RONO HILLS, Jul 9: Prof (Dr) Shivaraj on Thursday formally assumed charge as the Vice-Chancellor of Rajiv Gandhi University, ushering in a new chapter for the state's premier university.
A distinguished academician and former Professor of Chemistry at Osmania University, Prof Shivaraj brings more than three decades of experience in teaching, research, academic administration and higher education governance.
He obtained his MSc in Chemistry in 1983 and PhD in 1989 from Osmania University. During his academic career spanning over 34 years, including 15 years as Professor, he supervised 31 PhD scholars and published 131 research papers in reputed national and international journals.
Prof Shivaraj has held several key positions at Osmania University, including Controller of Examinations, Director of Admissions, Dean of the Faculty of Science, Principal of the University College of Science, Director of the PGRR Centre for Distance Education and Dean (Development and UGC Affairs). He also served as Registrar of Palamuru University, where he led major academic and administrative reforms.
At the national level, he has served as a member of the University Grants Commission (UGC), chaired the UGC Expert Group on Equity and Inclusion for implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, and served on several committees under the UGC and the Ministry of Education.
In recognition of his contributions to higher education, he received the UGC-BSR Faculty Fellowship in 2021 and the Telangana Government's Best Teacher Award in 2018.
Addressing the university fraternity after assuming office, Prof Shivaraj expressed gratitude to the Government of India and the Ministry of Education for entrusting him with the responsibility of leading one of the premier central universities in the Northeast.
Describing the appointment as both an honour and a responsibility, he assured the university community of his commitment to strengthening the institution through transparency, teamwork and academic excellence.
"No Vice-Chancellor can build an institution alone. The strength of a university lies in the collective commitment of its teachers, officers, employees, researchers and students. Together, we can take Rajiv Gandhi University to greater heights and establish it as a leading centre of excellence," he said.
The Vice-Chancellor called upon faculty members, officers, staff, researchers and students to work together to transform the university into an institution of national eminence with a growing global presence. He stressed the need to promote innovation, interdisciplinary research, digital transformation, quality teaching and effective implementation of the National Education Policy 2020.
He also reaffirmed his commitment to participatory governance, academic freedom, accountability, research excellence and inclusive institutional development.
Welcoming the new Vice-Chancellor, former Acting Vice-Chancellor Prof S K Nayak expressed confidence that the university would attain greater academic distinction under his leadership.
Registrar Dr NT Rikam assured the new Vice-Chancellor of the administration's full cooperation in achieving the university's vision, while Finance Officer Prof Otem Padung and Controller of Examinations Dr Bijay Raji expressed optimism that his leadership would strengthen institutional governance, examination reforms and academic excellence.
During his first interaction with statutory officers, deans and senior officials, the university fraternity collectively expressed confidence that under Prof Shivaraj's leadership, Rajiv Gandhi University would scale new heights in teaching, research, innovation, governance and nation-building.
The university community also expressed gratitude to Prof Nayak for his leadership during the past 19 months as Acting Vice-Chancellor. Following the formal assumption of office, Prof Shivaraj visited key administrative offices of the university and interacted with officers and staff.