Set against the backdrop of the serene and panoramic Bethany hills, away from the hustle and bustle of city life, yet enjoying a pride place in the heart of Thiruvananthapuram City, Mar Baselios College of Engineering and Technology (MBCET) campus provides an ideal milieu for academic pursuits. Named Mar Ivanios Vidyanagar, the fortified area is one of the largest educational campuses in Kerala in terms of diversity of institutions, established in 2002. An autonomous College affiliated with the APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University, MBCET is administered by the Church through the Malankara Catholic Educational Society of the Archdiocese of Trivandrum, which is a charitable society registered under the Societies Act of Kerala.

With its aesthetically designed buildings in nine blocks spread over the campus, MBCET has a student strength of 2500, and the annual enrolment has been consistently good. The college is known for its seven B.Tech and seven M.Tech Programmes in the core engineering disciplines intermixed with advanced topics of artificial intelligence, IoT, smart systems, and so on. The institute has been conferred with autonomous status in July 2020, which has come as a recognition of the quality exemplified by the NAAC Score of 3.13 and A Grade. The five B.Tech Programmes offered by MBCET have been accredited by the NBA first time in 2016 and the accreditations are valid till 2025.

On a Mission to Impart Quality Learning
Today, the Quality of Engineering education is decided by many factors like Faculty excellence, Industry engagement, the Quality of the students, and so on. Faculty competence is to be achieved through careful selection and continuous upskilling through the continuing education programmes. “Our faculty is unique in their culture of mutual care and sharing. The average age of faculty is 40 but there are seniors with rich experience too. Our faculty holds illustrious academic records and are keen to pursue their disciplines for deeper learning and articulation. Our academic bodies and committees have experts drawn from IITs, NITs, and leading Universities from across India. They mentor our faculty. Senior teachers from leading institutions are attracted by offering them re-employment so that they can mentor the juniors”, elaborates Dr. Abraham T Mathew, Principal.

For an academic Institution, engagement with the industry is primarily facilitated by geographic factors. As per a study about the human resource potential of India, “Skill

shortage remains as one of the major constraints to the continued growth of the Indian economy”. It’s been observed that employers perceive Soft Skills (Core Employability Skills and Communication Skills) to be very important. At MBCET, skill development is one of the focused areas which is started in the first year of the study itself. Embedded programming, python programming, boot camps, hackathons, and more are administered through dedicated sessions. “We seek to improve the skill set of graduates; recognize the importance of soft skills; refocus the assessments, teaching-learning process, and curricula away fromlower-order thinking skills, such as remembering and understanding, toward higher order skills, such as analyzing and solving engineering problems, as well as creativity; and interact more with employers to understand the particular demand for skills in that region and sector. We emphasize the trios of knowledge, skill, and attitude/values as the pertinent qualities that an engineering graduate should, invariably, possess”, says Dr. Abraham.

Innovative Learning Approach
MBCET has set the tradition of handholding students from the beginning itself. The training part goes along with the academics so that students can develop their personalities. The co-curricular and extracurricular activities provide additional impetus to professional growth. Opportunities for higher-order thinking and problem-solving are provided in the subsequent semesters. Faculties also strive to bring innovations in the Curriculum of all the courses through continuous review with the help of experts from leading academic institutions and industries to keep the syllabus relevant to the current needs of engineering students. Computer Science blended with artificial intelligence and machine learning is offered through multiple channels.

The collaborations with the industry have been facilitated through the creation of an ecosystem for the promotion of skill development and the academia connect for career guidance, placements, research innovations, entrepreneurship, and so on.

The Maker Space named The Innovation and Entrepreneurship Development Centre (IEDC) of Mar Baselios College of Engineering and Technology, christened as Catalyst aims at sharpening the skills of students, broadening their knowledge base, and equipping them with technical and non-technical qualities that an engineer needs in his/her professional life.

“The students choose the Institution based on popular perception. Since College is having a very good reputation there is competition in seeking admission to the College. Quality education implies the comprehensive development of individuals to their full potential. So, the College is committed to delivering the best for the students so that the stakeholders can feel proud”, says Dr. Abraham.

Charting the Path Ahead
MBCET fosters research by creating a vibrant atmosphere with continued and effective support for the faculty, staff, and students for the pursuit of research activities.

In the years to come, the college aspires to create infrastructure on par with leading higher technical institutions of the Tier I category so that the institute can attract high-quality students at the UG, PG, and Ph.D. levels. “Innovations shall be in creating avenues for experiential learning and engagement with the students, collaborations with the industries, and the academic networking for research leading to translational research. Industry-supported Labs, industry-designed electives, and curated skill development activities shall be added to our course offerings and make the academic ambiance more conducive for innovative teaching and learning”, signs off Dr. Abraham T Mathew.