Chandigarh, April 13: Thapar Institute of Engineering & Technology (TIET), Patiala, successfully concluded the Global Academic Leadership Summit 2026 on April 11–12, bringing two days of high-impact dialogue on the future of higher education to a close.
The summit brought together an exceptional cross-section of global and Indian academic leadership — including faculty and directors from IITs (Delhi, Guwahati, Kanpur, Mandi, ISM Dhanbad), NITs (Warangal, Manipur, Raipur, Nagaland), IIM Ranchi, IIITs (Gwalior, Ranchi, Una), MANIT Bhopal, IISc Bangalore, and Goa Institute of Management, alongside international voices from Trinity College Dublin, University of Queensland, Tel Aviv University, and Virginia Tech. The summit was graced by Prof. Anil Sahasrabudhe, Chairman, National Educational Technology Forum (NETF) and Chairman, Executive Committee, NAAC, as Chief Guest, and senior industry leaders from Google, Atos, and American Express.
The opening day’s two flagship sessions set a compelling tone. “Viksit Bharat @2047: Role of Universities in Nation Building” explored how institutions can drive India’s long-term development agenda, while Artificial Intelligence and Digital Transformation in Higher Education challenged leaders to move beyond incremental thinking — redesigning curricula, integrating emerging technologies, and building genuinely future-ready learning ecosystems.
Day 2 at the TIET campus deepened the conversation with sessions on Research Impact and Global Rankings — stressing the imperative for Indian institutions to raise their global research visibility — and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Academia–Industry–Society Collaboration, which examined how universities and industry can forge more purposeful partnerships to address global challenges. Senior leaders from Google, Atos, and American Express contributed industry perspectives to this session. (Sponsored)
