Shiv Nadar University is a multidisciplinary, studentcentric research University established in 2011. As the youngest university recognized as an Institution of Eminence by the Government of India, our goal is to foster a global academic community committed to the transformative power of research, scholarship, creativity, and innovation.
Sustainable Development Goal 4 is about quality education to ensure inclusive and equitable education and promote lifelong learning opportunities.
At Shiv Nadar, we advance SDG 4 through teaching, research, institutional practices, and partnerships.
Here is a glimpse of our work.
TEACHING AND LEARNING
At Shiv Nadar University, all undergraduate students study the Common Core Curriculum (CCC) - a core group of common courses on the theme of environment and sustainability.
Faculty from the School of Management and Entrepreneurship offer courses leading to final projects where students work on sustainability initiatives on campus, using the “Campus as a Living Lab”. Through programs like this, we aim to make sustainability a habit of the mind.
Universities are not only knowledge providers but also knowledge creators and, therefore, can become champions of sustainable development by incorporating sustainability concepts into their teaching and learning across the curriculum and disciplines, including interdisciplinary studies.
Another example is the mandatory Social Sector Internships (SSI) for undergraduate students in the School of Management and Entrepreneurship. In this program, students undergo a rigorous 8-week on-site internship immersion in rural and non-urban ecosystems. They work with local communities on various sustainability issues to ameliorate social enterprise challenges or create growth models for the social sector.
Besides, all four schools offer dedicated programs for undergraduate and graduate students, incorporating learning and understanding about various aspects of sustainable development.
We have also invested a significant amount of funds in building cutting-edge laboratory facilities to train research scholars and enable them to work on problems of current relevance - as diverse as labor law, health care policies, big data, natural resource management, climate change, treatment of diseases like cancer, malaria, and other drug-resistant diseases to name a few, thus, integrating sustainability into our curriculum and research across departments.
Student Stories
Undergraduate Meeting on Multidisciplinary Inquiry and Thought SUMMIT
Held on May 11, 2024, the inaugural annual undergraduate academic research conference called the SUMMIT - a forum for showcasing groundbreaking research and engaging in impactful discussions on global challenges brought together students from across India for a vibrant celebration of research, ideas, and innovation. With paper submissions spanning six
diverse academic tracks, the conference offered a platform for multidisciplinary exchange and intellectual collaboration, encouraging reflections on adaptability, transformation, and the human capacity to navigate uncertainty. Attendees engaged with thought-provoking research presentations and cross-disciplinary dialogue, exploring themes like Sustainability and Green Future, 21st Century Humanity, Culture and History, and Future Technologies and Innovation to solve a pressing real-world problem.
Track 1: Sustainability and Green Future
Track 2: Advanced Materials, Manufacturing and Infrastructure
Track 3: Health and Society
Track 4: Future Technologies and Innovation
Track 5: Culture and History
Track 6: Global Perspectives and Dynamics
Track 7: Universal Foundations and Interactions
Track 8: 21st Century Humanity
Undergraduate conferences such as the SUMMIT are a testament to our commitment to fostering undergraduate research and reimagining future possibilities.
Opportunities for Undergraduate Research (OUR) - Tenth Annual Conference
Opportunities for Undergraduate Research (OUR) is one of our pioneering flagship programs at Shiv Nadar University, which has paved the way for undergraduate students to conduct original research with faculty. The program allows students to explore ideas beyond their program of study, driven purely by interest.
The tenth OUR conference was held on September 14-15, 2024, and comprised 130 + undergraduate students presenting their projects in five parallel sessions. Over 20 faculty members evaluated the presentations. Many undergraduate students have published their research work through this initiative.
Building on the research focus, the university’s OUR program enables undergraduate students to undertake funded research projects with faculty members in any discipline.
Creativity knows no age, and neither does research. We believe and practise this at Shiv Nadar University through the OUR program. It enables our young minds to indulge, discover, and cultivate their interests in any knowledge domain.
Chemistry Fair
The Department of Chemistry at Shiv Nadar University, Delhi-NCR, successfully hosted the Chemistry Fair 2024 on October 18-19, showcasing active participation from school students and teachers. The fair featured various engaging activities, including live demonstrations, handson experiments, quizzes, and interactive games designed to enhance their understanding of the subject.
Alumni stories
Many of our alumni are making their mark in the world, thriving in meaningful careers, or on the path to one. One example of an inspiring and impactful career journey is Vinamra Mathur (Class of 2016) with a Major in Electronics & Electrical Engineering.
Today, Vinamra is an accomplished data science professional who excels in AI, DevOps, cloud infrastructure, and digital transformation. Currently working as an IT specialist for the Government of Canada, he leads pioneering AI and IT projects, shaping the future of national technology, and advises and recommends national policy in Canada.
Vinamra’s contributions extend beyond the workplace, with his active involvement in community service and his role as an educator in data science.
RESEARCH
Innovative Pedagogy - When STEM meets Story-telling
At the intersection of academia and creativity, Dr. Paromita Goswami, Professor of Marketing and Social Innovation at the School of Management and Entrepreneurship, Shiv Nadar University, is breaking new ground with her innovative research approach, in collaboration with colleagues in SKEMA Business School, France, and King’s College London.
Traditionally, research is often confined to technical journals and niche audiences. However, Prof. Goswami and her collaborators attempt to make research accessible outside academia. Her recent projects have been presented through the lens of poetry and photography.
One of her studies with Helene Cherrier of Skema Business School, France, explores the uncertainty felt by consumers during the COVID-19 pandemic— through standalone poems presented in the conference. Another fascinating project delves into diversity and inclusion in the video gaming industry, where Riddhi Dasgupta of King’s College London conducted arts-based research to explore diversity and inclusion in the videogaming industry, in collaboration with photographer Soumyajyoti Dutta. Paromita later worked on adapting this MA thesis for the Consumer Culture Theory (CCT) conference via the medium of poetry, where it won the People’s Choice award in the Art and Photography track. Prof. Goswami is also bringing this artistic interpretation of research into the classroom, enriching the learning experience with poems, visuals, and live industry projects in the current semester with her MBA elective on Consumer Behavior and an undergraduate Core Common Curriculum (CCC) course on science for a nonscience audience, using storytelling.
Contested Childhoods: Caste and Education in Colonial Kerala
Dr. Divya Kannan, Assistant Professor in the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, is the author of Contested Childhoods: Caste and Education in Colonial Kerala (Cambridge University Press).
The book focuses on the interactions between poor, marginalized caste communities and both missionary and government educators. The central theme in the book is how formal schooling became increasingly
linked to the notion of modern childhood and the potential for improved futures. Missionary schools positioned themselves as providing a “home away from home” for destitute and orphaned children. However, their methods, which frequently included physical punishment rooted in evangelical beliefs about sin and compounded by imperial ideologies, were not uniformly effective. Records from the Basel Mission reveal significant resistance from the children.
Academic Programs on Sustainability and Public Policy
Dr. Rajeswari Raina, Professor, Department of International Relations and Governance, Shiv Nadar University, has been awarded a grant of INR 11 Crores by Rainmatter Foundation to conduct academic sustainability and public policy programs.
The grant will help towards creating a set of programs focused on addressing the critical need for:
• Knowledge production (research), sharing and propagation (education) for sustainability transitions,
• Knowledge and policy decisions in the intertwined social and biophysical dimensions of the wicked problem of unsustainability,
• Knowledge that co-evolves with multiple ways of knowing and reinforces socio-environmental ethics,
• Knowledge invested in and building public engagement in the choices and decisions we make.
Campus Conversations
INSTITUTIONAL PRACTICES
Innovation and Entrepreneurship Policy (IEP)
At Shiv Nadar, we have an Innovation and Entrepreneurship Policy (IEP) covering various aspects of innovation, start-ups, and entrepreneurship management. The IEP is a guiding framework for envisioning an educational ecosystem that leverages supportive resources, enables infrastructure, and facilitates policies to create an environment that enhances the spirit of innovation and entrepreneurship among the university’s faculty, staff, and students. The IEP outlines the pre-incubation, incubation, and financial support facilitated by the University to its members for fulfilling their entrepreneurial aspirations.
Academy of Continuing Education (ACE)
At Shiv Nadar, the Academy of Continuing Education (ACE) recognizes that learning is a lifelong endeavor that also involves some unlearning. The students at ACE are encouraged to evolve into meta-learners, which brings forth the ability to learn new skills and quickly adapt to new environments. ACE aims to facilitate best-in-class knowledge, practices, and skill development offerings to the growing ecosystem of lifetime learners and leaders within and outside the University. The Academy has a strong foundation in a student-centric, multidisciplinary, and researchfocused pedagogy, and the uniquely crafted programs and innovative delivery models offer students the best of the University’s rich intellectual resources. ACE provides learning opportunities through certificate and degree programs and experiences the blended deployment of in-class and experiential learning using the latest instructional technologies, such as interactive e-learning and tutoring, gamification, simulations, and learning apps.
One example is the ‘Conservation Practitioners’ course jointly launched with The Habitats Trust and ACE, Shiv Nadar University. The nine-month certificate course taught by some of India’s leading experts to support conservationists in upskilling, through a curriculum that blends various skill sets and promotes interdisciplinary learning, grounded in both theory and real-world application, that can be imparted to any practitioner. Designed so
that practitioners can continue to work and learn, the course empowers practitioners with the tools needed to safeguard India’s rich biodiversity and natural ecosystems.
Financial Aid to deserving candidates
The University is committed to helping deserving students so that finance is a smooth process in the educational journey of exceptional students. Based on eligibility criteria, the University offers Financial Aid and Scholarships to students selected through the specified admission criteria(s) in undergraduate programs, covering part or entire academic and living expenses.
Scholarship for female B.Tech students launched
On International Women’s Day, a scholarship that will award INR 4 lakh each for five female students enrolling in the Bachelor of Technology program offered by the university’s School of Engineering in 2024 was announced. The selected students will receive INR 1 lakh annually throughout their 4-year study.
Skill development program
At Shiv Nadar, we are committed to educational opportunities for all people regardless of gender, race, religion, or ethnicity; hence, the University has undertaken a Skill Development Pilot Program. The program imparts critical life skills to the children of the University’s third-party members residing in nearby areas and enhances their prospects for a brighter tomorrow. The faculty and students at the University volunteer to impart classes to children to improve their computer and language skills.
Access to the University Library
The University hosts many residential workshops and training. All participants from schools and other universities can access the University Library and its resources during this time. The candidates selected by the Atal Incubation Centre (AIC) and not enrolled in the University also have access to many
resources, including laboratories, studios, a library, and guidance from faculty.
PARTNERSHIPS
Transformative advancements in healthcare, agriculture, and education
Shiv Nadar University, Delhi-NCR, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Tata Institute for Genetics and Society, India, paving the way for transformative advancements in healthcare, agriculture, and education.
Founded in 2017 by the Tata Trusts, TIGS is a notfor-profit research institute committed to leveraging the power of genetics and genomics for societal progress. The institute focuses on three critical areas: Infectious Diseases, Rare Genetic Disorders, and Crop Improvement.
This collaboration aims to foster a robust exchange of expertise and resources, granting researchers access to cutting-edge facilities at both institutions. By integrating fundamental and applied research, the partnership seeks to cultivate a synergy that accelerates groundbreaking discoveries and their real-world implementation.
The FICCI Leadership Development Program (LDP) at Shiv Nadar University
The FICCI Leadership Development Program (LDP) was held recently at the Shiv Nadar University
Campus, Delhi-NCR. The 3-day event had a confluence of members from the higher education sector in India, where conversations and discussions focused on higher education in India, its challenges, research and innovation, technology integration, and many other aspects.
In her address, Prof. Ananya Mukherjee, Vice Chancellor of Shiv Nadar University, Delhi-NCR, highlighted the role of research, innovation, and leadership.
The program is part of initiatives to develop qualitative leadership in higher education in India.
Educators’ Conclave on Shaping Minds, Futures
In collaboration with Allcap Communications, Shiv Nadar University organized an Educators’ Conclave on Shaping Minds, Futures at the Tollygunge Club on January 31, 2025. The day-long event brought together 76 school principals and educators from West Bengal to discuss the evolving education landscape. In her address, Prof. Ananya Mukherjee, Vice Chancellor, Shiv Nadar University, emphasized the university’s interdisciplinary core curriculum designed to foster collaboration, critical thinking, and holistic development.
The conclave fostered insightful discussions, highlighting the transformative role of educators in shaping the future of learning.
Shiv Nadar University partners with Arizona State University
Arizona State University (ASU) and Shiv Nadar University in partnership offer a dual degree of BS Computer Science and BS Business Data Analytics. The 4-year programs are integrated with ASU courses, allowing students to earn degrees simultaneously from both universities. Enriched with an optional summer immersion at the ASU campus, the selected courses are jointly taught with ASU faculty and allow students to accrue credits that can be transferred to ASU at the onset of the 3rd year, allowing students to complete degrees from both universities simultaneously.
Scholarships for undergraduate admissions to the wards of Indian Air Force personnel
Shiv Nadar University Delhi-NCR and the Indian Air Force (IAF) inked a memorandum of understanding to provide scholarships for undergraduate admissions to the wards of Indian Air Force personnel. This includes families of deceased personnel while in service, disabled individuals,
physical casualties, retired personnel, and those currently serving, including those posted abroad on special missions or duties.
Under this five-year agreement, wards of IAF personnel will receive tuition fee concessions as follows: 100% (Freeship) for up to 3 wards of IAF personnel who died while on duty, up to 75% for up to 8 wards of serving IAF personnel, and up to 50% for up to 4 wards of retired IAF personnel.
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Indian Coast Guard and the Coast Guard Wives Welfare Association (CGWWA)
Shiv Nadar University, Delhi-NCR, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Indian Coast Guard and the Coast Guard Wives Welfare Association (CGWWA) to support the education of their wards through a scholarship program.
The MoU is very significant since this will support their efforts to provide quality education to the children of service personnel. The MoU also emphasizes the need for active collaboration and spreading awareness among the students about the career opportunities and the services offered by the Coast Guard.
Under this MoU the wards of Coast Guard personnel will receive tuition fee concessions as follows: 100% (Freeship) for up to 2 wards of ICG personnel who died while on duty, up to 75% for up to 3 wards of serving ICG personnel, and up to 50% for up to 2 wards of retired ICG personnel.
Joint M.A. in Global Urban Sociology in Partnership
The Department of Sociology at Shiv Nadar University, in collaboration with the Department of Anthropology and Sociology at SOAS, University of London, has launched a Joint M.A. in Global Urban Sociology.
This unique, jointly taught, and jointly awarded one-year M.A. programme allows students to study in two premier institutions in contrasting cities. In a partnership program that combines student mobility with cutting-edge, research-led teaching, students will receive rigorous sociological training and cultural immersion in the UK and India.
The programme welcomes a global cohort of students interested in academic training and upskilling their professional profiles. To support a vibrant classroom environment, we encourage applications from anywhere in the world.
Community Connect Program partners with Lending Hands Foundation
The Community Connect Program of Shiv Nadar University, in partnership with the Lending Hands Foundation, hosted a Solid Waste Management session at a senior secondary school and primary government school in Datawali, a village located near the university.
Over 160 students participated, gaining insights into waste issues and sustainable practices. Through engaging discussions and hands-on activities, they explored the impact of daily choices on planetary health, learned about waste’s long-term effects, and practiced source segregation.
Shiv Nadar Institution of Eminence is fully committed to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). We have embraced a four-pronged strategy for SDGs through teaching, research, our core institutional practices, and partnerships.
Deepa Hazrati Senior Manager, Office of the Vice-Chancellor deepa.hazrati@snu.edu.in