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Cover Story

research centres, that encourage interdisciplinary re-
search, industry collaboration, and cutting-edge experi-
mentation.
What’s your prescription for transforming India into a $30 tril-
lion GDP economy by 2047?
Achieving this goal requires more than high annual
growth rates. It demands a systemic shift anchored
in knowledge, innovation, and institutional synergy.
Education institutions must become key drivers in this
transformation by reimagining themselves as dynamic
knowledge hubs. By adopting interdisciplinary research,
nurturing entrepreneurial thinking, and strengthening
industry linkages, we can enhance the quality of human
capital and align academic outcomes with national devel-
opment priorities. Ultimately, a knowledge-based econ-
omy, with intellectual capital at its core, will be India’s
Aman Mittal with LPU educators
most powerful lever for long-term, inclusive growth.
validated.
Dr. Glenn Kharkongor
What are your major initiatives to contemporise your syllabus / Chancellor, Martin Luther Christian University, Shillong
curriculum?
Our academic model is built on continuous curriculum re- medicine and public health alum of Christian
newal, guided by close collaboration with industry experts Medical College, Vellore and Loma Linda
and international partners. We have integrated cutting- A University (USA) with over four decades of
edge technologies like artificial intelligence, data science, experience in academics, administration, policy
cybersecurity, green technologies, and entrepreneurship research, and public service, Dr. Glenn C. Kharkongor
not only into technical programmes but also in disciplines is Chancellor of Martin Luther Christian University
such as management, the humanities, and design. Project- (MLCU), Shillong.
based learning, interdisciplinary electives, and real-world
simulations form an essential part of our pedagogy, ensur- What are the major objectives set for MLCU until India’s 100th
ing students develop practical problem-solving capabili- Freedom Anniversary in 2047?
ties. In 2047, MLCU will have completed four decades as
We have also fully adopted Outcome-Based Education Northeast India’s first private university. We would have
and implemented the Choice-Based Credit System (CBCS) settled into our new campus on the pine tree slopes of
to allow students academic flexibility. the Khasi Hills. I am confident that MLCU will become
the university of choice for aspiring youth of Northeast
How satisfied are you with your connect with Indian industry and India, and for national and international students seek-
business? ing an educational culture that values student diversity,
Very satisfied with our growing and strategically embed- biodiversity, and social enterprise.
ded engagement with Indian industry and business. Every By 2047, MLCU will demonstrate and lead a model of
year, over 1,000 national and multinational companies higher education that is dynamic, relevant and entrepre-
visit LPU for placements, including Fortune 500 compa- neurial for every generation of learners.
nies and major Indian conglomerates such as Reliance,
Tata, Aditya Birla Group, Mahindra, Infosys, HCL, and How satisfied are you with your progress thus far?
Tech Mahindra. These partnerships not only facilitate em- In its short journey, MLCU has proven itself to be a new-
ployment but also enrich the academic experience through gen university. We are located in a region that has been
internships, live projects, and industry-led mentorship. largely bypassed by the economic growth of mainland
In alignment with NEP 2020, LPU has introduced the India, and where entrepreneurship has not been valued
Professors of Practice model, integrating experienced or incentivised. But we are determined to remain true to
industry professionals into the academic framework to our purpose of motivating youth to build local enter-
bridge classroom learning with industry workplaces. We prises rather than migrate for job-seeking. Many of our
also collaborate with businesses on joint research, consul- graduates have set up their own companies using the
tancy, and CSR projects. region’s natural resources, and others have set up health
service centres such as counselling and optometry.
R&D and innovation are widely perceived as Indian academia’s The mandate of the university is to develop our com-
infirmity. What’s your institutional response to create new knowl- munity, state and region. Yet in the past five years, we
edge? have consistently figured in the upper tenth percentile of
Acknowledging R&D and innovation as traditional chal- private universities countrywide. This high ranking has
lenges in Indian academia, LPU has adopted a mission- been primarily because of contributions of our young,
oriented approach to develop a strong research and highly motivated faculty from tribal communities of the
innovation culture. We have established over 15 dedicated Northeast.

64 EDUCATIONWORLD JULY 2025