Higher Education Digest - Pharmacy Colleges Special

INDIA EDITION Connecta

www.highereducationdigest.com

DR. D. Y. PATIL INSTITUTE OF PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCES & RESEARCH, PIMPRI, PUNE

AUGUST 2019

THE CROWN JEWEL OF PHARMA EDUCATION

2

Higher Education Digest August 2019

3

Higher Education Digest August 2019

Connecta

August 2019

Vol - 1 Issue - 5

Pharmacy Colleges Special (India Edition) Editor in Chief

Dr. Manoj Varghese

Managing Editor Rose Mary

Consultant Editors

Dr. Johny Andrews Anjana K Shyam S

Jessica Jo Stanly Lui Emma James

Editorial Enquiry: editor@highereducationdigest.com

Art and Design Ajay K Das

Sales & Marketing

Rahul Visakh Prathyoosh K Shaji

4

Divya M Milan Bharati

Sales Enquiry: sales@highereducationdigest.com

Subscription

www.highereducationdigest.com

International Representation

GET THE MOBILE ISSUE

London Connecta Education Ltd. 27, Old Gloucester Street, London, WC1N 3AX, United Kingdom Dubai Focus Innovation Technologies FZE P.O. Box 48299, Dubai Silicon Oasis Dubai, UAE Bangalore Connecta Innovation Pvt. Ltd. Carlton Towers, Old Airport Road, Bangalore - 560008 India Connecta Higher Education Digest is a digital magazine published by Connecta Innovation Private Limited. All rights reserved. The opinions expressed in the content are those of the authors. They do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of the Connecta Innovation Private Limited or any of its members. The publisher does not assume any responsibility for the advertisements and all representation of warranties made in such advisements are those of the advertisers and not of the publisher.

Higher Education Digest August2019 March 2019

EDITOR IN CHIEF’S NOTE

NOW! is the Time to Resuscitate Pharmacy Education

A

yushman Bharat is a centrally sponsored scheme launched in 2018 aiming at making interventions in primary, secondary and tertiary care systems, covering both preventive and promotive health, to address healthcare holistically. It is the world’s largest healthcare program and is set to provide medical treatment to nearly 50 crore Indians. The program, however, benefits only 10 lakh patients currently.

In the meantime, a concern was raised during a highlevel Pharmacy Council of India (PCI) meeting about the mushrooming of pharmacy colleges lacking quality education, as a result of which most of their graduates remain unemployed. PCI thus proposed a five-year freeze on colleges offering diploma and degree courses. But, barely a month later, the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) placed a two-year ban on new pharmacy colleges, until 2022.

Earlier this year, an antitrust lawsuit was filed by 40 US states based on a five-year investigation of some of the top pharmaceutical companies of India. The lawsuit accuses 20 drug makers of conspiring to inflate prices of more than 100 different drugs, significantly broadening

an earlier 2016 complaint. In addition to the states, the US justice department’s antitrust division is conducting a criminal probe.

All these point fingers at the dearth of professional pharmacists in the country, the glaring disparity between the curriculum taught at pharmaceutical colleges and the current industry standards, and the ethical quotient relayed in the classrooms. The need for an updated curriculum, better infrastructure, and ethical classes cannot be stressed enough.

In global classrooms, pharmacy education is patientcentric and healthcare management is responsible for it, whereas, in India, one must admit that the sector is business-centric. Until and unless this mindset changes and the education authorities take firm and radical steps to eradicate these blemishes, the Indian pharmacy education will be stuck in the rut it is now.

Through this issue of Higher Education Digest, we hope to provide encouragement by showcasing those colleges that have succeeded in staying true to the spirit of imparting quality education.

Here is to hoping for a better, healthy India!

Dr. Manoj Varghese

Higher Education Digest August 2019

5

ADVISORY BOARD

Dr. Ajay Shukla, Ph.D, MBA, BE. Co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer at Higher Education UAE

Dr. Kuldeep Nagi, Ph.D, MBA, BSc. Program Director of Ph.D, Recipient of Fulbright Fellowship Award & Dan Evans Award for Excellence and Writer columnist.

Dr.Varughese K.John, PhD, MBA, MPhil, MCom, LLB. Researcher and Data Analyst in Social Science

6 Mr. Sreedhar Bevara, MBA, B.Com Senior General Manager: Panasonic Middle East & Africa, Thought Leader, Speaker & Author of ‘Moment of Signal’ (Amazon’s International Bestseller)

Mr. Amulya Sah, PGD PM & IR, PG Diploma in PM&IR (XISS Ranchi) Senior Director HR. Head HR group Samsung R&D Institute India,Transformative HR Leader, Change agent, Digitization facilitator, Engagement architect, Trainer and Diversity champion.

Major General (Rtd.) Dr. Sunil Chandra, VSM (Vishishta Seva Medal), Ph.D, M. Phil, MA, M.Ed, PGBDA Ex-M D Army Welfare Education Society, ExCOO GEMS Education - India, Ex- Addl Dir Gen - Army Education, Mentor - Adventure-Pulse

Asst. Prof. Dr. Suramya Mathai, Ph.D,M.Ed,MA,BA. Teachers Training Expert, Writer, Author, Speaker & Social Worker

Higher Education Digest August 2019

7

Higher Education Digest August 2019

MANAGING EDITOR’S NOTE

Meet the Modern Day Apothecarist

8

T

he Indian pharmaceutical sector consists of about 250 national pharmaceutical makers, currently accounts for about 3.1–3.6% of the global pharma industry in value terms and is witnessing a market growth of 12.8% due to an increase in consumer spending and healthcare insurance. As the rapidly growing Indian pharmaceutical sector strives to become a global hub of original drug research and manufacturing, pharmacy graduates with the right training and knowledge have significant potential to power the industry’s growth.

With vital knowledge of drug composition, interactions, and toxicology, pharmacists can guide patients towards the correct usage of medicines and curtail the negative outcomes or adverse reactions from incorrect drug consumption. Thus, across the world, pharmacists play a very important role in ensuring safe, effective and rational use of medicines.

In India, however, this role is especially important as most Indians do not rush to hospitals for a fever. A pharmacist in India cannot limit their role to storage and dispensing of medication in clinical settings and formulation and compounding in industrial settings. Your local pharmacist

can know more about you and advise you better.

Therefore, it is important to not only educate future pharmacists with current pharmaceutical information but also equip them with better people skills.

In this issue of Higher Education Digest, we bring to you a list of top colleges who have created a niche for themselves by imparting a patient-centred pharmacy education. These institutions have set an example on how a prime pharmacist should conduct themselves in a global professional setting.

In the following pages, you will also meet Haimanti Sen a spirited young woman who has changed the fate of several street kids surrounding the Kandivali station in Mumbai and read about Anandu Nagesh, a young gent from South India who made his way to the land of Rasputin to fulfil his medical dreams. This issue also features several other articles from learnt individuals who share the goal of fostering and furthering the frontiers of present-day education.

I hope you find this issue informative and enjoyable, as well as give something for your brain to chew on.

Cheers!

Rose Mary

Higher Education Digest August 2019

9

Higher Education Digest August 2019

20 - 24 ADICHUNCHANAGIRI UNIVERSITY’S SRI ADICHUNCHANAGIRI COLLEGE OF PHARMACY

The Pharma Education Specialist

30 - 35 AL-AMEEN COLLEGE OF PHARMACY

Spearheading Indian Pharma Education Through R&D

38 - 42 CHANDIGARH COLLEGE OF PHARMACY

Curing Industry and Human Ailments

44 - 47 COLLEGE OF PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCES, PURI

Fostering Meaningful Industrial Collaborations To Deliver A Seamless Educational Experience

56 - 61 KHALSA COLLEGE OF PHARMACY

Actualizing Research-Proficient Pharmaceutical Personnel

78 - 82 PES COLLEGE OF PHARMACY

Shaping All-Rounded Pharma Professionals

84 - 86 SEACOM SKILLS UNIVERSITY’S SCHOOL OF PHARMACY

Proffering a Holistic Pharmaceutical Education Higher Education Digest August 2019

92 - 96 ST. PETER’S INSTITUTE OF PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCES

Offering an Unparalleled Educational Experience

100 - 105 SVKM’S NMIMS’ SHOBHABEN PRATAPBHAI PATEL SCHOOL OF PHARMACY & TECHNOLOGY MANAGEMENT

Crafting Pharma Professionals Who Showcase Best of Both Worlds

110 - 113 TEERTHANKER MAHAVEER COLLEGE OF PHARMACY

Creating Professionals with Ethos

116 - 119 THE OXFORD COLLEGE OF PHARMACY

Redefining the Frontiers of Imparting Pharma Education

66

Cover Story

Hon. Dr. P. D. Patil Chancellor

DR. D. Y. PATIL INSTITUTE OF PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCES & RESEARCH, PIMPRI, PUNE, MAHARASHTRA, INDIA

THE

CROWN JEWEL OF PHARMA EDUCATION Higher Education Digest August 2019

MENTOR’S MANTRA

INDUSTRY PERCPECTIVE

18 - 19 Are Mental Health Disorders a Concern in Higher Education?

26 - 29

62 - 65

Integrity For Our Students – If Not Now, When?

Transgender and Their Struggle with Higher Education and Job Prospects

Dr. Zeenath Reza Khan, Academic Integrity Researcher and Advocate

Dr. Joshua Symes, Middle School Physical and Health Educator, Singapore American School

Ritish Sethi, Business Head- India, SCIKEY

36 - 37 You Won’t Learn Unless You Do It Xavier Mah, Founder, Xavier Mah Consultancy & XALF

88 - 91

98 - 99

How To Live With Purpose: The Case For Chasing Our Passions Is Gaining Legs

Education as A Necessity for Democracy, A Human Right, To Exist

Neil Bunting, Founding Principal, Shenwai Longgang International School (SLIS), a candidate school for the PYP

Jack Frank Sigman, Founder and CEO, Buckingham Institute for Human Rights and Genocide Studies

Higher Education Digest August 2019

106 - 109 Generation Z and Its Implications for Educational Institutions and Employers Trine Sofie Tveen Nielsen, Brand Specialist and Co-Founder of LinkFacility Inc.

ACADEMIC VIEW

128 - 130 What is Clearing and Why Should Indian Students be Interested in it?

Sandeep Sharma, Director-Student Recruitment and Partnerships South Asia, University of Essex (UoE)

ED SHEROES

48 - 54 Haimanti SenThe Guardian Angel of The Streets

YOUNG ACHIEVERS

120 - 127 Giving a Face to The Proverb “Where There’s A Will There’s A Way” Anandhu Nagesh

Higher Education Digest August 2019

14

Higher Education Digest August 2019

What Can We Do to Help an Ailing India?

N

otwithstanding that pharmacists are the only people capable of reading prescription notes, even when the doctors themselves fumbles, they are the ones who are our go-to for headaches and other common ailments. These close relationships that patients have with pharmacists, more than even doctors at times, only exemplifies the government’s responsibility to help pharmacists do their job with caution by providing exemplary education.

India is recently seeing a rise in the number of multispecialty hospitals, thereby creating a buzz among students to opt for pharmacy courses, the most preferred course being diploma in pharmacy. In these hospitals, one cannot expect to have professionals who are unaware of modern techniques of medicine logistics and new medicines used for serious diseases. Thus, it lays particular emphasis on the standard of pharmaceutical education.

However, the reality is appalling when one realizes that there has not been a single upgradation to the diploma in pharmacy syllabus since the last 25 years and students are still been taught according to a 1994 curriculum. A

drastic upgrade to the curriculum is the need of the hour as pharmacists directly affect the health of a nation. Similarly, a wake-up call must be given to the state technical education department to survey all the pharmacy colleges to check whether all the facilities are provided to students or not.

We at the higher Education Digest truly comprehend the role that Pharmacy colleges play in the safeguarding the health of a country. Therefore, with the help of our advisory panel consisting of senior academicians and practising industry professionals, we have come up with a list of “25 Must Watch Pharmacy Colleges in India”. The colleges’ names in this issue not only take utmost care to impart up-to-date curriculum to the students but also instils in them the necessity to act with ethos.

These colleges have time and time again proved their mettle and we sincerely hope that our efforts in showcasing these prime colleges will help young aspiring graduates, business leaders, curriculum providers, and other stakeholders in their respective educational journeys.

Higher Education Digest August 2019

15

Institute Name

City

State

Adichunchanagiri College of Pharmacy

B G Nagar

Karnataka

Al Ameen College of Pharmacy

Bengaluru

Karnataka

Amity Institute of Pharmacy

Noida

Uttar Pradesh

Amrita College of Pharmacy

Kochi

Kerala

Chandigarh College of Pharmacy

Ajitgarh

Punjab

Chitkara College of Pharmacy

Rajpura

Punjab

Puri

Odisha

Gurugram

Haryana

Pimpri, Pune

Maharashtra

Moga

Punjab

Ahmedabad

Gujarat

Mysore

Karnataka

Ooty

Tamil Nadu

College of Pharmaceutical Science, Puri Deen Dayal Rustagi Collage Of Pharmacy Dr. D Y Patil Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences & Research Indo Soviet Friendship College of Pharmacy Institute of Pharmacy, Nirma University JSS College of Pharmacy, Mysore JSS College of Pharmacy, Ooty

Higher Education Digest August 2019

Institute Name

City

State

Khalsa College of Pharmacy

Amritsar

Punjab

KLE University College of Pharmacy

Belgaum

Karnataka

LM College of Pharmacy

Ahmedabad

Gujrat

Manipal College of Pharmaceutical Sciences

Manipal

Karnataka

PES College of Pharmacy

Bengaluru

Karnataka

PSG College of Pharmacy

Coimbatore

Tamil Nadu

Seacom Skills University’s School of Pharmacy

Kolkata

West Bengal

SRM College of Pharmacy

Kattankulathur

Tamil Nadu

Hanamkonda

Telangana

Mumbai

Maharashtra

Teerthanker Mahaveer University

Moradabad

Uttar Pradesh

The Oxford College of Pharmacy

Bengaluru

Karnataka

St. Peter’s Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences SVKM’s NMIMS’ Shobhaben Pratapbhai Patel School Of Pharmacy & Technology Management

Higher Education Digest August 2019

INDUSTRY PERSPECTIVE

Are Mental Health Disorders a Concern in Higher Education?

Dr. Joshua Symes, Middle School Physical and Health Educator, Singapore American School

Passionate about education, leadership, team development, and all things health and wellness, Joshua’s recent research was focused on building communities of wellness, with a particular interest in social, emotional, mental, and psychological wellbeing. This work has informed further research and development focused on holistic wellness, and in finding structures and approaches that schools and other community groups can adopt, implement and sustain. Joshua grew up in Australia and currently resides in Singapore with his wife Kristin, and two children, Lucy and Oliver.

18

Higher Education Digest August 2019

University and college campuses are recognizing the need to be more vigilant in identifying and meeting the needs of students suffering from mental health disorders

M

ental health disorders in children, and adolescents have continued to increase over the past 20 years, and the mental illness has continued to garner more attention as a result. However, the prevalence, causes, research, and understanding of mental health disorders in the higher education sector has received significantly less focus and attention.

A landmark study conducted by the American College Health Association (2012) involving 90,666 universityaged students across the US, found that 36.3% of students reported feeling of prolonged periods of sadness, 35.1% of respondents reported feelings of loneliness, 31.6% reported overwhelming anxiety, and 24.0% experienced feelings of hopelessness or depression that impaired regular functioning. The study created the initial catalyst for an increase in attention about the need for interventions, programs, and services to support the chronic shortage of available services, and to support an over-burdened higher education mental health care system. However, the ensuing action was limited, and there has been little improvement at the higher education level. Around 7075% of US high school graduates attend College, but there are still significant drop-out rates, with drop-out rates increasing for those students who are black, Hispanic, American Indian, or from a lower socio-economic class.

Despite the compelling evidence calling for change, and most mental disorder onset occurring before or during the university ages of 18-24, there has been limited research or success in meeting student needs.

Kruisselbrink Flatt conducted a qualitative study to identify the major factors leading to the increased number of reported mental health disorders at institutions of higher education. Kruisselbrink Flatt found the most significant six factors to be the increase in academic pressure, which may stem from the potential of over-inflated grades in high school; financial burden and the ever-increasing tuition costs, particularly at higher education institutions in the US; the movement to greater accessibility for students from all backgrounds, which is placing higher strain on

mental health support services; the increase in the number of females pursuing higher education, because females are more likely to seek help; technology and the use of social media; and, the change in student lifestyle which often leads to an increase in drinking, and sexual behaviour.

Furthermore, the transitional nature of college students who are establishing autonomy from parents; forming new relationships; adjusting to a new social environment; mastering new curriculum and instructional approaches; and, developing career plans, may be also be impacting.

At the university or college level students have reported elevated levels of psychological distress, depression, anxiety, stress, and interpersonal problems, which negatively affects academic performance. This could be further impacted by the non-compulsory education laws at higher education level, because students have the autonomy and responsibility to pursue their studies. Depression and anxiety disorders are a significant predictor of lower GPA, and higher drop-out rates. Anhedonia, or the reported decrease in pleasure or enjoyment in usual activities, is seen as being the strongest negative predictor of academic performance.

University and college campuses are recognizing the need to be more vigilant in identifying and meeting the needs of students suffering from mental health disorders.

School-based universal mental health promotion and prevention programs have a well-established evidence base in K-12 education, and these programs have demonstrated moderate success in higher education. Universities and colleges have also reported moderate success with skilloriented programs, such as cognitive-behavioural therapy, mindfulness, and meditation, that are implemented with supervised practice. However, the aforementioned programs have only demonstrated moderate success, and the resources available for students to self-report and seek help, are still lacking. Students suffer from the stigma of accepting and admitting to a mental health disorder, and when they seek help it is often difficult to get the immediate assistance that they require.

Higher Education Digest August 2019

19

ADICHUNCHANAGIRI UNIVERSITY’S SRI ADICHUNCHANAGIRI COLLEGE OF PHARMACY

The Pharma Education Specialist

20

Higher Education Digest August 2019

A

fast-growing sector, Pharma is second only to IT, with a 15% annual growth rate and exports crossing Rs 12,000 crore. The Indian Pharma sector is placed in third place in terms of total pharmaceutical production and 13th in terms of value. All these statistics point to the dearth of qualified pharma professionals to support the growth of the Indian Pharma sector. The need of the hour is an educational institution that can understand this dearth and take steps to mould students to fill this gap. Fulfilling this role to the hilt is Sri Adichunchanagiri College of Pharmacy.

Established in the year 1981 under Sri Adichunchanagiri Shikshana Trust, Sri Adichunchanagiri College of Pharmacy offers D.Pharm, B.Pharm, M.Pharm, Pharm-D, Post Baccalaureate, and Ph. D courses. It became one of the constituent colleges of Adichunchanagiri University in the year 2018. Aiming to provide quality education in pharmaceutical sciences, the institute successfully maintains the quality of education imparted. Attached to the 1000-bed hospital, Adichunchanagiri Institute of Medical Sciences (AIMS), the college envisions to produce globally competent pharmacist with skill, knowledge and attitude.

The institution is NBA accredited and ISO 9001-2015 certified (for its quality management system). The college is also listed in NIRF 2019 rankings. The college has signed various MoUs with several pharmaceutical industries. These collaborations help students to enrich their knowledge about new formulations and analytical method developments.

It also helps in the preparation and development of joint research projects. These tie-ups also benefit students via placements and opportunities to get acquainted with relevant scientific and technical facilities.

Career Guidance Cell Activities For The D-Day The college houses a robust career guidance cell that has been functioning effectively for over the past 5 years. The career guidance cell facilitates students to explore the world of employment and new career avenues. It runs several preplacement activities like personality development, seminars on writing resumes and attending job interviews to ready the students for the D-Day. A placement brochure is published every year and communicated to various Pharmaceutical Industries for the recruitment of outgoing students.

Higher Education Digest August 2019

21

His Holiness Jagadguru Sri Sri Sri Dr. Nirmalananatha Mahaswamiji Hon’ble Chancellor, Adichunchanagiri University

22

Dr. B. Ramesh, Principal and Professor

Higher Education Digest August 2019

Located in a serene environment with a sprawling campus of around 60,000 sq. ft. of carpet area and providing free Wi-Fi, the college features ICT integrated classrooms, world-class infrastructure, qualified and trained faculty. Showcasing well-constructed classrooms, laboratories, and well-endowed library the college is associated with the AIMS & RC Hospital for real-time hospital training.

The college prides in its team of faculty members who are highly qualified with vast professional experience.

The college also provides ample opportunities to all the faculty members to update and upgrade their knowledge by encouraging them to attend the teacher training and faculty development programmes, workshops, seminars and to participate and present scientific papers in national and international conferences and seminars and symposia. It is also worth noting that the faculty team has received grants worth of crores from RGUHS, AICTE and VGSTs.

Team Of Savants To Shape Professionals The faculty team is especially equipped to provide hospital training, bedside teaching, and to report ADRs. They are well versed in providing soft and hard skills coaching, career development opportunities, personality development, placement activities, writing assignment, project making, and research aptitude to the students. Special care is laid on research performance in the form of projects, guidance and publications by the faculty members for self-upgradation.

The teaching methodology used at the campus is student centric. After the regular lectures are carried out by the teachers, the students’ information retaining capacity is measured by the follow-up seminars, symposium, special lectures, orientation program and group discussions. “At Sri Adichunchanagiri College of Pharmacy, we have embraced the power of technology to help our students learn in ways never possible before. We use methods like self-paced learning,

Established in the year 1981 under Sri Adichunchangiri Shikshana Trust, Sri Adichunchanagiri College of Pharmacy offers D.Pharm, B.Pharm, M.Pharm, Pharm-D, Post Baccalaureate, and Ph. D courses. In 2018, it became one of the constituent colleges of Adichunchanagiri University.

Higher Education Digest August 2019

23

Located in a serene environment with a sprawling campus of around 60,000 sq. ft. of carpet area and providing free Wi-Fi, the college features ICT integrated classrooms, worldclass infrastructure, qualified and trained faculty

online assessments, continuous evaluation processes, e-learning modules, technology-enabled classrooms, virtual library etc. to make for an unparalleled learning experience,” says Dr. B. Ramesh, Principal and Professor, Adichunchanagiri University’s Adichunchanagiri College of Pharmacy.

The college understands that entrepreneurship is the new buzz word. Entrepreneurship has become a better career option for graduating technocrats. To this extent, our Entrepreneurship Development Cell (EAC) undertakes various entrepreneurship development activities like Entrepreneurship awareness camp, skill development programme, and expert talks” adds Dr. Ramesh.

The college has always aimed to improve human lives through innovative teaching, research and outreach activities. It missions to improve human well-being across the life span through interdisciplinary research, teaching, and service. “We are indeed committed to improving the quality of life. The ever-increasing demand for the skilful pharmacy professionals is met through various course of actions viz., learner-centred academic and professional activities, inculcating pleasant and admirable attitude, necessary skills and knowledge, which would cater to the professional needs and expectations of the medical and allied disciplines,” adds Dr. Ramesh. It can be safely said that Sri Adichunchanagiri College of Pharmacy is the name one has to watch out for quality education with training to excel in the pharmacy profession.

24

Higher Education Digest August 2019

25

Higher Education Digest August 2019

MENTOR’S MANTRA

Integrity For Our Students – If Not Now,

When?

By Dr. Zeenath Reza Khan, Academic Integrity Researcher and Advocate

Dr. Zeenath Reza Khan is the Head of Integrity in Academia, Digital Space and Beyond Research & Teaching Forum and Assistant Professor of Cyber Ethics at University of Wollongong in Dubai. She has been teaching in the Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences at the university since 2001. She completed her PhD under full fee-waiver scholarship from University of Wollongong in Ethics and E-cheating among Students which was nominated for the Emerald Outstanding Doctoral Thesis Award 2016. She is currently a Fellow of Wollongong Academy of Tertiary Teaching Excellence (WATTLE), Chair for the upcoming Plagiarism Across Europe and Beyond Conference 2020, Head of Australian-UAE Global Challenges Academic Integrity Project and official reviewer for Oxford University Press – Epigeum Academic Integrity Course Module. In her spare time, Dr. Khan also manages a voluntary foundation for women and girls that advocates for education, hygiene and rights

26

Higher Education Digest August 2019

I

have been teaching for almost 20 years. Early on I found academic misconduct, or simply put, student cheating to be a challenge in classrooms. Whether during exams, or when handing in an essay or report, it seemed students were inclined to try and get that extra mark or added advantage over their peers by using means or sources not ethical. I began to ask myself why do students cheat? Why do they feel the need?

How do they view it? How can I help them move away from it?

be a student who “only” managed a 90% as opposed to the high achievers who managed a score above 99%!

Let’s face it. All humans are not created with the same set of skills or interest. While some may find numbers speak to them, others may find passion in music notes. But expecting every single student to get a 99.99% is not only sadistic, but inhuman, to say the least. We take away the focus from learning to earning a grade. In this process, what is the most important value we

As educators, we must remember that we are not only preparing our students for the next level of education or career, but also to be successful, contributing members of the greater community

As easy as these questions look, they were never that straight forward to find answers to.

Majority of students want to learn. They want to achieve something. But when that something is a “grade”, the problem begins. This extreme focus on grades stems from societal pressure, that is, pressure from parents, peers, neighbors, culture, employers and so on. We put undue pressure on our students to achieve the “right grade” so that they can get the “right job” with the “right salary”. If students fail to get the grades, our education system rejects them–and this could

27

miss out on instilling in our students? Integrity.

We want our students to succeed. But how do we define the word Success?

As educators, we must remember that we are not only preparing our students for the next level of education or career, but also to be successful, contributing members of the greater community.

This means that they shouldn’t just manage to reproduce what they learned but apply the knowledge to make the society a better place.

It means they should graduate with values of fairness, honesty, truthfulness, trustworthiness,

Higher Education Digest August 2019

28

Dr. Zeenath Reza Khan

Teachers are pressured to provide top-class grades and look the other way so that students’ grades can be changed, modified and generally manipulated to suit the needs and expectations of paying parents

Higher Education Digest August 2019

respect, responsibility and courage. But are we really managing these learning objectives?

Right from primary school, through higher education, parents are eager to help their wards not only pass but get that much-coveted grade. In the process, parents happily complete homework, make projects, hire special tutors to provide cheat sheets and exam questions and more. Teachers are pressured to provide top-class grades and look the other way so that students’ grades can be changed, modified and generally manipulated to suit the needs and expectations of paying parents. From a young age, we are giving a very scary, dark and sinister message to our students – that it is ok to use others’ work and take credit; that it is ok to use any means possible to get that grade.

Academic misconduct is like a virus that spreads and eats at the core value of education. Education isn’t just subject matter.

With education must come knowledge, understanding of self and surroundings, of insight and foresight, deciding how to become a contributing member of society, and how to make a difference.

Our students today are the future business owners, ministers, policy makers, world leaders, teachers, even stars and role models. Values we instill in them in our classrooms are the values they take away with them when they join whatever industry they pursue. Ensuring the values are the right ones is a responsibility we bear, all of us – teachers, parents, and management. We want our leaders to make the right decision, no matter how hard they may be. We want the business owners to not cheat their customers.

We want our doctors to treat their patients accurately. We want our insurance brokers to be honest. We want our law personal to be fair. We want our teachers to be trustworthy.

The list is endless.

Teaching students to take responsibility for their action and to take pride in the

work they do by pushing them to reach a state of deep learning is a step towards developing a culture of integrity. I once met a professor who was quite shocked that we had institutions who hired invigilators to monitor students during exams. When asked, he said his university didn’t have such a system in place. I was super curious and asked what innovative techy device did his university use. To this, he replied none. They never invigilated their students! I was shocked and asked him if he didn’t care if his students cheated. Even now, after all these years, I can hear the laugh in his voice as he said “our students don’t cheat; if they can’t answer a question, they are upset at themselves and come out asking what more they can do to understand those concepts better”. I was quite skeptical, but as we spoke more and discussed his university’s policies, I realized he was not exaggerating!

Imagine a classroom full of students who were genuinely interested to test their own learning and knowledge and got upset that they hadn’t grasped the concepts better.

Instead of running after a grade, imagine they left those answers blank only to go accept responsibility, seek out and find the support and help they needed till they did master their knowledge and then satisfactorily tested out.

This isn’t a far-fetched scenario. It is happening across classrooms globally. We just need to open our eyes and minds to the possibility so that we can recognize what needs to be addressed and how, so that we too can achieve this level of integrity among our students, our future leaders.

Integrity in academia isn’t a standalone value that only academics should be concerned about. These values are crucial to building character that will dictate how our students behave once they become contributing members of the society. It is past time we the community work holistically to develop such a culture for our students from a young age.

If not now, when?

Higher Education Digest August 2019

29

AL-AMEEN COLLEGE OF PHARMACY

Spearheading Indian Pharma Education Through R&D

30

Higher Education Digest August 2019

T

he main criticism that the Indian pharmaceutical industry face today is the lack of unskilled labor. However, it is not the students’ fault that they aren’t given the proper training or the right environment to pursue their passion.

Oftentimes colleges fail to provide industrystandard facilities to equip students to confidently face global challenges. Yet, Al- Ameen College of Pharmacy has been consistently setting the bar higher and higher by introducing several initiatives to ensure that the students are industry-ready.

Apart from encouraging students to be involved in industrial projects and organizing guest lectures by eminent personalities proficient in the industry, Al-Ameen College of Pharmacy (AACP) also organizes workshops to improve student capabilities, so that they are at par with developments in the field, and provides additional GPAT coaching to the students who are interested in pursuing their masters in pharmacy.

AACP also ensures that the students are provided with the state-of-art equipment and laboratories. For instance, the college houses 13 AV-equipped lecture halls, over 15 research laboratories distributed in each of the specialty department, a machine room with the recent manufacturing technology, an animal house approved by Committee for the Purpose of Control and Supervision of Experiments on Animals (CPSEA), discussion and seminar halls to cater the discussions of postgraduate students and research scholars, and an information center with an exhaustive collection of reference books and scientific journals.

AACP also has a HELINET subscription with Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences, which provides exhaustive access to e-journals. Further, the Pharmacy Practice department is housed in St. Philomena’s Hospital and is equipped with a state-of-art drug information center and pharmacovigilance center. The college takes special care to not only maintain these facilities but also to update it as the industry changes demand. These steps ensure that the students can benefit the most from the recent updates in scientific research.

Fostering Successful Industry Relationships Al-Ameen opened its gates wide to industry leaders to carry out revenue-generating research projects. Some of the pharmaceutical companies who work with the college are Navitas Life Sciences Pvt. Ltd. and Wipro Cosmetics

Higher Education Digest August 2019

31

32

Al- Ameen College of Pharmacy aims to set higher standards in pharmaceutical education and research, and be recognized as the premier pharmacy institute not only in Karnataka, but in India and eventually the world

Currently, AACP is an incubator for several kinds of research in departments like Pharmaceutics, Pharmacology, Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Pharmacognosy, Pharmacy Practice and Quality Assurance

Higher Education Digest August 2019

Division. “These projects allow companies to use our research infrastructure while our students receive training for the same. We also have tieup other pharmaceutical companies that promote our students to pursue their dissertation research and internship. Our college has recently signed MOU’s with Institute for Drug Delivery & Biomedical Research, Star Hi Herbs Pvt. Ltd., Vertias Research Incorporation, Mylan Laboratories Complex-I and Prakruti Products Pvt. Ltd.,” says Dr. Shobha Rani R. Hiremath, Principal and Head of the Department of Pharmacy Practice, AlAmeen College of Pharmacy.

Twice accredited by the National Board of Accreditation, AACP has received several grants by AICTE, ICMR, VGST and RGUHS. Similarly, the department of Pharmaceutics has received funds from various government and private organizations such as UGC, ICMR, DST, AICTE, RGUHS and Indena (Italy), VGST. The department works towards improving the skills of PG students by involving them in training and taking up projects from reputed private Pharmaceutical Companies.

Currently, AACP is an incubator for several kinds of research in departments like Pharmaceutics, Pharmacology, Pharmaceutical Chemistry,

Dr. Mumtaz Ahmed Khan, Founder and Chairman

Dr. Subhan Shariff, Hon. Secretary

Higher Education Digest August 2019

33

Pharmacognosy, Pharmacy Practice and Quality Assurance. For example, while the Pharmaceutics department is working on advanced drug delivery systems, nanoparticulate drug targeting approaches, and novel multiparticulate delivery platforms, the Pharmacology department is working on the evaluation of the effect of agents in diabetic cognitive impairment and Parkinson’s disease in rats.

Meanwhile, the Pharmaceutical Chemistry department is working in the area of computational chemistry, synthesis and studying the biological activities, molecular modeling of compounds like thiozolidine derivatives, pyridazinone derivatives, antioxidants and chemotherapeutic agents, etc. and the Pharmacy Practice department is actively working in the area of pharmacovigilance, Pharmacoeconomics and promoting rational use of medicines.

Dr. Shobha Rani, Principal

34 Dr. Shobha brings with her over 30 years of experience in teaching and research and has been associated with the institute since the start of her career.

She has over 90 publications in journals of national and international repute. She has presented more than 100 research papers and has given invited talks in national and international conferences in India and abroad. She has guided over 90 postgraduate students and over 10 Ph. D scholars. A member of the Signal Review Panel constituted by Pharmacovigilance Program of India (PvPI) since 2017, Dr. Shobha Rani is also the Academic Council Member and Chairman Board of studies PG in Pharmacy of Rajiv Gandhi University of Health & Sciences, Bangalore.

Higher Education Digest August 2019

The department of Pharmaceutics has received funds from various government and private organizations, such as UGC, ICMR, DST, AICTE, RGUHS and Indena (Italy), VGST.

AACP houses over 15 research laboratories distributed in each of the specialty department, a machine room with the recent manufacturing technology, and an animal house approved

by Committee for the Purpose of Control and Supervision of Experiments on Animals (CPSEA)

Blessed with a Capacious Team of Academicians One reason why AACP is welcoming the multitude of research activities is because of its unwavering confidence in the ability of its faculty team. Al-Ameen appraises its faculty based on the decree of academic and research exposure. This methodology has helped AACP to retain the quality and competence among the faculty members over the years. “We also undertake periodic assessment for all faculty members based on confidential feedback taken from the students as well as their superiors. We ask our faculty team to attend the teachers training program, higher studies, conferences and workshops as a means of quality improvement and continuing education.

They are also encouraged to share their expertise at various National and International forums,” adds Dr. Shobha.

Al-Ameen College of Pharmacy prides in a successful placement cell. Over 90% of AACP students have been placed in reputed companies and hospitals through campus recruitments. Most notable among the recruiters are Quintiles, Indegene, Novo Nordisk, Ranbaxy, Astra Zeneca, Pfizer, Torrent, Dr. Reddy’s Labs, Eli- Lilly India Ltd, Pasteur India Ltd, Cipla, Accenture, and leading hospitals like Apollo Hospitals, and Manipal Hospitals.

Having bestowed with awards from National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) for Pharmacy Colleges by the Ministry of Human Resource Development, Govt. of India, Al- Ameen College of Pharmacy aims to set higher standards in pharmaceutical education and research, and toil hard to be recognized as the premier pharmacy institute not only in Karnataka, but in India and eventually the world.

Higher Education Digest August 2019

35

INDUSTRY PERSPECTIVE

You Won’t Learn Unless You Do It Xavier Mah, Founder, Xavier Mah Consultancy & XALF

Xavier Mah is a PR and branding strategist, who has worked with brands and media from numerous industries.

Kick-starting his consultancy at the age of 26, he has serviced clients from Property, Beauty, F&B, Lifestyle & Fashion industries.

Xavier has mastered the art of marketing and communications and has successfully brought unknown brands from ground up to being known by the intended market. Xavier has also organized one of the first few women awards, #beaXsuperwoman that pays tribute to the incredible women of Malaysia. Moreover, he is also actively engaged by Universities to deliver talks on the importance of personal branding.

36

Higher Education Digest August 2019

I

Creating your own opportunities require sacrifice and understanding–not only about the job or industry but also about your own self

started my career with the media industry by being a program producer media conglomerate in Malaysia and some existing online portals. After some time, I realized that I was more interested in brands and marketing.

Hence, I identified a pretty big advertising agency from the US and had an interview opportunity with them.

Everything went fairly well up until they asked me one particular question: “What does branding mean to you?”

Don’t get me wrong, I know what branding means but back then my perspective was restricted to the work I’ve done as a program producer.

So, I answered, “To me, branding is how one creates a storyline, edits it and conceptualizes as a package especially when it comes to the angle of the video. How we package the product through the screen will decide whether the branding is successful or not.”

He immediately corrected my answer and further elaborated on what branding truly is. What happened then? That’s right, I was rejected from the job opportunity. It made sense why I didn’t get the job, I didn’t quite understand what they meant and I didn’t have the right answers. My perspective was too skewed towards my experience being a part of the media.

It took a few days for me to accept what had happened because I was so hopeful that it was going to happen for me. I was broken but I figured that it was the time for me to dive myself into this industry by hook or by crook. If no one is going to give me the opportunity, I was going to create one for myself.

After countless meetings with many people whom I respected, I began to understand what it took to create your own opportunities. It requires sacrifice and understanding – not only about the job or industry but also about your own self. So, I took the jump 8 years ago and today, here I stand.

Heading my own PR and Branding consulting firm and managing many clients from an array of industries, I’ve learned a thing or two about branding too – something which was quite alien to me in my early career days. It’s not just about the logo and colors you use for your brand.

Although it is important for you to have appealing visuals to up-sell your business, it is equally important for you to convey a story and connect to people.

That is the key – the people! If no one and resonate with your brand and what it stands for, it will all be a waste. A brand is about the society, the feelings you can give them and how you can provide an experience. To make your brand even better, have a clear message and a great product. It is all about the whole package.

My point is, you will never know what the needs of an industry are if you’ve never actually been in it. Yes, you can read books about it and watch videos to strengthen your knowledge. However, the most valuable component is when you’ve actually gone through mistakes and learn from them. For that, you cannot buy or garner anywhere else unless you give it a shot.

So, to all you students reading this, I urge you to persevere and keep on trying. I’ve failed many times in my life and that got me where I am today.

Keep putting in the work and worry less. If an opportunity closes, be sure that one more will open.

Higher Education Digest August 2019

37

CHANDIGARH COLLEGE OF PHARMACY

Industry and Human Ailments Curing

38

Higher Education Digest August 2019

I

ndia’s pharmaceutical sector is seeing a market growth of 12.8% thanks to an increase in consumer spending and healthcare insurance. Of the global pharma industry, Indian pharmaceutical sector currently accounts for about 3.1-3.6% in terms of value and is rapidly growing to become a global hub of original drug research and manufacturing. In this light, pharmacy graduates with the right training and knowledge are mandatory as in their hands lie the potential to power the industry’s growth.

Equipping them with this power and guiding them to be responsible changemakers is Chandigarh College of Pharmacy, Landran. With A-class learning facilities and trailblazing practices, Chandigarh Group of Colleges (CGC), under the banner of Chandigarh College of Pharmacy, has come up as one of the best pharmacy colleges of India. Established in 2007, Chandigarh College of Pharmacy (CCP) has affiliation from I.K. Gujral Punjab Technical University (IKGPTU).

Scientific and Industrial Research Oriented CCP has also received approval from renowned organizations like Pharmacy Council of India (PCI), New Delhi, and AICTE. CCP showcases ultra-modern infrastructure, latest labs and equipment, illustrious staff members and streamlined curriculum. As a result, CCP is the only unsurpassable educational institute under IKGPTU that is recognized as a Scientific and Industrial Research Organization by the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR).

True to its designation, CCP has major contributions in self-assembled supramolecular systems viz. liposomes, niosomes, cyclodextrin, nano- & micro-particles and solid-lipid nanoparticles, where the focus is centered around the exploitation of US FDA approved biomaterials in combination with other potential lipids and polymers to develop the innovative dosage forms and drug delivery systems in order to improve the bioavailability, stability, safety (tolerance) and patient-compliance. Although a wide range of applications are being taken up, special emphasis is given to augment the aqueous solubility and bioavailability of anticancer drugs. The central part of the research activities also involves evaluation of potential chemical entities using advanced in vitro and in vivo tools and techniques in the field of neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric disorders like Alzheimer, Depression

Higher Education Digest August 2019

39

40

CCP is the only unsurpassable educational institute under IKGPTU that is recognized as a Scientific and Industrial Research Organization by the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR).

Higher Education Digest August 2019

and also in diabetes and related complications, such as neuropathic pain and nephropathy pain to deconvolute the novel target sites for drug discovery and development.

Encouraging Out of Box Solutions One should not remain in their comfort zone. If you want to make it big, you must challenge yourself, get out of your comfort zone, and succeed in doing well outside of your comfort areas. This is what lies at the heart of Chandigarh College of Pharmacy. CCP cultivates the impulse toward curiosity and willingness to push careercomfort boundaries. For starters, students are encouraged, incentivized and rewarded for chasing their curiosity.

“Various technology products can help simplify and augment the networking process. For instance, we empower them to build institution-specific networks leveraging aspects of LinkedIn’s highly targeted search and connection features with traditional alumni networks.

We also reinforce grit and resiliency through academic and co-curricular experiences. Our career development program is inherently designed to impart both theoretical training and experiential learning aimed to make students career-ready for the new age economy. Practical exposure combined with extremely high-quality academic rigor provides the students the necessary tools and knowledge base to achieve their goals. We have a 360-degree career development plan to make sure that every graduate has a strong sense of professionalism, leadership, and soft-skill set to conquer their career pursuits,” says Dr. M. Arockia Babu, Director Principal, Chandigarh College of Pharmacy, Landran.

One of the many national conferences held at Chandigarh Group of Colleges, Landran

Nurturing Productive Industry Relationships Another factor that sets CCP a step above its peers is that the college understands the importance of establishing fruitful industrial collaborations.

Because industry fraternization is a very crucial requirement to provide the right connect to the students for training and exposure to real life working conditions. Therefore, CCP executives are always in touch with the leading corporate and industrial organizations, and so is recognized and endorsed by most of the prominent companies to conduct placement drives. Moreover, CCP welcomes all industry partners who seek practical and pragmatic solutions and share and promote entrepreneurial spirit by bringing new ideas to life. CCP aims to progress in creating knowledge, shaping leaders and in making important inroads against the challenges of the revolutionary global workspace. These collaborations have included several productive partnerships with industry such as Oniosome healthcare, Orbit biotech and US Vitamins.

41

Higher Education Digest August 2019

Dr. M. Arockia Babu, Director Principal

42 Similarly, the department of international affairs at CGC have collaborations with 35 reputed universities across the globe and offer credit transfer programs, pathway programs, internship programs, international study, trips, semester exchange, summer/winter school and international grants to our students. This paves way for the students to set their eyes on international job opportunities.

All the laboratories of CCP are well-equipped and established with the stateof-the-art technologies.

Higher Education Digest August 2019

Shaping Pharmaceutical Industry Leaders Going beyond textbooks and a four-walled classroom, CCP ensures that its students are industry-ready by utilizing an industry-friendly curriculum that emphasizes on cognitive skills. This has enabled Chandigarh College of Pharmacy to be adjudged as the best private pharmacy college in North India consecutively for 3 years. Similarly, in the recent past, CCP’s students received 13 merit positions in the university examination, and the college has seen its students excel in sports and other extra-curricular activities as well. It is no wonder that Chandigarh College of Pharmacy graduates learn how to effectively integrate critical thinking, problem solving and professional skills, thus making them well skilled to cater to the health care sector and lead the pharmaceutical industry.

43

Higher Education Digest August 2019

COLLEGE OF PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCES, PURI

Fostering Meaningful Industrial Collaborations To Deliver A Seamless Educational Experience 44

Higher Education Digest August 2019

R

ecently this month, a delegation from India announced the country’s intention to invest in several industries in Uzbekistan, including pharmaceutical and industrial sector. Currently, more than 145 joint ventures operate in the country. News of India investing in industries in international waters has been cropping up far and wide. The value of fostering good industrial relationships is especially amplified in the educational sector; still significant is its value in Pharmacy education. In this respect, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Puri, has made tremendous headway.

Not only has the college made collaboration with UPMA ( Utkal Pharmaceutical Manufacturer’s Associates), Phyto Pharmaceutical Pvt. Ltd., Manner Pharmaceutical Works, Jagannath Chemicals & Pharmaceutical Works (P) Ltd., and Abicee Pharmaceuticals Pvt. Ltd. (all from Odisha), the college recently appointed an industry expert and consultant as a faculty member, who is brings to the table his rich experience of working in various National and International Pharmaceutical Companies in sections like production, QC, QA, GMP, validation and R&D. The Industry Institute Partnership Cell The college also has a special Industry Institute Partnership Cell (IIPC) that acts as an interface between the industries and institute to take up collaboration activities for mutual benefit. The All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE)-approved cell reduces the gap between industry expectations ( practise) and academic offerings (theory) by direct involvement of industry to attain a symbiosis. All the stakeholders, namely: Institutions, Industry, Students and Society stand to gain.

The Institutions stand to gain by way of up-to-date curricula, source of revenue generation by consultancy and R&D, source of manpower for employment, societal relevance, and most importantly acquisition of brand name and equity; industry stands to gain by way of availability of employable manpower pool, and increased productivity; students stand to gain by way of hands-on training, reduction of learning curve in industrial practices; and society stands to gain by way of improved quality of goods and services.

“It is important that the academia interacts with companies to provide training to students. They should

Higher Education Digest August 2019

45

CPS, Puri is one of the front runners when it comes to research and development. The recent Nodal Research Centre has been duly approved by the technical committee of BPUT and is fully functional under the guidance of eminent Professor Dr. B.B. Barik.

46

also look into the critical evaluation and suggestions made by the industry to improve their curriculum. Changes made to the curriculum must be acknowledged by the industry experts and they should voluntarily interact with university academia for making the curriculum more relevant to the end-users. On the other hand, in a post-GATT era with product patents in place, the Indian Pharma companies have to come up with their own drug molecules and formulations that need innovative research. Academic institutions can carry out basic research to achieve these targets. The industry with the institutional involvement will be able to accelerate their New Chemical Entities projects and other research activities like product development, formulation or stability problem, quality control methods etc. using younger scientists and faculty from the institutions.

They can use the infrastructure and human resources that these institutions provide. Moreover, academia has more vision and expertise in developing newer technology, which is essential for innovative research. With industry involvement, these ideas can be brought

Higher Education Digest August 2019

to reality for the benefit of society. Thus, the industry can also benefit provided they encourage tie-ups with academia,� says Prof. (Dr) B B Barik, Director Academics, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Puri.

Currently offering D. Pharm, B. Pharm. and M. Pharm Programmes, the college is affiliated to Biju Pattanaik University of Technology (BPUT) and is All India Council for Technical Education, New Delhi, approve and Pharmacy Council Of India (PCI), New Delhi, approved. the college has segregated the students into various groups depending on their interests and their performance in the classroom and examinations, depending on which further remedial or boosting steps are undertaken. CPS, Puri also pays special attention to develop the necessary soft skills among students.

CPS, Puri is also one of the front runners when it comes to research and development. The recent Nodal Research Centre has been duly approved by the technical committee of BPUT and is fully functional under the guidance of eminent Professor Dr. B.B. Barik, who has already supervised many research projects from different funding agencies. Likewise, the

college has applied for MODROB grant of AICTE and are hopeful to get many projects and findings from various sources. CPS, Puri continuously encourages its students and teachers to take part in national & international, symposiums & seminars and presenting research papers.

The college has prepared its laboratories as per global guidelines. Besides these, the college also has industrial machinery for training and the college’s experienced, senior faculty members, guide the students for industry-oriented project works. The college houses an array of machinery in its industrial Pharmaceutical lab; some of which are single punch and multi punch tablet machine, capsule filling machine, ointment and cream filling machine propeller starter double cone blender, as well as a 6 station dissolution test apparatus disintegration test apparatus, double beam, UV spectrophotometer, HPLC, and humidity chamber etc. for quality control test.

Prof. (Dr) B B Barik Director Academics

Recruiter’s Haven Guest lectures and interactive sessions with seasoned experts can only get the “exposure’ quotient halfway. The rest half is carried out by the students themselves as they attend industrial training. For instance, students pursuing M. Pharm (Pharmaceutics) carry out project works at the college as well as in industry. this Exposure certainly helps them to gather knowledge on production, QC & QA, R&D, F&D etc. These initiatives that the college takes to ensure all-round development of the students is directly translated to the number of industry giants who flock around CPS, Puri to recruit the cream of the crop. Some of these recruiters are IPCA Labs. Ltd. SYLVASA (USFDA); N.Q.Ethicals (USFDA), Goa; ZYDUS, CADILA, Sikkim; Alkem Lab., Sikkim; Micro Labs Ltd., Sikkim; and ZYDUS CADILA, DAMAN (USFDA).

Imparting to the students the three major qualities on which CPS, Puri, stands firmly on, Honesty, Integrity, and Camaraderie, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Puri, is on its way to be the Eastern Zone for quality education and research.

Higher Education Digest August 2019

47

ED SHEROES

48

Haimanti SenThe Guardian Angel of The Streets Higher Education Digest August 2019

I

ndia is a country that gives its citizens the right to education. Article 21-A of the Indian Constitution states that all children between 6 and 14 years should be provided free and compulsory education. However, India’s literacy rate is about 74%, leaving a quarter of the population without basic reading and writing skills.

It does not take much to comprehend that India’s poverty and illiteracy are closely linked. What with India being the second largest population in the world, the nation is home to one-third of all world poverty. Although India’s poverty situation is improving, problems related to poor health and sanitation, low levels of education, unemployment and malnutrition remain. To battle this dismal situation, the leaders of the country have devoted around 10.5% of its total government expenditure on education. But neither is it evenly spread out, nor does the people who matter know about the various schemes that they have access to.

Haimanti Sen, a spirited woman of 22 years, understood this predicament, when one day she caught young children begging for money and selling pens and balloons on the sidewalks of Mumbai. Like others, she, too, forgot about them when her Rickshaw drove away from the traffic. But as days passed, Haimanti was compelled to ask, “The government of India has several schemes in place for the underprivileged children, but do they even know that these schemes exist? If they do know about it, then why aren’t they at school learning, but on the streets begging?

A sociology and psychology graduate from Mumbai University, Haimanti began walking around the Kandivali station looking for answers. She weaved her way in an around the slums surrounding the station and asking parents whether their kids went to school. She soon realized that the kids she was seeing were not only from the slums, where they at least had a roof over their heads, but were from the streets. The street kids were excited to see her but confused as well. In their memory, no adult had ever wasted a breath on them. At first, the children were wary about her and did not speak to her but choose to observe her.

If Not Me, Then Who? Haimanti spent quite some time with the kids and made them feel at ease with her. She was moved by the smiles of the children. They were the poorest of the poor,

Higher Education Digest August 2019

49

50

Haimanti Sen

subjected to humiliation and immense pain, but that did not deter them from smiling and ploughing through the day. Haimanti saw the hidden potential behind each of those grubby faces and thought about what each of them could accomplish, only if there was someone to guide them. As she left them that evening, Haimanti had a warm glow in her heart and a sense of purpose. However, it was the next day that iron-cladded her resolve, when the children ran and hugged her when she visited them.

Although Haimanti was a trained elocution and drama trainer and had 5 years of experience working with children as their tuition master

Higher Education Digest August 2019

51

(she tutored the children in all subjects) and via summer camps, what she intended to do was way more serious and taxing. Haimanti informed her parents and friends that she was going to teach the street kids. Her parents were sceptical and tried to change her mind, but Haimanti had found her purpose and there was no way she was going back. Her friends, however, were supportive right from Day 1. In retrospective, her friends too wanted to help the children, but were waiting for a push. Haimanti not only gave them the push, but also gave them a roadmap.

Battling Hurdles, Disdain and Criticism Haimanti’s first dilemma was finding a safe and secure place to teach. Even though she found one such place, she did not get the permission from the local politician to use the space. It is worth noting that the place is left unused to this day. The politician instead told her that her acts are never going to make a change, and that street kids will always be street kids. This scornful attitude of our Netas speaks volumes about the state of the nation.

Haimanti also approached various schools and requested them to shelter and teach these

Higher Education Digest August 2019

kids, but they too denied her. The reason she was given was that the kids were dirty and that they did not have the grasping speed as their peers. Also, the school authorities complained to her that the children did neither have proper names, nor proper addresses.

Hence, registering and enrolling them into the school was a problem. Also, even if they were registered, the children had zero involvement and support from their parents, who rather had them begging, and, most of the time, nicked whatever the school provided and never returned. Haimanti was irritated at the callousness of the school authorities. Did they not understand that these kids had no access to clean water or a bathroom, and that they had to save up to 10 rupees if they wanted to use the public washroom? Did they not understand that the reason for their low grasping power is because they had not developed proper language and communication skills? Did they not understand that even though these children were living on the streets they had their right to education, and that as an educational institution the school, instead of turning them away, should have taken matters into their own hands?

Despite the lack of support from the society, she was adamant to find a place. She was looking for a place that had a leak-free roof, was easily accessible, and must accommodate her students. As she was contemplating, she realized that the perfect place was staring at her face all this time. The Kandivali station skywalk was to be classroom where she would educate her students.

Now that she had the classroom, her next hurdle was to coax the parents to allow her to teach their children.

She was faced with reluctance because they were suspicious about Haimanti’s

52

Higher Education Digest August 2019

motives. Some considered the time spent learning a waste, as that time could be spent begging and earning some money. However, they slowly fell in line. The children, on the other hand, needed no second calling.

In fact, their responses surprised her. Given a choice between English and Hindi they picked English without hesitation. She had to teach the English Alphabets for about 5 months as they had trouble remembering the letters and retaining information.

But their perseverance motivated Haimanti to continue teaching them. Soon she saw real progress and slowly introduced Mathematics and Hindi.

Haimanti’s parents saw the incredible work that she was doing and pitched in to do their bit. Haimanti’s mother was a primary teacher for over 20 years, and so helped Haimanti to decide on what to teach when.

Reaching for the Sky(walk) On 17 May 2018, Haimanti sat down under the Kandivali station skywalk with 20 kids and started her first class. Later, in June, she moved her class inside the skywalk, where the roof sheltered the group from rain. Fast forward today, she now has 13 kids who come regularly. The other 7 succumbed to parental pressures to beg and do various chores to earn money. Some moved away due to fights and safety reasons.

53

Higher Education Digest August 2019

Nevertheless, they do come back occasionally and Haimanti’s team try to involve them as much as they can. The 13, however, show real progress, and 6 of them now attend Raghuvir School. Today, these children can grasp concepts quickly, know how to write their names, speak English and Hindi, and converse in English. Haimanti’s eyes glow as she says about her little ones’ achievements. “Some of my kids have started reading 2-3 letter words in Hindi and are progressing fairly well in mathematics. They are learning basic etiquette and have cultivated a habit of saying their ‘Thank You’ s and ‘Welcome’ at the right time. They understand that they cannot scream and talk loudly while in a public space and must treat each other with respect. As for their hygiene, they have shown tremendous improvement!”

However, what delights Haimanti the most is that many of her kids now go to proper schools and has a chance to wear uniforms, greet their teachers and friends and eat their tiffin like regular schoolchildren.

54

The Junoon Foundation Today, Haimanti and her team of 6, consisting friends and family, have started a non-profit organisation, Junoon Foundation. Junoon aims at providing an all-around development to the underprivileged kids; helping them discover their potentials and working with it. To Haimanti, Junoon means the passion and ambition to do better, to change lives, and to try to make the world a better place. As an outsider, you can sponsor a child for their food, education and medical expenses or just sponsor food on a monthly basis. Junoon also accepts monetary donations as well. If you are a trained professional, you are also welcomed to conduct skill training workshops.

Haimanti Sen is a prime example of how education should shape a person. She is well educated and could easily be a part of the rat race, but she chose the path less travelled. Thanks to her, the street children of Kandivali station now has the chance to live a few hours away from their dismal life on the streets, read and learn books, have friends that will help them see life in a new perspective. Thanks to Haimanti, they can now dream of a life that is far away from what they are now living.

Higher Education Digest August 2019

55

Higher Education Digest August 2019

KHALSA COLLEGE OF PHARMACY

Actualizing Research-Proficient Pharmaceutical Personnel 56

Higher Education Digest August 2019

O

ne of the most fertile regions in India, Punjab produces an important portion of India’s food grain and contributes a major share of the wheat and rice stock held by the Central Pool. About two-fifths of Punjab’s population is engaged in the agricultural sector, and therefore Punjab is rightly called as the “Granary of India”. However, when, over the years, the wave of pharmaceutical industry revolution swept over India, Punjab was left out; mainly because it was an agriculture-based economy. Although there were many pharmacy colleges in Punjab, there was a lack of manpower of global research standards. Completely understanding this predicament, the Khalsa College Charitable Society stepped in to fill the dearth of industrially and globally acceptable pharmaceutical manpower. Thus, Khalsa College of Pharmacywas established in 2009.

Taking inspiration from its creator, and the 125 years of educational experience it brings to the table, Khalsa College of Pharmacy strives to be the center of excellence that excels in the field of pharmaceutical education and research by constantly innovating to achieve global standards.

A scion of one of the oldest charitable educational society, the college has adopted various modern teachinglearning process bykeeping students at the center. The college aims at the overall upliftment and professional growth of students while giving due consideration to the achievement of program objectives (POs). Some of the important aspects of the college’s Teaching-Learning Process are: • Rational-thinking approach to enhance learning ability: A relevant example of this approach is the use of old Calendula flowers (used for decoration purpose in marriage and other occasions and then thrown in open drains afterwards) by the students in the evaluation of a possible spermicidal agent.

• Development of study teams: Students of different capabilities and varied interests are clubbed in a study team and are assigned certain specific tasks/assignments related to course objectives (COs). This practice goes a long way in developing an inquisitive attitude and team spirit in students and to helpthem look beyond the curriculum for their professional development.

• Audio-visual aids in classrooms • Online video resources • ICT usage: Various softwareare frequently employed for research purposes. Usage of important software like

Higher Education Digest August 2019

57

Magnus Pro® image analysis software, ExPharm, Chemdraw, and Sigmastat are frequently explained to students.

• Class beyond classroom: The teacher uses social network to discuss important topics that require learning beyond course content. The students are made free to explore all available online resources for getting information on the topic.

• Seminars and presentations • Development of soft skills

Satyajit Singh Majithia, President Khalsa College Charitable Society

58

Rajinder Mohan Singh Chhina, Honourary Secretary Khalsa College Charitable Society

Higher Education Digest August 2019

Courses Offered The college currently offers the following courses: D.Pharm, B.Pharm, and M.Pharm (Pharmaceutics, Pharmacology, Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Analysis) and Doctoral Research. The curriculum of each subject, assigned to each faculty member, is evaluated by the respective member to determine the extent to which the curriculum helps in attaining the POs of the course. Furthermore, each subject of the course is categorized into various levels based on the subject’s curriculum content and its effect on the development of student’s intellectual ability regarding the course.

Khalsa College Charitable Society, Amritsar The Khalsa College Charitable Society is the premiermost management of higher learning institutes and was established by the leaders of the Singh Sabha Movement in 1890. They were inspired by the ideals of the great Gurus. They planned it to be a growing institution which would strive forever to achieve high degree of excellence of mind, body and soul for the welfare of the youth. The architectural grandeur of its buildings, especially of iconic Khalsa College, clearly demonstrate the “will & vision� of its founders.

Right from the very beginning, highly intelligent,

Khalsa College of Pharmacy strives to be the center of excellence that excels in the field of pharmaceutical education and research by constantly innovating to achieve global standards

inspired and hard-working personalities have remained associated with the Society. The eminence of its teaching faculty and fascination of its wellstocked libraries, well-equipped laboratories, well maintained playgrounds and hostels are its main attractions. A sense of greatness and beauty pervades the corridors of its campus.

Thus, the Society claims pre-eminence not only for its glorious past, but also because of its visionary outlook towards the future. It finds inspiration in Great Gurus who have always advocated a progressive attitude of mind, giving up all that is dogmatic, giving due value to intelligence and logic. The Khalsa College of Pharmacy was visualized as a place of learning that would strive towards ever higher degrees of excellence in development of the mind and spirit of youth in the pharmaceutical industry.

The Society prides itself on associating with and nurturing highly intelligent, inspired and hardworking personalities. Progress is our watchword and academic achievement our measure of success. The eminence of our teaching faculty and fascination of its well-stocked infrastructure including labs, libraries and playing-fields, hostels are its main attractions. A sense of grandeur and beauty pervades the campus.

The society is thus committed to provide valuebased, forward-looking, modern education to build a just society and to provide best of the technical and professional education

Higher Education Digest August 2019

59

Dr. Ravi Kumar Dhawan, Director-Principal Khalsa College of Pharmacy Bringing to the table over 25 years of experience in Academics, Pharmaceutical Industry and Research, Dr. Ravi Kumar Dhawan has a Ph. D in Pharmaceutical Sciences. Dr. Dhawan has more than 100 national and international publications to his credit and has been awarded by many prestigious organizations for his contributions to the field of academics and research.

Currently heading the Khalsa College of Pharmacy as the Director-Principal, Dr. Ravi’s emphasis has always been on the development of research in the college.

60 The college takes immense care and effort in preparing the curriculum and ensuring that the students are kept abreast of current pharmaceutical industry trends

Higher Education Digest August 2019

Initial deliberations of the college committee with each faculty member are carried out to outline the essential components of the COs and the POs. If the COs of a particular subject does not match the expected POs, then the concerned gaps are identified and analyzed by the college committee with the active involvement of all concerned faculty members. Remedial steps to bridge the gap (if any) are then discussed. The primary focus is on course contents involving key aspects of the subject, pertinent to the industrial usage.

Appropriate decisions are then taken to initiate extra lectures/guest lectures on topics beyond syllabus or to conduct extra practical on recent advances in the old concepts.

The college delights in successful collaborations with many pharmaceutical companies by way of agreements and MOUs. The fruits of these partnerships are directly enjoyed by the students.

The college has always emphasized on the development of modern research facilities within the campus

The college aims at the overall upliftment and professional growth of students while giving due consideration to the achievement of program objectives

For instance, all B.Pharm students undergo industrial training after completion of 6th semester as per course norms by university. Some of the industrial kingpins who have helped the college for these trainings are Willmark Pharmaceuticals Pvt. Ltd., Ramson remedies Pvt. Ltd., Kwality Pharmaceuticals Pvt. Ltd, Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., Welcure Remedies, Wockhardt Ltd., Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Ltd., Adison Laboratories, Cipla Ltd., and Sri Herbasia Biotech .

It Takes A Genius to Create Another Genius To ensure that the faculty team is always on top of the game, the college mandates regular faculty development programs that are to be attended by faculty members to enhance their professional and teaching skills. In addition, the faculty members are extensively involved in research and they are provided ample support to present their research in various national and international level conferences.

Given the care and effort that the college takes in preparing the curriculum and ensuring that the students are kept abreast of current pharmaceutical industry trends, it is no wonder that Placement Cell of the college has been successful in maintaining good placement record. From the 2018 batch alone, students have been placed with corporate giants like Sun Pharmaceuticals, Cipla, Sanofi, Emmcure,

Ramson remedies, Kwality Pharma, Amandeep Hospitals, and Appolo Hospitals etc.

At the same time, the college also give due importance to the entrepreneurial spirit of its students. The placement cell also works in close collaboration with the pharmaceutical industry for the inculcation of the quality of entrepreneurship in students. Some of the successful ventures of the Khalsa College of Pharmacy students areAddison Pharma Pvt. Ltd.

by Kartik Kapur, Sanjay Biologicals Pvt. Ltd. by Chetan Malik, Aver Pharmaceuticals Pvt. Ltd. by Guneet Bhatia and Prime Pharmaceuticals Pvt. Ltd. by Kanwar Singh Uppal.

The college has always emphasized on the development of modern research facilities within the campus. Keeping this view in mind, the college has planned to develop its existing labs to world-class level. “We have planned to collaborate extensively with multinational pharmaceutical companies and other research institutions for interdisciplinary research. Along the same lines, association with foreign universities for academic and research interaction and several conferences and seminars at National and International level has also been planned.� adds Dr. Ravi Kumar Dhawan. Khalsa College of Pharmacy also plans to equip its post graduate students to get placed in the R&D department of multinational companies.

Higher Education Digest August 2019

61

MENTOR’S MANTRA

Transgender and Their Struggle with Higher Education and Job Prospects Ritish Sethi, Business Head- India, SCIKEY

Ritish Sethi is a result driven leader with over 20 years of experience in global enterprises driving strategic vision and accomplishing revenue, profitability norms and transformation of the business. A strong believer of “Change is the Only Constant Thing”, he does not get thrown off balance during crisis. A post graduate in business and analytics and having travelled extensively internationally in the last two decades, Ritish understands various cultures globally and would love to discover more.

Opportunity to work with leaders across the globe has instilled more confidence in him while dealing with people from different geographies.

The principle in his career has been to always work on customer delight which has enabled him in growing his business in almost all the organisations that Ritish has worked for. He has been honoured with several rewards during his professional journey

62

Higher Education Digest August 2019

T

he struggle for transgender people is mainly indistinguishable. This happens because we humans are barely educated about them and hence perceive them very differently. There are various hurdles that every transgender goes through, like legal gender change in a country like Japan. Did you know that a GID (Gender Identity Disorder) Act was enacted many years ago in Japan where it made transgender change their legal gender? Is it fair to have such decisions forced upon any human being?

There are some transgender people who are trying to break the stereotype, but it is still a major push-back & discrimination they face when it comes to availability of jobs and access to education. They face a lot of humiliation, aggression, misunderstandings and many obstacles along their way.

Numerous transgender children in certain countries are harassed, suspended and punished in schools due to gender identity. Employment discrimination against trans people seems to be an issue globally. According to Kanae Doi – Japan Director of Human Rights Watch said, “The struggles of transgender people are so invisible in Japan that their everyday experiences are not known.”

It takes a lot of courage and acceptance for a transgender to make peace with gender misalignment and continue doing what every other human being does to live a normal life as they are always perceived differently which can leave them depressed. The society needs to be a little more supportive when it comes to transgender trying to fulfil their goals and dreams just like everyone else without being mocked or harassed. This kind of anomalous behaviour usually takes place when one tends to ignore and not understand about them and that can be changed if and only when we try and create awareness

amongst us with efficient knowledge in order to be able to provide good education and job opportunities without harassing them.

Every day they are struggling somewhere or the other and trying to justify and prove their worth. Some deal

In 2007, San Francisco initiated TEEI (Transgender Economic Empowerment Initiative), a first city-fun ed program in order to help transgender and gender non-confirming people to get job referrals, career coaching, managing references, hiring, and much more

with it differently and some really want to make a difference in the society.

A few common and difficult issues they deal with are – • Parents who are shameful of their transgender child/children and disown them to suffer alone

Higher Education Digest August 2019

63

64

Ritish Sethi

The society needs to be a little more supportive when it comes to transgender trying to fulfil their goals and dreams just like everyone else without being mocked or harassed

Higher Education Digest August 2019

• The society feels they shouldn’t be offered or provided with a good education or job opportunities due to which many transgender children drop out of school or colleges • Trans woman can’t be termed as mothers, because they are incapable of giving birth • Some say trans people change their sex in order to be with the opposite sex/ gender • For survival, many end up being a part of the underground economy and expose themselves to AIDS or H.I.V • Transgender children who are abandoned end up sleeping on the streets with no hope for shelter or care and are later turned into sex workers • A 2014 report by Human Rights Watch included interviews with 45 transgender people of varying ages who had experienced harassment or assault.

After reading this, what must one feel? Where did all the humanity disappear? If every child/adult is educated about how transgender people should be treated, accepted and be a part of our society, then we are just going to do a good deed. Many things take time, and no one changes overnight, but gradually and slowly things will adapt and change to make every individual feel equal in the education system, workplace, home or even in a public place.

In 2007, San Francisco initiated TEEI (Transgender Economic Empowerment Initiative), a first city-funded program in order to help transgender and gender non-confirming people to get job referrals, career coaching, managing references, hiring, and much more.

According to National Centre of Transgender Equality, they had released a report in 2016 of the U.S. Transgender Survey stating how things have developed and evolved over the past years. This survey http://www.ustranssurvey.org/ and the research was clearly a game changer for a major culture change.

If we as a hiring manager, recruiter, a principal of the school, teacher or any individual understand their struggle & try to support the transgender people, then we are really making a huge difference in our society and showing actual proof of humanity. Think of all those transgender women trying to make a living and feed their family, think of all those transgender children who are being neglected and left abandoned on the streets.

Many countries are taking great initiatives to provide services & help trans people and encourage the society to be more accepting of them as human beings. If trans people are making efforts to break the stereotype, it may be worth considering giving them an opportunity for them to showcase their real talent & potential contribution by at least giving them a chance at the right education and job prospects instead of just treating them indifferently irrespectively.

65

Disclaimer: The views mentioned are solely the personal views of the author and in no way represent or promote any particular country, society, community, institution or brand; in any way whatsoever.

Higher Education Digest August 2019

COVER STORY

Hon. Dr. P. D. Patil Chancellor

Higher Education Digest August 2019

DR. D. Y. PATIL INSTITUTE OF PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCES & RESEARCH, PIMPRI, PUNE, MAHARASHTRA, INDIA

THE

CROWN JEWEL OF PHARMA EDUCATION

By Rose Mary

Higher Education Digest August 2019

E 68

arlier this year, twenty drug makers were accused of collusion to inflate prices of drugs by up to 1000 per cent in the lawsuit filed by 44 US states in a district court in Connecticut. The biggest loser was India’s largest pharma company, by sales, who is already under a cloud over corporate governance issues and is facing SEBI probe on charges of funds diversion. Another Pharma giant, this time the world’s largest generic drug maker, was accused of orchestrating the scandal that includes seven Indian drug makers.

All this points out that Pharmaceutical Education is not just reading doctor prescription notes and handing out medicines over the counter but being committed to the goodwill of the society.

Indian Pharmaceutical industry needs principled leaders who put the society’s needs over their own personal financial greed. With a vested interest in making this happen is Dr. D. Y. Patil Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences & Research, Pimpri, Pune.

Established in 1994, DYPIPSR truly understands that there is a dearth of skilled students who are better prepared to solve complex problems in an interdisciplinary, global context. Hence, DYPIPSR is continuously trying to find ways to bridge the gap between industry requirement and academic proficiency to produce a welltrained, disciplined work force that is in sync with the ever-changing demand of the corporate world.

The institute currently offers Bachelor of Pharmacy, Master of Pharmacy (Pharmaceutics, Pharmaceutical Quality Assurance & Pharmacology), Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm D), Diploma in pharmacy, and Doctorate (Ph. D.) in Pharmaceutics, Pharm.

Chemistry, Pharmacology and Pharmacognosy. Approved by

Higher Education Digest August 2019

DYPIPSR strives to find ways to bridge the gap between industry requirement and academic proficiency to produce a well-trained, disciplined work force that is in sync with the ever-changing demand of the corporate world

69

Hon. Dr. P. D. Patil Chancellor Dr. D. Y. Patil Vidyapeeth

Hon. Dr. P. D. Patil is the man behind the rapid and meteoric rise of Pune’s Dr. D. Y. Patil education institutions. It is his dedication and dynamics that has elevated the institutions in Pune’s complex to match the international standards. In recognition of his invaluable contribution in the field of education, Dr. P. D. Patil has been bestowed with numerous awards, to mention a few, Pradnya Vant Puraskar, Jivan Sadhana Gaurav Puraskar, Jivan Gaurav Puraskar, Yeshwant- Venu Puraskar, Samaj Shri Award, Rashtriya Ekta Award, Bharatiya Chikitsak Ratna Award, Man of the Year, Morya Puraskar, Pimpri Chinchwad Bhushan Award, and many more. He was also associated with various statutory professional bodies, such as, Consultative group – Higher & Technical Education, Planning Commission, Govt. of India, Planning & Monitoring Board of National Brain Research Centre (NBRC), Manesar Haryana, Nominee of University Grants Commission (UGC), Board of Governors of the Yashwantrao Chavan Academy of Development Administration (YASHDA), Pune.

Higher Education Digest August 2019

AICTE and PCI, DYPIPSR is affiliated to Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune (SPPU). The institute is Accredited

by National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC), Bengaluru, with ‘A’ Grade, reaccredited by National Board of Accreditation (NBA) New Delhi for the period of five years, Ranked consecutively for last three years amongst 50 top institutes in India by NIRF, Ministry of Human Resource Development, New Delhi, received Best College Award by SPPU and is also certified by ISO 9001:2008, 14001:2004.

Advocates of Student-Centric Quality Education With the aim to impart quality pharmacy education and training to cater to the needs of pharmacy profession and society at large, DYPIPSR, since its inception, has maintained

high standards in infrastructural facilities and pedagogy that are constantly reviewed and upgraded to reflect the latest trends and developments in higher education and meet the regulatory requirements.

Continuously addressing the learning needs of students and their skill development, the faculty places special emphasis on teaching learning methodologies and evaluation techniques, which play a pivotal role in the process of dissemination of knowledge. Adopting various modern learning strategies like ICT-enabled techniques, interactive and collaborative learning, learning beyond syllabus, problem based and self-directed learning, the institute enables the students to look beyond short-term goals, and withstand challenges and setbacks to persevere towards their long-term goals.

70

Dr. Somnath Patil Secretary- Dr. D. Y. Patil Unitech Society and MemberManagement Council, Savitribai Phule Pune University Dr. Somnath Patil is a management graduate from Regis University, USA and Cardiff College, UK. Even though, the D. Y. Patil group specializes in engineering and medical education, with Dr. Somnath Patil now at the helm, the focus is more on management education and other modern courses. He is always enthusiastic to grasp new ideas and makes efforts to implement them. One of the essential pillars in D. Y. Patil institutes, Dr. Somnath Patil, in the years to come, looks forward to empowering students.

Higher Education Digest August 2019

DYPIPSR regularly invites industry leaders from across the world to share their views with the students via guest sessions. For instance, DYPIPSR has arranged interactive sessions with clinical pharmacists of Royal Lancaster Infirmary, Lancaster.

DYPIPSR understands that no two students are the same; therefore, the institute follows a student centric Teaching– Learning methodology. Slow learners are motivated and counseled continuously through mentoring to excel in the academics, while advanced learners are promoted for various intercollegiate competitions to enhance research aptitude.

Guidance sessions for competitive exams like GPAT, IELTS, MPSC, UPSC, GRE and various certificate courses are conducted on regular basis, which helps the students to choose career options wisely.

Mental Health Takes the Front Seat Placing special emphasis on the mental health of the students, DYPIPSR provides a stress-free environment through support systems consisting of anti-ragging, internal complaint committee, Grievance Redressal cell, SC/ST Cell, etc.

Additionally, DYPIPSR’s alumni association is ever ready to extend their guidance & career progress to the existing students, thereby not only inspiring them but also providing peer advise.

“Mental health decides an influence how one feels and behaves in daily life and it also affects one’s ability to cope with stress, overcome challenges, build relationships and recover from life’s setbacks and hardships. Emotional and behavioral quotients of the students are taken care by a wellpolished mentoring system. Students are assigned with faculty mentors who regularly conduct mentoring and counseling sessions. During mentoring, the students are evaluated for their learning ability, independent working ability, leadership quality, team working ability, clarity about career objectives, etc., as these qualities helps them to assure successful career.” says Dr. Sohan S. Chitlange, Principal and professor, Dr. D. Y. Patil Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research

DYPIPSR showcases sophisticated laboratories that are well designed and equipped with sophisticated analytical instruments and ultramodern facilities for imparting updated education and training in various subjects of pharmacy

Higher Education Digest August 2019

71

72

Championing Pharmaceutical Innovation DYPIPSR faculty embraces the challenges of the 21st Century by building new bridges across old boundaries. These bridges include new educational program and interdisciplinary studies, strategic partnership with private and public R&D centers that pool resources and promote innovative research and new international relationships. Continuous encouragement and freedom are given to excel in the field of interest and financial support is provided to attend national and international level seminars and conferences.

“Presently, our faculty contributes to the pharmacy profession as a reviewer and Editorial board members for both, in house and external, National and International journals. Moreover, owing to their research competency, they were also invited to deliver a talks and to share their expertise in conferences held at Italy, Korea, London, Norway, Dubai, Macau etc.,” says Dr. Somnath Patil, Secretary, Dr. D. Y. Patil Unitech Society and Member, Management Council, Savitribai Phule Pune University. While the institute revels in the accomplishments of its faculty, DYPIPSR also plans to set a Teacher’s Training Institute, thereby brining in fresh brains to the teacher community.

Infrastructure That Beats Global Standards Providing state-of-the-art infrastructural facilities, DYPIPSR has spacious well-ventilated classrooms that are equipped with multimedia and audiovisual equipment to facilitate effective teaching/ learning. Classrooms with facility of LCD and audio-visual facility are used for effective and interactive teaching, tutorial and remedial classes.

The institute also showcase ultramodern laboratories that are well designed and equipped with sophisticated analytical instruments (UV, FTIR, HPLC, HPTLC, Spray dryer, Particle size analyzer, Spheronizer, Cooling centrifuge, Deep freezer, Microplate reader etc.) and Hi-tech facilities for imparting updated education and training in various subjects of pharmacy. These ultramodern facilities are utilized for collaboration and consultancy projects. The Industrial laboratory has been set up with advanced pharmaceutical machineries (Tablet punching machine, Tablet coater, Extruder, Fluidized bed processor etc.) to provide a good industrial atmosphere.

The Animal House facility at DYPIPSR is in accordance with the standard established by the Committee for the purpose of Control and Supervision of Experiments on Animals

Continuously motivated to meet the global challenges, DYPIPSR marches forward with goals for the all-round development of the students and to establish itself as a center of excellence for Phytopharmaceuticals

Higher Education Digest August 2019

Dr. Sohan S. Chitlange Principal and professor Dr. D. Y. Patil Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research

Currently working as Principal and Professor at Dr. D. Y. Patil Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research, Pimpri, Pune (MS) Dr. Sohan S. Chitlange brings to the table around 20 years of professional experience. He has published more than 80 research papers in national as well as international reputed journals, 04 books, and 12 monograph in reference books.

He also has filed for 5 patents. A recipient of ‘Best Principal Award’ 2018-19 by Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune and ‘Principal of the Year’ – 2018’ award by Oriental University, Indore, Dr. Sohan is a dedicated professional who has been selected for “Excellent Award in Pharmaceuticals Academic and Research, 2019,

by Golden Global Health and Education Awards, New Delhi, for his significant contribution in the field of education and research.

(CPCSEA). The facility is available to boost the teaching, training and research facilities and meet the growing demand for high quality laboratory animals in emergent field of Experimental Pharmacology. It is also utilized to carry out pharmacological studies of industrial projects.

The Library at DYPIPSR boasts of a rich collection of latest editions of textbooks, reference books, allied books along with CD’s and equipped with OPAC software. Various national and international journals and periodicals are regularly subscribed by the library. Meanwhile, the digital library is enriched with e-journals, e-books, online library membership of British library, learning modules and assessment modules for core subjects.

The language laboratory in the library gives exposure to the students to prepare for the various international competitive exams (GRE, TOEFL, IELTS etc.).

Fostering Fruitful Industry Collaborations Establishing industrial collaborations will have great bearing on the curriculum, exposure of students to industrial atmosphere and subsequent placement of students in industries across the globe. To this extent, DYPIPSR is constantly aspiring to build strong collaboration and partnerships with the industries through various ways like joint research collaboration, guest sessions by industry experts, industrial trainings, train & hire models, instrumental trainings by industry experts, industrial visits for practical approach to students, as well as internship.

Some of the institute’s Major Collaborations are GlaxoSmithKline Asia Private Ltd., Bangalore and Cognizant Technology Solutions India Private Limited. “DYPIPSR is amongst very few institutes having this collaboration that includes training by GSK experts at our place as well as assured internship to qualified students. This collaboration acquainted students with current national and international facets of regulatory guidelines by GSK experts, Internship opportunities to the M. Pharm Students, Faculty Training and Development & Assistance in Placement Activities.” says Dr. P. D. Patil, Chancellor, Dr. D. Y. Patil Vidyapeeth.

Furthermore, these partnerships support students to know industrial expectations, as well as get trained with developed qualities as per career requirements.

Due to this continued effort to harbor industry relationships, DYPIPSR has achieved “Platinum”,

Higher Education Digest August 2019

73

74

highest, grade under AICTE-CII Survey consecutively for last two years towards Industry linked Academic Institutions at all India level. Similarly, DYPIPSR has signed MOUs with Cognizant Technologies India Ltd for “Train and Hire Model”. Cognizant Technology Solutions India Private Limited helps students to understand Pharmacovigilance. Along the same lines, to strengthen the academic quality and to provide new horizons in the higher studies, the institute has signed MoU with Griffith College, Ireland. Similarly, in an attempt to educate the students about job responsibilities & opportunities of pharmacists in U.K., DYPIPSR has arranged interactive sessions with clinical pharmacists of Royal Lancaster Infirmary, Lancaster. U.K. Likewise, faculties & students of St. John Fischer College, Wegman School of Pharmacy, Rochester, New York, USA, visit DYPIPSR every year and hold student interactions regarding global clinical practices, which helps them to get acquainted with current circumstances. To exchange the research ideas with their students, DYPIPSR ensures to provide a common platform through poster presentations, oneto-one interaction etc. DYPIPSR also held a Campus Drive for LIFE Pharmacy in Dubai that aimed at providing international job opportunities. In the long run, DYPIPSR aims at expanding its industry collaborations for providing industrial trainings and internship to the students and also to boost job opportunities around a globe. Moreover, the institute also plans to open its gates for a more efficient Student/Faculty exchange programs with International universities.

The Institutional Research and Development Cell Promoting research activities, the Institutional Research and Development Cell fosters an environment conducive for research. Currently DYPIPSR has signed MOUs with various research organization and industries. Such efforts have helped the institute to set up sophisticated facilities and promoted research in core competency areas. Particulars of the projects with liaisons are as follows: • Formulation and stability testing of pharmaceutical products • Optimization of targeted and novel drug delivery systems such as solid lipid nanoparticles, liposomes, phytosomes, etc.

• Pharmaceutical product development by 3D printing • Development, evaluation and standardization of herbal formulations and Ayurvedic formulations

Higher Education Digest August 2019

Due to the continued effort to harbor industry relationships, DYPIPSR has achieved “Platinum” grade under AICTE-CII Survey consecutively for last two years towards Industry linked Academic Institutions at all India level and “Best College award” by Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune

• Isolation and characterization of Phyto-constituents • Identification and confirmation using standard marker compound by High Performance Thin Layer Chromatography and High-Performance Liquid Chromatography • Toxicology profile, development of pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamics parameters of developed formulation and isolated lead compounds Presently, DYPIPSR nurtures relationships with Indus Biotech Pvt. Ltd. Pune; Nutralytica Research Pvt. Ltd. (NRPL), Nashik; Central Dogma Lab., Baner, Pune; CIMED Life, Bangalore; Ari Healthcare Ltd., Pune; MPREX Healthcare, Pune; MB Healthcare, Pune; and Geneombio Technologies Pvt. Ltd., Pune to execute research activities in diverse areas like formulation and development of new dosage forms, analytical research, Molecular pharmacology and biotech techniques. These research collaborations facilitate exchange of ideas between students, faculty and research scientists and create competitive learning and Research environment.

DYPIPSR has also constituted dedicated research and development cell to plan and activate joint collaborative research work, thereby improving the delivery of quality of technical education.

DYPIPSR imbibes human excellence and demonstrates strong social values, with a single-minded pursuit of developing the students to become good human being

Ideate, Innovate, Implement DYPIPSR’s Entrepreneurship Development Cell aims to improve and generate a culture of innovation and development of entrepreneurial spirit amongst the students to start their own enterprise. It also attempts to train and equip them with the knowledge and resources to build successful business empires. The realization that a robust framework of education is indispensable for the growth of global leaders, the institute boasts state-of-the-art infrastructure for its students. All these facilities go a long way in ensuring a perfect ambience for academic pursuits. DYPIPSR ensures the effective utilization of infrastructure and resources not only for the students but for all the stake holders.

DYPIPSR imbibes human excellence and demonstrates strong social values, with a single-minded pursuit of developing the students to become good human being.

Continuously motivated to meet the global challenges, DYPIPSR marches forward with goals for the all-round development of the students and to establish itself as a center of excellence for Phytopharmaceuticals. Glancing at the milestones that the institute has managed to cover in the past 20+ decades only amplifies the genius that Dr. D. Y. Patil Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research is.

Higher Education Digest August 2019

75

76

Higher Education Digest August 2019

77

Higher Education Digest August 2019

PES COLLEGE OF PHARMACY

78

Shaping AllRounded Pharma Professionals

Higher Education Digest August 2019

P

ES College of Pharmacy established in the year 1982, offers programs that are attuned towards preparing graduates for a career in pharmaceutical industry, research, and education.

The Vision of the Institution is “ To create technologically superior and ethically strong global man power, in the arena of Pharmacy Profession�.

PESCP understands that there are three main pain points that every pharmacy college faces. They are: (i) Mediocre technical courses, (ii) Poor industry-academy interaction, and (iii) Failure of academia to attract/cultivate talent. These issues have left a gaping hole in the availability of skilled workers in the Pharmaceutical sector.

Conquering these hurdles, PESCP offers a curriculum that includes industry updates via TSDP (Total Student Development Program) classes; which is one of the components of campus-wide quality

79

The mentoring system followed at PESCP recognizes the capabilities of students & encourages individual students to achieve their full potential

Higher Education Digest August 2019

improvement program (CWQIP). To facilitate industry exposure and interaction, the college also organizes guest lectures, seminars, workshops, and frequent industrial visits.

Giving due importance to research and innovation, PESCP’s PG Departments have signed MoUs with industries and with Griffith University for their R&D Projects.

80

Dr. M.R. Doreswamy, Ex-MLC Hon’ble Chancellor, PES University Founder Chairman, PES Institutions, Bengaluru

PESCP offers a curriculum that includes industry updates via TSDP (Total Student Development Program) classes; which is one of the components of campus-wide quality improvement program (CWQIP)

Higher Education Digest August 2019

Accomplished, Accessible, and Affordable: Approved by the Government of Karnataka and affiliated to PES University, Bangalore, PES College of Pharmacy is also accredited by National Board of Accreditation (NBA)and is AICTE and PCI approved. Currently, PES College of Pharmacy houses six departments dealing with varied aspects in the ambit of Pharmacy. They are: Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Department of Pharmaceutics, Department of Pharmacology, Department of Pharmacognosy, Department of Pharmaceutical Analysis, and Department of Clinical Pharmacy.

PES college of Pharmacy is situated in the heart of Bangalore city and is thus easily accessible to students.

The highly academic ambiance encourages healthy competitiveness among the students. The institute houses well-equipped laboratories that offer training and learning experience to match the requirements of the day. The quadrangle at PESCP witnesses various sports activities like Kabaddi, Kho-Kho, and Volleyball, whereas the indoor sports court is used for table tennis, carrom, and yoga classes.

The Kuvempu auditorium, meanwhile, provides a stage for various cultural as well as academic activities. The PESCP annual pharma exhibition provides a platform for scientific innovation & creativity, while the annual inter collegiate cultural fest ASPIRATION ensures all round development.

The college also offers a well-thought out orientation program, personality development classes, communication skills sessions, research review meetings, journal club meetings, quiz competitions, debates, and extempore speeches. These programs ensure that a PES College of Pharmacy graduate, as he steps out of the college, adorns various feathers on his hat. They step out with their moral compass pointing north and with a firm resolve to pool their skills and talent to give back to the society.They showcase exceptional problem-solving skills in manufacturing of Pharmaceutical dosage forms, superior technical qualities, and an ability to adapt to an intellectually & technologically changing environment.

Mentored by Savants The mentoring system followed at PESCP recognizes the capabilities of students & encourages individual students to achieve their full potential. The effectiveness of the mentoring system is amplified by the fact that the PESCP faculty houses 11 PhD Holders. PESCP students also enjoy high internet facilities as well as a wellendowed library that occupies over 50,000 square feet, providing access to a vast repository of resources. It is no wonder that all these factors contribute to the students consistently achieving several university ranks in B. Pharm, M. Pharm and Pharm D. PESCP also enjoys a GPAT Qualification on par with reputed and top Deemed Universities in India.

A true testament to this genius of PESCP graduates is the fact that about 80% of PESCP students get placed in the on-campus interviews itself. Moreover, pharma giants like Indigene, IQVIA and Med life are regulars at PESCP during the recruitment season. Other corporates that approach PESCP to recruit the cream of the crop is Accenture, Himalaya, Patanjali, Forte Research Systems, Syngene, Apotex, Micro Labs , Eli Lilly , Mylan , Bio Clinica and Lotus.

Research focus: Moving forward, PESCP research center focuses on projects addressing the current health care problems of the country and attract more funded projects and full time PhD scholars. Several industrial projects have been successfully completed the research projects of various departments have been published in scopus indexed journals Ethics & Values: The institution emphasizes the importance of Indian culture and values including the need to commitment to law and morality. Several lectures are arranged on these lines to educate the students about morality, sincerity honesty & discipline.

The institute houses well-equipped laboratories that offer training and learning experience to match the requirements of the day

81

Higher Education Digest August 2019

Several industrial projects have been successfully completed and the research projects of various departments have been published in scopus indexed journals

82

Merit Scholarship: With the sole intention of encouraging meritorious students 1. Dr CNR Rao Scholarship 25% of tuition fee per semester to be given to the topper of each cohort of 60 students securing a CGPA in excess of 9.0 2. Dr MRD Scholarship 20% of the tuition fee for the top 20% of the students securing a SGPA in excess of 8.5 are awarded every semester.

Till now total amounting Rs.26 crores have been disbursed as merric scholarships to students.

Community Service: As a rule all students in different classes are encouraged and motivated to take up community service ,where in, health camps and blood donation camp, tree planting, donations for orphans, old age homes, visiting government schools to create awareness about hygiene and Swatch Bharat.

Higher Education Digest August 2019

83

Higher Education Digest August 2019

SEACOM SKILLS UNIVERSITY’S SCHOOL OF PHARMACY

Proffering a Holistic Pharmaceutical Education 84

Higher Education Digest August 2019

B

enchmarked on contemporary global standards and committed to developing tomorrow’s talents today, the Seacom Skills University (SSU) operates as a self-financed university legislated by the Government of West Bengal. A seat of pragmatic and holistic learning, SSU aims to provide quality technical education along with the development of intellectual qualities and corporate ethics—creating potential manpower for industries as well as research and development.

Seacom Skills University missions to improve the quality of individual as well as social life through quality education with embedded employable skills. The university intends to pursue education for the Good Life in every action and intent, with an inalienable attitude of respect to the interdependence and integration of knowledge and skills at every level of engagement. Managed by, Anish Chakraborty, the university envisions to be a pioneer in Education With Embedded Employable Skills Training (EEEST) in India.

Observing the rapidly changing pharma domain, Seacom Skills University understood the requirement of skilled professionals who can meet the dynamic challenges of the global pharma industry. Thus, the university established the Seacom Skills University’s School of Pharmacy in 2017. Currently offering B.Pharm and D. Pharm courses, the college is Pharmacy Council of India and AICTE approved. “SSU follows all guidelines of PCI to maintain quality education. Apart from that, SSU has a MoUs with Life Science Skill council to enrich student education. Apart from the syllabus, we enable the students to study course related skill programs,” says Anish Chakraborty, Chairman and Managing trustee, Seacom Skills University. Apart from the School of Pharmacy, Seacom Skills University also has Department of Agriculture, Department of Microbiology and Department of Biotechnology.

Enabling students to tap into their inner entrepreneurial talents, SSU has entered into a joint venture with Department of Agriculture.

As a result, Pharmacy students produce Aloe Vera gel and with the help of Management students, they market the gel.

Equipped with sophisticated laboratories, showcasing the latest equipment, well-endowed library, computer laboratories, Wi-Fi facilities, state-of-the-art infrastructure, and highly qualified, dynamic, young teaching staff, SSU is nestled within a sprawling 50-acre green campus.

Having adopted innovative case-based teaching methodology and pedagogy, the school of pharmacy ensures a 360-degree holistic development of the student. The college also assures individual care and special coaching for higher studies and competitive examination along with Soft Skills training and Personality Development workshop for each student

Higher Education Digest August 2019

85

86

Anish Chakraborty Chairman Seacom Group

In a rapidly advancing world around us, new technologies are emerging and fast discarding the old ones. People with new perceptions are pursuing the goal of a better world. We, in Seacom Skills University, are aware of this and endeavouring our outmost to participate in these changing processes. Our dedicated faculty and associates mould and prepare students to face these challenges. In fact, in this dynamic world, a student’s task is uphill. Therefore, our prime task is to ensure the all-round development of students to become a part and parcel of the rapidly changing world. It’s worth to think that our association with students is not just for a few years of study but everlasting.

Higher Education Digest August 2019

Equipped with sophisticated laboratories, state-of-the-art infrastructure, and highly qualified teaching staff, Seacom Skills University’s School of Pharmacy is nestled within a sprawling 50-acre green campus

The management mission is devoted to providing an excellent and enthusiastic environment on the campus that will prepare the students to meet the global challenges and become next-generation pharmacy professionals. Their shared vision is to develop this institute into one of the premier educational institutes for studies and research in Pharmacy, internationally. Moreover, the college promises Scholarships & Financial Aid for meritorious and needy students with Bank Loan facilities. The college also takes immense pride in its team of faculty comprising learnt individuals of national and international repute. Similarly, to ensure that students and faculty are kept abreast of with emerging technological and industrial needs, the institute invites industry experts. The resulting interactive sessions offer opportunities for students and teachers alike to have a clear view of how the industrial cogwheels turn.

Moving forward, Seacom Skills University’s School of Pharmacy plans to extend the existing M.Pharm and D.Pharm divisions. “We have a plan to focus more on skill-based and job-oriented education. We also have a plan to teach some AI intelligence and other relevant subjects to all students for Industry Revolution 4.0.” concludes Anish Chakraborty.

87

Higher Education Digest August 2019

MENTOR’S MANTRA

How To Live With Purpose: The Case For Chasing Our Passions Is Gaining Legs Neil Bunting, Founding Principal, Shenwai Longgang International School (SLIS), a candidate school for the PYP

88

Higher Education Digest August 2019

An astute international school leader, with a wealth of recent experience in setting up and leading schools in the Middle East and South East Asia, Neil values working with teams that are closely aligned and committed to a shared vision. Neil believes that a happy school is the secret to success. Neil has researched, designed, set up and opened schools using the International Baccalaureate (IB) curriculum in Indonesia, Saudi Arabia and China. Neil is a CIS Accreditation Evaluation Team Leader in the new CIS International Protocol. Neil is currently furthering his vast experience by becoming involved in the growth of interest in international education in China, and by leading the set-up of a new school

O

ne of the IB Learner Profile attributes is balanced. I have written before about how challenging balance is. I don’t think the way so many of us live now encourages living in a balanced way at all.

I believe balance–and the need for awareness about it– remains at the crucial core of the IB. Part of it, and equally important is the current focus on SEL (social emotional learning). Mindfulness and wellbeing are not new concepts, but never has there been a time when wellbeing has been so important in meeting the mental health needs of users and sharers in the social media age.

How do we address our social and emotional needs?

There is no doubt that many of us are ‘out of kilter’ in how we spend our time. We live rather like a drug addict with a craving for instant gratification. The lifestyles that we crave are tantalizing out of touch–because they are often imagery–and we are never satisfied–frustrated in our search for what others have: a better life, more delicious food, more chic clothes and a more beautiful body. Our lives are urgent, unsatisfying and intense with little time for reflection, and instead a demand for immediate results.

How are we going to get the learners in our classrooms to have more purpose in their lives? How are we going to model to them examples of worthwhile and fulfilling hobbies and pursuits for all that future spare time?

Higher Education Digest August 2019

89

90

Bringing this back to education, how are we going to get the learners in our classrooms to have more purpose in their lives? How will we help them make better use of their recreational time? How are we going to model to them examples of worthwhile and fulfilling hobbies and pursuits for all that future spare time?

In a few years people won’t have to drive their own cars.

This will free up a great deal of time for something else. What will people do with that time? Much is said about the nature of 21st century jobs and the fact young people need to be prepared for more ‘free time’ in the future and less working hours, but the irony is having created that situation the learners in our classrooms might not know what to do with it.

Social emotional physical mental and spiritual needs come from a whole variety of sources. I completely get that. I also understand people satisfy those needs in different ways. The social part comes in different ways nowadays through sharing online–as I am doing with this post–expecting response and interaction both with real friends, virtual friends or contacts, or with online strangers.

Higher Education Digest August 2019

‘Woods’ comeback was an inspiration to older people in sport and on a wider scale to the case for mindset: Tiger won the mental battle

I also understand that it is crucial to tackle the issues around mental health and the correlation with smart phone use.

I am not championing the idea that phones should be banned in schools, but I am of the opinion that we all have a great deal of learning to do before we can even think of advising our learners regarding how to make our lives fulfilling and meaningful. I am fascinated by how people spend their time and hearing about the wide variety of interesting ways people live with purpose.

When I visit, or live, in other countries I am always fascinated by how people give meaning to their lives, a sense of fulfilment and happiness and hope. In Australia, for example, I see a great deal of outdoorsy activities and exercise going on. I think these activities play a vital role in maintaining our physical and mental health, but you don’t need to do an iron man to achieve this and it doesn’t need to be competitive.

While individual targets and exercise are good, seeing people taking a walk and talk together is also very heartening. There is no doubt of the vital role of remaining able to communicate and understanding the art of good conversation. Whether its through individual pursuits that demand time alone such as meditation, painting or reading, or whether it’s through social activities, such as team spirits, all are to be encouraged–I suggest both are important–as is to be more mindful of how we are living right now.

There is a variety of extreme opinion about Tiger Woods and I am not an expert on golf. But I have to say I was gripped by the drama–what I did admire was his single–minded sense of purpose: his ability to come back from the dead. He was written off and he was in last chance saloon–maybe even beyond that. Woods had mental and physical health issues–his life was out of kilter but incredibly he got his balance back.

Woods’ comeback was an inspiration to older people in sport and on a wider scale to the case for mindset: Tiger won the mental battle. I am convinced he won because of his mentality.

Why else could it be? It is improbable that someone of his age and after so many back operations can be a champion athlete again. He won because he got back his winning mentality and his desire and that drove him to victory against all odds.

Higher Education Digest August 2019

91

ST. PETER’S INSTITUTE OF PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCES

Offering an Unparalleled Educational Experience

92

Higher Education Digest August 2019

S

t. Peter’s Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences located in Warangal Urban is one of the earliest pharmacy colleges in India. Founded by St. Peter’s Educational Association, which started in 1980, the institute was established in 1995.

Operating for more than two and a half decades, the institute has been serving the educational field of pharmaceutical sciences and is recognized as one of the foremost colleges in the country.

For any aspiring student, a sparkling future begins at St. Peter’s Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences (SPIPS) as the institute is research intensive and offers the opportunity to be taught and mentored by faculty pursuing cutting-edge research in the pharmaceutical sciences and pharmacy practice.

SPIPS offers an enriching learning pathway that fosters a vibrant exchange of ideas, equipping students with knowledge, skills, commitment, discipline and excellence to become leaders in the field of pharmacy.

With the rise of a knowledge-based economy, accelerating economic globalization, and much greater international mobility, SPIPS has taken an unprecedented initiative in the past few years, creating various teaching methodologies with an international dimension for students at all levels creating an environment of learning and innovation. Graduates of SPIPS are acknowledged as outstanding pharmacy professionals, and its academic stall is respected nationally.

The SPIPS campus is equipped with state-of-the-art facilities that includes Wi-Fi connectivity; world class infrastructure; modern labs with latest equipment; highly qualified, renowned resident and guest lecturers; wellendowed library, student and faculty exchange programs; drug information center; student support services; sports, recreational, and career placement facilities.

Currently, St. Peter’s Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences offers: B.Pharm - Bachelor of Pharmacy The Bachelor’s Degree Program enables the student to understand the subject by taking them through Pharmaceutical Technology, Pharmacology, Pharmacognosy, Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Applied Biochemistry, Dispensing Pharmacy, Hospital Pharmacy etc., which give them a strong career support.

Higher Education Digest August 2019

93

94

T. Jayapal Reddy, MBA (Ph.D.) Chairman Currently presiding over St. Peter’s Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences as the Chairman, Sri T. Jayapal Reddy, MBA (Ph.D.) is one of the instrumental in setting up the largest pharmacy campus. Apart from being a Central Executive Council Member at Indian Pharmaceutical Congress Association (IPC), he is also the Vice-Chair / Director programs Indian Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (IACP), Past President AP/Telangana Pharmacy Management Association, Working Committee FIP World Congress 2011, IPC 2016.

Higher Education Digest August 2019

M.Pharm -Master of Pharmacy Specialization in Pharmacy deals with specific aspects of scientific knowledge that includes Concept Development, Drug Design, Dosage Form Technology, Drug Analysis & Estimation, Pre-clinical & Clinical Evaluation and Patient care. Students at St. Peter’s are not only learning the molecule and chemical structure but their research in the near future may lead to more efficient and effective drugs.

Advanced studies in the PG program gets one discover newer depths of gastrointestinal drug absorption, excipient and processing effects on drugs product performance, pro-drug design, solubility and dissolution phenomena, drug transport mechanisms, drug stability, computational chemistry, chemical structure-physical property relationships, crystallization mechanisms, permeation enhancers, delivery of anti-cancer drugs and many other areas. It is also generally entails studying factors in transforming a pure drug substance into a bioactive dosage form, where the right amount of drug is available at the correct site for just the right amount of time.

In other hand pharmacology and toxicology discipline works on molecular and cellular mechanisms of disease states and associated pharmacology as well as a range of toxicology research. Screening of lead molecules for their activity & safety, development of newer techniques for drug evaluation, identification of adverse drug actions and drug interactions is the primary focus.

A paradigm shift in the practice of pharmacy in the country is started with introduction of pharmacy practice curriculum which focuses on ultimate patient care who is the end user of the techniques and drugs developed by various branches of pharmacy professionals. The curriculum of PG in Pharmacy Practice trains graduate students in rational Therapeutics, patient counseling, pharmacovigilance, therapeutic drug monitoring, clinical research, and toxicology to name a few.

Together, these disciplines provide a strong multidisciplinary approach to pharmaceutical research.

95

Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D & Pharm D Post Baccalaureate) The Doctor of Pharmacy program is an educational experience that goes beyond a traditional curriculum. Various activities included in the curriculum prepare the graduate to Practice Pharmacy in the twenty-first century. With a good understanding of the physical, chemical and biological characteristics of each drug as well as the clinical effects and proper usage, graduates of Doctor of Pharmacy will become inseparable part of a health care chairs.

International Student Exchange Program (SEP) SPIPS has an MOU with University of Findlay, Ohio, USA under Student Exchange Program since 2014. Students from Spain, Netherlands, Poland, Hungary, USA etc., visited St. Peter’s for their Internship on rotation basis. The institute conducts Industry Training Workshops every year

Mrs. Sridevi Jayapal Vice-Chairman

Higher Education Digest August 2019

A testament to the fact that the teaching methodologies at St. Peter’s is effective is the fact that every year SPIPS students bag top ranks in GPAT, NIPER and several Gold medals at University level

96

SPIPS has an MOU with University of Findlay, Ohio, USA under Student Exchange Program since 2014

Higher Education Digest August 2019

by Pharmacy Training Institute, Bangalore and CII Life Sciences. Also, St. Peter’s operates Indian Pharmaceutical Association (IPA) Hanamkonda local branch from the Institute and organizing various events every month. The institution mandates that every student should participate in oral presentations and poster presentations on different topics of emerging technologies every week in the College.

SPIPS organized an All India Students’ Congress in 2013, contributed during Students World Congress 2015 and volunteered FIP World Congress 2011. The institute also encourages research publications by the staff and students to be published in national and international journals i.e., Science Direct, Elsevier, IJPS, Springer etc. Also, the students and staff are provided an opportunity to deliver talks and present papers in AAPS (USA), FIP, ISPOR, FAPA, AASP etc., in USA, Cairo, Brazil, China, Switzerland, Turkey, Lisbon, Thailand, Singapore, Germany, Bali, Singapore, Dubai, Malaysia etc.

A testament to the fact that the teaching methodologies at St. Peter’s is effective is the fact that every year SPIPS students bag top ranks in GPAT, NIPER and several Gold medals at University level.

SPIPS has also bagged awards at the All India Pharma Students Dance Competition, Best Scientific and Oral Presentation besides innovative designs and received Research Grants for various projects. In addition, SPIPS meticulously organizes campus placements and student-based placements every year. These efforts are directly translated into the number of industry stalwarts who flock at the gates of the institute to recruit the cream of crop. Some of these industry names are Novo Nordisk, Pfizer, Dr. Reddy’s, Aurobindo, Hetero, Bharath Biotech, Mylan, Sun Pharma, and Icon.

97

Higher Education Digest August 2019

MENTOR’S MANTRA

Education as A Necessity for Democracy, A Human Right, To Exist Jack Frank Sigman, Founder and CEO, Buckingham Institute for Human Rights and Genocide Studies Founder and CEO of the Buckingham Institute for Human Rights and Genocide Studies, Jack Frank Sigman is currently a Doctoral student of genocide studies at Gratz.

He also has an MA in International Relations from AMU. He has lectured on genocide at FGCU, NSU, and AJU and published essays on human rights, humanitarian intervention, genocide, and international relations in numerous academic publications. He is the author of “Israel Committed Genocide! Really?”, which is in the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum library. Jack also has to his credit a stellar 20-year naval career, specializing in submarine nuclear engineering, that he ended in 1994

98

Higher Education Digest August 2019

T

The more educated a society, the more concern is seen for the protection of human rights in general

he assertion that education is a necessity for democracy, as a human right, hinges on the definition of human rights and the relationship between democracy and education. Human rights are often defined as those rights which are possessed by the sheer fact of being human. However, the exact composition of these rights is controversial.

Additionally, can something be a “right” if it must be provided, rather than merely existing? Further, can the contradictory message regarding education as a right be rectified?

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) enumerates those rights, arrived by compromise, decreed by a plethora of states in 1948. According to the United Nations, “the UDHR is universal in its content and application” (Center for Human Rights 2019) and although not binding law, “constitutes an obligation for the members of the international community”. In the UDHR, Article 21.1 states, “Everyone has the right to take part in the government of his country, directly or through freely chosen representatives” and Article 21.3 states, “The will of the people shall be the basis of the authority of the government…”.

Chopra and Hohe warn that the possible ramification of forcing democracy on a population that has little understanding of the political legitimacy inferred by elections. When election results are not favorable to certain groups, it is not unusual for violent protest, resulting in the reemergence of human rights violations. This is an indication that prior to the institution of democracy into the body politics, education is required.

Just as the UDHR ushers in democracy as a human right, it does so for education.

However, it is a contradictory right.

The first “right” is that elementary education must be free. The second is that it is compulsory with certain topics to be taught. The third cancels the first two in that the parents “have a prior right to choose the kind of education that shall

be given to their children”. It appears that the parents may choose to enroll their children in a school that teaches the UN’s message of tolerance and friendship as required by the UDHR, or a school that does not.

Bosnian Ambassador Sacirbey opines that education “is fundamental to the advancement of societies” and a requirement to establish “tolerance, free societies, democracy and peace”.

Glaeser, Ponzetto, and Shleifer take this concept on step further, conducting a study on the relationship between education and democracy, and using empirical data, proves education’s worth. They build on Almond and Verba’s study on civic conduct, notably “The uneducated man, or the man with limited education is a different political actor from the man who has achieved a higher level of education”. They find that “schooling teaches people to interact with others and raises the benefits of civic participation”.

In their study, the three Harvard professors correlate the rise and fall of democracies and dictatorships with periods of educational progress and regress. Their conclusion: in times of educational advances, dictatorships, through revolution, tend to become democratic and during times when education lags, democracies tend to elect more authoritarian governments.

As a side benefit, the more educated a society, the more concern is seen for the protection of human rights in general.

The one obstacle in the wording of the resolution establishing education as a human right is that it is compulsory, subject to competing aims of both parental and governmental control and can be used to reinforce illiberal regimes.

Unfortunately, there is yet to be a means to rectify the contradiction, and as the UDHR has no enforcement mechanism, there is no way to enforce its dictates.

However, as Glaeser, Ponzetto, and Shleifer empirically prove, any education is better than no education at all.

Higher Education Digest August 2019

99

SVKM’S NMIMS’ SHOBHABEN PRATAPBHAI PATEL SCHOOL OF PHARMACY & TECHNOLOGY MANAGEMENT

Crafting Pharma Professionals Who Showcase Best of Both Worlds

100

Higher Education Digest August 2019

T

he dawn of Industry Revolution 4.0 is here, and it signifies an amalgamation of physical, digital and biological worlds. The fourth industrial revolution demands for a work force who does not simply sits at their desk from 9-6, but for innovative and creative individuals with a passionate entrepreneurial spirit. In this scenario, a competent educational organization would be one who can not only cater to the industry’s changing trends, but also foresee it and consequently prepare the students. In this respect, Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies has always been abreast of the evolving trends in industry and has accordingly tuned the curriculum and channeled its activities for a holistic student growth. The University strongly believes that innovation is a continuous process and not a one-time task and continuously strives to inculcate creativity and out-of-the box thinking in students to build their entrepreneurial side.

Established in 1981 by Shri Vile Parle Kelavani Mandal (SVKM), Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies (NMIMS) was declared a deemed to be university under Section 3 of the UGC Act, 1956, in 2003. Within a span of 4 decades, NMIMS has found itself amongst the nation’s prime centers for educational excellence and research. Today, the university houses more than 15,000 students and around 700 full time faculty members, of which 10 faculty members come with Fulbright Scholarship and Humboldt International Scholarship for postdoctoral research. Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies is a proud globalized center of learning, providing its students a balanced exposure to research, academics and practical aspects of the industry.

Providing Quality Healthcare Education Although SVKM’s NMIMS has grown to being one of the top10 B-schools in India, it does most certainly not limit itself to management education. At its core, the university believes in imparting education in all walks of trade. Therefore, in 2006, the university established the Shobhaben Pratapbhai Patel School of Pharmacy & Technology Management (SPPSPTM). Contributing towards the growth of the healthcare system, the school is one of its kind. SPPSPTM offers integrated programs in pharmacy and management, wherein the students are endowed with technical knowledge and managerial aspects of pharmaceutical industry.

Currently, SPPSPTM offers Doctoral, Postgraduate, Graduate and Diploma Programs in Pharmaceutical Sciences. It pioneers in postgraduate and graduate courses integrated with Healthcare Management; the programs offered are PhD, M.Pharm. + MBA (Pharma. Tech. & Healthcare Management), M.Pharm., B.Pharm.

Higher Education Digest August 2019

101

+ MBA (Pharma Tech), and B.Pharm., B.Pharm. Lateral Entry & D.Pharm. The courses offered by the institute are customized to be at par with the emerging trends of the growing Pharma Industry. The course curriculum is drafted and reviewed regularly in consultation with Board of Studies constituted by experienced academicians, senior faculty from institute, eminent researchers, industry experts, regulatory professionals, and alumni who provide valuable inputs pertinent to the current scenario of pharmaceutical field. The curriculum adopted at the school is not static but dynamic to make the students familiar with the upcoming trends. Students are also trained in newer subjects apart from domain knowledge such as artificial intelligence, certificate courses in intellectual property rights, data analytics through SAS program, etc.

102

Innovative Teaching–Learning Methodologies The programs at SPPSPTM are predominantly based on presentations and interactions with a strong focus on the practical concepts of pharmacy and management. This enables the students to take decisions based on their strong technical and managerial skills. In the classrooms, the teachers use recent research materials relevant to the field and videos depicting certain processes, etc. “We also use flipped classroom, interactive learning, and collaborative learning for better learning transfer. Hands on training is provided for recent software, equipment and analytical

The programs at SPPSPTM are predominantly based on presentations and interactions with a strong focus on the practical concepts of pharmacy and management

Higher Education Digest August 2019

instruments through workshops. Similarly, regular industry visits are also undertaken to provide a better understanding of industry operations. Also, guest lectures from industry experts on pertinent topics are often organized by the school for better growth of the students.” says Dr. Bala Prabhakar, M. Pharm., Ph.D. (Tech.), Dean, Shobhaben Pratapbhai Patel School of Pharmacy & Technology Management, SVKM’s NMIMS, Mumbai. The alumnae team also does its bit to help young talents by attending interactive sessions, where the alumni share valuable information with students regarding the current industry standards.

SPPSPTM identifies its faculty on the basis of their exposure to practice in concerned specialization along with their expertise in handling instruments, equipment and other technology involved in all these disciplines.

Moreover, they are also sent to national and international conferences to gain an exposure to emerging technology along with modernization of equipment and instruments, which further strengthens the delivery of education to students. SPPSPTM faculty has been recognized at the national level by various government organizations like DST and ICMR who have provided travel grants for participation in international conferences.

In addition to regular teaching and participating in faculty development program for updation, they are also involved in writing grants to the government, consultancy

Dr. Bala Prabhakar, Dean of SPP School of Pharmacy & Technology Management

103

Currently the Dean of SPP School of Pharmacy & Technology Management, SVKM’s NMIMS, Mumbai, Dr. Bala Prabhakar has been in the teaching profession for more than 33 years with 18 years in administration. She is actively involved in Board of Studies, Board of management of NMIMS. She is also a member of various committees of AICTE, NBA and PCI at the national level. She is a Life member of Indian Pharmaceutical Association, Indian Society for Technical Education, Association of Pharmaceutical Teachers of India, International Congress of Chemistry & Environment, Pharmacists Organization for Women Empowerment and Research (POWER) and a member of Dean’s Forum, FIP. She has successfully guided 11 PhD scholars, and 4 candidates are registered under her supervision.

She has presented more than 68 research papers at national and international conferences and published 62 research papers and articles in journals of repute, authored 2 pharmacy books, has one Indian patent granted to her credit and eight provisional patents filed.

She is a proud recipient of Best Dean Award by National Education Awards 2018 by ABP News, Prof. Indira Parikh 50 Women in Education Leaders 2017 by World Education Congress, Distinguished Alumni Award for the year 2007 by SNDT Women’s University.

Higher Education Digest August 2019

Within a span of 4 decades, NMIMS has found itself amongst the nation’s prime centers for educational excellence and research

104

and publication- and patent-related activities, which add to their teaching skills. Along the same lines, SPPSPTM faculty are also working in collaboration with the industry on a myriad of research projects.

The collaborative organizations include Fruend Corporation, Japan; SciTech Centre, VAV Life Sciences Pvt. Ltd, THINQ Pharma Ltd., Global Herbs Pharmaceuticals, Cerilia Nutritech Pvt Ltd, and SPARC, Mumbai; Nugenics Research Pvt., and Sparge Chem Pvt. Ltd., Pune; Chem Routes, Canada and many more such reputed organizations.

Shaping Future Leaders SPPSPTM focuses on, and ensures, the holistic development of the students. The school offers a plethora of opportunities to build and shape the students’ pharmacy knowledge, thinking and planning ability, leadership skills, professional identity,

Higher Education Digest August 2019

societal responsibility, environment consciousness and sustainability, ethics, communication skills, usage of modern tools, and lifelong learning, thus empowering them to be complete professional in the pharmaceutical sector and contribute to society in a meaningful way.

Ranked 13th in the country amongst all Pharmacy Schools as per National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) 2019, India, by the Ministry of Human Resource Development, SPPSPTM has also won the Best Institute in Pharmacy Award by DNA Innovative Education Leadership Awards, 2018; Best Placement Brochure Award and Institute with Best Academic & Industry Interface Award by Business School Affaire & Dewang Mehta National Education Awards; and has also been Conferred with the prestigious Rajiv Gandhi National Quality Award.

While, in the near future, NMIMS plans to emerge as a Centre of Excellence and the go to university for quality education in Asia, and in the world by 2030, SPPSPTM plans to develop new programs based on emerging trends and societal needs like incorporating artificial intelligence in healthcare. The school also has set its eyes on developing centers of excellence in the areas of nanotechnology and drug discovery. Similarly, Shobhaben Pratapbhai Patel School of Pharmacy & Technology Management also intends to throw open its gates for more international collaborations in areas of research, faculty exchange and student mobility.

105

Higher Education Digest August 2019

INDUSTRY PERSPECTIVE

Generation Z and Its Implications for Educational Institutions and Employers Trine Sofie Tveen Nielsen, Brand Specialist and Co-Founder of LinkFacility Inc.

Since her conception of Boosting Business in 2008, Trine Nielsen’s success with the brand bureau in her homeland of Denmark has inspired her to aid and teach professionals and entrepreneurs, helping them understand what becoming an authority in their field takes to hit a global breakthrough. Since then, she has co-founded LinkFacility in Malaysia in 2016, to further her vision in providing guidance and changing mindsets in relation to branding and entrepreneurship. An International Entrepreneurship Consultant, her experience in establishing powerful brand identities has solidified her belief that communication is the most powerful tool for both people and organisations, and she’s got two decades’ worth of international industry experience to back that up. As a member of the Board of Directors in the MDBC (Malaysian Danish Business Council), her mission is to even out the playing field for individuals and small-to-medium enterprises while sparking more awareness about the Danish industry in Malaysia from where she operates on daily basis. Trine Nielsen was awarded the Malaysia Women Icon for her excellence, influence, and her innovative approach to global entrepreneurship in 2019

106

Higher Education Digest August 2019

G

By promoting entrepreneurial education high schools, colleges and universities can and should play an important role in improving Gen Z’s entrepreneurial orientation and increasing intentions toward entrepreneurship

eneration Z (born after 1995) has now officially entered the scene and sends massive shockwaves through the world of education and business. Referred to as “The Sharing Generation,” or the “Digital Natives,” Generation Z (Gen Z) could not be more different than previous generations. And just as the Millennials (born from 1985 to 1995) before them, this generation is challenging the way learning happens in higher education and how employment works in business.

While many Millennials and pre-Millennials remember a time when digital technology was not integral to daily life, no one in Gen Z has any memory of life without a screen. They’ve grown up relating to digital media only. The digital world is so embedded in their daily activities, it has become essential to their experience of the world and their expression of themselves, which is why Gen Z-ers tend to embrace social learning and working environments, where they can be hands-on and directly involved in the process. They expect on-demand services that are available at any time and with low barriers to access.

Costs and Limitations of Higher Education Is A Turn Off to The Entrepreneurial Generation Z Despite their natural independence, the Gen Z-ers ability to process massive amounts of information qualifies them to be excellent students or professional team members. A sincere love of learning is strongly present in this generation and seems to thrive when challenged and allowed being influencers in their school or job.

This first generation of true digital natives is now radiating outward, with the search for truth at the centre of its characteristic behaviour and consumption patterns. Today’s technology has given Gen Z-ers an unprecedented degree of connectivity among themselves and with the rest of the population which makes generational shifts more important and speeds up technological trends as well. For companies and educational institutions, this shift will bring

Higher Education Digest August 2019

107

If higher educational institutions offered more entrepreneurial minded vocational education and training programmes for young people who would like to qualify for an industry (High Tech particular), Gen Z may re-consider investing in college

108

Higher Education Digest August 2019

both challenges and equally attractive opportunities for a change in enrolment and retention procedures.

An interesting fact is Gen Z tend to make their choice of higher education based on their passion, particularly in the way the graduation provides access to the career that interests them and rewards them financially.

In general, their number one concern related to education is whether or not they will be able to find a good and well-paid career after graduation and careers in technology, such as computer science and video game development is highly sought after.

Today’s challenge in Education industry is Gen Z (and the Millennials too) refuse to be passive learners. They simply aren’t interested in showing up for class, sitting through a lecture, and taking notes that they’ll memorize for an exam later on.

Instead, they expect to be fully engaged and to be a part of the learning process themselves. The same expectation apply employment, Gen Z-ers do not work for anyone, they work with someone!

The facts are clear; Gen Z aren’t afraid to take control of their careers. As a matter of fact, since they have learned through digital technologies, rather than traditional learning such as classroom learning of the past decades – if not centuries, they have the confidence they can learn from nontraditional sources and succeed. What this means is that more and more Gen Z-ers do not see college as a necessary ingredient for success and consider joining a workforce instead of going to college, simply by jump starting in entering the working world as entrepreneurs, which already shows as more than one-third of Gen Z students either currently have their own business or plan on having one in the future.

Of course, the rising college debt is also a factor as to why many are actively weighing the pros and cons of college education and the investment that comes with it. Many choose to invest in their

business idea and sees it as best return on investment.

Entrepreneurial Education and Training By promoting entrepreneurial education high schools, colleges and universities can and should play an important role in improving Gen Z’s entrepreneurial orientation and increasing intentions toward entrepreneurship.

While they define themselves in digital terms, Gen Z also craves an environment where they can share with and co-create their education and business idea with their peers.

And why not invite industrial players to join now when we’re at it?

Several studies show that Gen Z demand a more individual approach, more flexibility in work regarding assignments and schedules, are more independent and are less accepting of organisational hierarchies.

A study conducted in nine European countries shows that “Entrepreneurship education has a positive impact on the entrepreneurial mindset of young people, their intentions towards entrepreneurship, their employability and finally on their role in society and the economy” (European Commission, 2012). If higher educational institutions offered more entrepreneurial minded vocational education and training programmes for young people who would like to qualify for an industry (High Tech particular), Gen Z may re-consider investing in college.

Combining entrepreneurial education inservice training in the industry or defining the fundamental corner stones of their business idea under guidance of a Board of Governors from high tech and other sought for industries, College may again appeal to Gen Z. Afterall; It is easier to customize the school system a generation of students than it is to change a generation to fit a school system.

Higher Education Digest August 2019

109

TEERTHANKER MAHAVEER COLLEGE OF PHARMACY

Creating Professionals with Ethos 110

Higher Education Digest August 2019

I

ndia is the second-most populous country and the ratio gap between the rich and poor is so dismal that most people under the poverty line always suffer one or the other disease. According to a latest survey, India’s top 1% of the population now holds 73% of the wealth while 67 crore citizens, comprising the country’s poorest half, saw their wealth rise by just 1%.

In the healthcare industry this means that for most Indian citizens healthcare and related services are still a luxury.

Trying to make a difference to this despairing situation is Teerthanker Mahaveer College of Pharmacy.

Teerthanker Mahaveer University’s Teerthanker Mahaveer College of Pharmacy regularly holds social connect programs in association with NGOs. Through these programs, students discover and learn about the various-health related problems prevailing within the

rural, sub-urban and urban population. These initiatives has paved the way for students to not only come up with probable solutions to the poor, but also get a first-hand experience as to how they can make a difference to the society. Similarly, TMCOP students are encouraged to develop innovative and creative thoughts based on project-based learning. They have been carrying out observational as well as interventional studies on patients enrolled in IPD as well as OPds. Abiding by a Wholesome Curriculum TMCOP motivates and mentors its students through quite a few industry-oriented assignments. The students work in TMCOP’s well-established technical laboratories at, thus honing their existing skill set and also developing new ones. “TMCOP graduates are diligent and capable

111

Prof. Dr. K.K. Jha With over 31 years of experiences in academics including the significant arenas of industrial and academic research, Prof. (Dr.) K. K. Jha has been working as Director at Teerthanker Mahaveer College of Pharmacy, Teerthanker Mahaveer University, Moradabad, UP (India) since 10th September 2009. Graduating from Muzaffarpur Institute of Technology, Muzaffarpur (Bihar University), Bihar, and postgraduated from SGSITS (Devi Alhiya University) Indore, MP, with specialization in Pharmaceutical and Medicinal chemistry, Dr. Jha earned his Doctor of Philosophy in Pharmaceutical Chemistry.

Higher Education Digest August 2019

112

The students work in TMCOP’s wellestablished technical laboratories at, thus honing their existing skill set and also developing new ones

TMCOP envisions to throw open its gates to enable pharmaceutical brilliance to make a difference to the nation

Higher Education Digest August 2019

of facing any challenges that may come their way while working in varied professional environments and collaborating with the people from versatile origins. The destined achievements are the points of their solitary foci. The targets are set at the start of every academic session in terms of KRAs and KPIs. The evaluation of meeting with them is carried out at the end of each session,� says Prof. Dr. K.K. Jha, Director, Teerthanker Mahaveer College of Pharmacy, Teerthanker Mahaveer University.

TMCOP understands that providing a steady stream of skilled manpower with kosher amount of ethos is the need of the hour.

Therefore, TMCOP invests quality time and efforts in designing and implementing industry-oriented curriculum and train students with inhouse teaching that is in parallel with industry training to improve their technical skill. Moreover, the students are exposed to concurrently ongoing industrial affairs through participation in symposia, conferences, seminars etc. organized on campus or off campus. These interactive sessions with people having varied professional as well as ethical cultures leave a lasting impact on the students.

Along the same lines, TMCOP has numerous industrial collaborations in its pocket, which it uses to provide the students

with ample exposure. “Industrial collaboration is most important in the field of Pharmaceutical education to acquaint the students simultaneously with industrial culture and technical requirements to work with the industry. Our reputed pharmaceutical industry tie-ups give a hands-on training to the students during their regular course work” adds the Director. As a frequent practice the institute, in particular, and the university, as a whole, has been organizing industry academia meet at various places of repute. Moreover, many industrial people have been incorporated as members in several committees such as College Research Committee, Board of Studies, Board of Faculty etc.

It is no wonder that these exposure outlets of TMCOP and their teaching methodologies have enabled its students to land their dream jobs. Also, many students have joined higher studies on account of successful performance in competitive exams. Some of them also have joined Quality Control, Quality Assurance and R& D divisions of reputed industries. A good number of them is being represented in institutes like NIPER, IT BHU etc.

TMCOP invests quality time and efforts in designing and implementing industry-oriented curriculum and train students with in-house teaching that is in parallel with industry training to improve their technical skill.

Faculty Team That Works Wonders However, it is not fair to pass on all the credit to the exposure programs and curriculum, as the faculty team is the guardian angels of TMCOP graduates. The team’s calibre can be seen in the many national research projects, like ICMR, CST and DSIR, that they have been a part of. Moreover, almost 11 patents have been filed by the faculty team. One of the most important ongoing projects of the faculty is ‘Assessment of heavy metal contents in the medicinal plants grown in Moradabad district’.

Teerthanker Mahaveer College of Pharmacy’s immediate plans includes collaborating with national and international institutions for innovative teaching–learning processes and to establish faculty and technology transfer schemes. TMCOP envisions to throw open its gates to enable pharmaceutical brilliance to make a difference to the nation.

113

Higher Education Digest August 2019

114

Higher Education Digest August 2019

115

Higher Education Digest August 2019

THE OXFORD COLLEGE OF PHARMACY

116

Redefining the Frontiers of Imparting Pharma Education

Higher Education Digest August 2019

W

hat is the most obvious testimony to the success of an educational establishment?

One answer would be the laurels that the students bring to their alma mater. Beyond loud proclamations that an institution places its best interests in the students, it takes a lot of care, effort and perseverance to shape young minds to be responsible individuals and make a mark for themselves in the world. This is where many so-called established educational institutes fail spectacularly. Rising above its peers and showcasing exemplary results is Karnataka based The Oxford College of Pharmacy.

This year alone, the college has seen it students walk in through the gates, heads held high, with university gold medals, and individual subject ranks. It is also to be noted that the college bagged the first, second and fifth ranks in B.Pharm examinations held throughout the state.

Similarly, the first, sixth and tenth ranks in Pharm.D[PB] examinations belong to the Oxford College of Pharmacy.

The college is also proud that of all the individual subject ranks announced by Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences (RGHUS), 75 belonged to the college. If these achievements do not speak about the proficiency and competency of the leadership and faculty team at Oxford College of Pharmacy, maybe this will: A major chunk of last year graduates were placed with corporate giants like Life Pharmacy Dubai, Bioclinica Mysore, Medlife Pharmacy Bangalore, IQVIA RDS (India) Private Limited, Mylan Laboratories Ltd, Accenture Pharma. For more proof that The Oxford College of Pharmacy does not dilly dally when it comes to shaping students, one need only see that 2 students from the 2018 batch was hired by the colleges itself as Assistant Professors.

117 S.N.V.L Narasimha Raju, Chairman

Tweak the Curriculum to Suit Industry Changes With the mission of providing learner-centered education, the college teaches the students to render patient-centered service, perform community-oriented research, build strong community relationships, be efficient to meet global health care standards, work with strategic future oriented planning, and to nurture inter organizational linkages. Although the college invites several notable industrial experts to interact with students via seminars and workshops on Intellectual Property Rights, keeping in mind the current pharma trends and the recent unfortunate events, wherein several pharma giants were booked for embezzling, the college also

Higher Education Digest August 2019

The Oxford College of Pharmacy emphasizes on nurturing a bond between the mentors and mentees, ensuring a personal touch to the quality of education imparted

118

Dr. Padmaa M. Paarakh, Principal

Higher Education Digest August 2019

intends to equip students with information pertaining to regulatory affairs, Drug safety and Pharmacovigilance and Clinical research. Along the same lines, the college also offers few Industry-oriented Certificate courses and value-added courses in addition to the regular degree programs.

The college also encourages its students to attend various national and international conferences and workshops to stay upbeat of the changing pharma trends.

It is also commendable that the teachers, too, attend these events, thereby polishing their existing knowledge base. Moreover, thanks to the fruitful bonds that the colleges enjoy with neighboring industries and clinical research organizations, these institutions are a regular at organizing seminars, workshops, and medical camps and holding campus interviews in The Oxford College of Pharmacy. Also, the students and faculty take regular trips to several, industries and hospitals to get a first-hand feel of how the industry wheels turn.

Extending due importance to research activities, the colleges has currently secured two ongoing faculty researches with the financial support of Rs.9.5 Lakhs from RGHUS. In 2018, 9 Research projects were carried out by PG students under the guidance of RGHUS recognized PG teachers. Additionally, 8 clinical Pharmacy related research projects were carried out last year by Pharm.D students under the joint guidance of our Faculty members and doctors of The Oxford Medical College Hospital and Research Centre, Attibele. Moreover, the NAAC accredited college has signed 10 functional MoUs since the last five years to develop industry collaborations and academic advancement. Some of the notable names

The college encourages its students to attend various national and international conferences and workshops to stay upbeat of the changing pharma trends

with whom the MoUs are with is the University of Malta, since 2012 for the next 10 years, and with Pharma industries like UWIN Life Science, BAL Pharma Ltd., Bangalore, World Alumni Network Private Limited and many.

Teaching Students to Responsibly Enjoy Freedom The college allows its students to utilize the well-endowed libraries irrespective of the college working hours. This enables the students a much-needed breather to go back to the library and utilize the materials at their own time. This consideration from the college’s side is more visible from its gesture of waiving off tuition fees of those students who show tremendous potential.

The Oxford College of Pharmacy is a paradise for students as it does not have a list of unnecessary rules; however, at the same time, to ensure a safe and sound campus, the college has in place several active internal committees that fosters women empowerment and monitor

research development and sustenance, and several others committees like: Internal Complaint Committee, Minority Cell, Institutional Ethical Committee, Sexual Harassment Elimination Committee, Committee To Eliminate Ragging, Grievance Redressal Cell, and Student Council.

At The Oxford College of Pharmacy, emphasis is on nurturing a bond between the mentors and mentees. This ensures that there is a personal touch to the quality education imparted. This further pave way for the mentor to instill confidence, teach life skills, and prepare the students to face the challenges of life. This bond is reflected in the yearly alumnae meetings when old students flock around their beloved alma mater to reconnect with their favorite teachers.

Making a difference to how pharma education is furnished, The Oxford College of Pharmacy plans to bag a couple more international accreditations and set further milestones.

Higher Education Digest August 2019

119

YOUNG ACHIEVERS

120

Higher Education Digest August 2019

121

Higher Education Digest August 2019

I

n India, not every 18-year-old has a clear idea about their career. Most of the Higher-Secondary students are swayed by peer pressure and give a shot at becoming a Doctor or an Engineer. Once that fails, they then frantically crowd towards whatever course they can get their hands on. However, many middleclass students with real passion for medicine also gets herded into this crowd. Why is it hard for a middle-class student to get a good medical seat?

Most crack under the NEET pressure. Then there is the reservation system, where the student must keep ploughing through with their fingers crossed. Added to this the ridiculously hefty fee and expenses that prestigious institutions charge for a seat, promising doctors are hindered from realizing their dreams.

So, the next option, obviously, is to move abroad, and that’s exactly what Anandu Nagesh did.

Learning About Russia Hailing from a normal middle-class family from Kerala, Anandu liked medicine, but was sceptical of landing a

122

Higher Education Digest August 2019

seat in a respectable medical institution. With the support and help of his parents, he decided to try his luck outside India. Anandu made a list of the countries that provided good Medical education, offered ample exposure, and was close to home.

Russia was at the bottom of the list, until he read in a newspaper about a Russian woman speaking fluent Malayalam, Anandu’s regional language, which the woman learnt from her husband who was a Russian doctor practicing in Kerala. Anandu immediately took a liking to the country and did his research.

Upon investigating, he understood that Russia provided medical education at nominal fee. In his own words, “I chose Russia because most of the medical universities are state funded and yet the quality of education is top class. Also, Russia has a fairly stable relationship with other countries, and I feel safe here.”

123

Higher Education Digest August 2019

Paperwork and Visa Clearance After much deliberation, he finally chose Northern State Medical University, Arkhangelsk. The university also offered a number of exchange programs that was an added advantage. Once Anandu decided on the University, he applied through an education consultant who was currently pursuing his studies in Russia. The young gent was helpful to Anandu in getting the paperwork right.

Anandu got his certificates attested through Norka Roots and applied for a visa through an independent agency. Since he had an invitation from the university it was easy to get the visa stamped. First, they stamped him for 3-month single entry visa, as is the rule. Later, when he got to the university, after signing up all the contract papers, they got the visa extended to a multiple entry 1-year student visa.

124

Anandhu Nagesh

Higher Education Digest August 2019

Take Off! On October 5th, 2013, Anandu boarded his flight from Cochin to Saint Petersburg, the Northern Capital of Russia, via Dubai. Thanks to his educational consultant, Anandu got some friends who were also flying with him to NSMU.

Five hours from Dubai, Anandu touched down in Saint Petersburg. The immigration officers kept the conversation casual as they sifted through his paperwork. The friendly demeanour of the officials put Anandu and his friends at ease. After collecting their respective luggage, they were welcomed by a staff from the consulate. To the students’ surprise, they had to take a domestic flight in order to reach Arkhangelsk. Once at Arkhangelsk, the faculty administrator welcomed the students at the airport and took them to their hostel.

Welcome to NSMU Anandu was happy to see that the university had a big clinical base and quite a large international faculty, who welcomed the newbies. The students had their documents checked and verified and were asked to go through a physical examination. Soon after, the new students were divided into several groups of 10 and 12. Anandu found himself in a group of 12 and was surprised to learn that each class consists of only 10-12 students.

Anandu’s first few days in Russia was difficult.

It was his first time staying away from home, and he was homesick. The thought that he was to be far from home for a total of 6 years was

Higher Education Digest August 2019

125

126

overwhelming. Thankfully, he met with 5 Keralites at the Uni who made life better.

Anandu, without doubt, missed food from home; but most of all he missed spices. Anandu was a vegetarian who switched to non-vegetarian food after coming to Russia. This was an important change for Anandu because although the change wasn’t necessary, as the hostel kitchen saw to it that the students were well fed with the food of their choice, he thought that it was a good way to familiarize with the Russian culture.

For someone who has lived his life on predominantly veg food, Anandu found the transition hard, but he eventually fell into step and started appreciating Russian food.

Anandu was also surprised at the etiquette and culture that Russians followed. It was important to wish a person when you see him for the first time that day and bid them farewell when departing. Even if this person is a close friend, this was expected.

Also, it was required to wish a person once in a day.

Repeatedly wishing a person good morning or good afternoon was considered tactless. The word “Thank You” was something that the Russians used frequently.

Also, Russians are big on staying fit. The students are mandated to work out daily and there is no slacking off, even in winter.

Haven for International Students Keeping in mind the requirements of the international students, the university completely renovated the

Higher Education Digest August 2019

hostel. They included better equipped kitchens, indoor sports court, laundry rooms, and libraries.

A major testimony to how the university looks after its international students is that in 2013, there were 400 Indians, but in 2019, this number has shot to a thousand.

Anandu is now in his last year of MD (Doctor of Medicine), a 6-year full time specialist program.

And he notes with pride that there were never any cases of hatred and racism. The Indian students in the university have made a name for themselves by being the best team in Volleyball. Despite being hundreds of miles away from home, the Uni ensures that regional festivals of India, like Holi, Vishu, Kerala Piravi, Diwali, Onam, and Eid, are celebrated with full vigour.

What can India Learn?

Anandu still gets questions as to why he chose Russia and not India. To that he replies, “In India, we have classrooms with 50-100 students and a teacher at the end trying to explain the textbook within an hour. The focus is on curriculum completion, not knowledge transfer. Here, we have a classroom with a maximum of 12 students with teachers who are practicing doctors.

They too have their own busy schedules, but because the class group is small, the professors can provide attention to each student. Also, the teachers keep aside their ego and come down to the level of the student, helping the students to better formulate their doubts and questions.”

Anandu says that the university uses a 5-point credit system. In a semester a student should obtain all the credits of subjects which he or she attend during the semester according to schedule, only then will the student be allowed to attempt the exams. The three-part exams contain written, oral and practical parts. Each student is given 3 attempts to pass the semester. Additionally, in case the student had missed a class during the semester, they can repeat the class according to the time availability of teacher and the student.

Opening Doors to The Deserving Anandu is quite proud of his university and with good reason too. NSMU’s oncology hospital is one of the top 10 in Russia. “A lot of our graduates are working in different countries in respectable positions,” says Anandu. “Thanks to NSMU’s exchange programmes, despite the vastness of the medicine field, an NSMU graduate will land a job, especially in the European Union. If you show the potential, NSMU will open 100 doors for you!”

As a word of advice, Anandu says that one has to prepare a minimum of 3-4 months before if one they plan on pursuing their education abroad. There is tremendous pressure and pain in choosing which country to go to, which course to take up, and which university to apply for. Also, one needs to account for time for getting their paperwork cleared, getting accepted by a university, and Visa approval.

Beware of Phoneys Anandu suggests that it would be better if one speaks to students who are already studying in that university.

“Do not talk to just one or two. Converse with at least

5-6 people if you need a clear picture, especially if you plan on coming to Russia. You are choosing an English medium program in a country that speaks Russian. The university speaks English, but outside the walls of the Uni, you will have to face the language issue. Also, Russia is cold for about 4 months, with temperatures dipping below zero. Although all the buildings do have a centralised heating systems and winter gear for outdoors are readily available, for an Indian who is used to 35 degree Celsius, the icy winter was a shock.

If you plan on choosing a university via an education consultant make sure you talk to many of them and find the trusted ones, these days there are a lot of phoneys out there who will ‘counsel’ you about some university and take you to some other country. So, if you are choosing Russia, first find a trusted consultant. Most universities now have English version of their websites where you will be able to know the admission procedures. In Russia students pay fee after enrolling and signing the contracts.

Once you get your student id, you can apply for your invoice and then proceed to pay. Therefore, beware of those consultants who asks you to pay beforehand.

Moreover, bear in mind that fee is paid for one year and not for the whole course.”

Never Say Never!

Anandu says that he is most fortunate for his parents who trusted him to make it this far. “They gave me the support that I needed when I faltered. Choosing Russia and NSMU is helping me fulfil my ambition to become a renowned doctor. I have been swimming against the current so far, and now that I can see the shore, I am beyond happy!” concludes Anandu Nagesh.

Higher Education Digest August 2019

127

ACADEMIC VIEW

What is Clearing and Why Should Indian Students be Interested in it?

By Sandeep Sharma, Director-Student Recruitment and Partnerships South Asia, University of Essex (UoE)

128

Sandeep Sharma has been associated with University of Essex for the past six years.

Started as a Regional Advisor – India and Subcontinent, he has worked in various capacities and now he is responsible for student recruitment and partnership in South Asia for University of Essex. Sharma is a business graduate from Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University, and he has considerable experience in international education domain.

Higher Education Digest August 2019

“H

Not scoring a 90% aggregate grade is not the end of the road, there are a plethora of college options available for students if they are ready to step outside their comfort zone

indu College sets its cut off at a skyrocketing high score, of 99 per cent for their Political Science Honours course’’ that was a recent headline of a widely circulated newspaper. As a keen observer of education trends in India, I was intrigued by the reaction students had to the Delhi University (DU) cut offs, as the announcements of the cutoff lists kick off one of the biggest admission recruitment cycles, with approximately 3.50 lakh students applying for admissions for just over 60,000 seats.

Ironically although DU is a much-coveted institution, par excellence within India it actually ranks between 601–800th on the QS World University Rankings 2019, and at 156th on the QS Asia University Rankings 2019. Of course, all the 56,000 seats at DU will soon be full, but it will surely leave a lot of aspiring and talented students disheartened, especially the ones in the 75-85 per cent aggregate bracket.

Over in the UK, there is a similar situation with the release of A levels and International Baccalaureate results, with students anxious about their results day and awaiting a process called ‘Clearing’ to kick off. The similarity between the two systems of education is unbelievable. UK universities happily accept CBSE, ISC and local boards from India and even waive off English language or ILETS criteria if you have good grades in English. This makes UK an excellent alternative for those who can afford it.

So, not scoring a 90% aggregate grade and being unable to get a place at DU is not the end of the road, there are a plethora of college options available for students if they are ready to step outside their comfort zone. The UK has been a top choice for students as they can apply for September 2019 entry, after results announcements in June as most UK universities accept late cycle admissions via Clearing, which starts in early July and universities like Essex offers a GBP 4,000 scholarship in Clearing.

So, what is Clearing and why should Indian students be interested in it?

Clearing is how UK universities and colleges fill any places they still have on their courses.

Higher Education Digest August 2019

129

As some courses can fill up in August, it’s best not to leave it too late, although we do still accept Clearing applications throughout September

130

It’s an ideal way for you to find another course or apply after receiving your results. You find courses (with vacancies) that interest you, and contact universities or colleges directly, to see if they will offer you a place.

If you are already an applicant, Clearing also gives you the opportunity to change your mind and secure a place at the university of your dreams if your grades turn out better than you expected. Clearing officially opens on 5 July 2019 and is available to all students (UK, EU and international students). You can make a Clearing application once you have received all of your results and you don’t need to have a UCAS application to use it. Universities will publish their vacancies on their websites, and you can use UCAS.com to help you find places you might be interested in. Once you’ve found a course you want to apply for you’ll need to get in touch with the university to make an application. In most cases this will be online or over the phone.

How do I apply through Clearing?

If you’d like to apply through Clearing, you can apply using our webform which will be available once Clearing opens in July. Essex has a Clearing hotline which opens in August and through this service, you’ll even be able to make applications over the phone.

Make sure you have your grades to hand when you call. And \if you’ve already made a UCAS application have your UCAS number ready too.

Higher Education Digest August 2019

What happens if I’m offered a different course in Clearing?

This could be a possibility as universities might not be able to offer you a place on the course you originally applied for.

This is because the course might be full or you may not be eligible. However, the good news is that most universities should be able to offer you an alternative course.

When is the Clearing deadline?

There’s no specific closing date for Clearing as it depends on how many vacancies there are for the course you’re interested in. As some courses can fill up in August, it’s best not to leave it too late, although we do still accept Clearing applications throughout September.

Clearing allows you to change to a better university if you have an existing offer If you’re reconsidering your options and you’re interested in studying at a better ranked institution, you can get in touch with the university and find out if they’d be able to offer you a place on your chosen course. You won’t be able to add Essex as your Clearing choice through UCAS while you’re holding an offer at another university, but making this change is very straightforward.

So, don’t panic as every year thousands of applicants find the right university place for them through Clearing, you’re not alone.

131

Higher Education Digest August 2019

132

Higher Education Digest August 2019