Dr. Sunil Dhawan is the Principal of Unity Degree College, Lucknow. He holds BSc and MSc. degrees from Lucknow University. He also has a doctorate in zoology. Dr. Dhawan has more than 14 years of experience in teaching. Furthermore, he has published 17 research papers on environmental ecology, bioresearch, and toxicology.

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What inspired you to pursue a career in higher education administration, and what drew you to your current role as a principal? 

In higher education, it was my first choice to be a teacher in higher education. Higher education teachers have a wide role; we can teach, and grow about everything. Secondly, I assist in this college as principal, here I can groom the students, and classroom and have a chance to groom the college and play a leadership role for faculty members.

What are the biggest challenges facing higher education today, and how do you think your institution is addressing those challenges? 

After COVID, the education system shifted towards the online system. Practical teaching in the classroom is much better than the online classroom. In the classroom, the students interact with the faculty, their personalities grow, and they do various activities and learn too much in the offline classroom, I must say to the students that they should have to present in the classes at the college and attend all the classes.

What do you think sets your institution apart from other colleges and universities, and how do you communicate that unique value proportion to students and other stakeholders? 

We are changing our mode of teaching, we introduce the smart board in the classroom, with attractive presentations, and we provide various informative things to the students through the activities.

What are your primary responsibilities as principal, and how do you balance them with other aspects of your job? 

My primary responsibilities are to create discipline among the students and also motivate faculty members to update their teaching content, update themselves as their researchers, keep themselves aware of subjects, and start new programs in the college that are beneficial for us. All aspects of the job are important to me.

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How do you approach decision-making in your role, and how do you balance the needs of different stakeholders when making difficult decisions? 

Being an administrator, decision-making is a very tough part, it's very hard to come up with an effective one. It's just like giving justice; when you give justice, it tackles the situation where one party is against the other party.

Any suggestions you would like to give to the current youth and the aspiring students? 

I would like to suggest that if they are admitted to any college, they must attend regular classes, keep themselves updated about the subject, aspects of general awareness, and practical life, and also have discipline in their lives.

Can you describe any specific measures or programs that your institution has implemented to address the rising mental health issues and stress among students in India? 

We started the personal counseling clinic at our college. The professor of the psychology department solved every problem of the students, and if any student faced any challenges, we counseled them and made sure to solve their problems.

What advice would you give to someone interested in pursuing a career in higher education administration, and how do you see the field evolving in the years to come? 

In higher education, it’s not a career; it’s a profession. When we adopt any profession, the first thing we must do is determine whether I am eligible for it or not, they must be well aware of the academic challenges, and so on, if they enter a new profession.

What valuable advice would you like to give the students?

If a student chooses to pursue higher education, it’s an educational mission. Since it does not matter to get just the degree, the degree is just like the cash memo of any object. So getting the degree should not be the purpose of getting it; you must only focus on gaining the knowledge.