Professor Raj Kumar is the new vice-chancellor of Panjab University and he also holds the position of dean and head of the Institute of Management Studies at Banaras Hindu University. Kumar will replace the current VC of the university, Arun Grover, and will become the 14th VC of the university.
Kumar has been appointed for a period of three years and will commence his term from July 23, 2018. Kumar has 35 years of teaching experience in insurance, capital markets and entrepreneurship and holds DLitt, Ph.D., MBA and MCom degrees. He is also the author of the four books and has completed six major research projects.
Along with the Kumar, the selection committee also referred the names of the Professor Raj Kumar Kohli, vice-chancellor of Central University of Punjab, Bathinda and one other person and in the end the name of the Kumar was chosen for the post.
“Besides academic strength, we were looking for somebody with human resource management skills and a research background,” Dr. Kapil Kapoor, chairman of Indian Institute of Advanced Studies at Shimla, who was part of the search panel told TOI. “The selection panel was unanimous in sending the three names.”
Sources further added that they were looking for some with ample administrative skills who can handle big and complex educational institute such as Panjab University and other applicants for the post have been VC earlier at some point in their career. Kumar is comparatively younger than the other applicants and has served as coordinator of the technical cell in the office of the vice-chancellor at BHU. He was also the chief coordinator of the industry institute partnership cell.