Prof (Dr.) Manju Chugani is the Former Dean of the School of Nursing Science and Allied Health at Jamia Hamdard University. She holds a B.Sc. Honors in Nursing, an M.Sc. in Nursing, an MBA in Organisational Behaviour and Marketing Research, a PGD in Human Rights and a PhD degree in Nursing Management Studies as well. Before her present role, she has taken on multiple roles at Jamia Hamdard University and has worked at White Ribbon Alliance India. Dr. Chugani holds memberships to numerous societies and networks, like the Midwifery Research Advisory Network, the State of the World’s Midwifery, CEDPA, ANS UNICEF- Jaipur and UNFPA. She has been a part of ten different projects where she raised thousands of rupees, published seven book chapters, and 71 articles, and has been a resource person at 218 events. Moreover, she has organised 27 conferences and workshops and participated in 168 international and national conferences, workshops and programs.

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What is your philosophy of leadership? How would you describe your leadership style?

My philosophy of leadership is that a leader must think first about people and then about themselves. They should always be leading by example and for that, they must have their thinking, speech and actions aligned. Intentions should be good, and they must have a clear vision to achieve them. My leadership style is primarily participative but at times, like in an emergency or disaster, it is autocratic to avoid confusion.

How does the curriculum of the college ensure the best practice of industry?

We arrange internships and industry visits for our students so that they get an understanding of what to expect when they start working and see their classroom learning in practice. In order to give students early exposure to the workspace, we take our students to hospitals and let them work in community settings and other allied areas in addition to simulation to classroom learning.

Any insights into how your institute could be more welcoming to students of different races or economic backgrounds?

I believe that having a policy of inclusion will attract students from all races, backgrounds and economic situations. We are also trying to create awareness amongst people, regardless of where they are geographically located, about our college, campus and offerings. Also, by creating more scholarship schemes for economically poor students, we hope to retain talent in our college.

What do you think your roles and responsibilities to the Institution and the students are?

I have several responsibilities in my role. The first one is teaching technical content and also values and life skills among my students. I build an inclusion policy for the all-round development of students. Not only do I help with the selection of the right and qualified teachers but I also train and monitor them so that they are teaching effectively. I also try to create a culture of quality and research-mindedness on the campus.

What do you think should be the Institution’s top priority over the next 10 years?

Over the next decade, we will give importance to clearing up the basics of our courses among our students. These are the building blocks for the students to build upon later. We will also catch up with the advances and innovations and include them in our curricula. Through these efforts, we hope to come up in the global and national rankings.

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What would you like people to know about your institute they may not know?

They should know that our university is very safe for girls and all other students. We have a peaceful atmosphere on the campus making it ideal to be a place of learning. We have also taken care to include all the modern technologies and laboratories with the latest infrastructure for our students to study effectively.

What do you see as your college’s greatest strengths?

We have a large team of teachers who are well educated and highly experienced. Many of them have PhD degrees and are able to bring their industry experience to the classroom. Our teachers are able to give a rich experience to our students. They are also able to draw from their work experience to prepare students for their work lives.

⁠What are some of the biggest challenges you see, both for higher education in general and for your college specifically?

The biggest challenge we are facing currently is that students are not giving importance to the basics. They are opting for courses and career options based on what is trending and what their friends are doing. In my college, the new generation of teachers is not ready to understand the importance of clinical areas and student-teacher relationships. All of these take a lot of work and dedication to overcome.

⁠Any suggestions you would like to give to the current youth?

I would like to remind students about Gandhi Ji’s three monkeys. Be aware of what you are talking about, hearing and listening to. I would like to add one more aspect to this inspiring personal ethic, be aware of your thoughts. Be careful of what you are thinking about yourself and your friends and family. Moreover, I would advise students to bring emotional stability and hold a vision. Do not be afraid to make a decision and do positive things. In this instant era, take a pause and reflect Look for happiness, not always in competition.

How do you tend to establish healthy relationships and environment in the institute?

Having healthy relationships is essential for the smooth functioning of any institute. By having open communication and a transparent system of management, we make sure the college’s vision and mission are being achieved. We have our doors open for all students and teachers to talk with each other and solve issues together.