The Higher Education Review

The year 2010 was a special one for Navya Mallampaty. A bright young girl taking her first steps towards higher education, she was an engineer in the making who was headed for PACE Institute of Technology & Sciences. Now, five years from the first day she stepped into the institute, she holds an administrative position at a reputed software firm in Singapore. "I chose PACE because I saw the uncompromising nature of the institute when it comes to the quality of education. I spoke to a few of their students before joining the institute and I found them to be quite confident. I wanted that for myself," says Navya Mallampaty, alumni, PACE Institute of Technology & Sciences. With a vision to help students acquire technical and human skills and other critical abilities to make them globally competitive in the field of science and technology, PACE Institute of Technology & Sciences was established in the year 2008.

The institution stands on the principles of imparting quality education, an education system which goes beyond the limitation of books. The prime focus of the institute is to breed and build students who will be confident enough to take up industrial challenges once they graduate. The institute trains its students to acquire sound subject-knowledge and winning edge, to lead and succeed in career and life. "We train students to be confident, passionate, active, enthusiastic, self-motivated and disciplined. We make them people who can run their own race and chase their own passions with a sense of purpose in life," says Dr. C.V. Subba Rao, Principal, PACE Institute of Technology & Sciences.

The Secret to Confident Young Graduates

Training students to be industry ready starts from the first year of

the program, students are trained on industry required skills and technologies. Starting early helps the institute provide tailor made employees to the corporate. Major emphasis is laid on communication skills to build confidence among students. Taking this program to a whole new level, the institute has a literary club where students are involved in numerous activities connected to writing and spoken English. This club was set up to improve the quality of students outside the domain of engineering. "Everyone looks for eligible and polished individuals. We have such programs and clubs to improve the overall quality of our students. We want our students to be confident in whatever they set out to do and we are passionate on making them confident and employable in any given field," says Dr. Rao.

Industry Interface is perhaps the most critical differentiator for technical Institutions worldwide. Understanding its importance, the institute follows schemes such as Industry-Institute Partnership, joint research programs and field studies by faculty and people from industries, faculty visits to industry for study and discussions on delivering lectures on subjects of mutual interest. The institute also has an Industry Institute Research cell where women faculty members are encouraged to participate in women scientist research programs. Today, four of the institution's women faculty members are working on various projects on research.

To further build the confidence of students and develop a better understanding of the working of the industry, the institute also arranges visits of students to various industries for more practical training and acquiring first-hand information of the current industrial trends. "In addition to the conventional methods of developing corporate interface placements are also thoroughly looked at. The basic role of the institute is to bring in companies, which was very well met at PACE, and the rest was done by the students. Students were prepared to perform well by the time placement drives took place, that was the quality we picked up in our four years of study," says Mallampaty. The bits of the puzzle came together

when the institute saw its highest package of Rs. 5.3 lakhs placement from LG Soft India, Bangalore. Today, PACE Institute of Technology & Sciences places its students at respectable companies, while enjoying a 70 percent placement record. Taking into account its short existence it is surprising the institute today has recruiters in the likes of LG Soft India, SAP Labs, iGate, Cadence Design Systems, Infosys, Cognizant, IBM, Maveric Systems, Adaptavant Technologies, Congruent Solutions, Prodapt, American Megatrends, Exilant Technologies, Lanarsy Infra.

What makes the institution a success in building the engineers of tomorrow?

Faculty is the backbone of any institution and it is the faculty that can truly define and change the quality of education. Knowing its pivotal nature, the institution recruits eligible experienced faculty with relevant experience. A minimum qualification of M.Tech is a must to teach at PACE Institute of Technology & Sciences. "We look for their passion in the teaching profession. We have 8 Ph.Ds so far and we also encourage our faculty to pursue Ph.D by granting them academic leaves. We not only work on improving the quality of our students but also our faculty members," says Dr. Rao.

Looking to improve the overall quality of their students, the institute also places equal importance on co-curricular activities. Students at PACE Institute of Technology & Sciences participate in various events. Paper presentations, technical fairs and PPT presentations in technical fests are some events where students are encouraged to participate. "We alter our priorities when students get to their second year and start looking for entrepreneurial opportunities. According to the need of the hour and what suits those students best, we counsel them and provide more programs focused on entrepreneurship. We turn every stone when it comes to bolstering the confidence of our students. If you are confident about doing something, we have the platform set for you," concludes Dr. Rao.