Faculty Development Program (FDP 2026) on the theme "Application of Artificial Intelligence in Academia" at SMS, Varanasi.
A seven-day Faculty Development Program (FDP) on the theme "Application of Artificial Intelligence in Academia" commenced on Thursday at the School of Management Sciences (SMS), Varanasi.
The inaugural session was graced by chief guest Mr. Tanvir Singh, AI Expert and Senior Project Manager at Spoken Tutorials, EduPyramids, SINE-IIT Bombay. Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Singh emphasized that in the current era, Artificial Intelligence can neither be ignored nor avoided. He stated that if AI is utilized with honesty, transparency, and moral values, it can bring about a revolutionary transformation in the fields of education, research, and innovation.
"AI is not intended to replace teachers, but rather to enhance their capacity and productivity," Mr. Singh remarked. He urged the participants to use AI responsibly so that society and the academic world can reap its maximum benefits.
Presiding over the inaugural session, Prof. P. N. Jha, Director of the Institute, highlighted that keeping oneself continuously updated amidst rapid technological changes in higher education is the need of the hour. He noted that Artificial Intelligence will play a vital role in giving a new direction to quality teaching, research, and innovation, adding that such training programs will prove instrumental in preparing teachers for future academic challenges.
Outlining the structure of the FDP, the convener, Prof. Amitabh Pandey, shared that during this seven-day training program, participants will receive practical training on various dimensions of Artificial Intelligence. This includes Modern AI tools, Responsible AI, Prompt Engineering, AI in research and publication, evaluation and assessment systems, and the effective use of AI in the teaching-learning process. He stated that the primary objective of this program is to technologically empower teachers to elevate the quality of education to new heights.
Notably, in the upcoming sessions of this seven-day program, eminent experts will deliver lectures and hands-on training on topics such as teaching, research, evaluation, prompt engineering, responsible AI, and faculty productivity. The resource persons include:
- Dr. Kapil from Motilal Nehru National Institute of Technology (MNNIT), Prayagraj
- Prof. Dhaval Mehta from Veer Narmad South Gujarat University, Surat
- Dr. K. S. Soumya Rani, AI Research Tools Expert from Editage, Coimbatore
- Prof. Avinash Chandra Supkar, SMS Varanasi
- Prof. Pallavi Pathak, SMS Varanasi
The program was conducted by Dr. Shripriya Roy Chaudhuri, and the vote of thanks was proposed by Prof. Pallavi Pathak. Registrar Mr. Sanjay Gupta, Prof. Kamalsheel Mishra, along with all the faculty members of the institute, were present on the occasion.
