Garhwal Post Bureau
Pantnagar, 14 Jul: Artificial intelligence is rapidly transforming how universities teach, conduct research and manage academic work. Preparing faculty members to effectively harness these technologies has become an important priority for higher education institutions worldwide. To address this emerging need, the Faculty Development Centre (FDC) at Govind Ballabh Pant University of Agriculture and Technology (GBPUAT), Pantnagar, has launched the University’s first structured Faculty Development Programme on “Artificial Intelligence for Educators: Basics to Practice”. The five-day programme, being conducted from 13 to 17 July is designed to equip educators with practical AI skills while laying the foundation for an AI-enabled academic ecosystem across the University.
The inaugural cohort brings together 50 faculty members from more than 40 academic departments, representing a cross-section of the University’s leadership, including Deans, senior professors, associate professors and assistant professors. The interdisciplinary participation reflects the University’s vision of integrating artificial intelligence across teaching, research, extension and institutional governance rather than limiting its use to technology-focused disciplines.
Participants are receiving hands-on training in large language models, prompt engineering, responsible AI, data privacy, AI-assisted teaching, research applications and the emerging field of agentic AI. Through practical demonstrations, the programme illustrates how artificial intelligence can enhance classroom instruction, accelerate research workflows, support academic content development and improve routine administrative processes.
The initiative is led by the Faculty Development Centre, an institutional body established with the approval of the University’s Board of Management, under the leadership of Vice-Chancellor Dr Shivendra Kumar Kashyap. The programme is being coordinated by Dr JP Purwar, Co-Coordinator of the Faculty Development Centre, in collaboration with the Directorate of Research and the College of Technology.
A distinctive aspect of the programme is its strong industry-academia collaboration. Vaibhav Dobriyal, Co-Founder and Chief Product Officer of LUMIQ and an alumnus of Pantnagar University, is mentoring the programme and leading the technical sessions. During the University’s BRAIN 3.0 (Boosting Research, Academics, Innovation and Networking) conclave, he committed to supporting Pantnagar’s vision of creating an AI-enabled academic ecosystem. The current programme represents one of the first outcomes of that commitment, bringing practical industry experience directly into faculty development.
Speaking at the inaugural session, Vice-Chancellor Dr Kashyap emphasised that continuous upskilling has become essential as artificial intelligence reshapes higher education. He noted that AI can significantly improve productivity, strengthen the quality of teaching and research, and streamline institutional processes when adopted responsibly and ethically.
The programme represents the University’s first systematic effort to build AI capacity among its educators and forms part of a broader institutional strategy to embed artificial intelligence across academic and administrative functions. By developing AI-ready faculty, GBPUAT aims to strengthen student learning, accelerate research innovation and position itself as a leader in technology-enabled agricultural higher education.
As universities around the world rethink education in the age of artificial intelligence, Pantnagar’s initiative reflects a growing recognition that digital transformation begins with empowering educators. By investing in faculty capability today, the University is building the foundation for a more innovative, collaborative and future-ready academic ecosystem.
