Rishihood University: Interview with Mr. Shankar Muralidharan (Director - Admissions and Marketing)

Rishihood University was established in 2020 in the city of Sonipat in Haryana. It is a private state university recognised by the University Grants Commission (UGC). Rishihood University offers undergraduate (UG) and postgraduate (PG) level degree programmes in management, design, finance, etc. The university academic areas include education, healthcare, creativity, entrepreneurship and public leadership.

Careers360 brings you an exclusive interview with Mr. Shankar Muralidharan, Director - Admissions and Marketing, Rishihood University. In this interview Shankar Muralidharan shares various details about the university, Rishihood University admissions process and other important things. Read the complete article to know more about Rishihood University.

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

Mr. Shankar Muralidharan. Our founders commenced their journey within education as the Vision India Foundation in 2014. After mentoring over 2000 alumni in leadership and nation-building. This gave shape to our vision of reimagining education in India in the form of Rishihood University - India’s first Social Impact university. With an application-based, multi-disciplinary and ecosystem approach to learning, our focus is on nurturing and educating passionate learners towards creating positive change. We are working on a mission to enable equitable access to education and opportunity. The vision of the university is to transform higher education in India and train students to become visionaries and individuals with inspiring leadership and entrepreneurial skills.

Also Read: Rishihood University Courses and Fees

Careers360. What according to you are a few must-have qualities in a good university?

Mr. Shankar Muralidharan. There are several qualities that a ‘good’ university must possess. Few of them would be:

1. Scholarships for passionate and meritorious students so they can study without the burden of rising costs of quality education.

2. Residential campus that allows peer learning, team building and networking opportunities.

3. Interdisciplinary framework and a fluid curriculum so that students can choose from diverse disciplines and make an informed decision about their academic choices.

4. Global faculty pool who can not only bring in global perspectives into the classroom but also get the best out of students.

5. Strong international collaborations to facilitate student exchange and course connect programmes for better exposure.

6. Diverse community that includes students from different cultural, social and economic backgrounds for enhanced peer learning.

7. Culture of entrepreneurship and leadership that inculcates innovation and creativity among students and faculty, thereby enhancing corporate interface.

8. Robust interactions with icons and stalwarts from diverse fields like industry, sports, entertainment, public leadership and others.

Careers360. Tell us something about the admission process?

Mr. Shankar Muralidharan. Rishihood University admission process is a mentorship process for students. Every applicant undergoes a thorough ‘Profile Building’ exercise that includes detailed sessions on personalized counselling, career choices, university selection, building strong applications, scholarship assistance and others, that help students in putting forth their best performance in the selection process. The focus of the admission process is to ensure that students are able to make informed decisions before taking the plunge into quality higher education. Applicants are evaluated on the basis of their overall performance across our selection criteria that includes statement of purpose, past academic records, extracurricular achievements, one-minute video SOP, personal interview, admission test scores and others.

Quick Link: Rishihood University Admissions

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

Mr. Shankar Muralidharan. Rishihood University is a thoughtful experiment to reimagine higher education in India. By building an ecosystem of impact, we wish to enable our students, faculty, and the larger society to pursue their passion. The university infrastructure has been designed to create a joyful learning environment where students can find their purpose and strive towards excellence. The 25-acre campus provides a vibrant range of cultural, recreational and social activities for everyone. It is fully equipped with a 350-seat air-conditioned auditorium, a sports complex, multiple studios, labs, conference rooms and classrooms, residential accommodation and substantial space to study, interact, and enjoy all academic and non-academic events. Apart from that, the university has an Incubation Center built to meet the funding demands of the start-ups by students. The campus environment encourages students to come together and form multiple social, cultural and sports clubs for enhanced peer interaction and learning.

Other Important Links: Rishihood University Facilities

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?

Mr. Shankar Muralidharan. Rishihood University, looks at learning as a multi-level process that happens through multiple modes. One of the endeavors of the university is to provide a platform for students to interact and network with experts from the industry and academia to understand the various aspects of new age corporate thinking. These interactions have been really successful for students in understanding the world outside and upgrading their skill sets. We have also innovated the way students are assessed in practical subjects like Entrepreneurship - making their transition from higher studies to industry easier. The Center for Student Achievement, Resources and Enrichment (CARE) helps students in building a strong profile, improving communication skills, training and placement.

So far industry interactions are concerned, university has hosted Pratap Bose, Chief Design Officer - Mahindra and Mahindra Ltd.; Rajiv Sikka, CEO - IndianOil Adani Gas Ltd.; Sridhar Vembu, CEO - Zoho Corp.; Dr. Kiran Bedi, Former Lt. Governor - Puducherry; Amish Tripathi, Author and Diplomat; J Sai Deepak, Advocate - Supreme Court of India; and several other eminent personalities. We have also been interacting with students and scholars from Harvard, Stanford, Columbia, Tufts and various other universities across the world for exchange of ideas and best practices to shape the future of education in India.

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

Mr. Shankar Muralidharan. Rishihood University has a structured learning framework where students are able to acquire knowledge and skills from various disciplines. Moreover, the university has a dedicated Career Services Office that works seamlessly to identify the right fit for students across academia and professional services. Recruiters connected with the university include Adobe, Bosch, Kohler, FabIndia, Marks & Spencer among others who are open to providing internships or placements.

Also See: Rishihood University Reviews

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

Mr. Shankar Muralidharan. The university is constantly collaborating with like-minded institutions globally across US, UK, Europe, Asia and others. The nature of these international associations includes faculty exchange, student exchange and student immersion programmes. Some of our associations include those with the University for the Creative Arts, UK, Matsushita Institute of Government and Management, Japan, Kaospilot School, Denmark amongst others. The international collaborations provide an opportunity for students and faculty to broaden their perspectives.

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