Know all about DPP MAHE Bengaluru MA Course: An Interview with Dr Harini Santhanam (Associate Professor & HoD)

MAHE Bengaluru is an off-campus of Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal. The Department of Public Policy is an important department of MAHE Bengaluru. The Public Policy Department offers a Postgraduate degree course. It provides a multidisciplinary interactive environment and equips students with the skill sets to explore, experiment, and imbibe an in-depth understanding of the public policies for the society and its related issues. The curriculum framework of all the courses is designed to meet industry standards and is in congruence with the National Education Policy.

Careers360 brings you an exclusive interview with Dr Harini Santhanam, Associate Professor and Head of Department of Public Policy, MAHE Bengaluru. She is an environmental scientist and researcher, with special emphasis on evidence-based policy research. In her interview to Careers360 she has shared details about public policy courses offered by DPP at Manipal, its admissions process, placement details and other important details that candidates may find important while selecting a college for their PG programme. Read the complete interview of Dr Harini Santhanam to know more about the Department of Public Policy, MAHE Bengaluru.

Careers360. Who should take up Public Policy? Where should their interests and passion lie?

Dr Harini Santhanam. At the Department of Public Policy (DPP), MAHE Bengaluru we are looking for a group of diverse students who come from different educational backgrounds like Science, Law, Arts, Management, etc. Because Public Policy is intricately linked to society and related issues. So we need people from diverse backgrounds to take up this specialization at a Masters level.

But what is also essential for us at DPP Manipal is to bring in some sort of creativity into this learning, so students with some or the other kind of experience and passion apply for this programme. And as learning is always a cooperative exercise, we look forward to onboarding students who are creative, enthusiastic and who like to have an innovative course designed for them. Hence these are the students who should or are going to join Maniapl and make the DPP programme a success.

Also Read: MAHE Bengaluru Courses and fees

Careers360. Please explain what is special about this course, what students can expect during the duration of the course?

Dr Harini Santhanam. We have a modular learning course, but it's open ended. So we have designed courses such that the students will have to take up these subjects for the purpose of learning and to bring all understanding to a platform for educating policy makers. This means that we will go through the journey of identifying policy gaps across diverse disciplines and also have innovative experience and interactive sessions with experts which help them to understand the importance of public policy.

But what is special about this course is the practice part. As the course has a modular approach for the first year and practice approach for the second year. It is going to give unparalleled opportunities to students to bring together their own experiences and interests and enhance them to the level that they have the unique experience of developing the capability of identifying policy gaps and providing policy insights.

Quick Links: MAHE Bengaluru Admissions

Careers360. What kind of internships come to students pursuing this course? Please give some details about the duration and advantages of the same.

Dr Harini Santhanam. The second year of practice has two parts - internship and project work. The internship is a dedicated period offered to students to network with experts and try to develop this network into an internship for a minimum period of two months. Beyond this period we expect the students to actually translate these experiences into their project work and a masters level dissertation. We encourage students to either continue the subjects they are taking up for study during the internship and also for practice as they learn from the experiences. Or they can find a new domain which interests them for their project work which might be inspired by their internship.

The project work will be for a minimum duration of eight months, post which students will be able to come up with unique methodology of their own on how to identify policy gaps, how to enable policy decision at various levels, etc. This is how we have started the internship and project opportunity across the second year also known as the year of practice.

See Also: MAHE Bengaluru placements

Careers360. There is mention of collaboration with other departments like Law, Management. Technology, Economics, Health, Humanities etc. What type of collaboration is this and how does it help the students?

Dr Harini Santhanam. As we see in the education sector these days, students are very capable of doing many things. Even at bachelors level students have done a few internships out of their own interests. They have worked in different sectors as student activists or joined some popular cause. These are the experiences which they have already credited from their earlier internships.

But by studying a Master of Arts in Public Policy course we are going to enhance these experiences by making them a part of the programme across disciplines. This trans-disciplinary nature of study and also interaction with interdisciplinary nature of study is going to help the students a lot. It will also give the students a synoptics view of what we are trying to achieve through our collaborations.

Other Links: MAHE Bengaluru facilities

Careers360. Please give details of the collaboration with international universities if any. What is the nature of the collaboration and how do students benefit?

Dr Harini Santhanam. We focus on student exchange programmes more as it is likely to give a lot more exposure to them by collaborating with international institutions. We are trying to develop a programme for students to give them an international edge to their thinking and perception of policy making.

Careers360. What kind of roles can students expect when being placed?

Dr Harini Santhanam. There are varied roles that students can take forth on completion of their course. In government departments as Evaluation Assistant, Research Assistant who work on actual data sets and identify policy gaps from datasets. Another job opportunity would be to move into academia as a Research Scholar who can further their understanding of policy making. Apart from these there are several opportunities in the corporate world as Strategy Planner, Data Analyst, etc.

There are some non traditional roles also for which students can apply for on completion of their course. Linke with NGOs who look at policy advocacy, roles with think tanks which are a combination of research and academia roles.

Disclaimer: This content was distributed by Department of Public Policy, MAHE Bengaluru and has been published as part of Careers360’s marketing initiative.

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