For over four hundred and fifty years the Jesuits have been in the field of education. In September 1540, their founder, Ignatius of Loyola, established the Society of Jesus in the Catholic Church to help persons live out their humane life. Because of his own studies in the University of Paris to obtain a Masters in Theology, he gauged that providing education was the best means to achieve that aim. Schools and universities were set up and, quite soon after his death, the Jesuits came to be referred to as the “School Masters of Europe.” Already during his lifetime, starting with Francis Xavier, the Jesuits started to arrive in Asia, and almost immediately they set up schools and colleges, like St Paul’s in Goa in 1542. X-TECH has drawn on the large Jesuit legacy to choose and plan its programmes of studies.

Jesuit education is geared for much more than the mere training of the mind. The heart must also be activated so that the individual person considers one’s neighbour as one’s own other self. Jesuit pedagogy begins with the premise that encountering reality in the world is less a threat and more of an opportunity to realize a person’s true potential. At the end of studies in a Jesuit institution, it is hoped that Jesuit mentoring has developed a person’s critical awareness that will keep one from being credulous, superstitious, fundamentalist, or obscurantist.

 

St. Xavier’s Technical Institute (X-TECH) is one of 130 Universities / Colleges in the world and one of 84 colleges in India that is managed by the Jesuit Order. The most popular Jesuit Institutions in India are XLRI, Jamshedpur, Loyola College, Chennai, St. Joseph’s College, Bangalore, St. Xavier University, Kolkatta, and Xavier University, Bhubaneshwar. It started off in the early 1930s on the premises of St Xavier’s College, Mumbai, Fort, and when it soon began to burgeon it also demanded larger premises, and these were found in Mahim.

 

The original need was for an institution that could train radio communication officers for the shipping industry. The Jesuits decided to set up St Xavier’s Technical Institute (X-tech), a polytechnic that would serve the maritime interests. With the rapid development of Information Technology, a further need was recognized for providing quality education in Computers and Electronics, and thus in 2005 a degree-level college, XIE, was set up alongside X-tech.

 

X-TECH has a programme that offers personal care to every student, and fosters a holistic formation. The students appreciate the one-on-one chats with their mentors (ombudsman and the staff). The students are able to approach the staff, apprise them of their difficulties, and even find the staff willing to organize extra classes for special needs. Classrooms are planned to contain no more than 60 students and the staff-student ratio is 1:15. The laboratories have state of the art equipment. The ambience of the classrooms, and the opportunities for developing interpersonal and employment skills, contribute to the special package of benefits for students. The lifestyle of the staff invites unconscious imitation by the students.

 

X-TECH is affiliated to Directorate of Technical Education, but it is autonomous. While competent staff guarantees training of a high order, the management keeps in mind the changing needs of industry. Various courses have been added on over the years: programming skills in Python, Embedded systems, Internet of Things, Machine Learning, Deep Learning and Artificial Intelligence. These courses and the talents of X-TECH students have caught the attention of major industries and corporations: Reliance JIO, L&T Infotech, Capgemini, Infosys, Tata Consultancy Services, Mahindra Tech and  NSEIT. There are about 57 companies coming into our campus to recruit our students. Our own alumni own companies like E-nexus, GDIZ, Oreon Web Solutions, Scintillate, Bite Group, SS Enterprises, Qubelinks, Tejash Cyber Solutions, etc.