A national workshop titled "Innovation, Empathy, and Institutional Excellence in the New Education Policy" was held at the Prestige Institute of Management and Research (PIMR) to emphasize the importance of innovation, student welfare, and uniqueness in the education system. The event focused on addressing the rising student stress, anxiety, and depression while promoting personal engagement and sensitivity from educators.
Prof. Manish R. Joshi, Secretary of the University Grants Commission (UGC), was the keynote speaker and urged educators to go beyond traditional teaching methods. He emphasized that understanding student behavior, addressing students by name, and creating an emotional connection are key to helping students unlock their true potential. "Acceptance unlocks a student’s true potential," Prof. Joshi remarked. He also called for recognizing institutional strengths and building emotional bonds with students.
A distinctive activity during the workshop involved faculty answering four questions in one word, designed to encourage innovative thinking. Prof. Joshi noted the declining creativity in academic programs and stressed the importance of fostering innovative ideas.
Faculty members shared inspiring stories reflecting PIMR’s human-centric approach to education. Dr. Vanshika Gangwani shared an experience where she helped a student overcome stress through personalized guidance, while Deepti Sharma spoke about the 'Prestige Literacy Mission,' which offers free education to slum children, transforming their lives. Sadhna Tiwari recalled her experience of helping a Hindi-medium student succeed in Dubai through technical support and internships, and PIMR supported a student from the 2023 batch who had lost her father with financial aid and a job offer. Additionally, a faculty member from the Prestige Law Institute shared her journey from being a shy student to an inspiring educator, illustrating the transformation from "caterpillar to butterfly."
In his address, Prof. Joshi also highlighted UGC’s initiatives such as accelerated degrees, biannual admissions, and the emphasis on social and emotional intelligence. Faculty members suggested measures such as emotional intelligence workshops, mandatory 90-day social internships, and counseling services to alleviate student stress and mental health issues.
Notable attendees at the workshop included PIMR Group Director Dr. S.S. Bhakar, PIMR UG Director Col. S. Raman Iyer, Prestige-AIC CEO Dr. Sanjeev Patni, Dr. Deepak Jaroliya, and Prof. Nitin Tated. The session was moderated by Dr. Nidhi Sharma.