Teachers must evolve into academic leaders, says MDU Vice-Chancellor

Rohtak, October 5, 2026: Maharshi Dayanand University (MDU) Vice-Chancellor Prof Milap Poonia today called upon teachers to go beyond imparting knowledge and emerge as academic leaders capable of mentoring students and driving institutional change.

He was speaking at the inaugural session of a seven-day UGC Faculty Development Programme (FDP) on “Leadership Competencies: Enhancing Excellence in Higher Education”, organised by the UGC-Malaviya Mission Teacher Training Centre (MMTTC), MDU, in collaboration with DAV Institute of Management, Faridabad. Around 160 teachers from 22 states are participating in the programme in online and offline modes.

Congratulating teachers on International Teachers’ Day, Prof Poonia said every teacher standing in a classroom was an academic leader. “Excellence in higher education is not confined to academic achievements; it also requires effective leadership and a vision for the holistic development of students,” he said.

He stressed that technical competence and artificial intelligence alone could not meet the demands of contemporary education. Social intelligence, empathy, communication, teamwork and the ability to understand others were equally important. Teachers, he said, should foster leadership, innovation, problem-solving, critical thinking and social skills among students.

Prof Poonia urged faculty members to constantly upgrade their knowledge and skills, connect research and innovation with teaching, and play the roles of mentors, facilitators and change leaders. He also highlighted the opportunities for academic and institutional leadership offered by the National Education Policy-2020.

MDU Registrar Prof Sandeep Bansal said the FDP addressed the emerging needs of higher education and would help teachers transform information into knowledge with practical relevance.

MMTTC Director Prof Muneesh Garg said the programme aimed to strengthen leadership competencies among teachers and accelerate academic excellence and institutional transformation.

The inaugural session featured expert talks by Geeta University Pro-Chancellor Nishant Bansal, CDLU Vice-Chancellor Prof Vijay Kumar and IIM Jammu Chief Innovation Officer Prof Vivek Sharma on academic leadership, innovation, entrepreneurship and human values in the age of AI.