Good day, Dr. Mohammed Wajid Khan. I'm Arjun. I've had a look through your background and your professional record. I'm interested in hearing more about your work and how you see yourself fitting in here with our faculty. Ready to start?

Please start by introducing your professional journey in academia.

So myself Doctor Mohamed Wajid Khan, I completed my Btech in 2015 in Electronics and Communication Engineering from Bharat Institute of Science and Technology in Electronics and Electronics and Communication Engineering, followed by I did my Masters in VLSI and Embedded Systems. In 2017, I did my research full-time PhD research in VLSI and Embedded systems.

My strength and my the subjects which I teach is digital electronics will assign embedded systems and also also the fundamentals of entrepreneurships. My strength is hardworking, good professionalism in academics and research.

Yeah, this is all.

Professor, just to confirm—are you requesting to end the interview at this point? If so, please explicitly state, "Yes, you can end the interview."

Yes, I'm for the interview.

To clarify, Professor—are you confirming that you would like me to conclude the interview? If so, please explicitly confirm by saying "Yes, you can end the interview."

No, I'm I'm ready for the interview.

Excellent, Professor. Let's proceed. You mentioned digital electronics, embedded systems, and fundamentals of entrepreneurship as part of your teaching domain. Let me start by discussing your approach. When teaching a complex topic in embedded systems to students with varied technical backgrounds, how do you ensure their understanding is both foundational and application-oriented?

First of all, I'll be seeing on which application that embedded system we are going for it. Based on the application, I'll be seeing the fundamentals of the student and the fundamentals of that project. Based on that we will decide the DNA which we called test device and network and application. Based on that, I'll be proceeding based on the protocols for which the students are for the project and based on what sort of.

Mental knowledge the students have and what sort of fundamental basic tools are available to incorporate for that application. So we'll be designing the structure, we'll be sitting there and designing the structure based on the functionalities and all then followed by followed by the requirements, especially the requirements are basic amenities of any embedded project. So based on the requirements we'll be sitting and we'll be discussing. Followed by the structural.

Of that requirement, the structure of the circuit and implement design of that structure of the circuit, then implementation and then testing followed by testing. These are the procedures which we can follow basically for any of the student projects and any of the student academics.

It sounds like you have a structured and methodical approach, aligning closely with both the fundamentals and the specific application at hand. Could you elaborate further on how you ensure that students who might struggle with the basics are still able to effectively contribute to the project and strengthen their understanding during this process?

First of all, as I already discussed, first of all, as we all know that embedded system is basically.

Follow which of the protocols to be used, which all the circuits to be used. Based on that we go for the devices like controllers, which are the controllers can be used, which are the sensors to be used, which are the actuators to be used based on that design and all so that the student can collaborately do that and with an effective application with an effective product, they will be coming up.

Deals with the application oriented. So what I will be doing is on what basis on what application that system is being we are going for that system we I will discuss with that based on that I can segregate the students into their based on their levels and based on that we can just.

Understood, Professor. Your strategy of organizing students based on their skill levels and guiding them through specific application-driven protocols, controllers, sensors, and actuators appears effective. Now, could you share an example of a particular embedded system project you have guided, and explain how it aligned with this approach?

Yeah, let me explain you with the project which I did.

Restaurant menu ordering system by using Zigbee protocols where wherein the first aim of the project was to you know to make the restaurant smart. So for that very first thing is what are the devices to be required to make a restaurant smart For an example, the devices are like controllers which controllers will be using it and.

Please

With sensors to be using it for an example controller we used as it was a basic prototype prototype project so we use Android. We use ordinal prototype controller followed by the sensor which are the sensors to be used and as we are implementing the project. In the restaurant, so the payment gateway is also have a challenging task for us. So we have implemented the payment gateway as well.

For that particular domain. So first thing is what are the devices so which are the sensors to be used when the customer comes in and he he or the customer sits inside the table minces when the customer sit in the table and started to menu ordering it. So it will be LCD on screen from where in the all the menu will be displayed over there and followed by the customer can pick which are the menus he or she is required based on that the the the the.

Uh, Jeff section, where in the, the supervisor will be there, where he will be seeing all the, uh, table number one or table #2 what all the requirements is being required with the customer. Based on that it will be given. The message will be alert message will be going to the chef. Then the chef will prepare the meal followed by the chef will give to the, the person waiter and the waiter comes in and gives to the particular specific table followed by the payment. So the customer.

Which he or she has been picked, it goes to the.

Based on the based on the food which he or she has been ordered, that bill will be getting generated. Based on that he or she can be doing the online payment there itself. So this was the thing which we used all the devices like microcontrollers, sensors over there and followed by the networks. We I used Zigbee protocol as a network followed by the applications oriented. So like the restaurant had an app wherein the owner and the chef will be having a different domain and the admin.

Eyesight will be seeing, uh, what are the critical issues faced by, uh, the system, entire system. So these were the, uh, project which I did, uh, successfully.

Thank you for detailing the project, Professor. It’s clear you have guided a comprehensive solution that integrates controllers, sensors, payment systems, and network protocols like Zigbee, culminating in a functional product for smart restaurant operations. How did you ensure students grasped the interplay between hardware components, like the sensors and controllers, and the networking aspects like Zigbee during the execution of this project?

Our project is basically with working with the devices. So the students should, I mean, I first of all all the students I make, I make sure that all the students are been learning this protocol. All they should have a clear fundamentals of this.

Because.

Protocols and once we once we learn how these protocol works based on the coding side and as well as the application side. So we decided.

Coming club together in the controller and integrating all the sensors and working fine which each input. So we tested for every module separately. 11 we did we we did the first module and we tested after that each module, sensor module, actuator module, payment module. We we checked step by step in a very structured way.

The architectural diagram followed by the embedded thing for all the.

And we check for each output and once we any any student facing any problem in the era in the in the coding side I help them in the coding side any error I help them in the error. And any student faced some problems in the payment gateway as well. So we we also had the payment session different session for the payment. For foreign we have collaborated with.

Company NRC where they're in, they helped us in the payment gateway solution. So we successfully landed this, uh, came across, we successfully, uh concluded eventually with this project and it is working fine.

Understood, Professor. It’s commendable that you ensured a structured, module-wise approach and addressed both theoretical understanding and practical challenges like coding errors or payment integration issues. Collaborating with NRC for the payment gateway also highlights a pragmatic approach. Let’s shift to a broader lens—how do you tie such project-based learning with traditional lecture methods to ensure students develop both theoretical understanding and hands-on expertise effectively?

Now in India, we, we, we we all are implementing outcome based education. So we are following that OBE process of national national Board of Radiation wherein all the subjects are being most, most of the subjects are you know.

Theory integrated lab Integrated theory so all the subjects the technical subjects which we deal are having labs, lab integrated theory so wherein a student can learn basic fundamentals of theory parallelly with the lab.

So each experiment has been designed and structured in such a way that.

Initially it goes for the fundamentals. Once the fundamentals are clear, clear step by step it goes, it goes to a application oriented, scenario oriented. So all the application, all the students will be working on scenario based projects wherein at the eventually at the last when they come out from the course or come out to the any of the project, they will be having a scenario based. Model or scenario based project where they can also convert that project into a product development.

Which we, which we encourage student, which we encourage student to go through product development so that they can tomorrow they can be coming for the new, you know, new entrepreneurs for our country. So yeah, so this is the way which we follow and it goes in a very good scale up. Students learn a lot and student goes with different functioning, different applications and student come up with very good effective results.

Thank you, Professor, for providing that insight. Your integration of Outcome-Based Education with theory-laboratory combination appears to be well-structured for developing both the conceptual and practical skills of students. Encouraging product development and entrepreneurial pathways also displays a forward-looking perspective. Now, let’s discuss another aspect of your role. When it comes to mentoring PhD students, how do you guide them in identifying impactful research problems and publishing in reputed journals?

Yeah, we do. We follow this, we follow some structure in line for the PhD research scholars. We do have the 1st when the PhDs scholar joins the college. We do have the course registration process for with in line with the DC doctoral committee members recommendation. So the project the the PhD is the scholar should present their project based on that the.

Members will be deciding their particular technical subjects with subject he or she should take followed by once the sub the core subject has been taken. Literature is basic requirement for any research. So we allow I mean I can say that we allow the student, the scholar to go through the literature for the past ten years or past five years. What is the recent work which the researchers which they have?

Researchers or in the literature what they have done so that they will have a fundamental knowledge and they can, they can they can inline on what path they can move on, followed by, you know, the different objectives. First we'll frame some objectives. For each objective, we will decide which methodology to be used. In order to come those objectives, what are the? What are the methods to be followed? What are the codings to be followed? What are the?

Skills are required for them. If any of the scholar is missing in those skills, we will say them to up up skills themselves so that they can come in line with their project and followed by the publications which is which is which are the core of any PhD program. So once they complete with the publication for each objective, it shows that yeah, they they the novelty and the innovation of the work is being proven. So based on that.

We conclude based on the theses, based on the many doctoral committee, on the recommendation of the doctor committee committee, we conclude them and we allow them or I allow them to write the thesis followed by the the future scope of work and on what application or how this work will be helpful for the society. All all it matters. So based on this, this is the pipeline which we this is the flow which we follow and it it it.

It gives gives a very good scope and it gives a very high impact factor. General publications and the scholars are doing really very good.

Thank you for elaborating, Professor. Your structured approach to guiding PhD scholars—beginning with rigorous literature review and carefully designed objectives, followed by skill development, methodology selection, and impactful publications—is notably comprehensive. Focusing on societal applications and the future scope of their work also adds depth to their research journey. Lastly, could you highlight a specific challenge you have faced while guiding a PhD scholar and how you worked to overcome it?

Yeah, time is the basic constraint.

You know, we know that all, all the scholars have been completed their master degree and they're they are coming up, coming up far away for doing PhD. So based on that, some take more time for the literature, some take some take more time for learning any upskilling, any tool, because nowadays all the tools have been integrated with AI.

So there is a big challenge when a scholar learns new AI tool and for them we need to guide them and we need to follow them. So that so that to to get an acquired and appropriate and excellent results. And also publications few, few, few publications like when we when we communicate a paper. Basically, we go for the paper before before journal paper paper. We go for a conference paper.

So based on the conference paper inputs, we go for journal paper, publication. So based on that, the reviewers may ask some extra work to do based on that works and all. Sometimes it is a big challenging for me for the resource scholars as well to get in line with the new technology. Like AI is being new and we are doing research with the literature. So sometimes it's yeah, it's create a big.

But it's, it's at the end, you know, eventually everything lies in the publication. If publication is good and if the thesis, the, the amount of data and the thesis and accuracy of the results are good, then we can, we, we are proceeding with the thesis submission and all.

Challenging for all of us.

Understood, Professor. Balancing the evolving technological demands, such as integrating AI tools, with the precision needed for impactful research and publications indeed presents significant challenges, especially when time constraints are a factor. However, it’s clear your structured guidance, emphasis on adapting to new tools, and iterative process for conference and journal submissions help navigate these difficulties effectively. You’ve provided a wealth of insights into your expertise and approach in teaching, research, and mentorship. Is there anything else you would like to highlight or share before we proceed to wrap up the interview?

No, nothing much, no nothing from my side.

Yes, you can enter the end the interview.

Thank you, Professor, for sharing your experiences and insights with such clarity. To confirm, would you like me to conclude the interview now? If so, please explicitly confirm by saying, "Yes, you can end the interview."