‘I was impressed with the atmosphere of discipline in the ASU campus’

Mr Parwez Alam, a businessman, is the father of Adnan Farooqui, a third year student pursuing  B. Tech-CSE  at the School of Engineering and Technology, Apeejay Stya University (ASU). In an exclusive interview, he describes the reasons for choosing ASU, his son’s progress and his perceptions about the online classes. Edited excerpts:

Why did you choose Apeejay Stya University over other universities for your child’s admission?

We had two-three universities in mind but we realised that Apeejay Stya University was the best.  I visited the campus during Adnan’s admission. I saw the hostel, the dining hall and I liked everything from the point of safety that a guardian has in mind. So, we went ahead with ASU.

Please tell us about your child and take us through his progress at ASU?

Adnan likes basketball and badminton in sports. He likes to go on long drives. I don’t know the exact details about his performance in his class. I am not that techno-friendly. I come from a different generation (laughs). He also doesn’t tell me about his marks in detail (laughs). My nephew is an engineer in Hong Kong. He works with JP Morgan. He is an expert in this field and so he is guiding Adnan and keeping a tab on his progress. He tells me that Adnan’s performance is positive but there is still a lot more to learn and improve.

Are the teachers engaging well with the students?

Adnan always tells me that his teachers teach him very well. I wish for his classes to resume physically soon. Then the classes will have a better impact.

What is the best thing about ASU?

He stayed for a year at the ASU hostel (in his first year) and then the pandemic struck. Since then the classes have been taking place in the online mode. From my point of view, discipline is a must for any institution. Adnan did his class 10 from Dalhousie Public School and stayed in the hostel. They had a lot of discipline there. When I visited the campus, I found a similar discipline at the ASU hostel. I liked the environment at Apeejay Stya University. It would have been a better experience if his stay at the hostel would have continued for 3-4 years i.e. the stipulated time but the pandemic can’t be helped.

What is your perception about the online classes?

I think everyone is reaching a sense of saturation with online classes. It would have been a better experience had Adnan stayed in the hostel. If he would have done any mischief I would have got his complaint (laughs). I would have been updated properly about his academic feedback plus I would also have visited him in the campus from time to time. That would have been a great experience for both him and me as a parent.

I leave early for work and return late in the evening. So, I am unable to keep a close tab on his academic progress. I would wish that the physical classes resume at the earliest, of course, with the proper Covid protocols in place.