Faculty Development Programme: Academicians discuss on future roadmap for effective research methodologies  

Faculty Development Programmes (FDP) are essential for nurturing a culture of continuous learning and growth in academic institutions. By investing in faculty development, institutions promote teaching excellence, enhance research capabilities, foster innovation, and ultimately elevate the overall quality of education and student outcomes.

Aligned with this thought, Apeejay Stya University, Gurugram recently inaugurated a week-long Faculty Development Programme on its campus, as mandated in the New Education Policy.    

The programme commenced with a short prayer,  a shloka, read by Assistant Professor Shweta Sharma while invoking the blessings of the Almighty.The inaugural session was attended by deans and faculty  members of Apeejay Stya University along with key resource persons who joined virtually. 

Welcoming all the participants, Dr Garima  Sharma, an Assistant Professor at Apeejay Stya University, began her address by paying a heartfelt tribute to the beloved Founder Chairman of Apeejay Education and Apeejay Stya Group Dr Stya Paul. She mentioned Dr Stya Paul was a renowned and dedicated educationist, philosopher, guide and freedom fighter, who devoted his entire life to education at all levels.  His  passion for education resulted in the establishment of a line of high-standard Apeejay schools and higher education institutions across the country as well as India’s first Liberal Arts University also known as Apeejay Stya University.

“These high standard and sought after educational institutions are nurtured and developed  into some of the best educational institutions in India. Dr Stya Paul’s legacy of excellence is being carried forward by his daughter and only child Mrs. Sushma Paul Berlia, Chairperson, Apeejay Education Society and Chancellor of Apeejay Stya University. She is a leading woman entrepreneur, who has made an outstanding contribution to industry and education. Her ceaseless efforts have helped the university grow into one of the best higher education institutions in India.”

Dr Garima further appreciated the continuous contribution of the Pro-Chancellors of Apeejay Stya University, Mr Nishant Berlia, Mr Aditya Berlia  and Dr Neha Berlia, in developing and nurturing the ASU.

Subsequently, Dr Garima highlighted the importance of FDP and how over the years the faculty at ASU has been trained and updated in the latest developments in each of the fields of specialisations.

Mentioning the theme for this year’s  FDP  “Statistics and Research” , the professor pointed out why this topic is relevant in today’s world of education. Speakers from prestigious institutions like The University of Delhi, The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), Maharshi Dayanand University (MDU), IGNOU, were also present. She concluded her speech with a hope that all participants will benefit from this week-long FDP session. 

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Following her speech, Dr (Professor) Sunil Kumar Roy, Dean at School of Management Sciences at ASU extended his encomiums to Professor Raj S Dhankar, the Vice Chancellor of ASU, and also mentioned how happy and fortunate he is to work with the Vice Chancellor.  

This was followed by the inaugural speech by the Vice Chancellor, who spoke in detail about the importance of research, the methods of conducting research, the analysis and interpretation of the data.  He gave a detailed account of research methodology, the precautions one has to take in selecting samples and conducting data collection with the most appropriate tools, etc. He further explained about the report writing and the manner in which a research report should be submitted. 

Insightful discussion 

The inaugural programme was followed by the first FDP session. The resource person for this session was Dr. Vishal Deo, Senior Scientist at ICMR, who delivered a talk on the topic “Statistical analysis  and interpretation of varied types of Qualitative and Quantitative data in advanced research studies”

He dealt at length on the statistical methods both parametric and non-parametric used in the analysis of the data.  He discussed the normal distribution, the level of significance and the t-test, F-test, Chi-square test and the Mann–Whitney U test, etc., and when and where applicable.  He took an example of breast cancer research the ICMR is presently involved in and showed how different variables are associated with its onset, and exacerbation of the cancer disease and who are at risk to develop. 

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After the lunch break, the second academic session of the FDP was conducted by  Dr Shalini Singh , Professor of Psychology, Head of the Department of Defence and Strategic Studies at MDU. Dr Shalini Singh delivered a scintillating lecture on “Overview of research proposal, covering review of literature, writing of report , how to apply for grants to different private and public agencies in India”

She extensively spoke on how to write research proposals as well as pointed out the importance of writing reviews of the earlier researches undertaken and their results. She further elaborated on the importance of methodology in the research report and review of literature in a more meaningful manner rather than merely mentioning the researcher and the year.

She highlighted that it’s vital to understand the particular institution’s requirements before applying for a grant.  She also cautioned on the various headings and subheading both in the proposal and in the budget heads.

The day 1 of the Faculty Development Programme ended on an insightful note.