University hosts academic leadership of 11 global institutions
The university on Friday (October 13) hosted the academic leadership of 11 global institutions for a discussion on diversity in university admissions, globalization, and best recruitment practices.
Taking the guests through the various departments, research, financial aid, and university’s vision, Associate Dean, Academics Dr. Rajeev Kumar Singh, said that Shiv Nadar University’s recognition as an Institution of Eminence was a testament to its untiring efforts to provide top-quality education that is unparalleled among private universities in the country. “The fundamentals that define us are our research focus, multidisciplinary curriculum, and innovation. Another highlight of the university is the Opportunity for Undergraduate (OUR) Programmes, which enables undergraduate students to undertake funded research projects with faculty members in any discipline. Many undergraduate students have published their research work through this initiative,” said Dr. Singh.
Among the dignitaries who attended the programme were, John McEachern (Director of Admissions) Boston University, Whitney Green (Director of International Admissions and Strategic Initiatives) Columbia University, Johnson Cheong (Manager of Undergraduate Recruitment) Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, John Wilkerson (Associate Vice President for International Services) Indiana University, Stu Schmill (Dean Admissions and Student Financial Services) Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Seth Allen (Vice President for Strategy and Dean of Admissions & Financial Aid) Pomona College, Roshan Walkerley (Deputy Head International Recruitment) the University of Cambridge, Dr. Bennett Yim (Director of Undergraduate Admissions and International Student Exchange) the University of Hong Kong, Nerida Olson (Director, Faculty Partnerships and Recruitment Services, Sydney Future Students) the University of Sydney, Maria Ornelas (Associate Director, Office of Undergraduate Admissions), Vanderbilt University and Howard Kwan of the University of Hong Kong. The guests also included the leadership of the not-for-profit membership association CollegeBoard.
Dean of the School of Management and Entrepreneurship Dr Bibek Banerjee said, “The basis of the School of Management and Entrepreneurship (SME) is on the philosophy postulated by our founder Mr. Shiv Nadar. The School resides at the academic crossroads of the University’s interdisciplinary mission, enabling research and teaching in a diverse set of areas of high impact and relevance. SME catalyzes the comprehensive stakeholder ecosystem of the university to promote entrepreneurial leadership adept at fueling innovative, pertinent, and implementable solutions for the challenges and opportunities of the 21st-century digital economy.”
Continuing the discussion, Dr. Sanjeev Galande, Dean, of the School of Natural Sciences said the personalised attention provided by the school through its four departments sets it apart from other universities. “The research infrastructure we have here is unparalleled in India and can rub shoulders with some of the top universities across the world. The publications by the faculty of the School of Natural Sciences total almost 80% of the university’s output,” said Dr. Galande.
Talking about the School of Engineering, Dean Dr. Sandeep Sen said that like universities across the world, the focus on Computer Science has driven the multidisciplinarity of the school. “The diversity of the five departments we have is huge. We have integrated some of the latest technical discoveries in our curriculum which some universities across the world are struggling the achieve,” said Dr. Sen.
“School of Humanities and Social Sciences (SHSS) is the most heterogenous school in the university. What stands out in SHSS is the sheer interdisciplinary talent of the faculty we have. We preempt the challenges faced in the study of humanities by giving ample academic freedom to both students and faculty. This makes our curriculum cutting-edge,” said Dr. Rajat Kathuria, Dean, of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences.
Replying to a query from Walkerley about where the university sees itself a decade from now, Dr. Singh said that the university had undertaken an exercise called QuoVadis where a “bottom-up, top-down” study was undertaken to work on the university’s growth for the next 10 years through three phases.
Commenting on the interaction, Whitney Green said, “It was an amazing experience for me to visit the campus and interact with the leadership. I am very impressed by the lush green campus and the amazing work done by the university. What impresses me is that all this has been achieved in a very short time.”