UGC attracts talent from a variety of academic fields by bringing in domain expertise

The Professor of Practice (PoP) program of the University Grants Commission (UGC) has drawn bright students from the engineering, health sciences, marketing, and hotel management streams to become academic faculty members. Tamil Nadu has employed the most academic professionals, according to the results of the most recent UGC survey.

In the state’s higher education institutions (HEIs), up to 93 experts are teaching a variety of subjects. By imparting their domain expertise to students, these experts help students become industry-ready. Odisha (48), Maharashtra (35), Haryana (32), and Karnataka (29), in order, are after Tamil Nadu.

According to the report, the remaining states are Telangana (6), Delhi (15), Andhra Pradesh (10), Rajasthan (9), and Punjab (5). Tribal studies, biotechnology, microbiology and biochemistry, leadership, human resources, entrepreneurship, and creativity are some fields that have attracted specialists to teach.

Experts have been drawn to fields like artificial intelligence, management, media, and commerce. “It is good to see many universities appointing professors of practice in different disciplines,” said UGC Chairman M. Jagadesh Kumar.

He said that “these professionals bring real-world insights, industry experience, and practical knowledge to educational institutions.” He expressed his hope that other colleges will aggressively use the program and claimed it was well accepted. Tamil Nadu’s appointment of the greatest number of PoPs, according to the UGC chairman, demonstrates a strong commitment to enhance student learning with real-world industry insights.

Up to 87 experts are enrolled in courses at these HEIs, with the greatest concentration of experts coming from the engineering and technology fields. But among engineers and technologists, more specialists in computer science have turned to teaching, with mechanical, electrical, and electronics engineering being the next most popular fields. According to the report, PoPs have been engaged by states and union territories such as Pondicherry (2) and Uttar Pradesh (1).

In order to support both business and academia, the UGC, as envisioned in the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, appointed professionals from the industry and other fields as Professors of Practice at academic institutions.

To make it possible for HEIs to recruit PoPs, UGC announced in September 2022 the norms for interacting with them in academic institutions. Furthermore, UGC created a webpage to assist experts and institutions in the role of Professors of Practice.

According to Kumar, a distinct pattern also showed itself, showing that PoP is more likely to be used by organizations with better NAAC or National Assessment and Accreditation Council accreditation ratings. A number of criteria are used by NAAC to evaluate and accredit HEIs.