News & Events

2022-’23

Environment Day Celebration: PRAANAH 2022

The English department of St. Albert’s College (Autonomous), Ernakulam hosted a plant gifting ceremony titled PRAANAH 2022 on June 8, 2022, in conjunction with the World Environmental Day events. With the tagline “only one earth,” the program was heavily influenced by O.N.V Kurup’s poem “Bhoomikkoru Charamageetham.” The ceremony took place in the Baccinelli Hall during the first morning break. The faculty coordinator of the program was Dr. Mary Sapna Peter Miranda, Head of the Department of English and the student coordinator was Nevin Boban of III BA English.

Albertian E-Ship Week Programmes

1. HANDS-ON TRAINING ON PAPER BAG MAKING

On Wednesday, August 10^th, 2022, the English Department of St Albert’s College (Autonomous), Ernakulam held a hands-on training on paper bag making for its students. The main objective of this event was to promote sustainable living and to inculcate entrepreneurship in students, in connection with the Albertian E-ship Week. The training began at 11.50 a.m. overseen by the trainer Ms. Anjali Suresh (III B.A. English). Over 60 participants attended the training and the event concluded by 1.30 p.m. The bags made during this session and further products made by the students of the department were made available for sale in an exhibition titled ‘Navadhara’ held on 17 August 2022.

b. Talk on Intellectual Property Rights

On Friday, 12^th August, 2022, the Department of English of St. Albert’s College, Kochi, organized a talk on Intellectual Property Rights: An Introduction. Adv. Bindu T.N. was the chief guest of the day.

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The Department of English actively participated in the Interdepartmental Competition on Mock Global Investor’s Summit held on 19^th August 2022 at the Baccinelli Hall. The second- and third-year students of the department participated in ppt presentation, cuisine exhibition and dance competition based on the state allotted-Nagaland. 

MLA Editions: Formatting, Style Guide and Research Methodology Workshop

On Wednesday, 24^th August, 2022, the Department of English of St. Albert’s College, Kochi, organized a workshop on Research Methodology titled “MLA Editions: Formatting, Style Guide and Research Methodology Workshop.”  Mr. Bibin Thomas, Asst. Professor, Dept. of English, Christ College (Autonomous), Irinjalakuda was the Resource Person. The workshop aimed at introducing UG and PG students of English on the various approaches to research and the latest edition of the MLA Style Guide.

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Deeksharambh 2022

The Student Induction Programme, Deeksharambh was conducted at the Department of English from 6^th to 12^th October 2022. The purpose of Deesharambh is to enable new students to adjust and make them feel comfortable in the new environment of the college. By and large this induction programme gives the new students an opportunity to learn the policies, rules and regulations, culture and values of the college. A number of activities was organized to cover different aspects like socializing, associating, governing and experiencing.

Five day long Student Induction Programme started on 6^th October 2022. First day of Deesharambh began with an introduction where the students were informed on the syllabus, POs, PEOs, Mission and Vision. This session was led by Dr. Sweetha Saji, Assistant Professor Department of English.

Dr. Nisha Thomji Varghese led the next session on Student Portfolio and Quality Assurance. She communicated the importance of IQAC for the smooth functioning of the institution. This session was scheduled at 9am.

Vice Principal Dr. Augustine K J took another session on rules and regulations. He gave an introduction about the college. He emphasized on the importance of maintaining rules and regulations by the student community during the course of their study.

A department tour was organized after this to familiarize all the amenities of the institution to the students.

Second day of Deesharmbh began with industry expert talk. Ms. Sinjini Unni, Regional Head, HDFC Life led the talk. The resource person has seventeen years of experience in the corporate world. She shared her life experiences and her growth in the corporate world. She asked the students to focus more on their communication skills and also encouraged them to improve their confidence level by the time they complete their graduation.

Another session on Participatory management was taken by Assistant Coordinator of Training and Development, Dr. Liz Mary Antony. During this talk the students were informed about different training sessions that the college offers to improve the skills of learners. Students were also informed about various roles and responsibilities of the student coordinators for the participatory management. This was followed by the selection of different coordinators for participatory management from I BA English and the tutor took initiative in the selection process.

Mr. Sebastian A V, Assistant Professor from the Department of English gave a lecture on improving study skills of the students. He emphasized on the importance of systematic learning as well as the need for developing language skills among them.

A mentoring session followed afterwards, where the students were given the objectives behind mentoring system and they were introduced with their respective mentors from the department.

Third day of deeksharambh was scheduled on 10^th of October 2022. First session was on Albertian Examination System. Assistant Controller of Examination, Dr. Liz Mary Antony led this session. Students were informed about question paper pattern, mark distribution, internal examination, grade and grade points and other details regarding examination system. They were also introduced with National Educational Policy.

NCC Naval Unit in charge Dr. Vipin M led second session on the functioning of Naval Unit. He emphasized on the different programmes and training sessions that they organize for the students.

Ms. Aswathy, Assistant Professor from Commerce SF, Assistant Coordinator of Student Affairs took third session where she spoke about the exposure the college gives for developing extra-curricular activities of the students.

This was followed by an ice breaking session, were the students introduced themselves. Later they were joined by the senior students and they spoke about the opportunities and experience that they attained from their course of study. Entertainment programmes and games were organized by the seniors which helped the new students to feel at ease.

11^th of October was the fourth day of Deeksharambh. Mr. John Sinoj incharge of NCC Army wing took first session. This was followed by the subject lecture. Dr. Nisha Thomji Varghese, Assistant Professor Department of English gave a talk on Linguistics.

Academician Dr. Rose Merin Assistant Professor from Bharata Mata College, Thrikkakara came to deliver a lecture on “English Studies: Practices and Opportunities”. She spoke about different opportunities and possibilities of English Literature students. This was a two hour session. A student interaction followed afterwards.

Last day of Deeksharambh began with a group activity. Students were given a literary activity to perform a five minute drama on an imaginary product. A literary quiz was also conducted afterwards.

Eminent Alumni Squadron Leader Saidanya Ansary Fighter Controller and Station Education Officer from Air Force Station Purnea took an online session on her life experiences. She talked to the students about the exposure she got from the college. She also motivated the students with her Mountain Summit experience.

To talk to the students on Universal Human Values, Dr. Edward Edezhath, former HoD and Associate Professor as well as Professor Emeritus from the Department of English was invite. He engaged the students on Human Values and the need to nurture those during precarious times.

Deesharmbh concluded with a session by Dr. Sabu M C, NCC Air Wing in-charge, who gave a talk on Air Wing Unit of the college.

The Department of English conducted its Alumnus talk for I MA English for Deeksharambh 2022 on 10 October, 2022. The session was handled by Ms. Sharon Rodrigues, Content Writer, Fingent Global Solutions. She is from the 2017-2019 Batch of MA English.

2021-’22

TEA {THE ENGLISH ASSOCIATION}

June 21, 2021:

WORLD MUSIC DAY

The World Music Day is celebrated every year on 21st June. The Department of English, of, St. Albert’s College (Autonomous), Ernakulam had conducted several activities as part of celebrating this day. “Write & Sing a Song” contest was conducted as part of this. A video was also made by the students which showcased the young talents in our department.

International Women’s Day: Talk on “Women Empowerment”

As part of the International Women’s Day, the Department of English Organized a talk on “Women Empowerment” in association with Albertian Foundation, The Social Outreach Wing of  St. Albert’s College (Autonomous), Ernakulam. The talk was organized as part of the #BreaktheBais campaign on the theme, “Gender Equality today for a Sustainable Tomorrow.” Conducted via google meet on 8 March 2022, 6:30 pm, the session was attended by around 50 participants. The main speaker was Ms. Arpita Varghese, a Gender and Humanitarian Action Analyst for UN Women, United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women and Girls, New York. Ms. Arpita Varghese supports the Humanitarian Office in ensuring that gender equality and women’s empowerment informs crisis response in contexts ranging from disaster response to conflict settings.

Inter-departmental Carol Competition

The Department of English conducted an inter-departmental Carol Competition titled “Joyeux Noel”. Around 20 teams registered online for the Preliminary round of the Competition which was held on 17 December 2021 at the Mellano Hall. Faculty members of St Albert’s College (Autonomous), Ms. Heera B and Mr. Abinash John Peter judged the event and 10 finalists were listed for the final round. The Finale was conducted on 21 December 2021 at the Papali Hall. This round was judged by vocal experts from outside, Mr. Rejoice Tenson and Ms. Lakshmi K Babu. The judges were given mementos as a token of appreciation for their service.

The first prize was won by Commerce Taxation (SF), second prize by English Triple Main and the third prize by Commerce Finance (Regular). The winning team was given an opportunity to perform for the College Christmas Celebration. During the event, the first prize winners were given a cash prize of Rs. 1500, the second prize winners received a cash prize of Rs. 1000, and the third prize winners received a cash prize of Rs. 750. The competition was co-ordinated by Dr Sweetha Saji and student coordinators Ms. Aleena Catherine and Ms. Anila Mariya of III BA English.

2020-’21

Career guidance counselling webinar – “Learn IPA Quicker through Mother Tongue” on 30th July 2020 via the Google Meet platform. Sri Jose Mundencherry, an ELT and Soft Skills Trainer was invited as the resource person for the webinar.

Nallonam 2020 – The Department of English in collaboration with the Albertian Centre for Culture and Heritage organized ’Nall’onam’ Ninn’onam’- A festival of masks. In connection with the celebration, the Department organized national intercollegiate competitions.

RJ Hunt – Commemorating the World Radio Day, the Department of English in collaboration with the Albertian Centre for Culture and Heritage organized an online intercollegiate R J Competition on 23rd August 2020.

Open Classroom Lecture Series – an initiative by the Department of English of St. Albert’s College (Autonomous), Ernakulam that aims to introduce students to talks by external resource persons who are pioneers in their respective subjects.

Student Seminar Series – a series of student seminars aimed at making the teaching – learning process more interactive and fun. Students were grouped into small teams and they came up with excellently researched and thought-out presentations for the series.

Special Webinar on Environmental Education – The Department of English, St. Albert’s College in association with CMS College, Kottayam, Sreenarayana Arts and Science College, Kumarakom and The Birds Club International organized a special webinar on environmental education titled “Will Innovation or Ethics Solve the Environmental Crisis? on the 01st October, 2020. Mr. Anirudh Sridhar, DPhil from Oxford University was invited as the resource person for the talk.

Swachchta Mission Essay Contest on Gandhi Jayanti – The Department of English and the NCC Army wing of the College conducted an essay writing competition as part of the National Swachchta Mission on Gandhi Jayanti. Over a hundred entries were received and the first prize was awarded to Ms. Amrutha Biju of TM Jacob Memorial Government College, Manimalakunnu.

UN Day Celebrations and Video Release of Climate Action – The final year students of the Department of English celebrated the United Nations Day as part of their course on Environmental Studies and Human Rights, on the 24th October, 2020. They chose Sustainable Development Goal No.13 Climate Action as their theme and released a video on the occasion in which they pledged to support environmental sustainability.

Career Guidance webinar on ‘Career in Advertising’ – conducted on 20th January, 2021 in collaboration with Department of Journalism and Mass Communication. Mr. Misbah Salam, CEO of Chams Group of Companies was the resource person.

Albertian Knowledge Summit 2021 – The Department of English organized an International Seminar titled “Feminisms: Some Perspectives” on 14th March 2021 at 4 PM. Dr Elisabetta Marino, Associate Professor of English, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Italy was invited as the chief guest. Dr Elisabetta delivered a lecture on “True Womanhood vs. Real Womanhood: Moulding Femininity in Nineteenth Century Literature”.

2019-’20

• Reading Week Celebrations were held where the librarians and teachers spoke about the importance of reading and how books can change one’s life.
• Orientation Programme for the First Year Students was carried out in order to introduce the college and its various curricular and co-curricular activities.
• The Interview of first year students for Albertian English Learning Programme (AELP) was held in order to categorize the students into different groups. The course began on 1^st July and was completed successfully by the mid of September.
• The Convocation ceremony for the UG and PG students was conducted.
• Fresher’s day for the new first years was celebrated to welcome them into the English family.
• An Orientation for Higher Education was given to the students by Ms. Neha George, who is the alumni of the college and is currently a student at Central University of Hyderabad.
• The Department of English and Friends of Tibet organized a lecture by Tushar Gandhi, the great grandson of Mahatma Gandhi on the topic “Students and Education: A Bacon of Hope for Future India in the Post Truth/ Posthuman Age.”
• As part of learning the theme of rejection in Shakespeare’s King Lear, the students visited St. Theresa’s Mercy Home, Ernakulam, and interacted with the elderly inhabitants.
• The English Association (TEA) organized a Poetry Fest where the young poet Ms. Parvathy Salil addressed the students and recited her poems.
• Krishnan Unni, faculty of Delhi University addressed the students in a lecture.
• Students of III BA English visited the painting exhibition of artist Jayakumar at Durbar Hall Art Gallery, and interacted with the curator to delve into the world of art.
• A talk on TESOL was given to the students by Dr. Giju Paul.
• The students performed a flash mob emphasizing the need to keep our surroundings clean as part of the Gandhi Jayanti celebrations.
• The function titled “Lebnah Aheb: Bricks of Love” which was an initiative by Dr. Nisha Thomji Varghese to provide financial assistance for the construction of a house for Smt. Jolly Gabriel, a non-teaching staff of our college. The key for the completed house was handed over to Smt. Jolly on 7^th December 2019.
• The Albertian Expo 2020 was conducted through January 9, 10, 11, where the various classes put up their exhibits related to Literature.
• As part of the Albertian Knowledge Summit, the English Department conducted a seminar on “Post of the Posts: An Introduction to Post Truth and Post-Human Discourses was conducted on 30-1-2020

2018-’19

20-1-2018 – As part of the Albertian International Knowledge Summit, a seminar on “Postcolonial Studies and Beyond” was conducted with the chief speaker Dr. Jaspal Singh Kaur (Northern Michigan University, USA)

18-7-2018 – Albertian Review of Literature (2017 Edition) was released by Dr. C.S Jayan.

2017-’18

Harrisian Forum for Critical Discourses in Humanities – The Department of Engish started a new initiative in memory of late Prof. V. C. Harris, Professor of English, School of Letters, MG University. To preserve his memory as a socially involved intellectual, the department has opened a new forum titled Harrisian Forum for Critical Discourses aimed at inculcating a wider worldview in students through discussions. Prof. Josy Joseph (SB College (Autonomous), Changanacherry) and Prof. Cheri Jacob K (UC College, Aluva) interacted with the students on several topics as part of this initiative.

Whatsapp Story Competition

Macbeth Teaching Aid

Skill development Programme (Nettipattom Making)

Scholarly Lectures – Prof. Bibin Thomas of Research Methodology, Prof. PMS Kutty on Communication Skills, Dr. Ravindra Ranasinhe on Drama Therapy

Albertian International Knowledge Summit – Dr. Jaspal Kaur Singhof Northern Michigan University, USA gave a lecture on Recent Trends of Postcolonial Literature and Theory.

2016-’17

10-2-2016 – The English Association (TEA) organized a talk by Mr. James Arpookkara, Rtd. Chief Photographer of Malayala Manorama.

10-6-2016 — A Talk on “Poetry and Resistance” was given by Tenzi Tsundue as part of the International Lecture Series.

13-6-2016 — As part of the International Lecture Series ‘Alternatives’, a lecture on “Indianness and Nationalism” was given by Tushar Gandhi, the great grandson of Mahatma Gandhi.

29-6-2016 – “Start, Camera, Action!” by the experienced movie experts Jaiprakash Radhakrishnan and Johnson P. Devassy.

11-7-2016 – A talk on “Students and Social Responsibilities” by Archana Rao D’Cruz.

20-7-2016 – As a part of the Extention Lecture Series, the Deputy Manager of Union Bank of India, Mr. V.K Adarsh talked under the topic “Informatics”.

21-7-2016 – The Second lecture in the Extension Lecture Series was by Dr. M. Sathian, Assoc. Professor (Sanskrit), SNGS College, Pattambi on the topic “Indian Aesthetics”.

27-7-2016 – Ms. Arshitha T.S spoke about the organization “Friends of Tribals Society”.

1-8-2016 – The Asst. Editor of National Book Trust, Mr. Rubin D’Cruz gave a talk on “Remembering the Great Mother: A Tribute to Mahaswetha Devi.”

3-8-2016 – A creativity session based on “No More Hiroshimas” was conducted by Subid K.S (MDesign, IIT Delhi), which focused on Ahimsa toys.

10-8-2016 – The Rtd. Assoc. Professor of CMS College, Kottayam, Dr. Susan Varghese spoke about “British History” as a part of the Extension Lecture Series.

10-8-2016 – A Cultural Fest “Agrotsav”, celebrating the Agarwal Community of Kochi was conducted jointly along with the Cochin Heritage Study Centre.

17-8-2016 – As a part of the Extension Lecture Series, a lecture on “Linguistics” by Prof. Jain Mathew (Assoc. Professor, St. Peter’s Kolencherry) was conducted.

7-9-2016 – Albertian Review of Literature (2016 Edition) was released by Dr. Paul Manalil, who is an author, researcher, and the secretary of the Sukumar Azhikode Trust.

23-9-2016 – A Documentary Fest titled “Signifieds” was carried out at Bernard Hall.

29-9-2016 – A talk titled “Aye Aye Captain: 400 Years of Shakespeare” was spoken by Prof. Josy Joseph, Assoc. Professor of SB College, Changanassery.

17-10-2016 – A session on “Postmodern Narratives and Gender Studies” was held in which Dr. Krishnan Unni, from Delhi University lectured.

15-1-2017 – As a part of the Albertian International Knowledge Summit, Dr. P.P Raveendran (UGC Emeritus Professor, MG University) gave a lecture on “An Introduction to Modernism”.

1-2-2017 – Prof. Raveendra Jain and prof. Shobhita Jain, Retd. Professors from JNU, spoke at a session on “New Vistas in Higher Education”.

8-2-2017 – In connection with Vigilance Week, the Department of English and Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau, Kerala Police, jointly conducted an awareness class.

8-3-2017 – In connection with International Women’s Day, Dr. S. Girija from Centre for Health, Intelligence and Development gave a talk.

10-7-2017 – The English Association (TEA) conducted a session by Prof. A.A Chandradaasan, Director of Lokadharmi.

18-7-2017 – The Harrisian Forum of Critical Discourses in Humanities conducted a talk on “Hamlet, Shakespeare and Art” by Dr. C.S Jayaram.

19-7-2017 – An academic lecture on “MLA 8^th Edition Style and Research Writing” was elaborated by Mr. Bibin Thomas, Asst. Professor of BCM College, Kottayam.

19-7-2017 – The book “Shanti” by Dr. A.V Vijayan was released by Prof. A.A Chandradaasan, the director of Lokadharmi.

5-8-2017 – One-day workshop on “Communication Skills” was conducted by Dr. P.M.S Kutty, Retd. Professor of English, Pondicherry University.

11-8-2017 – A talk by Dr. Ravindra Ranasinha on the topic “Post Conflict Reconciliation Action as a Social Worker” was held in co-operation with the Friends of Tibet Foundation for the Well-being.

23-8-2017 – A lecture on “Culture Studies: Theory and Praxis” was given by Dr. Tom C. Thomas, Asst. Professor of S.H College, Thevara.