As a student, teachers are the ones we look up to when we have a query pertaining to studies and our career. We expect them to know-all and be the guiding light that we all seek. And some special teachers, with their knowledge and wisdom, become our role-model and idol. To become an inspiration for students, a teacher must be a student for life and keep learning always.

Best teachers also act as leaders who guide students to lead a successful life. Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other. Leaders need to provide leadership opportunities for others to foster growth and share responsibility for attaining goals. Effective leaders communicate promptly and listen to the concerns and ideas of the group. For students and employees at Rathinam Group of Institutions, Professor & CEO, Prof. Manickam Ramasamy has been a steady role-model.

Prof R. Manickam completed his UG and PG under NIRF Ranked Bharathiar University at Coimbatore in Computer Science. He then pursued the Research Program of Master of Philosophy in Computer Applications at Bharathiadasan University, Trichy. He started his career as Assistant Professor in the Department of Computer Science in Rathinam College of Arts & Science in 2001. Steadily, he climbed up the ladder of success and soon found himself promoted as the HOD in 2004, then Administrative Officer in 2007 and finally Chief Executive Officer (CEO) in 2010.

Together with the Chairman, Prof Manickam has helped establish an MBA Institution, Engineering College, International School, and Architecture Institutions under the name of RATHINAM.

Here, Prof Manickam shares details about the institute and how he wants to take up things further.

Kindly share your teaching philosophy. Also, share your roles and responsibilities at Rathinam Institutions.

We as an institute follow several teaching methodologies like online learning, practical learning, learning through workshops. We encourage our students to participate externally. Flipped classroom method makes students active in the classroom and then apply key concepts and finally understanding and extend their learning. ICT classrooms can impact student learning when teachers are digitally literate and understand how to integrate it into the curriculum.

Choice Based Credit System (CBSE) provides a learning platform wherein the student or knowledge seeker has the flexibility to opt for their faculty members and also choose their course/subjects on their own from a list of elective, core, and soft skill courses. We added an internship to all the students in the curriculum to learn industry skills and knowledge.

Rathinam Group is a pioneer in creating a conducive space for innovation, start-ups, and entrepreneurship. Due to its diligence towards innovation, Rathinam is one of the 35 institutes across India to be selected as the center for the first phase of the ATAL Innovation Mission. It has already launched several successful social startups like No Food Waste, Edudharma, City Sence, and Cipher Labs.

Atal Incubation Centre(AIC) Raise is a social startup and entrepreneurship development platform that was started on our premises with a fund of 10 crores. We believe in innovation, creativity, and leadership of the students. We focus not only on creating job seekers but also, we are making job providers through AIC Raise in our premises. ATAL Incubation Centre (AIC) is an initiative under the ATAL Innovation Mission (AIM) of NITI AAYOG, which encourages and reinforces innovative start-ups by providing supporting amenities in terms of infrastructure, resources, and indisputable mentoring ecosystem.

Rathinam is an Educational Institution and in-house training at the IT Park and SEZ under one roof. Access to professionals, real-time experience, and better institution-industry interaction is facilitated by the proximity of the SEZ.

Responsibilities:

The management council is a prestigious committee in the organization. Advisors from IIT & IIM, Principal, Distinguished members, Industry persons who meet every 6 months to examine and find a better way to reach the goals. Institutions are getting inputs from the Board of Studies, Academic Council, Academic Advisory Board, and feedback from our stakeholders finally analysis everything and prepare goals to achieve our vision and mission of the institution.

• Providing various clubs to students to experts their skills along with their curriculum.
• utilize college resources and seek help when needed.
• optimize and implement a plan to achieve their educational goals.
• Uphold the values of honesty and academic integrity.
• Achieve educational goals in an organized, committed, and proactive manner.

What do you think about the current education system? If you have to change one thing, what would it be?

The current education system is based on theory. A practical way of learning should be implemented. Students should know the importance of innovation. The government also encouraging young minds with new innovative ideas nowadays through a lot of national and International level Technology, Start-up, Hackathon events.

Students’ Thoughts:

Nowadays, every student is seeking for the job as their future, awareness of entrepreneurship became very difficult among students.

• Less awareness in practical learning methodologies especially in internship @ Industries.
• Students should have an interest in innovation, creativity, and especially in research.
• Staff and Students should involve in the concept of Co-Learning.

My Expectations:

• Students should have awareness of government entrepreneur schemes to think and achieve high in their profession and carrier.

• Government of India has launched the Fit India Movement to make physical fitness and to live a healthy life throughout their life. Physical fitness means a healthy and happy life for every human.

• Gathering the information on Google / Internet is easy and common to all in the present scenario but the students are lacking in analysing the information and visualizing scenario.

What aspects of your job are the most challenging and how do you overcome them?

CEO job is a leading opportunity. It gives me an opportunity to highlighting the work of the employees, instruct them to mould the students into innovative thinkers, and monitor the educational progress. As an institute, we focus on Collaborative learning to enhance communication, awareness, and thinking abilities between employees and students. We believe in a friendly approach with our stakeholders of Advisory committee members, the board of studies members, alumni, faculty members, and students to update our curriculum, practical learning, and so on.

Rathinam became one of the family among employees and students which focuses on the Tutor-ward system to create a bridge between them. We encourage parental care with the students to resolve everything and give attention to every student in the institution.

What advice can you give to graduates who seek to become lecturers or professors in the field of education?

Teachers should learn every day and update their skills in their field. They should make students learn instead of Teaching only the syllabus in the book. Teachers should inspire and make to think innovatively by students. Also they should participate in the concept of Co-learning with students.

Classes are taught in the Flipped Class concept instead of chalk and talk and traditional methods to have activity-based learning which makes everyone listen and involve properly.

Also Teachers should teach the ethics of life for the students. Teachers should be capable to grab the attention of the students and they have to lead them in the right path. Importance of life, women’s education, and moral ethics have to be taught. Creating a responsible citizen and a better human being can be accomplished in the hands of teachers and became a national asset.

Kindly share what have you planned for the forthcoming years.

The vision of Rathinam is to integrate with industry to impart knowledge, skills, research culture, etc. Established educational institutions in the centre of the IT industry. Updating syllabus with the suggestion of industry people. Rathinam attained the vision at the maximum level. As of now level and fame of Rathinam is at the National level and when it reaches the international level, the vision of Rathinam will attain success.

• Rathinam is planning to engage in Research, Student Exchange, and Staff Exchange programs with the top 50 ranked prominent international universities.

• Rathinam will reach one among the top 50 best-renowned universities in the nation.

• Rathinam became Centre of excellence in Entrepreneurship to resolve unemployment in the nation and student – Start-up of Rathinam would be in the 25 entrepreneurs in India.

• Rathinam encouraging always in Digital teaching/learning in the institution. Rathinam will be one of the best MOOC – Digital-based teaching/delivery in the country for various stakeholders.