Meerut (The Hawk): An eminent fashion technologist and educationist Dr Reema Varshney, Director, Vidya Institute of Fashion Technology, VKP, Meerut was recently interviewed by our EduReporter Mr SP Verma. The following is the essence of the interview.
When did you start your journey as an educator and how many years have you dedicated to this industry?
I have started my journey as an educator in 1995 as Assistant Professor in Linguistic and Phonetics in AKPPG College Hapur and since then I am teaching various subjects like English literature, Communicative English to the students of courses like, B.Tech., MBA, MCA, BAFT, etc. More than 26 years have been invested in educating the students and to guide them in improving their communicative English, Design project skills, soft skills, HR marketing, etc.
What was your vision and motivation behind heading VIFT?
I take VIFT as an opportunity as well as a challenge to me. As while working in Engineering college as Assistant Professor, I had developed a taste for graphic design. I have an inborn talent for creative analysis and VIFT is an opportunity to apply this ability for making students employable and skilled for design industry. Initially it was very difficult but I believe following dream passionately, that makes my journey smooth. My vision is to take VIFT at par with National Institution in terms of skills development. Higher rate of students success is the motivating factor to me. At VIFT, we are preparing the skilled fashion technologists, graphic designers, artists and journalists through the courses of BFAD,BFA, BJMC,DFD and ADFD.
What is the scope of fashion and design related careers for the students?
Careers in the fields related to designing, fashion technology and journalism are available in large numbers to the skilled professionals. They are highly in demand and the career scope in this area is increasing day by day. All the people are now much sensitive towards creative designs in all type of products. Products created by fashion designers and graphic designers are searched by people and organisations. The use of social media has increased the scope of journalism too. VIFT is developing skilled and creative professionals and helping them for their placements.
Who has been your inspiration during this journey?
Several people have influenced my personality but the main source of my inspiration include Sri Ratan Tata ji, Narayana Murthy ji, and Sudha Narayana Murthy, who taught me not to stop until you achieve.
What are the bigger challenges you face during your journey? How did you overcome these obstacles?
The greatest challenge is to deal with 18 years plus students who came with high vision and get distracted with so many antisocial activities and peer pressure. My focus remains to get them educated not only theoretically but practically with employable skills. It is difficult but now it is resolved as I have developed a lot of industry connect to bridge the gap between academics and industry. We provide all sorts of help and support and training to prepare and place our students well in the industries.
Describe one instance that led to step in the education sector.
I remember when I was a child may be of 8 or 9 years of age while other cousins of mine play other games and I used to dress up as a teacher and take the class to my younger siblings and neighbourhood children (very old memories) and got appreciation for my teaching skills even in childhood, I am born to be an educator only.
What are the ways in which your institute has reached out and connected with its neighbouring community?
VIFT organise various outreach programmes to serve the society in a better manner. Various CSR activities are organised in neighbouring locations and villages. Publicity by mouth publicity of our past and existing students, our training and placement records and proper and effective use of website and social media have found useful in reaching out and connecting with community.
What are your expectations from the colleagues in your Institute and how do you help them to work towards achieving the organisation’s vision?
I am happy to share that my team in VIFT is a well-knit team working sincerely to achieve the goals set by the management. We understand that teamwork is important to achieve organisational vision. I always explain my colleagues the meaning of team is together everybody achieve the maximum. Hence, I do SWOT analysis and allot work to each of them and give them a lot of freedom to work then analyse their work evaluate and appreciate their work. I think this is how a leadership work. We organise skill enhancement programmes for our colleagues regularly. Both our chairman Mr PK Jain and Executive Director-Mr Vishal Jain are visionary and quite supportive.
How would you encourage developing leadership capacity in your students?
I always share with my students that if they are a good learners only then they could be good workers and then effective leaders. Until and unless you know your work you cannot lead the world. Through different activities/workshops/interactive sessions, we are developing the leadership skills, creativity, problem solving, decision making and Critical Thinking among our students.
What are the values you wish to inculcate in your student?
We at VIFT always believe in honesty which is the best policy. Through different activities, we are inculcating values of creativity, hard work, integrity, responsibility, sportsmanship, self-direction, love, truth, peace, and rightfulness.
What is your opinion about the present-day educational system in our country?
The present-day education system requires a lot of issues to be addressed for the development of young minds. Luckily, NEP 2020 has been launched by Govt of India in higher learning institutes which will produce skilled manpower and professionals making our country self-reliant in almost all fields. I am sure that the problems occurring in the present education system will be eliminated and we will be able to make our country proud through the education system blended with modern education system and our ancient rich culture.
What are the changes in the behaviour of a student after post Coved pandemic? How are dealing with such situations?
This is something really very relevant question in current scenario as post Covid pandemic left young brain exposed to many exposures in technologies. These are good to certain extent but made them addictive, consequently they are facing a lot of psychological, medical and behaviour issues. These issues are needed to be handled sensibly and scientifically. We at VIFT are organising counselling sessions for the learners to make them physically fit and mentally alert.
—Dr Reema Varshney
Dr Reema Varshney, Professor and Director, Vidya Institute of Fashion Technology, VKP, Meerut, was born on 14 April 1971. She was awarded Ph.D. degree in 2002 by CCS University, Meerut. She is an educationist of repute having 26 years of teaching experience and possessed various post graduate degrees like M.A, M.Phil., MBA(HR), MSc (Fashion Design), and B.Ed.
She has more than 11 years of administrative experience of running an AICTE Approved Fashion institute. She has authored 18 research papers, out of which 8 were published in different journals while 10 were presented in national seminars and workshops. She has organised many seminars and workshops. She is an empanelled Counsellor in IGNOU for MBA programme. She has one patent on her credit. She is convenor, Board of Studies for BAFT in AKT University.
