USTM Vice Chancellor bags prestigious education award

NEW DELHI, Feb 13: Prof GD Sharma, Vice Chancellor of the University of Science and Technology Meghalaya (USTM), and former president of the Association of Indian Universities has been conferred with the prestigious “Outstanding Vice Chancellor in India” Award by the Indian Education Network.
The award was presented at the 14th India Education Summit 2025 here in recognition of his remarkable leadership, dedication, and transformative contributions to higher education. Prof Sharma was associated with many central universities in the country including NEHU and was instrumental in the USTM getting ranked among the best 200 universities of India in the 9th edition of the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) 2024 of the Ministry of Education.
The Indian Education Network acknowledged Prof Sharma’s inspiring insight and academic contributions, stating that his vision will continue to motivate the academic community and beyond. His leadership at USTM has played a pivotal role in elevating the institution’s academic excellence, fostering innovation and getting several MoUs signed with foreign varsities.
Prof Sharma was also a distinguished panel speaker at the summit, addressing the topic: “Higher Education in the 21st Century Workplace: Expanding Boundaries of Education, Skill, and Employability.”
During his address, Prof Sharma highlighted USTM’s pivotal role in transformative education and its commitment to creating employability and entrepreneurship opportunities for the youth of Northeast India.
He emphasized that USTM, being an ‘A’ grade NAAC-accredited and NIRF-ranked university, has adopted an innovative approach towards knowledge creation, skill development, and research excellence.
Under Prof Sharma’s leadership, USTM has achieved significant milestones, including the publication of over 165 patents, numerous high-impact research papers, and the establishment of incubators and startups led by faculty and students.
These initiatives have greatly contributed to the institution’s reputation as a centre of excellence in higher education, according to a release from the varsity.