Insight Middle East and Africa is delighted to speak with Dr. Vivek Mohan, Dean – Academic and Student Affairs.
Dr. Vivek, could you tell us about yourself and your role at Exeed College?
I am the Dean of Academic and Student Affairs at Exeed College, Westford Education Group. I would like to think of myself as someone who happened to be in the right place at the right time. I have over a decade of experience in consulting and higher education in the UK and Middle East and have been fortunate to lead high performing teams in operations, development and strategy in higher education and in learning and development focused on educational technology. At Exeed College, I am responsible for the operations, development and delivery of higher education programs in collaboration with universities and educational institutions in the UK, US, Europe and Asia, and handle executive education.
Exeed College has established itself as a prominent provider of online / part-time academic programs. Can you share some insights into how has Exeed college been able to maintain its reputation for offering top-rated programs, and what sets these programs apart from others in the region?
Exeed College’s success is due to our vision, which is based on four pillars: innovation, affordability, accessibility, and flexibility, which set us apart from others. As such, we have made a conscious effort to implement not only innovative pedagogy but also an andragogical approach for working professionals. Through our Transnational Education (TNE) partnerships, we have made global programs affordable to the masses while making them accessible through an independent learning management system and instructor-led online delivery. Finally, we have made learning flexible by enabling our learners around the world to access courses from any location and with any smart device.
With a diverse range of academic offerings, including Doctorate programs in business administration and education, specialized MBA programs, and teacher qualification programs, how does Exeed College ensure that each program aligns with the evolving needs of learners?
To offer world-class degrees, Exeed College has struck the right chord by partnering with world-leading universities that offer exceptional student experiences. We offer high-quality teaching, groundbreaking research, and extensive collaboration with world-class organizations. As a strong advocate of bridging the gap in delivering quality education to the masses through digitization, Exeed has harnessed the power of technology and created a digital ecosystem by integrating a state-of-the-art virtual learning environment (VLE), including a robust learning management system (LMS) capable of delivering synchronous and asynchronous instruction. The use of state-of-the-art pedagogical tools, fully aligned courseware, and an online library ensures the seamless delivery of world-class academic degrees and professional programs to sophisticated learners around the world.
The collaboration with esteemed global universities, such as Universidad Católica de Murcia, City University, Woolf, Plymouth Marjon University, and Acacia University, is commendable. How do these partnerships contribute to enriching the educational experience for learners?
We offer higher education programs in three areas: Business Administration, Teacher Education, and Information Technology. We have been fortunate to partner with some of the best universities and awarding bodies around the globe. This offering has allowed us to provide the best to learners in different regions where they have not had access to affordable, quality education. Currently, Exeed College’s student base consists of professionals from more than 65 countries
Technology integration has been a cornerstone of Exeed College’s approach to education. Can you elaborate on the specific ways in which the digital ecosystem, including the virtual learning environment and Learning Management System, has transformed the learning landscape for students and faculty?
Exeed College’s Learning Management System (LMS) provides an online platform that stores large amounts of instructional materials in digitized form and is instructor-led (synchronous online). With a user-friendly interface, faculty can easily deliver lectures, automate assignments, and streamline the curriculum from any location. The learning resources used both during classes and by all students are:
- Learning Management System (LMS) developed by Exeed College itself, where students can access all relevant documents, presentations, and other materials published in the LMS.
- E-Library (electronic library), which can be accessed through the LMS itself and contains thousands of online e-books, articles, journals, and videos.
- A reference library available to all students on Westford premises where books and journals can be issued to students in the program.
- Turnitin software will be available to each student to assist him/her in checking for plagiarism and taking corrective action when necessary.
- E-classroom portals and recordings available to all online students to access any lecture at any time and from any location, and the portals are integrated with MS Teams.
In today’s fast-changing world, research and innovation are paramount in academia. How does Exeed College foster a culture of groundbreaking research among its faculty and students, and what opportunities are available for students to engage in research activities?
Our commitment to research is paramount, with a focus on the idea of ‘research enterprise.’ With a faculty pool of seasoned researchers and scholars, we are committed to enabling our research scholars to develop and execute research ideas that can contribute to existing knowledge. Such research output then gets an enterprising flavor as they are applied to real-world scenarios in different domains across an organizational structure. Overall, this research output is created mainly through dissertations in our master’s programs and with our doctoral programs in business management and education. All research scholars showcase research output through various symposiums hosted by Exeed College and with participation in other conferences and journal publications.
The college’s demography is notably diverse. How does Exeed College celebrate and leverage this diversity to create a vibrant and enriching learning environment?
As mentioned earlier, we currently have a large number of students from more than 65 countries. Since we are targeting working professionals, we emphasize pastoral support to help students along their journey. Students are also provided with learning materials that equip them with the skills necessary to seek out learning materials and acquire transferable skills that will be effective and valuable throughout their lives. Student support staff (academic and pastoral) provide guidance and respond to student feedback, making the student learning experience memorable and of lasting value.
Looking ahead, what are the key strategic goals and aspirations of Exeed College, and how does the college envision shaping the future of higher education?
Innovation is the key word for us, and our main strategic goals revolve around innovation and change. As an ed-tech college, we are committed to using the best educational technologies to enrich higher education for professionals from around the world. Gamification, blockchain, and artificial intelligence are key to our vision, and we hope to continue to make a difference in the student journey and satisfaction of future learners around the world.
To learn more about Exeed College, please visit www.exeedcollege.com