BITS Pilani: Interview with Prof. Sudhirkumar Barai (Director)

BITS Pilani interview with Prof. Sudhirkumar Barai - Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS) Pilani is a leading institute for higher education and a deemed university. It was conceived in 1964 as an institute. It has bagged the 29th position in the NIRF ranking in the overall and 17th in the university category. The institute has 4 campuses in India and 1 in Dubai. The institute offers undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral degree programmes in the field of science and technology. The curriculum of BITS Pilani helps students in their overall growth and makes them industry ready.

Careers360 brings you an exclusive interview with Prof. Sudhirkumar Barai, Director at Birla Institute of Technology and Science Pilani. He is also the Director in-Charge of the International Programmes and Collaboration Division. Here he shares various details about the institute, admissions process and other related important things. Read the complete interview with Prof. Sudhirkumar Barai to know more about BITS Pilani.

Also Read: BITS Pilani Courses & Fees

Careers360. Tell us something about the institute; when it was set up, vision and mission

Prof. Sudhirkumar Barai. BITS Pilani is an institute that started with the motive of training young men and women so that they could create and put into action their ideas by following proper methods and applying appropriate techniques.

BITS started as a small school in the early 1900s and has seen incredible growth over the years. It was established as a university for higher education providing courses ranging from Humanities to Engineering in the year 1964. It has been recognized as an Institute of Eminence by the Government of India.

As an institute, we strive to disseminate knowledge and educate students in science, technology, and other areas that will best serve the nation and the world. Our commitment is towards preserving, generating, and propagating knowledge. This is supplemented by a pervasive industry engagement. Every student is exposed to practical applications of classroom knowledge under a structured semester-long engagement programme.

I am sure you know about our rigorous BITS Pilani admission process. This basically helps us to get the brightest of the students so that we can fulfill their dreams and realize our mission.

Careers360. Please tell us something about the admission process.

Prof. Sudhirkumar Barai. As mentioned earlier, the admission process is very rigorous to ensure we get the best minds who are highly motivated and interested to grasp all the knowledge.

First of all, fulfilling the eligibility criteria is key in order for the applications to be processed further. We never compromise on the eligibility criteria and consider merit as the only basis for securing admission to the institute. The eligible candidates then have to crack the entrance exam through which students are filtered to the next round.

For admission to our undergraduate programs, we conduct BITSAT; and for admission in the MBA in Business Analytics program, we conduct the BAAT (Business Analytics Aptitude Test).

For MBA in Business Analytics program, applicants shortlisted on the basis of the BAAT have to appear for personal interviews (PI), where the ability and acumen of the candidates are assessed. Based on the performance of the candidate in the BAAT and PI, along with academic history, work experience and performance in CAT/ XAT, admission is offered to the most deserving candidates.

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Careers360. What kind of infrastructure can students expect at the institute? Please elaborate.

Prof. Sudhirkumar Barai. Infrastructure is something that holds a signature value for BITS Pilani. The campus is huge with an area of 328 acres in Pilani. It has literally everything one could wish to have in an ideal campus. The clock tower is the most prominent landmark of the institute. It is surrounded by the administrative and academic blocks, which are the central places of operations at the Pilani campus. There are different blocks dedicated to various departments. The latest among these is the New Academic Block (NAB) in which classrooms are equipped with hi-tech facilities. Labs are highly equipped with a surplus of space and facilities for students.

BITS Pilani library is housed in a state-of-the-art building and is located close to all academic blocks of the Institute. The Saraswati temple, built-in white marble. It's the go-to place for the students who seek divine feel and enlightenment.

The Pilani campus has India's first technological museum, the Birla Museum. There is a Student Activity Center, where various extracurricular activities and sports facilities are provided. A number of playgrounds are present for various sports and also there is a fully equipped medical center with qualified doctors.

Careers360. There is a lot of stress that is being made with regard to interaction with the industry as well as companies that recruit. What are the steps being taken by the institute in this direction?

Prof. Sudhirkumar Barai. Continuous efforts are made from the university side to achieve maximum interaction with the industry and the potential recruiters. We invite experts from various industries to interact with our students during and outside their class hours.

Webinars are also conducted for all streams of students, which provides them industrial insights and in-depth knowledge on the latest trends and technologies. Workshops are a vital part of the curriculum, wherein students are enriched with technical and managerial skills needed to survive in the modern industry.

Internships are mandatory for everyone. This exposes students to the official and industrial environment. We facilitate students with maximum support with respect to bringing in companies for internships and eventually placements.

See Also: BITS Pilani Facilities

Careers360. Internships are now mandatory as per AICTE guidelines. Does the institute help students with this? If yes, how?

Prof. Sudhirkumar Barai. Yes. The institute has a full-fledged division that takes care of internships, known as Practice School within BITS Pilani. They pitch to the potential companies and bring them in for internships. The summer internship statistics for the past year have been tremendous. Undergraduate students are offered two internships and for the postgraduate students, two internship opportunities are arranged officially. These are vital parts of our curriculum and are fully structured. Students are also evaluated based on their performance during these internships. As a result of these internships, many students even get pre-placement offers (PPO) in good companies.

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Careers360. Can you please share details if there is any collaboration with universities abroad?

Prof. Sudhirkumar Barai. Regarding the BITS Pilani immersion program, an International Programmes and Collaboration Division (IPCD) has been set up to promote relations with renowned institutions abroad.

Students of BITS Pilani can pursue Off-campus Thesis/ Semester Abroad programmes in foreign universities/ institutes ranked in the first 400 by the QS and THE (Times Higher Education).

BITS Pilani has collaborations with reputed universities abroad like Texas A&M University, Cardiff University, Macquarie University, La Trobe University, and many more have MoU with our institute. For the MBA in Business Analytics programme, we are also collaborating with multiple renowned institutes abroad so that students can get some international exposure while pursuing their studies.

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