St. Xavier’s College, through the IQAC and in collaboration with the PACT Foundation and O. P. Jindal Global University, hosted a one-day State level Faculty Development Programme on the theme, “Advancing Excellence in Higher Education: Innovation and Global Perspectives”. 150 faculty members from 15 institutions across the state of Goa participated in the program.
The Acting Principal, Ms. Ursula Barreto in her welcome address highlighted the significance of educators in shaping the minds of future generations. Effective pedagogy coupled with technology can transform the classroom into a vibrant learning environment, she remarked. The Chief Guest Prof. Niyan Marchon while applauding the initiatives of the College in promoting Faculty Development Programmes, also urged the faculty to collaborate with each other on research initiatives not just within the college but also across other Higher Education Institutes and Industry.
Dr. Ashwin Fernandes, the Founder and President of The Pact Foundation highlighted the importance of the FDP in the context of the evolving landscape of higher education and emphasized the need for faculty to embrace innovation, technology and global perspectives. Professor (Dr.) C. Raj Kumar founding Vice Chancellor, O. P. Jindal Global University India, in his inaugural address, emphasized on the role of educators in shaping future generations and the significance of fostering a culture of innovation in educational institutions.
The first two sessions were led by Prof. C Raj Kumar, Prof. Padmanabha Ramanujam and Ambassador Mohan Kumar. The themes of the sessions were ‘Innovative Teaching Pedagogies – The Future of Higher Education’ and ‘AI-Enhanced Learning: Transforming Classroom Teaching and Student Engagement’. Prof. C Raj Kumar highlighted the gap between the teacher and the taught prevailing, which could be bridged by adopting technology and inspiring students in problem solving, critical thinking and generating new ideas by changing the pedagogy in education.
Prof. Padmanabha Ramanujam summarised the future of education in three points, i.e. Technological education and the use of AI, Experiential learning through RFPs and Co-opt programmes in which students go through an internship to learn and apply new skills. He emphasised that every faculty should be engaged in writing and researching. Whereas, Ambassador Mohan Kumar warned about the competition between traditional teaching methods and new strategies promoted in the NEP such as Professors of Practice. Learning outcomes must concentrate on critical thinking skills, learning to interpret and the use of critical thinking skills to promote empathy in society.
Dr. Francois Therin, Deputy VC Research and Enterprise, University of Cyberjaya, Malaysia spoke on ‘Building a Research-Driven Academic Ecosystem: Strategies and Best Practices’. Dr. Francois opined that quality of education was more important than quantity. He proposed a research driven ecosystem in education with components comprising of research infrastructure, strong collaboration and supportive policies.
In the final session, Dr. Agueda Benito, Cintana Education, founding member, on ‘Strategies for Internationalisation and Achieving Global Standards in Higher Education’ was based on building a network that will work and requires in turn the development of a comprehensive, internationalisation strategy. Dr. Agueda Benito concluded with a group discussion on initiatives that would make student and faculty experience more international. At the Valedictory function, Associate Professor Ms Vilma Fernandes read the proceedings of the day. The Administrator of St. Xavier’s College, Fr. Antonio Salema presented a memento to Dr. Ashwin Fernandes. The vote of thanks was proposed by Dr. Ubaldina Noronha, the IQAC Coordinator and Convenor of the FDP.