Professional and Personality Development of Teachers

UGC-Human Resource Development Centre of the University ofKashmir recently concluded its three-week long 84th General Orientation Coursefor newly appointed Assistant Professors of various colleges and universitiesof the Kashmir valley that had commenced on February 20th, 2020. Course wasaimed at professional, personality and career development of the teachersworking in higher education sector of J&K. Its main objectives wereupdation, improvement and enhancement of knowledge, skills, competencies,abilities, aptitude, efficiency, motivation and practices of participants ofthe programme.

Besides promoting resource awareness, communication skills,personality development and ICT know-how among teachers, course was also aimedat creating awareness about relationship and inter-linkages between highereducation and environment, climate change, economy, socio-cultural andpolitical issues, health and hygiene, culture, heritage and traditions. Keepingin view heterogeneity of the participants who belonged to diverse disciplinesof arts, humanities, commerce, economics, management, social sciences, scienceand technology, engineering and library sciences, eminent resource persons ofrepute were invited to deliver lectures during the course on varied topics ofcommon interest of the participants. A total of 27 resource persons wereinvited who delivered lectures on a total of 37 topics chosen in accordancewith the curriculum devised by the University Grants Commission for suchcourses.

   

Eminent resource persons who were invited to deliverlectures during the course include Prof. Talat Ahmad, Vice Chancellor,University of Kashmir; Prof. Mushtaq Ah. Siddiqi, Vice-Chancellor, IUST,Awantipur; Prof. Nilofer Khan, Director, Institute of Home Science, Universityof Kashmir; Dr. Parvaiz A. Koul, Head, Department of Internal & PulmonaryMedicine, Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Science, Soura, Srinagar; Prof.Khurshid Ali, Former Dean Academic Affairs, University of Kashmir; Prof. A. M.Shah;, Dean Academic Affairs, Islamic University of Science and Technology,Awantipora; Prof. Mohammad Amin Sofi, Emeritus Scientist, Department ofMathematics, University of Kashmir; Prof. Shabir Ahmad Bhat, Director,UGC-HRDC, University of Kashmir; Prof. Asifa Jan, Dean, School of SocialSciences, University  of Kashmir; Prof.Noor Ahmad Baba, Former Head & Dean, Department of Political Science,University of Kashmir; Prof. Farooq Ahmad Mir, Controller of Examinations,University of Kashmir; Prof. Mohammad Ayub Dar, Dean & Head, School of Law,University of Kashmir;  Prof. Gull MohammadWani, Head, Department of Political Science, University of Kashmir; Prof.Shakil A. Romshoo, Coordinator, Geo-Informatics, University of Kashmir; Prof.Parveen Pandit, Controller of Examination, Central University of Kashmir; Prof.Pirzada M. Amin, Head, Department of Sociology, University of Kashmir; Prof.(Dr.) K. Maran, Director, Sai Ram Institute of Management Studies, Sri Sai RamEngineering College, Chennai, Tamil Nadu; Prof. Jasveen Kaur, Chairperson &Head, University Business School, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar; Dr.Shariq R. Masoodi, Department of Endocrinology, SKIMS, Soura, Srinagar; Prof.Alka Sharma, Director, The Business School, University of Jammu; Prof. FarooqAhmad Shah, Department of Management Studies, Central University of Kashmir;Prof. Hameeda Bano, Department of English, University of Kashmir; Dr. ArshadHussain, Department of Psychiatry, Govt. Medical College, Srinagar; Dr. ShahidRasool, Director, EMMRC, University of Kashmir; Er. Maroof Naieem Qadri,Director, Directorate of IT & SS, University of Kashmir; Mr. MohammadAshraf Malik, Former Joint Director Finance, Govt. of J&K; Prof. AltafHussain Pandith, Department of Chemistry, University of Kashmir and Dr.Mohammad Ishaq Geer, Coordinator, HRDC, University of Kashmir.

Topics on which lectures were delivered include selfmanagement for attainment of success, shifting nuances of ethical criticism,alternate dispute resolution, human rights: involving dimensions &expanding scope, mental health & education: interface, focus of drugaddiction, education policy & strategies for institution development, a fewcontemporary environmental issues of societal importance, lifestyle disorders,diabesity-why and how can we prevent it, issues before undergraduate education,attitude, outcome based learning, age of acceleration & new trends inhigher education, social change & gerontology: national & internationalperspective, women of Kashmir: a historical perspective, leadership &mentoring, decision making, stress management, the importance of mathematics ineducation, higher education in the age of globalization; development ofmanagement thought: lessons learnt, latest trends in information technology,training the trainers: first-hand experience of methodology of teaching, servicerules governing the faculty, knowledge perspectives in Islam and modernthinking, impact of teaching & strategy for college & universityteachers, gender studies, outcome based goal-oriented learning as an innovativepedagogy in twenty first century, learning outcomes based curricular frameworkof UGC.

During the course three special sessions were also organizedthat include a lecture on “Rise of the Himalayan Mountains & ClimateProxies,” delivered by Prof. Talat Ahmad, Vice-Chancellor, University ofKashmir; a lecture on “Novel Corona Virus (COVID-19) Infection: Facts &Fiction,” delivered by Dr. Parvaiz A. Koul, Prof. and Head, Dept. of Internaland Pulmonary Medicines, SKIMS, Srinagar and a lecture on “Women empowermentand gender justice” in connection with International Women’s Day Celebrationsby Prof. Nilofer Khan of the Institute of Home Sciences, University of Kashmir.

Some of the topics that were debated by the participants intheir presentations include emotional intelligence, biodiversity and disasters,drug abuse, global warming, human displacement, ICT in higher education, impactof climate change on agriculture, importance of physical education, statisticalmethods using SPSS, doping in sports, medicalization of society, child labour inIndia, women in decision-making, poetry of dissent, library management system,artificial intelligence, filing income tax returns, ethical and social aspectsof advertising, SAARC: problems and prospects, emerging models of scholarlycommunication, changing nature of centre-state relations, genetics andepigenetics, trekking in Kashmir valley, teaching of propositions, India’snuclear power programme, emerging models of scholarly communication, vegetableseed production in Kashmir, chemistry for sustainable future, our immunesystem, mental illness etc.

Valedictory session of the course was conducted on March12th, 2020 and Prof. Mushtaq A. Siddiqi, Vice-Chancellor, Islamic University ofScience and Technology, Awantipur was the Chief Guest at this occasion. In hispresidential address, Prof. Siddiqi elaborated upon the essential ingredientsof excellence in higher education that include inquisitiveness, tolerance andcounter-argumentation. He underscored the need to develop world-classinfrastructure besides good human resource for achieving quality in highereducation. Prof. Siddiqi advised the participants of the course to nurtureinquisitiveness and tolerate dissent and counter-arguments with humility. Heurged them to devise their own teaching-learning models and innovate withintheir own academic spaces. Prof. Siddiqi informed that path-breakinginnovations and mind-boggling ideas often come from young minds and thereforethey should be allowed to express themselves freely in an open and tolerant atmosphere.He underscored the need for organizing colloquiums and flipped learning forfostering creativity and talent.

Welcoming the chief guest, Director, UGC-HRDC, Prof. ShabirAhmad Bhat emphasized that the universities must provide a neutral platform forfree exchange of ideas and innovative and integrative measures must be taken toenhance competencies of teachers for promoting the quality and excellence inhigher education. He underlined the importance of making education and researchrelevant to the society by developing industry-academia interface and fosteringcommunity outreach activities. Prof. Shabir Ahmad Bhat stated that the facultyimprovement programmes are a significant means of improving the knowledge andskills of teachers working in our higher education sector. He called forevolving long-term institutional excellence through well-planned strategies andsustained actions.

Course Coordinator and Coordinator, HRDC, Dr. Mohammad IshaqGeer while conducting proceedings of the valedictory session stressed upon theneed to learn and unlearn, think and unthink, discipline and undisciplineknowledge in all academic disciplines as and when needed. He explained themodalities governing design and conduct of the 84th General OrientationProgramme and elaborated upon the practical achievement of its desiredobjectives and stated outcomes. Dr. Geer explained how innovativeteaching-learning pedagogies were employed in the said course to achieve itsintended objectives. He thanked Prof. Mushtaq A. Siddiqi for his inspiringwords and motivational speech at the valedictory function. Dr. Geer expressedhope that the participants will pass on the knowledge and skills gained duringthe course to their students at their respective colleges and will practice variousprinciples of effective teaching learnt during the course.

Besides attending classroom sessions, participants of thecourse made an educational tour to Dachigam wildlife sanctuary where they wereapprised about the fundamental issues concerning preservation of forests,conservation of environment and ecology by the Wildlife Warden, Mr. AltafHussain, following which participants submitted their reports about theeducational tour and the lessons learnt out of it. They also made their ownpresentations on diverse topics of their own interest and wrote book reviews forthe purpose of their evaluation. Feedback on each and every resource person aswell as on the whole course was also collected from the participants on theformats prescribed by UGC for this purpose. At the end of the course internalimpact assessment reports were submitted by the participants wherein theyelaborated how the course has impacted upon their thinking, mindset,knowledge-base, attitudes and teaching pedagogies. Two participants namely Dr.Hilal Ahmad Malla of GDC, Kangan and Dr. Mehvish Showkat of GCW, M.A. Road readtheir impact assessment reports at the valedictory function in which theyexpressed full satisfaction about the design, content, course curriculum,conduct and organization of the course. They expressed hopes that theirsuggestions for further improvement of such programme shall be taken intoconsideration. External impact assessment reports will also be collected fromthe students and principals of the colleges to which participants belonged indue course of time. These reports are aimed at assessing the impact of thecourse on the knowledge, attitude and teaching skills of the courseparticipants.

(Author is Director, UGC-HRDC, University of Kashmir)

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