A feather in the cap of Bandra has been added as St. Andrew’s College has received the Best College Award for 2015-16 by the Mumbai University (MU). The college was honoured by the acting Vice-Chancellor (VC) of the MU for its work done in educating a large number of students for over 35 years.
It is more than a college claims Fr Magi Murzello who serves as the manager of St. Andrew’s College. “It is more than just a college, just a degree. It is an exchange of information as education is a celebration. Students, teachers and faculty members exchange information to help each other to go beyond and live life,” Fr Murzello exclaimed.
The college deserved this award as it has initiated various programmes, courses, events, sessions and scholarships for the transformation of the education scenario. It has increased its focus on research. Every year three International or National Conferences are organised and the college possesses four research journals with ISSN numbers. Six students have also completed their doctorate (PhD) study.
Apart from research, students are also part of various seminars and workshops. Annie Pinto, a student said, “We participate in various informative sessions which help us increase our knowledge and gain a broader perspective of current issues. Cultural, art and skill workshops provide us with a platform to exhibit our talent and innovate ourselves. The festivals and celebration give us an opportunity to interact with other students, learn and grow.”
The aim is to bring about an exchange of ideas and perspectives claimed Marie Fernandes who has been serving as the Principal of St. Andrew’s College since 2006. Fernandes said, “We want to focus on the holistic development of students where our students excel in academics, skills, talent and also contribute to the society in a healthy way. We want to transform our students into individuals with values and skills to become successful in life.”
Students are studying Science, Commerce, Arts and other self-financing courses like Mass Media, Management Studies, Banking and Insurance, Accounting and Finance, Information Technology, Hotel Management and Masters programme at the college. Students of the second year are involved in about 20 hours of work for the downtrodden and marginalised in addition to the NSS programme of the MU.
The college has also received a cash prize Rs 50,000 as part of the Best College Award. Fernandes said, “We will use these funds to introduce a scholarship for excellence for students and staff. We have the UNESCO and Cardinal Paul Poupard Chair for Inter-Religious and Inter-Cultural Dialogue. We aim to initiate many more scholarships and programmes for the benefit of our students.”
