The spotlight is on Dr. P. Kumar and Mr. B. Bhuvaneswaran, Rajalakshmi Engineering College, India

Rajalakshmi Engineering College (REC) in Chennai, Tamil Nadu state, is an autonomous institution affiliated with Anna University, India’s oldest technical institution, founded in 1997. REC offers 19 undergraduate and nine postgraduate programs in all fields of engineering, with an annual intake of 2,800 students.

The Department of Computer Science and Engineering (CSE) focuses on equipping students with skills for careers in industries requiring computer engineering expertise. Supported by Tata Consultancy Services, India’s leading IT company, CSE emphasizes faculty development as fundamental to student success. It maintains Memorandum of Understanding agreements with a multitude of software companies for training and faculty development, as well as for research and development activities.

In 2019, the CSE department steered REC into becoming an Oracle Academy Institutional member, implementing the database and Java curriculum in classes reaching over 1,000 students.

As Director of Computing and Information Science, Dr. P. Kumar leads the integration of Oracle Academy resources into the college’s curriculum, ensuring that courses align with industry standards and cover essential Oracle technologies. He has been awarded Longest Student Branch Counsellor by the Computer Society of India (CSI).

Assistant Professor Mr. B. Bhuvaneswaran oversees the delivery of teaching and certification, helping to bridge the gap between academic knowledge and industry requirements. He has received Gold-level Infosys Inspire Faculty Partnership recognition and is an Oracle Advanced PL/SQL Developer Certified Professional.

The CSE department trains faculty to deliver Oracle Academy curriculum that includes Java Foundations, Java Fundamentals, Java Programming, Database Programming with SQL, Database Programming with PL/SQL and Oracle APEX.

Oracle Academy: What are the value of Oracle Academy resources in your coursework?

Dr. Kumar: Our objective is to enable students to get real-world experience with industry-leading software and applications. Boosting talent through teaching Oracle database and programming is primordial. Demand for Oracle-specific talent in Tamil Nadu is high and we consistently align the curriculum to industry standards.

Our students develop Java and Oracle database skills and get hands-on practice with web development using Oracle APEX. Understanding these technologies helps them to sail through interviews during campus recruitment. We keep close track of graduates, most of which find work with leading software companies or major industries.

Mr. Bhuvaneswaran: Students get to practice with the resources in our classrooms and laboratories. Currently we have seven dedicated Oracle Academy Member Hub channels mapped to laboratory and value-added courses. The lab courses cater to students in Computer Science and Engineering, IT, Computer Science and Business Systems, Computer Science and Design, Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, and Artificial Intelligence and Data Science.

The value-added courses are for those enrolled in Electronics and Communication Engineering and Electrical and Electronics Engineering.

Oracle Academy: And how many faculty and students are there?

Dr. Kumar: We have 13 faculty members conversant with Oracle Academy resources. They teach classes in database design, programming and low code apps development to 1,000 students. Soon we will be introducing Oracle Cloud.

Oracle Academy: Do you have an initiative for keeping teachers up to speed?

Dr. Kumar: Teachers follow self-paced learning available on the Oracle Academy Member Hub and access materials such as Oracle Academy Education Bytes. However, as part of our faculty development program, we share Oracle Academy materials for improving teaching best practices across the department — and into other departments — fostering a collaborative learning environment. Ten new teachers are currently mastering the resources via training packages we’ve put together, based on our own experience. What we can learn, we can share, and we expect new teachers to do the same.

We must not forget that student outcomes in final exams or job interviews reflect on our teaching. Their success is our success and it’s a principle of Rajalakshmi to aim for educational excellence. Well-trained faculty can better mentor and guide students, increasing their chances of academic and professional success. Access to Oracle Academy’s vast repository of teaching materials and resources prepares students for real-world challenges and enhances their employability.

Oracle Academy: And you also carry the torch at events like the Oracle APEX Conclave.

Mr. Bhuvaneswaran: That’s so. The event is designed to provide students, faculty, and industry professionals with insights into APEX and its application in real-world scenarios. This year we shared experience and insights and our conviction that APEX is an invaluable tool for web development and much more.

Incidentally we also promote Oracle Academy to other colleges in Tamil Nadu state. Tamil Nadu, one of India’s largest regions, has 80 million people and is highly industrialized with a strong presence in the automotive, textile, leather, electronics, and IT sectors. Demand for Oracle skills is extremely high.

Oracle Academy: That’s interesting; how do you go about it?

Mr. Bhuvaneswaran: Since we are the leading technology college in Tamil Nadu, and student placements in industry are highly visible, other institutions are interested in our methods and reach out to us. We share best practices at events such as the APEX Conclave and have also organized one-week sessions for teachers wishing to learn more about Oracle Academy. It’s early days but we may become official Oracle Academy trainers.

Oracle Academy: Do you encourage professional certification?

Mr. Bhuvaneswaran: Absolutely! Apart from the certificates we issue for successful course completion, we prepare students for the Oracle Professional Associate exams. OPA gives them competitive career advantages.

Our goal is to equip graduates with the skills required by employers in cities like Chennai and Coimbatore, which are major hubs for software development and IT services.

Oracle Academy: Terrific. Lastly, what do you have planned for the coming year?

Mr. Bhuvaneswaran: As briefly mentioned, when touching on laboratories, we have two AI-focused programs. Our intention is to teach Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning with Java to about 300 students enrolled in those programs.

And this fall we will be embracing the Oracle Academy Cloud Program, to be delivered to over 1,000 students. Faculty is training as we speak. We also are getting fully up to speed on cybersecurity.

Dr. Kumar: In addition to faculty development and sharing best practices, we are instigating the Oracle Academy Student Club. The idea is to further spread interest in database, programming, app development, and AI. Faculty alone cannot reach all students; we’ll be showcasing tools and resources and success stories. We will also provide help with resumé building and interview preparation — particularly for girls, who might still feel that computing is a male-dominated world.

Thank you, Dr. P. Kumar and Mr. B. Bhuvaneswaran, for your passion for Oracle Academy and for preparing your students to make a positive impact.