Prayagraj, 11 July (HS): Sam Higginbottom University of

Agriculture, Technology and Sciences (SHUATS), Prayagraj, through its

Directorate of Internal Quality Assurance and Assessment (IQAA) and the

Department of Computer Science & Information Technology, has launched the

AI Faculty Excellence Program in collaboration with Microsoft and the Anudip

Foundation. The program is being conducted under the aegis of the AI Pragya

Scheme, an initiative of the Department of IT & Electronics, Government of

Uttar Pradesh from July 10 to July 28, 2026.

The AI Faculty Excellence Program is a prestigious

capacity-building initiative designed to equip faculty members, researchers,

academic professionals, non-teaching staff engaged in academic and research

activities, and postgraduate and Ph.D. research scholars with practical

Artificial Intelligence (AI) skills. The program aims to strengthen teaching,

research, innovation, and academic administration by integrating emerging AI

technologies into higher education.

The program features a series of expert lectures,

interactive discussions, and hands-on laboratory sessions focusing on

contemporary AI tools and applications. Pragati Deo and Mohmd Kaif served as

the resource persons, sharing their expertise and practical insights into the

rapidly evolving field of Artificial Intelligence. The program is being

organized under the guidance of Prof. Dr. ir. Jonathan A. Lal, Vice Chancellor,

and Prof. (Dr.) Ranu Prasad, Pro Vice Chancellor (Academic Affairs), SHUATS.

Prof. (Dr.) Biswaroop Mehera, Pro Vice Chancellor (Administration), Prof. (Dr.)

Ritu P. Dubey, Pro Vice Chancellor (PMD), and Prof. (Dr.) CJ Wesley, Registrar,

conveyed their best wishes to all participants and appreciated the University's

efforts towards promoting AI-enabled education.

The program is being convened by Prof. (Dr.) Deepak Lal,

Director, Directorate of IQAA, SHUATS. Dr. Rishabh Chaudhary is serving as the

Organizing Secretary, while Dr. Aditya Lal, Associate Director (Student

Welfare), and Dr. Akhilesh Bind, Chairman, Social Media Committee, is

coordinating various aspects of the programme. The University also acknowledged

the valuable support of Vivek Kumar, Sanjay Kumar Saha, and Ateet Dixit from

the Anudip Foundation, whose contributions have played a significant role in

the successful organization of the programme. The AI Faculty Excellence

Program reflects SHUATS' continued commitment to fostering innovation,

strengthening industry-academia collaboration, and empowering educators and researchers

with future-ready digital competencies. The initiative stands as a significant

step towards integrating Artificial Intelligence into higher education and

preparing the academic community for the evolving technological landscape.

Hindusthan Samachar / Abhishek Awasthi