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Cover Story

Dr. Atul Chauhan
Chancellor, Amity University

n alumnus of University
College London and the
ALondon School of Economics,
Dr. Atul Chauhan is Chancellor of
Amity University (AU) and Chief
Executive of the Amity Group
(estb.1994) which comprises 11
universities, 26 K-12 schools and 30
other education institutions in India
and abroad.
What are the major objectives set for
Amity University until India’s 100th
Freedom Anniversary in 2047?
Thirty years ago, when the not-for- Dr. Atul Chauhan (centre) with AU students
profit Amity Foundation was in its
infancy and our Founder Dr. Ashok
K. Chauhan had returned to India 2023. This year Amity will inaugu- But the journey is long and it’s
after 35 years in Germany, he had rate the Harrow School, USA on our hard to keep up with the world’s best
proclaimed an intention to establish 170-acre campus on Long Island, universities whose annual research
education institutions to transform New York — the first campus of any budgets are in excess of a billion
India into a global superpower. British school in the US. dollars because they receive fund-
Some of the major objectives With campuses in London, ing support from government and
we have set are to develop Amity Singapore, Dubai and other coun- industry. Nevertheless, we are deter-
University into the largest private tries around the world, Amity has mined to bring great scientific minds
contributor to India’s research and achieved what no other Indian edu- together in AU and provide them
innovation ecosystem; plant the cation group has thus far. with the resources and environment
Indian flag in over 50 education to conduct path-breaking, high-
campuses worldwide, and transform How satisfied are you with Amity Univer- quality research. Recently, the Union
Amity into a leader in industry-aca- sity’s connect with Indian industry? ministry of commerce conferred the
demia partnership. Right from the start, Amity’s focus National Award for Intellectual Prop-
has been on establishing strong and erty and Innovation on AU.
How satisfied are you with your progress deep partnerships with industry.
thus far? Many years ago, we initiated a suc- What’s your prescription for transforming
For anyone in the field of education, cessful experiment to build industry- India into a $30 trillion GDP economy by
nothing is more satisfying than the led institutions. Therefore our in- 2047?
success of their alumni. As I look dustry partners play a critical role in To transform India into a $30 trillion
upon the 250,000 students cur- shaping the curriculum, contributing GDP economy by 2047, education
rently enrolled with us and the over faculty, offering hands-on experience must be the cornerstone of economic
700,000 alumni we have worldwide, including internships to our stu- development. I envision a new India
I can see the dream of Dr. Chauhan dents, and facilitating placements. driven by a bright, confident, skilled,
coming to fruition. Notable examples include the Amity innovative, and inclusive work-
With schools and universities in Institute of Technology in partner- force. Equitable access to quality
12 states of India and 15 countries ship with Tata Technologies and the education — especially in rural and
worldwide, we are proud that the Amity-CII School of Logistics. underserved areas, will unlock huge
quality of education delivered by demographic potential.
Amity Group — an Indian institution R&D and innovation are widely perceived Public-private partnerships must
— is acknowledged as world-class. as Indian academia’s infirmity. What’s scale vocational training and lifelong
When Uzbekistan wanted a world- your institutional response to create new learning to prepare our youth to
class university they chose Amity. knowledge? compete in global markets while
When Amsterdam wanted a world- Before we established the first Amity research and innovation must be
class K-12 school, Amity established University, we travelled the world driven by liberal funding, global col-
a school in their most iconic heritage to benchmark with the best. At that laboration, and academia-industry
buildings. time, it became clear that research synergy. Simultaneously, empower-
When Harrow School, UK, one and innovation in Indian academia ing teachers with technology and
of the world’s most elite schools, was inadequate. Therefore, right continuous professional develop-
needed a partner to expand globally, from the start we have described AU ment is essential. Education reform
Amity was their choice with Harrow as “a research and innovation-driven should become a national priority to
School, Bangalore established in university”. unleash India’s potential.

44 EDUCATIONWORLD JULY 2025