The Higher Education Review

The High-tech engineering college named "SARABHAI INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY" is a self- financing institution established by the Space Engineers Welfare Society (SEWELS) with the approval from the Government of Kerala. Sarabhai Institute of Science and Technology is a pioneering educational institution that was incepted with a unique vision and mission to seek, to strive and to provide Quality Education in the field of Engineering, Technology and Management through Continual Improvement. The institute strives to become a Sanctum for Technical Education of Global Standards. Named after the pioneer of Space Science & technology in India, Sarabhai Institute of Science and Technology was set up to fulfill a dream of the great visionary, Dr.Vikram. A.Sarabhai to mold high quality experts in frontier engineering disciplines. Owing to the quality of the education offered by the institute, they have been able to nurture inspired learners who are capable of making a positive impact in the society.

A Change-Bringer
Sarabhai Institute of Science and Technology is managed by highly/ technically qualified, experienced and research-oriented members of `Space Engineers' Welfare Society' a charitable society formed by retired engineers of ISRO. When asked to give a brief overview about the college, Koshy Mammen who holds the position of Director(Fin) & Vice Principal says, "We are retired Engineers from Vikram Sarabhai Space Center and what we intend to do with this institution is to help students who come from financially backward families and enrich their lives through our education. We started in 2004 and over the years we have

offered free education to over 600 students. Apart from that, we only charge a very low amount when compared to other engineering colleges and this money is only used to pay the faculty and maintain the college. We are under Kerala Technological University and recently, we have increased our industry interactions and we have signed MOUs with five companies to offer proper industry exposure to our students. Now, we also have mandatory internships for our students as well. We have around 90 faculty members (including 8 Ph.D holders) and all of them are M. Tech holders and have immense expertise and experience. We also have a separate R and D wing where our students can do their research as well as projects. We have also undertaken various socially relevant projects and our faculty and students supervise the entire operations.

“Sarabhai Institute of Science and Technology has been able to develop aspiring students into world-class professionals and this has been down to the importance given by institutes for the holistic development of students”

To cater to a wider student base, Sarabhai Institute of Science and Technology has created multiple departments including Electronics and Communication, Mechanical, Computer Science, Civil, Electrical and Electronics, Electronics and Instrumentation, Humanities and Science, and Research and Development. This has helped the college to nurture students who have varied interests under one roof which brings with it unique sets of challenges that many other educational institutions cannot cope with.

Creating the Perfect Learning Environment
Elucidating more about their infra-structure and placement activities, Koshy Mammenadds,"We have got six UG programs and five PG programs and we have the most modern amenities in our classes and labs. Under the PMKVY initiative, we have undertaken 18 different courses for 12th standard students to give them industrial training.

We also have a residential program for 12th standard students under DDU-GKY and we train them for six months before placing them in different companies. For this, we have signed an MOU with Kudumbashree initiative of the Kerala government and we have undertaken five courses under this program. We also, constantly ensure that we incorporate the latest technologies in the seven different labs in each department we have.

We have hostel facilities for over 400 students as well. About 5000 students passed out from our college since our inception and many of them have gone to make a name for themselves in their respective industries. To ensure the success of their students, the college has also developed a full-fledged career guidance, placement and training unit, co-ordinated by an executive committee headed by the placement officer, two deputy placement officers and 2 faculty members from each department.

The college offers maximum number of Scholarships/Fee concessions, etc to the deserving B.P.L or low-in-come group. This acts as a testament that showcases their commitment to develop students who are under privileged. Over the years, Sarabhai Institute of Science and Technology has been able to develop aspiring students into world-class professionals and this has been down to the importance given by the institute for the holistic development of their students. With an unwavering commitment to never compromise on the quality of their education, Sarabhai Institute of Science and Technology has been able to set examples for the rest to follow and carry the beacon of quality in the Indian higher education space. The institute has also been constantly striving to improve the quality of their education with a motive to equip their students with the needed skills required to thrive in the modern world.

Koshy Mammen, Director (Fin) & Vice Principal, Sarabhai Institute of Science and Technology
A Pioneering educator who prioritizes on offering student-centric education to make them industry-ready.