Gurgaon based Ansal University is just three years old and is offering undergraduate, postgraduate and doctorate level programmes in the areas of Architecture, Design, Engineering, Management and Law. Located in the heart of Gurgaon, the university has strong industry linkages. Its Sushant School of Art & Architecture ranked among the top architecture institutions in the country. The university recently announced the launch of Vatel School of Hospitality in India.The University's Chairman and Vice-Chancellor (Ex-Officio), Raj S. Dhankar, is a former Dean of the Delhi University’s Faculty of Management Studies (FMS) and was Vice-Chancellor of the Maharshi Dayanand University, Rohtak, for three years. In his 37-year academic career in the area of Finance, Dhankar has published extensively in national and international journals. Talking to BusinessLine , Dhankar is excited about Ansal University’s new management school and expects it to become a popular programme. Excerpts from the interview :
Ansal University's website says its student-faculty ratio is 12:1. Why is this so important?
We believe in the quality of education and only if the ratio between faculty and students is ideal will it be possible to impart the right kind of education. Unlike other universities we try and maintain an ideal ratio so that students and teachers can engage with each other and ensure well-rounded learning.
Which is the university’s most popular programme?
Our B.Arch course is about 25 years old and is quite popular. We are number one among the private B. Arch courses across the country.
Our MBA programme is just two year's old, the first batch will be graduating this summer. We plan to start an MBA in Real Estate, which will be the first of its kind in India. It makes more sense for Ansal University to introduce the programme as the parent/trustee is in the real estate sector.
We will soon launch an executive MBA programme as well. As a former FMS Dean, I realised there was a dire need for a similar programme in the Gurgaon region as well that offered the same quality education. Many of our students in FMS used to come all the way from Gurgaon.
How has your management school picked up?
The management programme is doing well. We are now re-structuring it. Earlier, we had five-six MBA programmes, but we decided to focus on just three of them — general management and sector specialisation, real-estate, and the executive MBA.
How is setting up a private university different from being a government funded one?
It is very challenging and exciting. Today, 45 per cent of the post-secondary education needs are being met by the private sector. We have over 130 private universities in the country, and therefore, from society's point of view, our role is increasing.
Leadership in private universities is critical these days, and we want to bring the right kind of educational and teaching experience to this sector. The appropriate course content and good faculty are crucial. From the nation's point of view, it is important that all students should get the best education, and not just a handful.
How is the university poised to grow?
We have five schools — Architecture, Design, Law, engineering, and Management. We want to focus on strengthening these schools. We also want to engage industry and, with our Gugaon location, can easily do that. Involvement with industry will allow our students to get hands-on experience, and become industry-ready as they graduate.
Our focus is also on an inter-disciplinary approach, where, if a student is pursuing engineering, he should also learn some management. Similarly, a management student should know corporate law. We plan to launch a programme called BBA-LLB. We also plan to start a Masters in Technology (in management) in the engineering school.
We want to ensure that our students get the best pedagogical material. The delivery system needs to be robust. Some universities that have closed down or are not doing well, lack a proper delivery system.
Soft skills are a mandatory part of your curriculum? Why are they especially important?
Post-secondary education has primarily three challenges — accessibility, equity, and quality. Although the gross involvement ratio is only 19 per cent in India, still you don't get many bright students in the university system.
As a matter of fact, many management and engineering colleges have closed down because there were not enough students enrolling. If you get students who already are average, they lack basic communication skills. So, we decided to bring experts from the industry and give our students basic expertise and knowledge, so they become well-rounded individuals.
We offer skills such as personality development, writing, speaking, and communication as part of the curriculum.
Do you have a focus on research currently, since Ansal is a fairly new university?
We are setting up an innovation centre, and research is high on our agenda. We want to tie up with industry and bring a research culture to the university. At the end of the day you cannot bring great learning if it is not based on research.
Do you plan to take in international students?
We have international linkages and our students go out for exchange programmes. We have had, over the years, students from Europe and the US, and once we have a group like Vatel on board, it will bring in many international students. Vatel is popular across the world for its hospitality management programme. With such tie-ups we expect the number of international students on campus to grow.
What about placements?
We have a 100 per cent placements record, and the Vatel programme will have no placement issues either, especially with the Ansal hotel chain across the country.