CUH Organises ‘CUH Women Faculty Connect-2026’

Mahendergarh : With an aim to provide women faculty members of the university a meaningful platform to connect with one another, collaborate and share their achievements, the Central University of Haryana (CUH) organised ‘CUH Women Faculty Connect-2026’ under the aegis of the Women Empowerment Cell. The initiative reaffirmed the University’s commitment to promoting equality, opportunities, inclusion and a collaborative academic environment. The programme was organised around the theme “Connecting, Collaborating and Celebrating Women in Academia.” The programme was organised under the chief patronage of Vice-Chancellor Prof. (Dr.) Tankeshwar Kumar and the co-patronage of Pro-Vice-Chancellor Prof. (Dr.) Pawan Kumar Sharma.

Appreciating the initiative, Vice-Chancellor Prof. (Dr.) Tankeshwar Kumar said that women faculty members are playing an important role in the academic, research and institutional development of the University. He stated that such platforms help strengthen communication, mutual collaboration and meaningful academic partnerships across departments. Pro-Vice-Chancellor Prof. (Dr.) Pawan Kumar Sharma also emphasised the need to create greater opportunities for dialogue and participation among faculty members beyond departmental boundaries.
A special panel discussion on ‘Women Faculty Wellbeing’ was organised as part of the programme. The panel comprised Prof. Sunita Srivastava, Chairperson, Institutions Innovation Council (IIC); Prof. Neelam Sangwan, Dean, Research; Prof. Renu Yadav, Dean, Students’ Welfare (DSW); and Prof. Payal Chandel, Convener, Internal Complaints Committee (ICC).
The discussion covered several important aspects related to women faculty, including the work environment, work-life balance, mental wellbeing, leadership roles, participation in institutional decision-making and the need for a supportive workplace. The panellists shared suggestions for developing a more supportive, inclusive and enabling institutional environment for women faculty members.

Welcoming the participants, Prof. Vidyullata Peddireddy, Convener, Women Empowerment Cell, said that the ‘CUH Women Faculty Connect’ was conceptualised as a platform to promote meaningful professional networking, interdisciplinary collaboration and mutual support among women faculty members.
Co-Conveners Dr. Namrata Dhaka and Dr. Manisha Pandey actively engaged the participants through ice-breaking sessions and group activities. These activities provided women faculty members from different departments an opportunity to get acquainted with one another and establish informal and meaningful communication. Dr. Inderjeet Kaur, Organising Secretary, played an important role in coordinating and conducting the programme.
The ‘Faculty Spotlight Session’ was a major highlight of the programme. During the session, women faculty members briefly introduced their academic journeys, areas of expertise, key achievements, research interests and potential areas of collaboration. The session provided an opportunity for faculty members from diverse disciplines to become familiar with one another’s expertise and identify possibilities for future interdisciplinary academic and research collaborations.