Ananya Mukherjee
Vice Chancellor, Shiv Nadar University, Greater Noida

Ananya Mukherjee is Vice Chancellor of Shiv Nadar Deemed-to-be University, Greater Noida, conferred Institution of Eminence status by the Union education ministry. An alum of Jadavpur University, Kolkata and University of Southern California (USA), Mukherjee acquired over two decades of rich admin and teaching experience in Canada’s British Columbia and York universities prior to her appointment as VC at SNU in 2022.

What are the major objectives set for SNU until India’s 100th Freedom Anniversary in 2047?

To contribute towards building Viksit Bharat by 2047, we have constructed several important pillars: ground-breaking research and innovation capability; advancing sustainability; harnessing the power of youth; nurturing talent and ensuring employability; women empowerment, among others. In line with this vision, our objective is to remain focused on our core mission. The first objective is to prepare our graduates for an increasingly complex and volatile world. For this, we are strengthening our interdisciplinary curriculum, encouraging students to break silos and develop future-focuses capabilities. The second objective is to grow our impactful research. We are amongst the very few private universities which undertake basic, applied and translational research. We will continue to strengthen this, adding new Centers of Excellence, such as in AI.

How satisfied are you with your progress thus far?

In just 14 years, we have emerged as an institution that is trusted for its capability to produce outstanding graduates, significant research and a demonstrated commitment to the betterment of society. This year we are one of 26 small and comprehensive universities — with less than 5,000 students — globally to enter the QS World University Rankings and to feature in the Global Top 40 of two SDG rankings. Moreover, we have 5,000 alumni spread across the world.

But we are just getting started. As our founder Shiv Nadar says: Dream Big. We have collected a community of faculty, students and staff whose dreams are getting bigger every day. Our trustees are all big dreamers with a strong philanthropic mission for education. Quality and integrity define our calling: we want to create new benchmarks for how universities create value in these volatile times.

What are your major initiatives to contemporise your curriculum?

We are launching a fully overhauled curriculum in 2025. First, we are further strengthening our superpower of multidisciplinary/interdisciplinarity education. Second, we are enhancing experiential learning through various initiatives: field experiences, live projects, immersive technologies, industry co-designed courses and bringing policy-makers and practitioners into our classrooms.

Our curricula are set within highly dynamic frameworks — continuously shaped by research, dialogue, reflection and the resolve to shape graduates who can solve tomorrow’s problems. 

How satisfied are you with your connect with Indian industry and business?

From the start, given Mr. Nadar’s background as founder of HCL Technologies, we have had close industry ties. Recently we established a Centre of Excellence in Drug Discovery in collaboration with Revvity, a leader in biotechnology research; we have an ongoing relationship with Foxconn and a recently contracted collaboration with ISRO. And our Dassault Systemes Centre of Excellence established in collaboration with the French aviation major Dassault Aviation, is a novel academia-industry partnership. These are just a few examples. We are continuously developing partnerships with public and private corporations.

How optimistic are you about India’s future growth and development?

I am very optimistic about India’s future growth and direction. At SNU, we witness high potential every day — in our classrooms, labs, and communities — where students and faculty are developing cutting edge technologies and solutions for India, the Global South, and beyond.

Yet we are fully aware that optimism alone is not enough. Much stronger collaborations are required, with strategic pooling of resources mobilised for shared goals. India’s needs are massive, and the aspirations of its youth in terms of education are very high. We can’t afford to fail them.

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