From engineers to civil servants, profs of practice bridging industry-academia gap, one lecture at a time

Launched by UGC in September 2022, Professor of Practice (PoP) scheme allows higher education institutions to hire industry professionals & subject-matter experts on contractual basis.

New Delhi: From retired veterinarians to civil servants, finance experts to engineers, lawyers to entrepreneurs, professionals from diverse fields are making a shift into academia, taking on roles as professors of practice (PoPs) at various higher education institutions across the country. This is part of the central government’s initiative to bridge the existing gap between industry and academia.

Launched by the University Grants Commission (UGC) in September 2022, the Professor of Practice (PoP) scheme allows higher education institutions to hire industry professionals and subject-matter experts on a contractual basis. This initiative aims to bridge the gap between academia and industry, in alignment with the objectives of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.

According to official UGC data, more than 16,000 experts from across the country have registered for the scheme on the PoP portal, with approximately 500 higher education institutions signing up to hire these professionals.

So far, around 500 experts have been appointed as PoPs under the initiative.

The professors of practice are being hired for a fixed term of not more than four years, and their strength cannot exceed 10 percent of the sanctioned faculty posts at any given time.

The majority of experts being hired come from engineering backgrounds, followed by health sciences, marketing, human resources, and microbiology, UGC officials told ThePrint.

UGC chairperson M. Jagadesh Kumar told ThePrint that universities have given overwhelmingly positive feedback about the scheme. “Industry professionals are bringing a wealth of diverse experience into academia, and their extensive networks are benefiting both students and faculty. This is fostering stronger ties between educational institutions and industry, paving the way for more effective collaborations.”

Earlier this month, commission also proposed to open doors for industry experts for the positions of vice-chancellors in universities, and institutionalise the PoP scheme under the proposed norms for hiring of faculty members.

Bridging industry-academia gap

Subhasish Acharya, a current PoP at the School of Business, Northcap University, Gurugram, joined academia under the scheme after nearly 29 years in the industry, during which he observed a significant gap between industry practices and academic learning.

With experience spanning manufacturing, banking, and life insurance, Acharya is uniquely positioned to bring practical industry knowledge into the classroom. He has been teaching financial management and Indian financial systems, blending real-world experience with theoretical concepts.