Seven-day Faculty Development Program(2025) on Integrating AI, Design Thinking and Analytics in Teaching begins at SMS Varanasi
A seven-day Faculty Development Program (FDP) on Integrating AI, Design Thinking and Analytics in Teaching began at the School of Management Sciences. It aims to empower faculty with the tools, skills and approaches required to meet the emerging demands of 21st century education.
In the inaugural session, Prof. S.K. Singh, former Vice Chancellor of Lalit Narayan Mithila University was present as the Chief Guest and Dr. Bala Ramdurai, CEO, Superalia was the Guest of Honour. Addressing the inaugural session of the seven- day FDP, Prof. S.K. Singh emphasized on the radical changes taking place in higher education and said that we are living in an era where AI is the key to the development of higher education. There is not just a technological advancement but a philosophical shift in the way knowledge is imparted and absorbed. Todays education requires adaptability and analytical insights. Prof. Singh also highlighted the need for higher education institutions to adapt to global academic standards. He said that it is no longer enough to just teach facts. we have to teach students to think, find solutions and innovate.
Guest of Honour Dr. Bala Ramadurai said that artificial intelligence, analytics and design thinking are no longer niche areas. These are core components of decision making and innovation in every large organisation across the world. For academia, this means a necessary transformation towards skill-driven and insight-driven teaching. He said that design thinking allows us to look at the classroom from the learners perspective. When we combine this with AI and data analytics, we empower our teachers to create holistic, learner-centric solutions. Teachers have to move beyond PowerPoint slides and textbooks. Urging the faculty to developanalytical skills, Dr. Ramdurai said that analytics must be used to monitor student engagement and design thinking must be applied for continuous improvement. Encouraging the faculty to pursue lifelong learning, he said that the teacher of tomorrow must be a learner today as well.
Welcoming the guests, Prof. P. N. Jha, Director, SMS Varanasi said that SMS has always been committed to academic excellence and innovation. This FDP reflects our continuous effort to make our faculty globally competent and future ready. We believe that the integration of AI, Design Thinking and Analytics in teaching is not a trend but a necessity. Through this initiative, we aim to develop teachers who can create value beyond the classroom—teachers who can turn challenges into opportunities.
The inaugural session was conducted by Associate Professor Dr. Bhavna Singh and the vote of thanks was presented by Prof. Pallavi Pathak. It is worth noting that this seven-day FDP was conducted by Prof. P. N. Jha and the first session was conducted by Prof. Pallavi Pathak. In the coming days, the countrys renowned AI experts will be participating in the event. On this occasion, Registrar Sanjay Gupta, program coordinator Prof. Amitabh Pandey, Prof. Sandeep Singh, Prof. Avinash Supkar and all the faculty members were present.