Bhawanipur Education Society College, BESC – scripting the Greatest Turnaround Story of the East

Bhawanipur Education Society College, BESC – scripting the Greatest Turnaround Story of the East

Empowering the Leaders of Tomorrow in an incubator of excellence called Commerce+

It was never what one would call a center for educational excellence. Rather a transit camp where “not-so-bright” students in general and especially from a particular community spent a few years even as they prepared to settle down in their family businesses. The peers looked down at “Bhaggu” with a condescending sneer and a deprecating, even nasty scowl. Students ambled in and out, oblivious in their blissful state of inertia.

Cut to the present. Bhawanipur is now BESC and the 8000+ odd students in the campus proudly call themselves BE-ites. And they have compelling reasons to be proud. They represent the most sought after institution in the college fests scene, sweeping the maximum number of awards and accolades as a rule. The typical student passing out of the college is today, academically far superior to both his predecessors as well as being way above the national and university averages. But what is remarkable is the overall process empowerment through which he or she is run through in BESC. A process that ensures that the student has bridged the academia-industry disconnect and is future ready for the world of employment. This process also helps the blossoming of the entrepreneurial urges in the young ones, which has led to some of the most talked about ventures that have etched the name in the national consciousness.

All this without making attendance such a compulsion. Yes, BESC does not make attending classes an end in itself – here the stress is more on the practical imbibing of knowledge as opposed to the cramming of information down the collective throat of hapless students. Here professors are “on duty” in the collage library for “all ye, who seek”. Industry experts and those who dominate their domains are regular in holding workshops and conferences so as to provide students with the actual feel of the subjects. And, the onus has been shifted to the teachers (read their ability to intellectually arrest the attention of the students) – to fill their classrooms when the gong is sounded, calling the faithful to academic prayer.

Apart from being the Coolest Campus by far, BESC is also wired to the global grid; is cutting edge in terms of technology absorption and e-enablement – a “smart campus” to boot. However, what really sets BESC apart is what it calls its “Mission” of “shaping careers beyond expectation” – the Commerce + programme. Says Prof Dilip Shah, the Dean of Student Affairs and the moving spirit behind the evolution of the institution: “Continuous industry feedback tells us that tomorrow’s problems cannot be solved with yesterday’s knowledge. Commerce + seeks to respond to this paradigm shift.

Miraj Shah the young and energetic face of the college believes, “we have to brace ourselves up to integrate into the wired world order and seek to re-skill students so that they may attain critical mass. Commerce + is not merely about the sharing of information – it is about the creation of knowledge warriors ready to take on tomorrow.”

The 240 hour programme spread over 6 months of intensive diploma course with internship assistance. “The entire programme has been structured around direct interaction between the knowledge leaders and the students” explains Prof. Vijay Kothari “and is based on the assessment of the student’s individual interests, aptitude and abilities. Going by the initial response, we are overwhelmed.”

For, the Commerce + programme, with its application of classroom training in  real-life settings and the active participation in authentic, job related tasks, is already being hailed as a game-changer in academic circles. Industry feedback too is positive and campus placement drives are already being coordinated by the students, to whom, this too is a part of the learning curve.

“As a matter of fact” continues Miraj Shah, “the feedback from the students is what I feel, is the most heartening aspect of this exercise. The evolution of those in the current, inaugural batch is palpably evident and people are already queuing up to enroll themselves for the next session. Response from the industry too is positive while fellow academicians too have started enquiring about the effectiveness and efficacies of what we are putting in place”.

“God willing, we will not only take it forward in terms of integration but will also increase its scope in the years to come” concludes Prof Shah.

There is a revolution that is preparing for the Big Bang. Watch this space; we will keep you posted as the industry ready students seize the initiative on the shop floors.

For more information visit the college website: www.thebges.edu.in