Welcoming change: orientation workshop organised by a city college

NT Features

Karnataka is basking in the glory of being the first in the country to launch the National Education Policy. We are all set to allow students to choose subject combinations across streams with the option of Open Elective Courses. As we work our way towards a holistic and multidisciplinary education aimed to develop students intellectually, aesthetically, socially, physically, emotionally, and morally in an integrated manner, Al-Ameen Institute of Management Studies in association with Bengaluru City University and Bengaluru City University Teachers’ Council of Commerce & Management organised an orientation workshop Wednesday at Al-Ameen Educational Campus, Bengaluru to discuss the syllabus and examination pattern for Open Elective courses of I Semester BBA and B.Com.

The Principal, Dr B. A. Anuradha in her welcome address spoke on the importance of knowledge creation, knowledge dissemination & knowledge application as the three pillars of education to make any institution world-class. She iterated the need for a curriculum that inculcates and incorporates intelligence, experiential learning, and critical thinking through reading, writing, research, and discussions and debates to create an optimal learning environment and prepare students for the realworld scenario.

The Chief Guest for the programme was Prof. Muniraju M, Chairman & Dean, Department of Commerce & Management, BCU who has been instrumental in designing, developing & implementing several new-age courses at the university such as BBA (logistics), BBA (aviation), BBA (analytics), B.Com (professional), B.Com (vocational course), B.Com (analytics) and B.Com (tourism). He spoke about his vision to roll out more such new-age courses like PG Diploma in Family Business and BBA (Entrepreneurship) at the university level in the future. He encouraged the faculty to give suggestions and share ideas to further strengthen the curriculum.

Umar Ismail Khan, Chairman of Al-Ameen Educational Society in his presidential remarks spoke about his father, the late Dr Mumtaz Ahmed Khan’s vision and passion to open the doors of knowledge to the masses, especially to the weaker and browbeaten sections of the society and help eradicate illiteracy, raise the standard of living and boost economic growth and to empower people through education. The Chairman emphasised the need to reach out to the remotest of areas and motivate them and most importantly take up the responsibility of imparting affordable education to the masses. Al-Ameen, he said, has always been on the forefront in the pursuit of this mission and is also providing scholarships to meritorious and economically deprived students.

Experts from various colleges of Bengaluru were invited as resource persons viz., Dr Girish, Professor at GFGC College; Mr Satish, R.C.College, Dr Shree Lakshmi, Government, R.C. College and Dr B. Mariyappa, Dean Academic, BMS College for Women.

Dr H. Bhavani, President of Bengaluru City Teachers Council of Commerce and Management & Professor at MLA College, Malleshwaram, Dr S. Anil Kumar, Vice President, Bengaluru City Teachers Council of Commerce & Management & Principal, SRN Adarsh Evening College, Chamarajpet, Dr C. Nagaraju, General Secretary of Bengaluru City Teachers Council of Commerce & Management & Asst. Professor, Government First Grade College, Yelahanka and Prof. H. R. Padmanabha Treasurer, Bengaluru City Teachers Council of Commerce & Management and Principal ASC Silver Valley Degree College, Malleswaram were the Guests of Honour.

Dr C. Nagaraju proposed a vote of thanks appreciating the Open Elective Option which gives students the choice to take up subjects across different courses, for example, management students taking commerce subjects and vice versa. He also reiterated the support to Prof. Muniraju M on behalf of the teaching fraternity in all his endeavours to develop and enrich the curriculum and introduce new-age courses.

The programme was a grand success with around 150 faculty participants from various affiliated colleges of BCU. Certificates were also distributed to the participants.