AMN / NEW DELHI
The President of India, in his capacity as the Visitor of the Jamia Millia Islamia, JMI has appointed Prof. Najma Akhtar as the Vice-Chancellor of Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi.
A widely acclaimed educationist, Professor Akhtar is the first lady Vice-Chancellor of Jamia Millia Islamia, as also the first lady Vice-Chancellor of any central universities in Delhi. It is seen as a progressive development in the history of educational leadership and a matter of pride for Jamia Millia Islamia. The whole JMI fraternity accorded a warm welcome to the decision and assured of sincere cooperation. They showed cheerful expectations of positive progress in various disciplines and areas of learning and knowledge.
An internationally renowned educational administrator, Professor Akhtar has four decades of academic scholarship in educational leadership. She is known for spearheading international educational administrators’ course for senior officials from 130 countries for more than 15 years at NIEPA. She has established and successfully developed first state level management institute (SIEMET) at Allahabad for developing educational administrators for the country. She has managed affairs of premier educational institute in various critical statutory positions such as Controller of examination and Director Academic Programs at Aligarh Muslim University. At IGNOU, she led many distance educators capacity building courses at national and international level.
A gold medallist of Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, Professor Akhtar distinguished herself in the university as a student in her early career. She earned international accolades including Commonwealth scholarship and the prestigious National Science Talent scholarship. She studied in prestigious international institutes such as University of Warwick and Nottingham UK and IIEP Paris (UNESCO). She has been involved in collaborative research work with developing and developed countries. As a successful Team Leader she has encouraged and developed younger faculty as independent leaders. She has been actively consulted by UNESCO, UNICEF, DANIDA and other international organisations.
Prof. Akhtar is known for innovations in educational governance. She has achieved time-bound targets in putting the Academic session back on rails and has demonstrated handling of University rules/regulations with a firm hand resulting in transparency and acceptance among students, faculty and the community. She is known for leading teams of diverse cultural background for International consultancy assignments. She is a pioneer in bringing fully funded long and short term international programs with diverse funding to her University and to the country. Gender Equity has been part of most of her projects. Her personal charisma clubbed with professional acumen in Institution Building makes a perfect combination for excellence in education.
Under her leadership JMI may expand, prosper and provide safe and robust environment of learning attracting the talented from all parts of the country and abroad. The realization of the goal of massification of Professional Higher Education, and achievement of other national educational targets of GER, SDG goals and the opening of new professional courses is also on the cards. Jamia Millia Islamia, under the new Leadership, will strive to achieve the status of one of the World Class Universities.