Dr. Ram Karan Singh is the Vice-Chancellor of ICFAI University, Dehradun. He has over 30 years of teaching, research, administrative, and consultancy experience in top institutions and universities in India (17 years) and abroad (14 years). He worked in various top academic and administrative positions during the tenure of his work. He is a fellow member of various national and international academic, research and administrative professional societies. 

He graduated with a B.E. (Hons.) Civil Engineering and also has a postgraduation degree in M.E. Civil Engineering (with specialization in Hydraulics Engineering). Dr. Singh completed his Ph.D. in the area of Hydraulics and Water Resources Engineering from a premier University BITS-Pilani, Pilani India and awarded by JSPS (Japan Society for the Promotion of Science) Postdoctoral Fellowship since 2002-2004.

He is a recipient of over 20 top national and international academic and research awards. He has developed and taught over 50 different courses at the graduate, postgraduate and pre-Ph.D. classes and supervised 100 above Master's degree thesis and 20 Ph.D. degree thesis presently there are 8 ongoing Ph.D. work under his supervision.

ICFAI University

You have held key positions in various prestigious organizations throughout your career in India and abroad. What is something about ICFAI Dehradun that excited you to walk with the institution on the journey?

The ICFAI University Dehradun is among the oldest private Universities in the state of Uttarakhand. The academic guidelines and course curriculum are the latest, and the programs offered are the latest in the cutting-edge areas. The fee structure is quite affordable. The teaching-learning environment is highly conducive. I as the Vice Chancellor have full autonomy to take decisions good for the system.

What is your main emphasis, in order to make ICFAI Dehradun stand out and excel in all ways compared to all the other existing institutions in the country?

My main emphasis is to create a research ecosystem comparable to global education. The student's grooming should be holistic to make them globally employable.

How would you balance the needs of different stakeholders, including faculty, students, alumni, donors, and the community, to ensure the university & success and positive impact? What is the leadership style you implement in the organization?

We have the right kind of feedback system and a think tank we take the input from those sources and implement the best academic practices and other aspects for the overall improvement of the system. As the academic leader, I try to institutionalize things as per the direction of the regulatory bodies and implement things in the right spirit. The system is governed by outcome-based results, analysis of feedback, and the implementation of the best practices.

What are the norms or particular strategies you follow when you’re hiring a faculty into the organization?

The norms are followed as per the University Grant Commission government of India and the Department of Higher Education in the state of Uttarakhand, the Bar Council of India and the National Council of Teachers Education.

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We are in a time where the dynamics of education and industries are rapidly changing. How would you ensure that the appropriate required changes are incorporated into the curriculum of the programs offered by the institution?

We have the industry and university linkage and we keep the industry expert in the Board of Studies and the Academic Council to take the right kind of input while starting and designing the new programs and subjects.

As you are an individual who is deeply involved in a lot of research work, how do you provide support and push the research and scholarly activities among the faculty and students within the university?

I am directly involved in all the processes related to Ph.D. work, I teach and supervise the Ph.D. research scholars, and also drafted the research policy document for the right kind of eco-system for research. For example, full-time University Research Fellowships, Seed grants, research awards and incentives, and research grant provisions for attending the conferences.

What is your vision for the future as a Vice Chancellor of ICFAI Dehradun University, in terms of enhancing the higher education offerings and improving the quality of the institution?

I have the vision to have close to eight thousand students on the campus in the next five years, it should be among the top private Universities in India in terms of quality education, research, academic ambiance and the student's employability.