After creating the course Master of City Design in Chicago, what does Anant National University's Provost have in mind?
What role do you envision for Anant National University in contributing to India’s national aspirations of 'विकसित भारत' (Developed India)?
The vision of ‘विकसित भारत’ (Developed India) is deeply rooted in India’s centuries-old struggle for self-reliance and all-around progress. It has steadfastly shaped the aspirations of millions of our countrymen over time. Today, India is moving forward at an unprecedented scale and speed, rapidly lifting millions out of deep poverty every year, and Anant is fundamentally committed to advancing the mission of national progress from the university’s very beginning.
However, to achieve this long-sought dream, India needs more than just well-trained doctors, engineers, teachers and management professionals. We definitely need innovative, solution-oriented designers adept at addressing complex contemporary challenges facing our country. At Anant, we prepare such creative changemakers equipped with appropriate skills and a holistic, interdisciplinary understanding needed to design better for wider impact.
India’s growth story, propelled by infrastructural development and technological growth, demands thousands of thoughtful, creative designers who can work seamlessly across disciplines to shape our cities, supporting systems and lived experiences in clever ways that enhance national development as well as create a better quality of life for everyone. Anant is born to meet this national requirement and is therefore committed to creating well-trained future professionals who will promote a better-developed India and, indeed, contribute to the entire world.
You’ve worked on creating successful academic programmes such as the Master of City Design in Chicago. What kind of new programmes or partnerships are you looking to introduce at Anant to further elevate its academic offerings?
Anant National University already has several global educational partners, and we wish to strengthen and deepen those ties further to create more fruitful partnerships. We also aim to establish our footprint in Southeast Asia, Central Asia and beyond. These collaborations would foster meaningful academic exchanges, research collaborations and interdisciplinary learning opportunities for our students, who can learn from diverse perspectives.
We also look to further enhance the core foundations of our curriculum. Our Foundation Year, where design and architecture students undertake courses together in the first year of their respective programmes, plays a critical role in providing them with a broad understanding of the fundamentals of domain skills and critical thinking and introduces them to an interdisciplinary approach before they choose their specialisation. Similarly, the Fellowship programme offers a higher-level intellectual immersion, refining students’ holistic perspectives and sharpening their ability to think critically across disciplines.
At Anant, our commitment remains rooted in India’s rich scholarly traditions while embracing cutting-edge advancements, equipping students to create complete and forward-thinking design solutions for the challenges of today and tomorrow.
