Yes.

Please start by introducing your professional journey in academia

Thank you. Myself, Doctor Sreekumar. Basically from Vilapram. And I have completed my. Schooling and. Gandhi Memorial Higher Secondary Schools. In the year of 1996. In the Jesse. And the year of 1998. My next to my higher secondary. And after that I have finished to my. Diploma in. Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering. Polytechnic. The year of 2000 with the First Class with Honors degree. And in the year of 2003. Happiness to mind be to clean. College of engineering.

You mentioned earning your diploma in Electrical and Electronics Engineering with First Class honors, and then moving on to College of Engineering in 2003. Could you continue from there and share how your academic and research path evolved after that?

With first class and in the year of 2005 I have finished with my. Yummy in Power System engineering. The era of 2005, I have finished my Power System engineering in Anamalai University. And after that? I have started my career.

Okay, so after finishing your M.E. in Power System Engineering at Annamalai University in 2005, you said you started your career.

In 2004. KCG College of Technology as a lecturer. Yes. Kansas City College of Technology in Chennai.

Dr.

KCG College of Technology, Chennai. Seagull.

Alright, so you started as a lecturer at KCG College of Technology in Chennai. When you first began teaching, what foundational concept in electrical engineering did you most enjoy explaining to students, and why?

Power System. Operation and control. And, uh, this? This subject basically my. My PG area. So I'm really very happy. While during the. During the period.

So, you found real satisfaction teaching Power System Operation and Control, especially since it lined up with your postgraduate work. Can you give me a concrete example of how you'd explain a core principle from that subject—say, load frequency control—to students encountering it for the first time?

Yeah, I took example with the. Load frequency control. Frequency is one of the important factor. To maintain the entire Power System. To get. The reliable operation and to ensure. The proper power supply. The customer has to. So frequency lower frequency control. Is one of the very important. And while. Checking the topic, I'm really very much interested and I have given. With a real example.

Alright, you emphasized real-world examples when teaching load frequency control, pointing out its importance for system reliability and customer power quality. Can you share one of those real-life examples you used, and explain how it helped your students grasp the concept?

Yes, I have brought my students. While taking in the class. Through presentation I have taken. But uh. While explaining. And I have brought my students into directly power plant. And that too in nearby. Uh, Navel Lignite Corporation. I have brought my students and I have explained with the help of my friends.

Bringing your students to NLC and connecting theory to real operations is a strong approach. Did you notice any change in student engagement or understanding after that site visit compared to just teaching the topic in the classroom?

Yes. I have seen.

Dr., I noticed your Ph.D. thesis at Anna University focused on “Soft Computing approach for Power Generation Problem in Regulated and Deregulated System.” When you had to explain this research to undergraduate students, how did you break down the core ideas to make them accessible to those without a background in power markets or optimization?

Yes, I had an opportunity after finishing my PhD in. I have explained to my undergraduate students. What I have done in my PhD. And particularly in optimization. And, uh, we know, uh, power. Plans we have. Many units, number of units are there. That number of units is connected with different sources of energy. That different sources of energy based on the available of sources of energy. And we need to plan. The based on the. Demand what required. Why the consumers? We need to plan, and we have to. Optimize the power. And how much we have. So based on that only we can give to. Consumers. So. The we cannot predict because solar, you know. Is not a reliable power, and wind also is not a reliable power. Only the reliable power we can say that. Umm, nuclear power as well as thermal power plant. We can say that a new. The level of. With the help of that. We cannot say that. We cannot help the consumers. Get power supply. With the reliable one. So. Based on the availability of wind as well as solar. As well as a thermal. And a nuclear. So what mechanism we are using? To give optimum power to the consumers. This complete concept is called is nothing but optimization.

Okay, so you made the concept of optimization concrete for your students by tying it to the unpredictability of sources like solar and wind, and highlighting the planning needed to meet consumer demand reliably. If you had to assess whether your students truly grasped the difference between regulated and deregulated power systems after your explanation, what kind of question or exercise would you give them?

Ask my students and. What are the? Power sources. And how much installed capacity and the generated capacity? Is available.

Ask my students and. What are the? Power sources. And how much installed capacity and the generated capacity? Is available. In India as well as in Tamil Nadu. I ask my students to prepare as a chart. And what are the? Current projects. Going in state government as well as central government projects. So that data also I have. Ask my students to prepare that. And after that I explained to my students. Regulated and deregulated. That. Basic concepts behind this regulated as well as deregulated environment. Uh, is created by the. Government of India. And how? With that rule, how we can connect? And disconnect our. Power Network. To the common brain. These are all the concept I explained to my students, and I asked my students to prepare. What I said earlier.

So you'd have your students identify the power sources and compare installed versus generated capacity to see if they understand the system's structure. If a student struggled to answer, how would you clarify the difference between installed capacity and actually generated power without just giving them the definition?

Alright, Dr. Sreekumar, let's shift to your research. Given your background in power system optimization and soft computing approaches, where do you see the most compelling opportunities for external research funding over the next few years? Which grants or industry partnerships would you pursue to sustain your research group?

Actually. This concept. Because of my PG interests I have. Took this topic. As well as we know the static Power System. So definitely will not help us. To improve the. What mechanism? Is currently available. So we need to think of the dynamic Power System. So based on that dynamic concept only I took this topic and I have done my. PSD and. During PSD I did not get any funding from any. Funding agencies. Because I I did not write because complete my PhD work is based on the simulation. So for that I don't required. The funding, but. In future. This concept where we can apply. Definitely. We can apply. In different power systems. Which is available in a. Uh, available in India. And uh. Power plants like thermal power plant as well as nuclear power plant. As well as. Another hydro power plants. We can plan and we can implement this one.

So you’re saying your PhD work was simulation-focused and didn’t require funding at the time, but you see real potential for applying these optimization concepts in major power plants—thermal, nuclear, and hydro—in India going forward. If you were to approach a funding agency now, how would you frame your research’s impact to make it stand out among other proposals?

Already established Power System network which is available in. Thermal as well as nuclear hydro power plant. And my. The research is definitely will enhance the. These power plants. And definitely.

Alright, Dr., let's talk about teaching. Suppose you have to guide undergraduate and postgraduate students at VIT University on innovative research projects in Control Systems, but you aren't allowed to rely on traditional lectures. How would you design those sessions to keep students genuinely engaged and thinking creatively?

Already established Power System network which is available in. Thermal as well as nuclear hydro power plant. And my. The research is definitely will enhance the. These power plants. And definitely. Need to seek of. Funding from government agencies. Definitely we will bring forward. Any further questions?

Okay, so you’d seek government funding to help bring your research into established power plants, emphasizing the potential for real operational improvements. Shifting gears—Dr., how would you approach guiding undergraduate and postgraduate students on innovative research projects in Control Systems while staying aligned with the academic objectives of VIT University?

So I need to look. After getting into vit and what are the projects is going on VIT that I have to see that? Then definitely. It is if this align my with my PhD area. I can definitely. Undergraduate as well as. Postgraduate students. Particularly in the Control System aspect.

Okay, so you’d first review the ongoing projects at VIT before aligning student work with your own expertise in Control Systems. Say you identify a gap—students are mostly replicating existing research rather than trying novel approaches. How would you encourage them to pursue genuinely innovative projects, not just safe or incremental ones?

With my project I mean with my PG and PhD area. So what are the projects ideas I have in my? So definitely. I will discuss with. UG as well as PD students.

With my project I mean with my PG and PhD area. So what are the projects ideas I have in my? So definitely. I will discuss with. UG as well as PD students. Those who are doing. Projects in vid. So I will ask them. What are the research? While they study and while doing implementation in the projects. So definitely. And guide them. And do the better projects. And there. Funding.

Alright, so you'd leverage your own project experience and share those ideas directly with both undergrads and postgrads. Let me ask—when you introduce your own research topics to students, how do you ensure you're not just steering them toward your interests, but actually helping them develop their own independent research questions and critical thinking?

Alright, so you’d actively discuss your own research directions with students and encourage them to aim higher, not just repeat what’s already been done. When you’re supervising those projects, how do you actually measure whether a student’s work is truly innovative and meets VIT’s academic standards?

So definitely we cannot do. Uh, the same projects? What already has been done?

So definitely we cannot do. Uh, the same projects? What already has been done? We cannot do any projects completely. New one. So definitely each and every project is some enhancement. From the existing one. So some announcement is required for each and every project. We have mechanism. Uh.

So definitely we cannot do. Uh, the same projects? What already has been done? We cannot do any projects completely. New one. So definitely each and every project is some enhancement. From the existing one. So some announcement is required for each and every project. We have mechanism. Uh. To find out that. What they have done? What announcement they have done for their? Project We can easily measure and. By means of a. Outcome. For example, we can go with quality publications or we can go for. Pattern public. So after. Going for pattern publications. We need to convert product. And that product into commercialization, we have to go. So. If you are going in that direction. We will be getting successful so definitely. We will assume that. Our students are working in right direction.

Right, you’re clear that repeating old projects isn’t an option and you’d push students to go beyond what’s already been done. Let’s turn to a different aspect of the role—accreditation cycles can be pretty demanding. Say you joined our department and found that outcome assessment data was inconsistent across courses. How would you approach fixing that?

You’re pointing out that every project needs to show some clear enhancement, not just repeat what’s been done before, and that there’s a mechanism in place for checking this. Can you give me a concrete example of how you’ve documented a project’s novelty or innovation for accreditation purposes—like, what evidence would you actually provide during an audit?

Yes, definitely. While working in Banariam instead of technology, I guided one of my students in UG projects. And the. That batch has completed. The project. That project we have gone to. Apply for a pattern. In the year of 2018, we have applied that. Absolutely. In the year of 2024, that project has been granted. And now I'm looking for. Further guidance. To go for that. Granted patent. Indian utility granted patent 2. Product. After the product completion. And we have to look off. Commercialization. With any industries Actually. Hardware we have uh. We have prepared in the campus itself and after. Completing the hardware. We took exact results. And after taking the results. We have. And to draft the patent. Applications. And but. Then we have framed the clients. What are the claims we have to write for that patent applications? And then we have formats. To file a patent as well as to go for a publication as well as to go for. Early Publications. And for examination request. And everything we have finished with that 2018 itself. And in the year of 2014 I have attended.

You mentioned using mechanisms like quality publications, patents, and even commercialization as ways to measure innovation and alignment with academic standards. Can you give me a concrete example of a student project where you guided them from idea to publication or patent, and describe your role in that process?

Yes, definitely. While working in Banariam instead of technology, I guided one of my students in UG projects. And the. That batch has completed. The project. That project we have gone to. Apply for a pattern. In the year of 2018, we have applied that. Absolutely. In the year of 2024, that project has been granted. And now I'm looking for.

Okay, so that 2018 undergraduate project you supervised at Bannariamman Institute actually led to a patent grant this year—that’s a meaningful outcome. When you were supporting that student team through the patent process, what specific steps did you take to ensure they understood the academic standards and documentation requirements for intellectual property at the institutional level?

Actually. Hardware we have uh. We have prepared in the campus itself and after. Completing the hardware. We took exact results. And after taking the results. We have. And to draft the patent. Applications. And but. Then we have framed the clients. What are the claims we have to write for that patent applications? And then we have formats. To file a patent as well as to go for a publication as well as to go for. Early Publications. And for examination request. And everything we have finished with that 2018 itself. And in the year of 2014 I have attended. The online meeting for. Yeah, your father hearing. The patent applications. Through that hearing, I have finished. All the process. And in the year of 2000.

Actually. Hardware we have uh. We have prepared in the campus itself and after. Completing the hardware. We took exact results. And after taking the results. We have. And to draft the patent. Applications. And but. Then we have framed the clients. What are the claims we have to write for that patent applications? And then we have formats. To file a patent as well as to go for a publication as well as to go for. Early Publications. And for examination request. And everything we have finished with that 2018 itself. And in the year of 2014 I have attended. The online meeting for. Yeah, your father hearing. The patent applications. Through that hearing, I have finished. All the process. And in the year of 2000. 24 it was granted. And we after 2018 after submission. We received a. The first examination report. From the uh. Indian Patent Office. And we have responded that first examination report. And again, they have. Return back the document with some queries.

Actually. Hardware we have uh. We have prepared in the campus itself and after. Completing the hardware. We took exact results. And after taking the results. We have. And to draft the patent. Applications. And but. Then we have framed the clients. What are the claims we have to write for that patent applications? And then we have formats. To file a patent as well as to go for a publication as well as to go for. Early Publications. And for examination request. And everything we have finished with that 2018 itself. And in the year of 2014 I have attended. The online meeting for. Yeah, your father hearing. The patent applications. Through that hearing, I have finished. All the process. And in the year of 2000. 24 it was granted. And we after 2018 after submission. We received a. The first examination report. From the uh. Indian Patent Office. And we have responded that first examination report. And again, they have. Return back the document with some queries. Filed the second examination report. And based on our document. They have fixed a. Online meeting. Particularly to. Clarify. To go for a.

Dr., imagine a student files a formal complaint saying your grading was biased, while at the same time your department head is urging you to improve pass rates. How would you navigate that situation and balance fairness with institutional pressure?

Alright, so you made sure the hardware was built and tested on campus, you supervised drafting the patent with detailed claims, and you handled the hearing yourself to see it through. Now, let’s say while you’re supervising, a student files a formal complaint saying your grading was biased, but at the same time your department head is urging you to improve pass rates. How would you navigate that situation and maintain both fairness and academic integrity?

Alright, so you were deeply involved—supervising the hardware, ensuring rigorous results, guiding the patent drafting, and even handling the hearing with the patent office. Now, Dr., let’s consider a different kind of challenge. Imagine a student files a formal complaint saying your grading was biased, while at the same time your department head is urging you to improve pass rates. How would you navigate that situation and still uphold academic integrity?

No, I did not get any pressure from institute. You have to do it quickly. I have very good platform in vanadium instead of technology. So I they did not given any pressure. To go for that. Quickly how to do it? So peacefully I have done it and. The six after six years only it was granted. So I did not face any. Pressure. So there is no problem to manage academic as well as. Pattern filing process Yes, I have a lot of industry collaboration. In and around the Coimbatore. As well as the Chennai. And the Bangalore? I have many company people. I know and I have. Personally helped students. To go for internship. And uh Yes, I have a lot of industry collaboration. In and around the Coimbatore. As well as the Chennai. And the Bangalore? I have many company people. I know and I have. Personally helped students. To go for internship. And uh. Outcome of the internship they have got placements also. And the health supported. Somehow, nearly 80 students. For replacement 89 students for internship. Around 169 students I have supported as a.

No, I did not get any pressure from institute. You have to do it quickly. I have very good platform in vanadium instead of technology. So I they did not given any pressure. To go for that. Quickly how to do it? So peacefully I have done it and. The six after six years only it was granted. So I did not face any. Pressure.

Alright, since you mentioned commercialization and industry partnerships as the next steps for your student patent, let's talk about bridging academia and industry. Given your expertise in power systems and control, do you have any established connections with industry or professional bodies that could help your students access internships, placements, or real-world projects?

Yeah, after finishing their internship. Uh, they're coming. Out the placement outcome. So definitely for the students. It's more than that. They don't want anything. They are very. Feel very happy. And they appreciated. The collaboration with industry. Parallel I got from feedback. From the employer. And how my students are working and that feedback also I got from. Company, so they said. Each and everybody. They are good and they have. Basic knowledge as well as they have attitude. And the discipline, the students. So that. Kind of feedback I have received from the. The students still now they are working in the company.

Okay, Dr., let's shift to your core technical and teaching skills. Imagine you're teaching a foundational lab course in Power Electronics—students are struggling to get a simple DC-DC converter working on the bench. How would you break down the troubleshooting process for them in a way that helps them learn, not just fix the issue?

So definitely is. Through simulation first we will. See the problem? And we will approach. The problem in through simulation model. And how? It is responding. Based on our data what we are giving? And after evaluating that results. And definitely we have to go for. Prototype model. And hardware setup. Soon you will get. Positive results. Still is there any problem and we need to check out the data? And. Any problem in hardware setup? And we have to. Solve that. Hardware problems. So definitely as per the objective. The VC to DC converter. We will take the output If students are repeating the same wiring connection problem and. First I will explain and how to do that wiring connection. And I will take the output first. Then I will ask my students to take. To do the same process what I'm doing.

So definitely is. Through simulation first we will. See the problem? And we will approach. The problem in through simulation model. And how? It is responding. Based on our data what we are giving? And after evaluating that results. And definitely we have to go for. Prototype model. And hardware setup. Soon you will get. Positive results. Still is there any problem and we need to check out the data? And. Any problem in hardware setup? And we have to. Solve that. Hardware problems.

Alright, so you’d start with simulation to help students see the problem in a controlled way, then move to building and debugging the hardware, checking both data and setup at each stage. Suppose they keep getting unexpected voltage readings on the output, even after checking their circuit—how would you help them figure out what’s actually wrong?

If students are repeating the same wiring connection problem and. First I will explain and how to do that wiring connection. And I will take the output first. Then I will ask my students to take. To do the same process what I'm doing. Definitely by. Giving. Exact practice. Definitely, students will do that Still the students. Not able to achieve the problem. We're not able to achieve the results. So definitely. You need to think of. The way. How to?

So you’d demonstrate the wiring process yourself, then ask the student to repeat it hands-on. If the same student still can’t get it right after that, how would you adapt your teaching strategy to reach them?

Still the students. Not able to achieve the problem. We're not able to achieve the results. So definitely. You need to think of. The way. How to? Reach the concept. To the students, I have to think of that. And I will explain. Again. In the classroom teaching, then I will bring my students. To the laboratory and do the. Process same thing. Definitely each and every students have different. Capacity to understand and take into forward. So based on their expectation and their skills. We need to go for. In depth. Guidance. By that way, definitely. Will bring out the students So definitely the while framing the questions. Particularly. In the laboratory.

Still the students. Not able to achieve the problem. We're not able to achieve the results. So definitely. You need to think of. The way. How to? Reach the concept. To the students, I have to think of that. And I will explain. Again. In the classroom teaching, then I will bring my students. To the laboratory and do the. Process same thing. Definitely each and every students have different. Capacity to understand and take into forward. So based on their expectation and their skills. We need to go for. In depth.

Okay, so if a student still can't achieve the expected results, you want them to think differently about the problem. Can you give me a specific example of a question or activity you’d use to prompt that deeper reflection, instead of just repeating the steps again?

So you’d adjust your teaching depth and method depending on the student’s background and learning style, taking them back to the fundamentals in class before returning to hands-on work in the lab. Shifting to another core skill, when teaching theory-heavy topics—like complex control system stability criteria—how do you ensure your delivery is clear and structured so students at different levels can follow along and build real understanding?

So definitely the while framing the questions. Particularly. In the laboratory. The students. How nearly? 60 percentage of students. They will always calibrate. They have always calibre to answer. The questions, the remaining 40% of the students, definitely. They will be in moderating. And based on their capacity, the questions, definitely we can. We will go for quality questions. Particularly in. Evaluation and design model, we can go for 60 percentage. And the remaining 40 percentage, definitely we have to set the 1st. To answer, moderate. Insurance also.

Okay, so when you’re designing lab exams, you focus on practical tasks and direct observation, not just written theory—that way you can see if they’re actually able to do the work themselves. How do you make sure your grading is consistent and fair across different students, especially when evaluating open-ended lab work?

Okay, so you’re intentionally designing assessments to have both challenging and moderate questions, matching the range of student abilities you’ve observed in your lab. Now, when you’re guiding final-year projects—especially if a student’s work starts veering off track or lacks depth—how do you intervene to help them refocus and raise the quality of their research?

Definitely. And what kind of projects the students are doing and I have to see that and what is their problem in the project. Discuss with them. Discuss that. And and whether that project? Is uh, quality or not that I have to? Bishop first. And he's after the vid, expectation or not. You need to take. And once. It is confirmed. And we have to move forward if it is not. It is not low quality project so definitely we will allow them. And we will support in. What are the problems they are facing? While completing the project. If it is low level. So definitely we need to guide the students. And we have to. State about the benchmark of VID as well as the. The expectation from the department. And based on the expectation is. From the department as well as bit. And we need to ask them, the students, to prepare. And we have to ask them to go for. Further literature survey. Increase the project. Level and based on the literature survey and they have to find out.

Definitely. And what kind of projects the students are doing and I have to see that and what is their problem in the project. Discuss with them. Discuss that. And and whether that project? Is uh, quality or not that I have to? Bishop first. And he's after the vid, expectation or not. You need to take. And once. It is confirmed. And we have to move forward if it is not.

Definitely. And what kind of projects the students are doing and I have to see that and what is their problem in the project. Discuss with them. Discuss that. And and whether that project? Is uh, quality or not that I have to? Bishop first. And he's after the vid, expectation or not. You need to take. And once. It is confirmed. And we have to move forward if it is not. It is not low quality project so definitely we will allow them. And we will support in. What are the problems they are facing? While completing the project. If it is low level. So definitely we need to guide the students. And we have to. State about the benchmark of VID as well as the. The expectation from the department. And based on the expectation is. From the department as well as bit. And we need to ask them, the students, to prepare. And we have to ask them to go for. Further literature survey. Increase the project. Level and based on the literature survey and they have to find out. The good projects. And to do that. And we need to guide. That projects. And we have to meet out. The government expectation as well as the VAT started.

Alright, so you’re watching closely for project quality and stepping in with direct discussion if things aren’t on track, making sure expectations are clear before moving forward. One last thing—when you publish research, how do you decide which journal to target, and what steps do you take to ensure your submission meets their standards?

Alright, so when you see a project falling short, you talk it through with the student, clarify the department and university expectations, and push them to do a deeper literature review to raise the standard. For your own research, Dr., can you point to a recent publication where you addressed a challenge in power electronics or control systems, and walk me through your main contribution?

Yeah, while doing my. I received a. To examine the. Form my PSD. And. That, uh. There are many questions. Uh, to enhance a PhD work what I have done? So I have responded. To their. Questions before. I'm facing my via exam. And I have prepared the. UH corrected thesis and I have submitted to the university. And what are the questions raised by the examiners? So in that way I have improved my. PSD work.

Alright, let's touch quickly on a few specifics before we wrap up. When teaching Power Electronics, suppose you need to explain the behavior of a single-phase full-bridge inverter to undergraduates—what’s your approach to making the underlying principles clear, especially if students are struggling with waveform analysis?