LPU, one of India’s largest private universities, recently organised a diversity and inclusion orientation workshop for its faculty in collaboration with Cognizant, one of the world's leading professional services companies, to discuss ways of building a culture of inclusiveness in academic campuses.More than 50 faculty members deliberated on diversity, inclusion and disability rights, delving into the pedagogical, infrastructural and cultural changes required to overcome gender barriers and biases and foster greater diversity in places of learning. The workshop culminated in the formulation of LPU’s diversity and inclusion statement and a structured method for its implementation.Sh. Ashok Mittal, Chancellor, Lovely Professional University said, “Our vision is to be a premier academic institution recognized for our contribution to industry and society through excellence in teaching and learning. Championing diversity and inclusivity in our institution and doing our bit to create a culture of acceptance and affirmation across gender and other differences is a natural extension of that vision. This workshop marked an important step towards policies and practices aimed at making this vision a reality at LPU. In Cognizant, we have found a partner who is leading the discourse on diversity and inclusion by example.”Smriti Ahuja, Vice President, Human Resources, Cognizant, who led the workshop, said, “On behalf of Cognizant, I congratulate Lovely Professional University for pioneering such a dialogue on a critical topic. As a firm believer in the creative and competitive merits of a diverse workforce and an inclusive work environment in meeting the complex demands of a changing business environment, we think academic institutions have a key role to play in fostering greater awareness and adoption of diversity and inclusivity. This initiative is a significant step forward in turning the spotlight on diversity and inclusion in campuses. We look forward to engaging with many more progressive colleges across the country in order to help make diversity and inclusivity a way of life in campuses.”
About LPU:
Lovely Professional University (LPU) is the largest single campus university in India (including Govt. and Private Sector), with more than 30,000 students from 50 countries; and a strong academic team of 4500 faculty and staff members. It is also the first Private University of the country to host our Prime Minister Narendra Modi. It offers more than 200 programmes stretching from under graduate to Doctorate to D.Litt. The University is recognized by the University Grants Commission and is a member of the Association of Indian Universities.Established in 2005, the university campus is spread in over 600 acres near Jalandhar, one of the proposed smart-city of India. The vision of Lovely Professional University is to be a premier academic institution, recognized internationally for its contribution to industry & society, through excellence in teaching-learning, research & training, internationalization, entrepreneurship and leadership.The University has ventured to transform education through academic rigour, practical orientation and outcome-based teaching, establishing close cooperation between industry and academia, undertaking impactful research to address local, national and global challenges. It is grooming graduates to be lifelong learners with strong analytical and leadership skills and to develop global professionals & entrepreneurs with innovative spirit, tolerance and desire to make a difference to the society.