MIT-ADT University: Shaping promising careers

The MIT group has been operating degree programmes that are affiliated to Pune University for the last 33 years

The MIT Group of Institutions, a leading, Pune-based higher education provider, founded by Prof. Dr. Vishwanath D. Karad, set up the MIT Art, Design & Technology University at its Rajbaug campus at Loni Kalbhor near Pune, about two years ago.
The group, known for its technical education, started its own private university meant exclusively for art, design and technology. Dr. Mangesh T. Karad, Executive President of the university says: "We expect to properly blend art - including performing and creative - so that today's youth can engage in their hobbies, even as they pursue their professional education including engineering, architecture and management. This is the basis and foundation of the new university."
The university offers several undergraduate, postgraduate, certificate, Ph.D., and PG diploma programmes. The under-graduate programmes are offered by various institutes, including the School of Engineering, the School of Fine Art & Applied Art, the International School of Broadcasting & Journalism, the College of Food Technology, the School of Film & Television, the Maharashtra Academy of Naval Education & Training, the School of Bioengineering Sciences & Research, the Vishwashanti Sangeet Kala Academy, the Institute of Design, the School of Vedic Sciences, the School of Architecture and the College of Management.
The MIT School of Engineering offers 30 specialised B. Tech/M. Tech programmes in Computer Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Mechatronics Engineering, Energy Engineering, Civil Engineering, IT Engineering and Electronic & Communication Engineering. 
According to Dr. Karad, the university caters to the growing needs of a wide range of sectors including marine and nautical sciences, design, fashion design, film and television, food technology, architecture and bioengineering.
"The growing middle and upper-middle classes in India have resulted in a large number of people getting conscious about brands," explains Dr. Karad. "This happens in their selection of cars, clothes, footwear, and jewellery." Every industry has to appoint specialist designers suited for their products and services. 
The MIT Institute of Design offers nine sub-streams, both in bachelor's and master's degrees.
According to him, while the Indian film, TV, entertainment and media sectors are witnessing phenomenal growth, there are very few institutions offering qualified personnel. 
"Most of these institutes also do not have approval from universities," he says. Hence MIT Art, Design & Technology University launched a wide range of courses in film-making, cinematography, script-writing, sound recording and editing, catering to the growing needs of the industry.
Referring to the College of Food Technology, he points out that consumption of processed food is growing rapidly in India, especially with a growing number of working women. 
"India requires a large number of food technologists, but unfortunately there are very few institutes to train them," he notes. In Pune, a city of about four million, there is just one institute - MIT College of Food Technology - to train students and provide them the necessary knowledge of food processing.
According to Dr. Karad, many other schools at the varsity offer specialised programmes that are generally not addressed by institutions in India. Bioengineering, for instance, is now thriving in India, as thousands of people go in for knee and hip replacements. 
"About 20 years ago, hardly anyone had heard of the bioengineering solutions. Today, it is being used widely on humans, animals and plants," he explains. The School of Bioengineering will be able to meet the huge demand for qualified specialists who would be able to handle sophisticated equipment.
With the infrastructure sector witnessing massive growth in India, Dr. Karad sees tremendous demand for students passing out of the engineering and architecture schools of the group. "We offer specialised programmes in digital architecture at our school, Project & Construction Management, etc."
The 120-acre campus, located on the Pune-Solapur highway - and located quite close to the proposed new airport that will come up in Pune - has an intake of 60 to 120 students for every course.
MIT ADT University recently won the 'Best University campus award 2017' from the Associated Chambers of Commerce India (Assocham), at its summit for higher education in New Delhi. 
It also gave the lifetime achievement award for Academic Excellence to founder Dr. Vishwanath Karad. Dr. Mangesh Karad received both the awards.
Referring to the sprawling campus, Dr. Karad says it features several facilities for students including hostels, playgrounds, a swimming pool, basketball and tennis courts, cricket and football grounds, indoor sports facilities, boat club and a theatre.
The school also has renowned personalities as mentors. They include Jabbar Patel, the veteran film personality and renowned film director from Maharashtra (who has won nine national awards for his films) and Lata Mangeshkar, the legendary vocalist, who is the mentor for the School of Music & Performing Arts.
Asked about Gulf NRI students, Dr. Karad says many have started enrolling in the university. "These students can take advantage of all our specialised schools, which offer relevant courses, tailored to the demands of the industry."
Dr. Karad expects the university to have about 10,000 students in just five years. The MIT group, which has been operating degree programmes that are affiliated to Pune University for the last 33 years, is also looking for potential partners in Dubai for expansion projects.
"The UAE offers great potential for conducting various courses, including medical," he explains. "Unfortunately, bureaucracy in India results in our inability to meet the demand for professionals globally. Indian doctors are in huge demand in the U.S., Europe and other parts of the world, but our colleges are unable to churn up the required number of doctors. The UAE facility that we plan would help in this regard."

• India