Press Release (English)
*IIT Kharagpur Hosts First Director–Faculty High-Tea Interaction to Welcome Newly Elevated Academic Leaders*
*Kharagpur:* 05th March 2026, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur organised its first Director–Faculty Interaction Session over high-tea with faculty members who have recently been elevated to higher academic positions within the Institute. The initiative aims to facilitate a smooth transition of faculty into expanded academic and leadership roles while strengthening the Institute’s research and teaching ecosystem.
The interaction is part of the Institute administration’s sustained efforts to significantly enhance faculty strength and address long-standing stagnations. In recent months, the Institute conducted an extensive series of rigorous selection committee meetings that resulted in the recruitment of a large number of new faculty members along with the elevation of many existing faculty members to the positions of Associate Professor and Professor.
Conducting so many selection meetings within a short period posed logistical challenges, with several sessions lasting long hours. However, with the active support of the Offices of Recruitment and the Dean of Faculty Affairs, the entire process was successfully completed while maintaining the highest standards of academic evaluation and transparency.
The interaction session brought together faculty members who had been elevated from Assistant Professor to Associate Professor and from Associate Professor to Professor, following comprehensive evaluation processes aligned with the Institute’s commitment to excellence in teaching, research, and institutional service.
During the session, Suman Chakraborty, Director of IIT Kharagpur, along with Somesh Kumar, Dean (Faculty), and other Academic Deans and Associate Deans, engaged with the participants to discuss the Institute’s strategic priorities, emerging research frontiers, and opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration.
The discussions also focused on the expanded responsibilities associated with higher academic roles, including mentoring doctoral students, leading research groups, contributing to institutional policy, and strengthening the Institute’s innovation and research ecosystem.
Addressing the gathering, the Director remarked that such elevations recognise individual merit while collectively raising the Institute’s academic and professional standards. He emphasised that higher academic positions at IIT Kharagpur come with greater responsibilities, including providing leadership to students and colleagues and creating new opportunities for academic and institutional advancement.
The Director further noted that the Institute intends to organise similar interaction sessions in the future with newly elevated and newly recruited faculty members, reinforcing a culture of engagement, collaboration, and shared vision within the academic community.
