The Higher Education Review

Dr. Suchismitaa Sengupta, Principal
A management educator, consultant, and a researcher, Dr. Suchismitaa Sengupta is currently the Principal of DSMS College of Tourism and Management. She has a rich blend of experience of 20 years both in academics and corporate. A dynamic leader in education and highly committed to serving the society at large, she is a National Scholarship Holder, a First Class First (Medal Winner) with Triple Masters Degree and a Ph.D. in Management.

Regarded as one of the key drivers of growth among the services sectors in India, Tourism and Hospitality industry is expected to generate 13. 45 million jobs across sub-segments such as restaurants, hotels and travel agents/operators, according to the Ministry of Tourism. To help the industry meet the increasing demand of skilled and trained manpower, the Ministry has already instructed to strengthen the hospitality education sector. However, with the fast development and increasing complexity of the industry, ethics in the workplace has become an unequivocal requirement. Determined to produce tomorrow's leaders imbibed with qualities like ethical mindset and honest practices, DSMS College of Tourism and Management has been aptly responding to this call.

Being in hospitality education arena for 27 years now, the college prides of a strong legacy with possessing alumni base of 10,000+, who are scattered in different top-notch organizations of the country holding leadership positions. "We have very strong alumni network all across the globe and we maintain quite an active relationship with our alumni. Assets of our college, they never back out whenever our current students require their guidance and assistance," shares Dr. Suchismitaa Sengupta, Principal, DSMS. Based in Durgapur, West Bengal, the college

offers undergraduate programmes in Business Administration and Tourism & Hospitality Management (BBA T&H), Business Administration (BBA), and Computer Application (BCA) which are affiliated to Kazi Nazrul University (KNU). Besides UG, the college also has a Postgraduate programme on board in Hospital Administration (MHA), which is affiliated to West Bengal University of Health Sciences (WBUHS).

"At DSMS, we nurture our students with creativity and decent attitude towards life, as these elements will lead them to become a good human being first followed by an efficient manager," opines Dr. Sengupta. Students are provided a fun and interactive environment where they can feel free to express their views and opinions. The pollution-free and refreshing campus of the college backed by the avant-garde facilities makes the educational journey of the students a fruitful one. The faculty members, who are having a sound sense of ever-changing and challenging scenario of the industry, assures to incorporate varied teaching methodologies such as case studies, presentations, demonstration and so on. It is taken into high consideration at DSMS that students have to be engaged in the teaching-learning process to the maximum.

Considering the mental as well as physical well-being of the students, the management of the college also arranges art of living yoga sessions and fun-filled Zumba dance classes frequently in the campus. "We encourage our students to participate in university-level sports competition, quizzes and cultural fests on a regular basis as we want them to see holistically developed," pinpoints Dr. Sengupta. The management ensures that the way of teaching and delivering knowledge in the college is apt, given which they opt for timely feedback from the students. Dr. Sengupta adds, "While designing the syllabus, we always take suggestions from industry giants to stay abreast with the latest advancements".

Empowering the Learners
Hospitality and Tourism is not a mere profession, but a lifestyle that requires personality, charm, and enthusiasm. They are the representatives of their respective organizations; hence, grooming

them extensively is the mantra of DSMS. "Our students stand out from the crowd, owing to the training they are rendered and this becomes an interest factor for the recruiters who are associated with us for years. Placement has never been a challenge for our students," shares Dr. Sengupta. DSMS has a legacy of producing medal winners in the University years after years in Hospitality Course. The institute has always been able to provide quality jobs to our students according to their preferences in various reputed Global and National Companies in Hospitality, Tourism, Healthcare and IT Sector. The prominent companies that offer jobs to the students of DSMS include Make My Trip, Cox & Kings, Thomas Cook, Oberoi Hotels, Marriot Hotels, the Mission Hospital Durgapur, Vivekananda Hospital, Fortis Hospital, TCS, and Infosys, just to name a few. Boasting of an immense institute-industry interface, the college has collaborated with TCS as a knowledge and training partner.

"We have collaborated with Vivekananda Hospital for the purpose of training and skill development. This will enhance the knowledge and employability of our students and cooperation in corporate level. We have proposal for Training Partnership from some Hospital of our neighboring country, who has offered us to be their knowledge partner. In addition that, we are already in dialogue with Calcutta University for another tie-up," claims Dr. Sengupta. Keeping enough room for summer internship, vocational training, seminars, expert talks and live projects for students, DSMS has also cultivated a research-culture in the campus where both students and faculty members are motivated to undertake different research activities. Recently, the college hosted an International Business Research Conference, which received an immense response from faculty members and industry with participants coming from pan India and different countries. Keeping the development of the student in every aspect at the priority, the college is on the verge of introducing a couple of certificate courses and in the long-term DSMS looks forward to evolving as one of the top tourism management college known for transparency, proactive education and training methodologies.