Shiv Nadar University, Delhi-NCR, today announced Dr. Ananya Mukherjee as its next Vice-Chancellor to lead the University’s growth in the future. Dr. Mukherjee is currently Provost and Vice-President Academic at the University of British Columbia (UBC) Okanagan, Canada. She assumes her role at Shiv Nadar University, Delhi-NCR, on 31 January 2022. She will be the University’s third Vice-Chancellor, taking the mantle from Dr. Rupamanjari Ghosh, who has ably led the institution for the last six years.
Dr. Ananya Mukherjee is a widely recognized academic leader, having held senior positions in two of Canada’s largest universities in Ontario and British Columbia. Currently, as the Provost and Vice-President at UBC Okanagan, she leads its strategy for academic excellence working with its nine Faculties and Schools with over 11,000 students. Before joining UBC, Dr. Mukherjee spent more than two decades at York University in Toronto, where she undertook many leadership roles. Most recently, she was Dean of the Faculty of Liberal Arts and Professional Studies, a role in which she led the largest liberal arts faculty in Canada with 23,000 students from 123 countries.
Welcoming Dr. Mukherjee, Mr. Shikhar Malhotra, Pro-Chancellor of Shiv Nadar University, Delhi-NCR, said: “Dr. Ananya Mukherjee joins the University at an important juncture, as we build on our strengths and achievements in our aim of becoming an institution of global stature and impact. Her international reputation as both, a senior academic leader and a multidisciplinary scholar, will complement our vision for Shiv Nadar University, Delhi-NCR.”
Dr. Mukherjee obtained her doctoral degree (Political Economy & Public Policy) from the University of Southern California, USA and her BA and MA degrees (Economics) from Jadavpur University, India. An interdisciplinary scholar of Development Studies, Dr. Mukherjee’s work focuses on inclusive and people-centered development.
Looking ahead to her new role, Dr. Ananya Mukherjee said: “I am deeply humbled by this opportunity to lead a university with a demonstrated commitment to fostering world class, transformative research and a strong social mission. Shiv Nadar University’s faculty and academic leadership, drawn from some of the best institutions in India and the world and the trajectory it has established in ten short years inspired me; its bold, global ambitions resonated with me deeply. And very importantly, the unique positioning of Shiv Nadar University as a part of a larger ecosystem of educational institutions committed to overcoming the socio-economic divide was a major factor that attracted me.”
Mr. Malhotra added: “I would like to express my sincere thanks to Dr. Rupamanjari Ghosh for her leadership and guidance, under which the University has developed its intellectual strengths, its dynamism, and its responsiveness to the societal needs and challenges of the constantly evolving educational landscape.”
With her transformational leadership, Dr. Ghosh has built a solid foundation of the University since 2012, first as the Founding Director of the University’s School of Natural Sciences, then the Founding Dean of Graduate Studies & Research, and since 2016 as Vice-Chancellor, today making Shiv Nadar University, Delhi-NCR, the youngest ‘Institution of Eminence’ (as recognized by the Government of India).
Dr. Rupamanjari Ghosh said: “I am very pleased to welcome and pass the baton on to such a distinguished academic leader and scholar. Dr. Mukherjee brings in her rich multicultural experience and this will ensure that this great institution continues to thrive. I look forward to working closely with her and the Foundation in this leadership transition phase and wish her and the University the very best for the future.”
As Shiv Nadar University, Delhi NCR enters its second decade of existence, it will continue to elevate its position in the Indian and global higher education landscape building on its legacy as a leading multidisciplinary and research & innovation-focused institution.
