The unprecedented local, national, and global disruptions of 2020 have turned normal life and assumptions, upside down. However, as the new academic year approaches, students also need to look to their future and what decisions they should make to ensure that it is as bright, secure, and successful as possible.

After the completion of schooling, the first steps towards a university education are among the most significant decisions in any young person’s adult life: What degree subjects to study? Where to Study? These decisions will shape their future so they must make it very carefully. As regular, well-paid professional jobs become more competitive and less secure, higher studies in Business Management and Entrepreneurship are becoming more necessary than ever.

To provide our young generation with the knowledge that will help them to achieve success in life, SRM University-AP is focused on designing practical courses with a cutting-edge curriculum. Professor Michael J. Barnes, Dean of the School of Management at SRM University-AP, has taken the initiative to introduce the newly upgraded BBA (Hons.) Programme for the latest intake of students of Business Administration. He connected online recently with prospective business students, and their parents through a ‘Webinar’ hosted on April 29th, 2020. The Dean introduced prospective undergraduate students to the new BBA (Hons) programme at SRM University and presented its fundamental and innovative features.

According to the advice given by Professor Barnes, during the current worldwide health crisis what high school graduates must do now is to invest in themselves, and in their further education. No matter how gloomy the world looks, there is no better time than now to invest in oneself and reap the benefits later. “Education has always been the best means and the best investment for people to get ahead in life. Choosing a bachelor’s degree programme is most important, as this is the first major decision for young adults to make. This will have a lifelong impact in shaping your career and future. Joining a course of one’s choice in a highly reputed institution like SRM University-AP is the first step towards success,” opined Dean Michael Barnes.

People may think, as the economy is going into global recession this year in almost all major countries: what is the point of studying if job opportunities are going to be less? The Dean of Management strongly disagrees with that view. Professor Barnes argues that if economic recession or even depression is going to happen in the immediate future, it could be for one year or even two. By the time of full economic recovery our BBA (Hons) students will be graduating when the situation should be much stronger, more stable, and with a very positive outlook for India. There will then be a huge requirement and pent-up demand for talented and qualified professional managers. For those ambitious individuals who want to be managers and leaders of the future, the BBA (Honours) degree- awarded by SRM University-AP – is an obvious choice: SRM-AP offers a tremendous opportunity for advancement, with its state-of-the-art infrastructure and innovative BBA (Hons.) curriculum.

To be a successful manager or entrepreneur, it is crucial to have a fully-rounded knowledge in business studies and management practices Current hiring trends indicate that it is chiefly engineers who benefit most from a postgraduate degree (MBA) in business administration. But for non-engineers and non-scientists, it is always highly advantageous to gain a degree in the BBA (Hons.) programme before full-time employment or pursuing further studies at home and abroad.

SRM University-AP is now open for admissions to its new BBA (Hons.) programme in September 2020. Dean Barnes lays great emphasis on the word “HONOURS” as it reflects an enhancement of the previous BBA general degree programme. The three-year BBA (Hons.) course comprises 140 credits of study: One credit is equivalent to one hour per week for a fifteen-week semester. Most of the courses are worth four credits, which translates to four hours per week per subject (6) per semester of direct teaching and learning (excluding homework assignments!).

It is of the utmost necessity for future management consultants, supervisors, professional managers, and individual entrepreneurs to have both a wide and deep knowledge across the entire business domain. They also need to have a global perspective. It is necessary to have global awareness because even if one is focused on domestic business, he/she is still going to be connected with the world through some means; be it international employers, suppliers, customers, competitors, partners, or even regulators. It is crucial to be familiar with world financial markets, foreign trade trends, practices and procedures, and foreign exchange market volatility, in order to fully appreciate business opportunities, and sometimes the risks and threats of over-dependence on the tightly-knit global supply chain of products and services.

The major pillars, and basic knowledge foundations of our BBA (Hons.) programme are:
1. Financial Management, Markets & Institutions
2. Marketing Management (Product & Services)
3. Human Resources Management & Organizational Behaviour
4. Accounting (Financial & Cost Accounting)
5. Economics (Microeconomics & Macroeconomics)
6. Information Technology and
7. Operations Management

SRM University undergraduates are exposed to all these required foundational subjects in their first two semesters of study. In the second semester, students get to choose their specialisations which they will commence in their second year. In this way, every student is given a choice of the functional domain to which they are most attracted – after getting familiar with all the major courses in the first year of their studies. Students will know the subjects with which they are most comfortable, and able to decide among alternative ‘portfolios’ the direction that their careers are most likely to take.

As an example, if someone chooses Marketing as their specialisation, he or she will learn more about Retail Marketing, Sales and Distribution, Consumer Behaviour, Brand Management, Advertising, Digital Marketing etc. Finance & Accounting specialists will be learning more about Budgeting, Financial Modelling, Investment Portfolio Management, Financial Derivatives and Risk Management, and Strategic Finance. In Human Resource Management, emphasis will be given to HR Analytics, Leadership and Team Management, HR Development, Managing Diversity, and Industrial Relations.

Another important feature of the teaching-learning process at SRMAP is the “Action Learning. Programs” (ALPs): ‘Action Learning’ is the practical and ‘hands-on’ experience of working in a company environment, though it is quite different from an internship. Action Learning is an integrated strategic group learning process, where students work in a real business environment, on real live projects, and most importantly, in teams.

Action Learning has several benefits which are essential for the students to be successful in their career and professional life, namely:

1. It improves business communication skills.
2. Enhances the individual ability to work in teams.
3. Builds leadership confidence and capabilities.
4. Creates global awareness.

In addition to the core courses and specialisations, The SRM University School of Management BBA (Hons.) programme also includes courses in Business Law and Taxation, Supply Chain Management, Environmental Studies, Waste and Water Management, Big Data and Machine Learning, and Entrepreneurship & Family Business. These courses are included, keeping in mind the practical requirements of India in today’s technology-driven business world, and making our students knowledgeable in every aspect of business. Every student must successfully complete 35 courses (140 credits) to graduate with the BBA (Hons.) degree. During the final semester, students will prepare a business dissertation or plan. Throughout the three-year degree programme, BBA (Hons.) students are provided with training in ‘soft-skills’ development to enhance their employability after graduation. As Professor Barnes observed from his own life experience, every true professional should develop the following important qualities in his or her character:

1. Staying POSITIVE,
2. Being PREPARED;
3. Always being PERSISTENT yet remaining
4. PATIENT;
5. Being PRECISE in words and calculations.
6. Being POLITE to everybody, and (at least trying) to be always
7. PUNCTUAL on every occasion.

SRM University- AP provides students with an integrated and holistic learning experience to prepare them for life and to be ‘job-ready’. The safe and secure campus enthusiastic location, world-class faculty, state-of-the-art infrastructure, highly supportive staff, and a cutting-edge and innovative curriculum, with strong links to industry, make SRMAP the most ‘preferred destination’ for students to pursue their university degree studies in business. Dean Barnes wishes all the students the best of luck and good judgement in their choice of university and degree subject decision-making. He hopes to see many of the audience on campus in September 2020 when the first semester commences.

The SRM University Webinar concluded with a Q&A session where Professor Barnes answered various queries from the audience. Dr Barnes also shared his e-mail id with the students and their parents who attended the BBA (Hons.) Webinar in case they have any more questions: They are always welcome to send emails directly to him at dean.mgmt@srmap.edu.in

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The Industry Readiness Webinar Series- 4

SRM University- AP is hosting a Webinar on “Challenges & opportunities in critical sectors and long term strategic direction to deal with uncertainty within and across nations” as a process of preparing the students for the forthcoming Placement Season. Our guest for the evening Dr Bade Simhachalam, has obtained his MTech & PhD degrees from IITM in Design Engineering/Vehicle Safety. He has a PG Diploma in Business Administration from ICFAI University. His areas of expertise in Automotive, Aerospace, Heavy engineering, IT domains include:

· Engineering service operations management

· Product development, R&D, Technology Management,

· Project Management & Program Management,

· Quality Improvement using Six Sigma/TQM,

· People Development, Competency development and Skill Development

· Working in Multidisciplinary area – Connecting People, Technology, and Manufacturing Management and Society

· Software development related to Automotive/Aerospace/Heavy engineering/IT.

Dr Simhachalam has over 24 years of professional experience and currently working as the Sr. General Manager, Corporate Technology Center, Tube Investments of India, Murugappa Group, Chennai (Since 2008). He is also a part of BITS faculty selection committee, and a reviewer of International Journals/Technical Papers from SAGE, SAE, Elsevier etc. Dr Simhachalam is presently engaged in developing, leading and coordinating product development & research teams related to Automotive components, e-bike, EV and Railway components. He is also mentoring interns from premier institutes to explore organizational research objectives. He enjoys representing the team with Auto OEMs and external research organizations like IITs, BITS, VIT, PSG, ARAI, SAE India and contributing to People’s development, team building and TQM.

Dr Simhachalam has previous professional experience with Mahindra & Mahindra Design & Development Center, GE Transportation development Center and L&T Technology Center, Infotech Enterprises, Bharat Heavy Plate and Vessels Limited (BHEL). He has Contributed to Product Development best practices and process improvement using Six Sigma. He is also an invited speakers in Industry, Technology and Education forums across India to improve the working culture in Product development, R&D and innovation.

The webinar series includes a wider reach and ability to share knowledge and inherent opportunities to reach out many industrial experts, thereby getting the knowledge imparted from the industry and accessing the general requirement of the industry, which may be very much useful at the time of their campus recruitment.

The COVID-19 pandemic has created an unprecedented global crisis and has infected more than 3 million people in more than 200 countries. Even before the onset of this pandemic, the global economy was confronting turbulence on account of disruptions in trade flows and attenuated growth. The situation has now been very much aggravated by the demand, supply, and liquidity shocks that COVID -19 has inflicted on many economies, including the Indian economy. However, it is expected that the course of economic recovery in India could be smoother and faster than that of many other advanced countries.

Thus, under the auspices of SRM University – AP, a webinar “Post COVID-19 Resurgence of Indian industry and R & D” is being organised on Friday, 15th May 2020 at 11.30 a.m. The main objectives of the webinar are- (i) to discuss the resurgence of the Indian industry, post-COVID-19, and (ii) to discuss the possible slowdown of R & D and the strategies/measures for the resurgence of R & D in the country.

SRM University- AP is honoured to have Dr V K Saraswat, Hon’ble Member, NITI AAYOG who has kindly agreed to chair the above webinar. Dr G Sateesh Reddy, Chairman, DRDO, Prof. Ashok Jhunjhunwala, Institute Professor, IIT- Madras, Dr K Varaprasada Reddy, Chairman Emeritus, Shantha Biotech, and other distinguished experts will grace the event by sharing their views and opinions.

Prof D Narayana Rao, Pro Vice Chancellor, SRM University – AP acts as the moderator for the webinar.

The webinar is a wonderful opportunity for everyone to listen to the views of such eminent dignitaries and to acquaint oneself with the turn, the Post COVID-19, could offer great opportunities for Indian industries, exports and other sectors. .

SRM University- AP will be profoundly grateful to have your kind participation in the webinar. Please click on the following link to register yourself for the webinar.

Register Yourself here: https://srmap.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJcvcO-pqT4qH9SfOvGg9i24bYlyLhb5fCMW

Webinar Brochure: Resurgence of Indian industries and R&D in a Post COVID-19 Scenario

The Industry Readiness Webinar Series- 3

The Industry Readiness Webinar Series provides a forum for the industry experts to share their experience with the students. Through the video workshop, lecture or presentation hosted online; the Speaker uses the platform to share beneficial knowledge, ideas and updates with the stakeholders.

The purpose of the webinar series is to engage an industry expert to host a weekly seminar on a broad spectrum, about the expectations and the pedagogy required to bridge the gap between the academia and the industry on various aspects.

Our guest for the week is Mr N. Lakshminarasimhan, General Manager (HR ) at Brakes India Private Limited. Padi, Chennai and Life member in ISTD (Indian Society for Training and Development) and currently holding the position of Hon.Treasurer of Chennai chapter. He will be sharing his 30 years of experience in Technical Training, Manpower Planning & Recruitment, Employee Motivation and Talent Life Cycle Management etc. with the students. He is known for his motivational sessions on various topics (Technical/ behavioural) including press tool manufacturing, tool design, lean manufacturing, TPM, Modern manufacturing practices, Industry 4.0, Career guidance and readying for the industry at more than 125 colleges in the past 8 Years. He believes that every person has got the potential to scale greater heights, if rightly guided, coached and motivated.

The webinar series includes a wider reach and ability to share knowledge and inherent opportunities to reach out many industrial experts, thereby getting the knowledge imparted from the industry and accessing the general requirement of the industry, which may be very much useful at the time of their campus recruitment.