The Directorate of Higher Education (DHE) successfully concluded a series of six Academic Leadership Programs (ALPs) designed to enhance the leadership capabilities of 26 experienced faculty members (ALPians) from higher education institutions. The sixth and final ALP workshop took place at the Infosys Ltd., Mangalore campus, from July 30 to August 3, 2024.
The programme commenced with an overview of Artificial Intelligence (AI)’s impact on industry and academia, delivered by Santhosh Ananthapura, Head & Chief Lead for Government Partnerships at Infosys. Participants were introduced to AI applications and benefits through the Infosys Springboard platform and enrolled in an AI certification course.
Core leadership competencies were developed through workshops conducted by Aparna Pappu and Aman Girdhar. These sessions covered strategic issue management, including crisis management and decision-making, time management, stress management, and team-work. Participants gained practical tools and techniques to enhance their leadership skills.
During the valedictory programme, Prof. Nadaf and Prof. Marchon commended the vision of Secretary of Education, Prasad Lolayekar IAS, and Director DHE, Bhushan Savoikar, for establishing the ALP initiative for HEI faculty. Prof. Niyan Marchon, ALP Coordinator, highlighted the programme’s effectiveness in covering 40 topics across skill, management, and leadership domains through collaborations with premier institutes and Industry.
Vasudev Kamath, Vice-President and Head of Delivery Risk Management at Infosys, emphasised the importance of equipping students with practical skills for employability. He expressed gratitude to the participants for their engagement and extended an invitation for future collaborations. Santhosh Ananthapura echoed this sentiment, thanking the DHE for the partnership and expressing interest in ongoing academic interactions and training.
The ALP has successfully equipped faculty members with the necessary tools and knowledge to become effective academic leaders, contributing to the overall enhancement of higher education in the state of Goa.
Follow up sessions on academic leadership will be taken up by ALPians as projects, assignments or tasks to further enrich the higher education students and faculty in colleges. The Teaching Learning & Educational Technology (TLET) section in DHE will organise meetings to achieve this task.
