Face to Face with Fr. Adolph Furtado sdb, Director DBIT
Q: What led The Salesian Society to launch this institute?
The Don Bosco Kurla Campus started in 1964 in keeping with the focus of Don Bosco Institutions worldwide which is to equip youth with basic livelihood skills. So an ITI (SJITI) was launched. Gradually over the years we realised that aspirations of the youth including the disadvantaged were rising. The Indian economy was growing. The demand for higher education was increasing. The logical step was to open an Engineering College which would be a progressive step - up from ITI. And so DBIT was launched in 2001.
Q: What is the Salesian focus in the fields of education and training?
The Salesians of Don Bosco have been working for the last 100 years, across the length and breadth of India, as facilitators for education and training. Our efforts are not merely reactive, they are proactive. Among the many goals we have set ourselves, a primary one is to harness skills and talents, and to make young people ready for societal contributions. This goal is being achieved by the various technical institutes run by the Salesians all over India
The Salesians of Don Bosco were founded with the express purpose of educating the youth especially the poor through a system which was uniquely identified with the Salesians because it went against the normal method of education. The Don Bosco Way of educating emphasizes the ‘Preventive method’. This Method encourages establishing a rapport with students, supports the use of reason in all one’s dealings with students and strives to impart a Holistic education which results in achieving harmonious living.
Q: What is your current focus at DBIT?
The current focus of DBIT can be understood through Our Vision, Mission and Values which we emphasize.
The Vision of DBIT is
To build a world class Centre for Learning, Empowerment and Transformation in the Engineering and Technology Space, guided by the values and traditions of Don Bosco, and with a preferred focus on the disadvantaged and underprivileged .
The Purpose/Mission of DBIT is
To empower students and other interested constituencies with excellent, employable, engineering and technology competencies and enable them to become more complete persons and effective citizens of India and the world.
The Values which DBIT stands for are
- Excellence with a Soul
- Holistic , Discerning Quality of Mind
- Research, Discovery and Innovation
- Deep Faith in God
- Good Citizenship
- Compassionate Heart
- Empowerment of the Disadvantaged
- Servant Leadership
Q: How can DBIT students be considered an asset to society in tandem with the mission of the Salesians?
Every Don Bosco Educational Institution stresses the importance of Character and Competence. So inasmuch as we strive to build industry relevant engineering and technology competencies in our students , we also, through our outreach and personal growth programs train our students to be effective citizens of our country.
Q: What are the special features that continue to attract students to DBIT?
DBIT creates a climate for learner - centred learning rather than teacher - centred learning. Teachers are encouraged to involve the students through increased participation and critical inquiry. In the current scenario where everything is being commoditised, companies are demanding innovative minds. Students in DBIT are encouraged to be innovative. Engineering demands rigour, research and applicability. DBIT has all these ingredients and more. In addition there are College festivals, and NSS activities. Students are put through a Personal Growth Process and given the facility of trained Counsellors. Ultimately students look for placements at the end of their tenure with DBIT. And DBIT doesn’t disappoint. The top companies visit the campus and recruit on a consistent basis. Lastly DBIT creates a strong sense of family which supports and nurtures rather than scolds and represses. For all the above DBIT remains a strong choice among students year after year.
Q: AICTE requires a certain standard from engineering colleges. Do you aim to satisfy these norms or do you have other parameters of excellence?
We fulfill AICTE standards. However, we benchmark ourselves against the very best in the country like the IITs and Institutions abroad. We have linkages with Institutions based in Taiwan. We encourage our teaching staff to teach beyond the syllabus. In fact we evaluate their performance based on this criteria. Given that the knowledge pool is growing and metamorphosing rapidly DBIT is continuously upgrading its teaching content and processes.
Q: How do you see India fitting into a global engineering platform?
India can match the engineering standards demanded by industry on a worldwide basis. We have achieved quality standards demanded by large organisations like General Motors. We have also brought to the table unique solutions which our own market demanded and which now have become worldwide standards like the ‘Nano’. In fact an indigenous team of young engineers have created an upgraded and cheaper version of Apple’s iPad. We are now truly entering a position where India will become the worldwide R & D centre for engineering and software solutions. India will be a creator of benchmarks in the engineering arena rather than play catch up with attainment of benchmarks set by other countries.
Q: What are your expectations from the students?
Our expectations from students is that they become competent engineers who contribute to industry and break new paths so that they do India proud as well as become sensitive to the social needs of the country and develop into proud citizens.
Q: What is your message to the staff and students?
Participate in the creation of a DBIT that supports you in your journey to realize your potential in becoming what you are meant to be.
Thank you and God bless you.
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