The Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar (IITGN) will host its 13th Academic Advisory Council (AAC) on January 9, 2026, followed by the 14th Leadership Conclave (LC) on January 10, 2026. These flagship forums are expected to bring together eminent academicians, policymakers, industry leaders, and global experts to deliberate on the Institute’s academic, research, governance, and institutional development priorities.
The 13th Academic Advisory Council will commence with opening remarks by Prof Madhav Pathak, Assistant Professor, Electrical Engineering, IITGN, and Prof Vaibhav Tripathi, Assistant Professor, Cognitive and Brain Sciences, IITGN. Prof Rajat Moona, Director of IITGN, will deliver the opening address. The Council is scheduled to deliberate on Curriculum Adaptation for Emerging and Strategic Technologies, Enhancing Institute Research Productivity, Roadmap for Internationalization, and Sustaining Growth While Preserving Culture. These discussions are expected to focus on integrating rapidly evolving domains into academic programmes, strengthening research output and impact, expanding global collaborations and student mobility, and strategies to preserve IITGN’s culture of openness, interdisciplinarity, and student-centricity amid growth.
The meeting is expected to bring together eminent leaders from academia and allied domains to provide strategic external inputs on key priorities. Participants include Prof Frederick L Coolidge, Professor and Co-Director of Undergraduate Education, Psychology Department, University of Colorado, USA; Prof Ashish Garg, Professor and Head, Department of Sustainable Energy Engineering and Kotak School of Sustainability, IIT Kanpur; Prof Manoj Singh Gaur, Director, IIT Jammu; Prof Nuno Guimarães, Professor, Department of Information Science and Technology (ISTA), University Institute of Lisbon, Portugal; Prof Siddharth K Jabade, Vice President, Administration and Development, Asian Institute of Technology, Thailand; Prof Pankaj Jalote, Emeritus Professor, Computer Science and Engineering, IIIT Delhi, among others.
The 14th Leadership Conclave will focus on guiding the Institute on short, medium, and long-term strategic priorities. The day-long conclave will feature parallel group discussions on Institutional Branding Strategy, Governance Framework for Institute Section 8 not-for-profit Companies, Staff Empowerment, and Extending the IITGN Presence Beyond Campus. These sessions are expected to explore strategies to strengthen IITGN’s institutional identity, governance structures, employee engagement, and outreach beyond the campus. The discussions will be followed by presentations by each group, summarizing insights and recommendations.
The conclave is expected to bring together eminent leaders from India and across the world, including Ambassador V Ashok, Indian Foreign Service (retd.); Shri Harsh Bhargava, President, Competitiveness Mindset Institute & President, Bankworld Incorporated, USA; Shri Pradeep Bhargava, Chairman, MECF Ltd, Pune; Dr B K Gairola, Advisor (IT), Warehousing Development and Regulatory Authority, Government of India; Prof Ashish Garg, Professor and Head, Department of Sustainable Energy Engineering and Kotak School of Sustainability, IIT Kanpur; Prof Manoj Singh Gaur, Director, IIT Jammu; Ms Debjani Ghosh, Distinguished Fellow, NITI Aayog; Prof Nuno Guimarães, Professor, Department of Information Science and Technology (ISTA), University Institute of Lisbon, Portugal; Prof Pankaj Jalote, Emeritus Professor, Computer Science and Engineering, IIIT Delhi, among others.
Together, the Academic Advisory Council and Leadership Conclave are expected to provide strategic insights and recommendations to guide IIT Gandhinagar’s academic excellence, institutional growth, governance, and global engagement.