An Interview with Prof. (Dr) Hemant Sharma – Vice Chancellor (GNA University)

GNA University was established in 2014 as a state private institution in Phagwara,Punjab. GNA University has been recognised by the UGC and approved by the AICTE. GNA University course include BBA, BTech, BPharma, MBA and more. GNA University admissions will be considered if the candidate has a valid score in XAT/CAT/ JEE Main and others.

Careers360 brings you an interview with Prof. Hemant Sharma where he mentions GNA University, its admission process, internships, placement statistics, and the infrastructure. To learn more about GNA University, go through the questionnaire below.

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

Prof. (Dr) Hemant Sharma: GNA University was founded in 2014 by the Punjab State Legislature under "GNA University Act 2014" as a state private university approved under the Sections 2(f) of the UGC Act, 1956. It runs under the aegis of S. Amar Singh Educational Charitable Trust on a “no profit no loss” basis and is backed by a renowned leading corporate group GNA Gears. It is a multidisciplinary university offering programs in Animation & Multimedia, Engineering, Computational Science, Tourism & Hospitality, Business Studies, Natural Sciences, Allied & Health Care Sciences, Pharmacy, Liberal Arts, Automotive & Product Design, and Physical Education & Sports etc. The campus has state-of-art facilities spreading over 60 acres of lush green campus. It is located on the Phagwara Hoshiarpur Road, Phagwara.

Vision: To be recognized as an institution with focus on technical skills, innovation and entrepreneurship by providing a dynamic learning environment to the future leaders.

Mission:

• Providing state of the art infrastructure, ideal environment for application-based learning, research, working on industrial problems which are relevant to the society

• Offering programs in consonance with the industry requirement

• Ensuring and encouraging learning by practice

• Designing curriculum to match the industrial needs, global standard and societal aspirations

• Establish and enhance strategic relationship with the corporates

• Contributing towards the development of the sustainable society with community activities and awareness programs on health, hygiene, women empowerment, conservation of energy and protection of environment

Careers360: Tell us something about the admission process?

Prof. (Dr) Hemant Sharma: Selection of the candidate is strictly based on merit subject to fulfilment of eligibility criteria. Candidates are required to fill the prescribed application form and submit the same at the Admission Cell. Admission Cell will verify the eligibility and forward the form for further processing to the Registrar's office.

Admission Process:

• Fill in the Application form to take GU-SET.

• if you clear the test and satisfy about your eligibility and for admission in the program, fill the admission Application Form.

• If you have appeared in a qualifying examination and the result there of is awaited you can apply provisionally to go through the admission process, subject to fulfilment of the eligibility criteria. The Application Form has to be filled and signed by the applicant in hard form.

• The instructions in the Application Form are self-explanatory Kindly adhere to them strictly.

• It is mandatory to provide your e-mail address (clearly) and contact number as it will be used by the Admission Office for any further communication.

• University/Board Marks filled in the Application Form will be considered for all procedures related to the admission. Any discrepancy found during the original document verification will result in the cancellation of the admission.

Submit the filled in the Admission Application form along with the list of documents with the first semester fee with the Registrar Office.

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

Prof. (Dr) Hemant Sharma: At the core of GNA University’s mission is an unwavering commitment to quality education. This dedication has shaped the university’s strong intellectual foundation and propelled its rapid growth. With a proud legacy of academic excellence and a firm adherence to ethical values, GNA University stands out as one of the leading private institutions in North India.

Physical Infrastructure

GNA University boasts a world-class, ultra-modern infrastructure tailored to meet the academic and personal needs of its students:

ICT-Enabled Classrooms: Fully air-conditioned classrooms equipped with state-of-the-art audio-visual teaching aids for an engaging learning experience.

Advanced Laboratories: Cutting-edge labs furnished with modern equipment and managed by knowledgeable lab assistants who provide expert guidance for practical experiments.

Central Library: A centrally located, fully air-conditioned library offering an extensive collection of books, journals, and digital resources across all disciplines.

Residential Facilities: Well-maintained hostels with spacious rooms, high-speed Wi-Fi, dedicated study areas, modern interiors, gym facilities, and hygienic mess services.

Food Court: Strategically located behind the Administrative and Academic blocks, the cafeteria serves delicious and affordable meals, catering to the diverse tastes of students and staff.

Digital Infrastructure

Complementing its physical amenities, GNA University also offers a robust digital infrastructure that enhances academic delivery and administrative efficiency:

Learning Management System (LMS): An integrated platform for managing course content, assignments, attendance, and assessments.

Online Classrooms & Webinars: Seamless digital tools for virtual learning, enabling flexible access to classes and expert sessions.

High-Speed Campus Wi-Fi: Available throughout the campus to support digital learning, research, and collaboration.

Digital Library Access: Remote access to e-books, academic journals, research papers, and multimedia resources.

Careers360: There is a lot of stress that is being made about interaction with the industry as well as companies that recruit. What are the steps being taken by the institute in this direction?

Prof. (Dr) Hemant Sharma: The University offers numerous opportunities aimed at enhancing student success and is firmly committed to their recruitment and placement. The curriculum is thoughtfully designed to provide a balanced integration of theoretical concepts and hands-on practical learning in well-equipped laboratories, which helps students build essential technical skills. To keep students aligned with industry advancements, workshops on the latest technologies are organized every semester. Additionally, guest lectures by industry experts are conducted to provide real-world insights. Personality development and Soft Skills classes are also arranged regularly to prepare students for professional environments and ensure they are industry-ready.

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

Prof. (Dr) Hemant Sharma: GNA University has collaboration with a few renowned foreign universities in terms of student exchange, faculty exchange, and research and innovation etc. Students are also sent on 15 days immersion program where they develop insight into the culture and traditions of people residing abroad. Besides, they can also opt for a semester-abroad Program.

Careers360: Please share placement statistics with information on the average package, highest and lowest package, number of students placed and details of companies that have recruited.

Prof. (Dr) Hemant Sharma: Companies which recruit our students are Wipro, Infosys, ISRO, Hero Cycles, Mahindra Honda and Banks to be named as Axis Bank, HDFC Bank, Kotak Mahindra and Capital Finance Bank and many more. The Highest Package and Average Package offered is Rs. 43 Lakhs, and Average Salary is Rs. 5 Lakhs, respectively whereas the Company Name is Walkinshaw

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

Prof. (Dr) Hemant Sharma: Yes, internships are an integral part of our curriculum particularly in all professional and technical programmes, including management, engineering, hotel and tourism management, paramedical courses, and allied sciences etc. GNA University is a NEP 2020 compliant University, therefore, our efforts are to provide our students with full experiential learning. For this, apart from internships, we equally focus on industrial visits, training, projects and many other industry-aligned activities to make our students capable of applying their theoretical knowledge to sort out real industry problems.

Disclaimer: This content was distributed by GNA University and has been published as part of Careers360’s marketing initiative.