Chandigarh University Hosts 130 Global Academics for IFDP
The 10th edition of the International Faculty Development Program (IFDP‑2026) was inaugurated on 29 June 2026 at Chandigarh University, bringing together more than 130 renowned academicians, researchers, scientists and academic leaders representing over 100 universities from 40 countries. The programme is aligned with the internationalisation objectives of India’s National Education Policy 2020 and is designed as a global platform for knowledge exchange, cross‑border collaboration and exposure to emerging research trends.
Participants include experts from 58 QS‑ranked institutions, six of whom belong to the world’s Top 20 universities, and 37 scientists identified among the world’s Top 2 % researchers. The international cohort spans institutions in Norway, Germany, Australia, Finland, Singapore, the United Kingdom, Canada, New Zealand, the United States, France, Israel, Spain, Italy, Cyprus, Poland, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Portugal, Qatar, Taiwan, Oman, Bulgaria, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Russia, Malaysia, Thailand, Peru, Mexico, Brazil, Sri Lanka, Algeria, Lebanon, South Africa, Kyrgyzstan, the Philippines, Morocco, Bangladesh, Nepal, Cameroon, Nigeria, Ethiopia and several other nations. Academic disciplines represented cover engineering, artificial intelligence, computer science, management, allied health sciences, architecture, legal studies, liberal arts, teacher education, biotechnology, pharmacy, data science, sustainability studies, social sciences and other interdisciplinary domains.
The inaugural session was chaired by Prof. Pankaj Arora, Chairperson of the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE), who highlighted India’s historic legacy of knowledge creation and the recent surge in performance and representation of Indian universities under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s reforms. Guests of honour included Prof. (Dr.) Jurg Bahler, Director of the Institute of Healthy Ageing and Professor of Systems Biology, University College London; Prof. Dr. Luke Dickens, Associate Professor of Machine Learning, University College London; and Dr. Ian John Dixon, Associate Professor of Screen‑writing, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. Additional university officials present were Prof. (Dr.) RS Bawa (Advisor to the Chancellor), Prof. (Dr.) Raviraja N Seetharam (Vice‑Chancellor) and Prof. (Dr.) Rajan Sharma (Executive Director, International Affairs).
In remarks, Prof. Dr. Luke Dickens emphasized the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence, urging a cautious, research‑driven approach to mitigate risks while harnessing opportunities. Dr. Ian John Dixon underscored that AI cannot replace human creativity and storytelling, encouraging young people to leverage technology to share cultural narratives globally. Vice‑Chancellor Prof. (Dr.) Raviraja N Seetharam described IFDP as a globally recognised platform that strengthens international partnerships, facilitates best‑practice sharing in teaching, learning and research, and contributes to building future‑ready educational ecosystems.
The Vice‑Chancellor also announced that Chandigarh University has achieved the 526th position in the QS World University Rankings 2027, secured the number‑one spot among private universities for three consecutive years in the QS Asia University Rankings 2026, and now ranks within the top 2 % of universities worldwide and the top 1 % in India. To date, the university has established 530 international collaborations with leading global universities.
The ten‑day programme will comprise expert lectures, panel discussions, thematic sessions, research interactions and collaborative engagements aimed at equipping educators with contemporary pedagogical practices, emerging technological insights and global perspectives on higher education.
About Chandigarh University
Chandigarh University is a NAAC A+‑graded autonomous institution approved by the UGC, located near Chandigarh in Punjab. It offers more than 109 undergraduate and postgraduate programmes across engineering, management, pharmacy, law, architecture, journalism, animation, hotel management, commerce and other fields, and has been recognised as “The University with Best Placements” by the World Career Review Council (WCRC). Website: https://www.cuchd.in/
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