UGC asks colleges, universities to engage ‘Professor of Practice’

NEW DELHI: The University Grants Commission (UGC) has asked all universities and colleges to engage professors of practice according to the requirement and guidelines issued by the Commission. UGC drafted guidelines to hire industry experts and professionals as guest professors to provide skill-based education in August.

“Vice chancellors of universities and principals of colleges are requested to take necessary steps to engage ‘Professor of Practice’ according to the requirement and by following the guidelines,” UGC said in an official notification.

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In the context of holistic and multidisciplinary education, as recommended in the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, it is important for the higher education institutions (HEls) to address the capacity constraints, especially with reference to integration of general education with vocational education. Realizing that the HEls need people with skills and expertise acquired in non-academic careers, in teaching and research, the UGC has taken a new initiative of engaging a Professor of Practice in HEls, UGC said.

According to UGC’s guidelines, professors of practice will be engaged for one year initially and the maximum duration of service should not exceed 3 years. The professors will be engaged under 3 categories: funded by industries, funded by HEIs from their own resources, and on an honorary basis. Those in teaching professions will not be eligible for this post.

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Professors of practice will develop and design courses; introduce new courses and deliver lectures; encourage students in innovation and entrepreneurship; conduct workshops, seminars, training programmes, special lectures in partnership with regular faculty members; carry out joint research projects.

Eligibility Criteria

According to UGC’s guidelines, eligibility of professors of practice is:

• Distinguished experts who have made remarkable contributions in their professions from various fields such as engineering, science, technology, entrepreneurship, commerce, social sciences, media, literature, fine arts, civil services, armed forces, legal profession and public administration among others. Those who have proven expertise in their specific profession or role with at least 15 years of service or experience, preferably at a senior level.
• Formal education qualification is not mandatory. These experts will also be exempted from the requirement of publications and other eligibility criteria for the recruitment of faculty members at the professor level. However, they should possess the skills to carry out the specified duties and responsibilities.