Higher education reflects the critical social, economic, cultural, moral, and spiritual concerns that humanity is confronted with. The current state of Indian higher education suggests that higher education institutions are producing millions of unemployed graduates. This emphasizes the importance of increasing the quality of education in our country. The recently implemented education policy would pave the path for all higher education establishments to transition to skill-based education.

Speaking of which, Dr.S.Chandravadhana, Dean, Agni College of Technology has been leading the vision of Agni College of Technology to be one of the top Institutions offering Engineering & Technology education by training, creating, and nurturing an enterprising, innovative, and environmental spirit among students for continuous growth as professionals with values. Dr. S. Chandravadhana, as a leader, believes in bringing about long term change that would promote inclusive and high quality education for all. Aside from these, she believes that disruptive technology, innovative thinking, increased student-teacher contact hours, and the promotion of lifelong learning opportunities for all can lead to longterm change.

“I commenced my educational career in 1997 and served as the Head of the Institution for 20 years, heading numerous departments such as Electronics, Communication, and Mechatronics. During my tenure, it was critical for me to express clearly what was expected of the department and the institution. In this manner, our staff could contribute to the department’s growth through student projects and academic research”, says Dr.S. Chandravadhana, Dean, Agni College of Technology.

“We could also engage with diverse industries to solve their challenges and help both the institution and the sector succeed. My specialty is in team building and sustaining integrity among academics and students. This enabled me to project a positive image of the institution and make ethical decisions on its behalf”, she adds.

Dr. S. Chandravadhana believes that, as higher education in India has progressed since independence, there is an urgent need to implement innovative and transformational approaches from primary to higher education levels in order to make the

Indian educational system more globally relevant and competitive. As a result, one of the efforts she has made to improve the quality of education is the development of a practical learning technique in which professors go out to various sectors pertaining to their curriculum and expose students to the industry’s success stories, requirements, and issues.This ignites the students imaginative ideas and entrepreneurial skills, and they solve the problem thrown up by the industry. “Our college students have earned awards at the national level for their participation in numerous contests and hackathons. In addition, many industry specialists visit the school and collaborate with instructors and students on a variety of activities such as internships, placements, projects, and research”, signifies Dr. S. Chandravadhana.

Dr. S. Chandravadhana’s favourite aspect of being an educator is continually learning & adapting to the rapid changes that occur in the sector

“The situation in which I was requested to head the department of Mechatronics Engineering would be the most significant turning point in my life. This field of study incorporates interdisciplinary elements from mechanical, electrical, computer science, and electronics. The experience I had during my term was both motivating and demanding. My key strengths are self-assurance, tenacity, and the ability to maintain positive relationships with everyone. My issue is that I am not very direct when saying ‘NO’ to someone”, states Dr. S. Chandravadhana.


Making Students Future Ready
By generating competent and responsible workers, Agni College of Technology aspires to be the preeminent institution in offering technical excellence and shaping a better future for society. The college wishes to empower young minds in developing analytical, evaluative, and creative skills through research, extracurricular activities, and hands-on training in order to make them life long learners. Furthermore, the fundamental objective of the college has been to promote entrepreneurial abilities and empower students via excellent education that combines contemporary knowledge, ecofriendly practices, and instilling ideals for nation building.

“We, at Agni College of Technology, believe in participative learning for the students. We encourage student centric learning by way of conducting various programmes for the students such as visual games, presentations, and more. Other ways of learning are integrative pedagogy, flipped classrooms, and problem based learning”, highlights Dr. S. Chandravadhana.

Dr. S. Chandravadhana’s favourite aspect of being an educator is continually learning and adapting to the rapid changes that occur in the sector. This learning is provided by either students or faculty, who are the primary resources of any educational institution. She also emphasizes the significance of effectively managing one’s time by developing a strategy and implementing it on time.

Giving a piece of advice to the upcoming leaders, Dr. S. Chandravadhana concludes, “It would be great if our budding leaders go around and study the entire system of education and implement the best ones that suit the institution”.