Senior most faculty takes charge of hot seat of Punjabi university
Kanwar Inder Singh/ royalpatiala.in
Prof. Pushpinder Singh Gill joined his office as Dean Academic Affairs, Punjabi University, Patiala here today. While acknowledging the immense support and greetings from a huge number of quarters, he said that he was elated to see that all employees and teachers have extended their full cooperation to him. Talking about the encouraging response on joining his office, he said that the most pressing challenge is to ensure the university’s progress and offer the best learning environment for students. A good education is the cornerstone of every good institution. It occurs when we foster an environment that promotes the development of new ideas and discoveries. He asserted that, “I want to provide students a platform where they can openly explore ideas and be prepared for jobs. My experience working with educational institutions in rural areas, as well as nationally and globally, has helped me to recognize the unique needs of different geographical locations and, as a result, to provide them with appropriate resources and especially ensure that our affiliated colleges and external centers are taken care of. He further said that we want to draw students from all over the world because we have a world-class faculty and a lot to give.”
Speaking further, he said, “As the planet continues to change and become more competitive, I believe that there is a pressing need to inspire confidence and ambition both among students and faculty. To improve academic diversity, we need to promote interdisciplinary partnerships, which will benefit all stakeholders and facilitate inclusive growth. In addition to teaching the academic curriculum, our students should also be taught skills that will allow them to deal with the pressures of change and complexity once they finish their courses.”
Talking about the the placements of students, he said that this is also a criterion of an educational institution’s excellence, so his goal for the students is to be job ready and associate them with future employers while they are completing their course. To do so, we must immediately reactivate the placement cell. Keeping in touch with our alumni will also help us learn from their experiences and provide input that can help us make improvements as needed.
“Because our faculty and employees are the university’s backbone, we must provide them with training opportunities to improve their knowledge and skills. There is need to encourage students nationally and internationally through massive open online courses for greater interaction. I will remain committed to giving our students, faculty, and employees the best opportunities to succeed in global markets, science, and academia”, he said.
“We need to establish stronger networking with research funding agencies and industry. I believe that we need to make an evaluation of our university’s economy and come up with viable options for providing students with a high-quality education that meets international expectations.
Particular attention needs to be paid to building reciprocal relationships between students, teachers and parents as this triad aids in optimizing students’ ability, commitment, and achievement”, he said.
While speaking about the history of Punjabi University, he said that, “Punjabi university was founded nearly 60 years ago to promote Punjabi language, art, and culture. Great scholars like Bhai Kahn Singh Nabha worked for decades to promote Punjabi language by compiling Gur Shabad Ratnakar Mahan Kosh (encyclopaedia of Punjabi language and literature), and it was Maharaja Bhupinder Singh of Patiala State who funded the printing costs when the former was unable to do so after completing his work. Patiala State established the first Punjabi development department to promote Punjabi language and culture. Punjabi University will continue to be committed to the development of Punjabi language, art, and culture in the same spirit.
After nearly six decades since university was founded, we need to reconsider how the needs of students have changed over time, and develop comprehensive organizational strategies to meet those needs. We must review the curriculum on a regular basis in order to keep up with changes in society, especially in terms of technology.”
He emphasized that ,”the university’s mission is to benefit society by pursuing excellence in teaching, learning, and science at the highest international levels.”
April 5,2021
