A four-week Faculty Induction Programme (FIP) for newly-recruited assistant professors started at the University of Kashmir on Tuesday.
Vice-Chancellor Prof Talat Ahmad inaugurated the online programme, organised by the varsity’s Human Resource Development Centre (HRDC) in line with the mandate and modules enlisted in ‘Guru Dakshta’, a faculty development programme launched by the UGC in 2019.
In his presidential address, Prof Talat said the newly-recruited teachers must regularly keep updating their knowledge and continue to pursue research to stay relevant beyond their classrooms.
“You must continue to do research, publish papers in reputed journals and keep updating your knowledge,” he urged the participants.
Prof Talat said apart from holding FIPs regularly, it is important to consider giving some training to PhD scholars about the teaching-learning processes during their research to make them ready for academic institutions.
Prof Talat congratulated the HRDC for organising the refresher and FIPs regularly. At least 30 teachers from universities and colleges from within and outside J&K UT are participating in the current FIP.
Joint Secretary at UGC Dr Archana Thakur, who was a guest of honour on the occasion, underlined the aims and objectives of the UGC’s Guru Dakshta FIP.
She said the key modules of Guru Dakshta FIP include Higher Education and Its Ecosystem, Curriculum Designing and Outcome-Based Learning, Teaching Learning and Assessment, Personal-Emotional Development and Counseling, Research, Professional Development and Academic Leadership, Academic Integrity, Constitutional Values and Fundamental Duties, and Strategic Planning and Management.
“The MHRD and UGC are doing a lot to create passionate educators by organising programmes which facilitate our teachers’ constant professional development,” she said.
In his special address, KU Registrar Dr Nisar Ahmad Mir, who was also a guest of honour, vowed his continued support to HRDC in its endeavors concerning faculty development. “Such programmes go a long way in improving professional capabilities of teachers to enable them to deliver better and promote academic excellence,” he said.
In his welcome address, Director HRDC Prof Mushtaq A Darzi underscored the persistent efforts of the Centre in organising regular FIPs and refresher courses with the larger objective of enabling the teachers to keep pace with the global standards and benchmarks on teaching-learning.
Coordinator UGC-HRDC Dr Geer Mohammad Ishaq said a plethora of eminent resource persons have been invited to deliver their lectures during the FIP, which aims to sensitise and motivate the faculty to adopt learner-centered approaches, ICT-integrated learning and new pedagogic approaches to teaching-learning, assessment tools in higher education. Dr Geer also delivered a vote of thanks.
On the first day of the FIP, Prof Ashok Aima, Vice-Chancellor Central University of Jammu and Prof Shakil A Romshoo, Dean of Research at KU delivered lead lectures on ‘Contemporary Environmental Issues of Societal Importance’ and ‘Responsibilities of teachers in contemporary times’, respectively.