curriculum to teaching the students?

“I cheer them to have some strong social connection with brightest minds”

I encourage my students to engage themselves with smart people on social media, attend conferences, and experiment on side projects because all these practices are far beneficial and productive approaches to bring in new stuff in the learning process.

What makes your college unique in comparison to others?

“Amenities and education which we offer are our USP”

The day-to-day evolving educational ecosystem of our college is our first uniqueness. And opportunities and services which we offer for the overall growth of students on campus, exposure to industry practices. We also provide them various windows to be part of cultural activities and student clubs through which they can enhance their social skills.

What are the greatest strengths of your college?

“Our goal to make students future-ready is our main strength”

We put conscious efforts towards developing a holistic and multidisciplinary education system. Motivated, energized and capable faculties are the cause for our consistent progress. It's not just about teaching the newest stuff, it's about leading the way and teaching students that they need to be on their toes to keep up with the fast pace.

What are some of the biggest challenges you see for higher education in general and for your college specifically?

“Ever-changing market needs backed by insufficient research are few challenges”

Inadequate research, poor governance, political interference, fluid job markets are some of the key challenges for higher education. Bridging the gap between traditional educational setups and modern outcome-based educational setup is one of the challenges that K. K. Wagh College of Pharmacy will need to tackle.

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

“Keep an interactive attitude and live in present”

Picture yourself living in the residence halls, participating in activities, volunteering your services, and interacting to make up the community. I believe patience is one thing that the new generation lacks. I advise them to choose their career after analyzing, researching and consulting the experienced individual and then select a perfect path.