Dr. Madhu Chitkara Champions Innovation-Led Education at National Higher Education Summit
New Delhi – In a significant gathering of the country’s foremost education leaders, Dr. Madhu Chitkara, Pro-Chancellor of Chitkara University, was invited as a distinguished panelist at the EducationWorld India Higher Education Rankings Awards 2025–26 held in New Delhi. The event brought together thought leaders and changemakers to discuss critical issues confronting Indian higher education, with a focus on elevating institutional impact on a global scale.
Dr. Madhu Chitkara joined an eminent panel that deliberated on a provocative and timely question: Why, despite 77 years of independence and over 1,100 universities and 45,000 colleges, has India not produced a globally recognised, game-changing innovation in higher education? The discussion sought not just answers but direction — and Dr. Chitkara offered both with clarity and conviction.
Drawing on her decades of leadership in higher education, Dr Chitkara underscored the urgent need to move beyond the boundaries of traditional, syllabus-centric teaching. She highlighted that to foster true innovation, Indian universities must become ecosystems that prioritise interdisciplinary learning, hands-on experiences, research culture, and entrepreneurship. “If we want our institutions to contribute meaningfully on the world stage, we must empower our students not just to consume knowledge but to create it,” she asserted during the discussion.
She also emphasised the necessity for stronger industry-academia linkages that go beyond placements — to mentorships, co-created curricula, and real-time problem-solving projects. Dr Chitkara called on institutions to create collaborative frameworks where faculty and students engage with real-world challenges through design thinking, incubation programs, and global partnerships.
Her presence on the panel reinforced Chitkara University’s position as a leading institution committed to redefining higher education in India. With its focus on experiential learning, robust industry alliances, global collaborations, and an innovation-first philosophy, the university exemplifies the academic environment that nurtures not just degrees, but breakthroughs.
As the summit concluded, Dr Chitkara’s vision stood as a compelling reminder that India’s academic institutions must evolve into spaces that inspire invention, leadership, and impact. Her words echoed a powerful message: the time to innovate in education is not tomorrow—it is now.
