Leadership

A Civil Engineer by training, he holds degrees from IIT Madras, the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, and BITS, Pilani, Rajasthan, and has consistently demonstrated academic excellence. He has been the recipient of several national and international scholarships, including awards from the Government of India and the National University of Singapore. He is a Fellow and Life Member of multiple professional societies, including FIE, ISTE, and IGS. He has also served as coordinator for the World Bank Programme on rural sanitation and water supply projects.

Prof. Raghavendra has presented numerous technical papers at prestigious national and international conferences and has published extensively in journals while guiding postgraduate and PhD students. He has received multiple Best Paper Awards for his contributions to research. He has visited countries including the USA, Australia, China, Singapore, and Malaysia for academic presentations and as part of delegations establishing skill centres and promoting academic excellence.

Under his leadership, several centres of excellence have been established. This include the International Automobile Centre of Excellence at PDPU, in partnership with Kangan Institute, Melbourne, Australia, and Maruti Automobiles, Solar Research and Development Centre promoted by the Gujarat Energy Development Authority at PDPU and industry-funded laboratories across multiple discipline. At NCU Gurugram, Dr. Raghavendra established the Daikin Centre of Excellence, an AR/VR Centre, and the Thought Laboratory for Wellbeing, in partnership with the Brahma Kumaris.

Prof. Raghavendra is a strong advocate for student success and works closely with faculty and leadership to ensure the highest quality of education. He has earned a reputation for implementing effective examination reforms and leading NEP 2020 initiatives. He is also driving initiatives such as enabling modules for slow learners, student portfolio systems, parent information systems, integration of tinkering labs and makerspaces, centres of excellence, exchange programmes, lifelong learning modules, and industry immersion programmes for faculty and students.

He continues to promote activity-based learning and comprehensive student development, focusing on holistic growth, community-based internships, and outcomes-oriented pedagogy. The success of his leadership is reflected in national and international university rankings, including NIRF and NAAC, and in the improved standing of the institutions he has served.

He serves on over 14 national and state-level boards, committees, and professional bodies, including the All India Association of Educational Research, Council of Behavioural Scientists, Council of Teacher Education, and the Psycholinguistic Association of India.

An active scholar, Dr. Praveen has authored numerous publications in national and international forums. As a mentor, he has guided several successful Ph.D. candidates, faculty, and staff. Ten of his research scholars have been awarded a Ph.D., and four more are currently working towards completion.

A seasoned educationist and passionate teacher, Dr. Praveen brings over 29 years of teaching and research experience, along with 21 years in academic administration. His career includes roles such as Registrar at CMR University, Principal of the CMR College of Education, and lecturer at various Colleges of Education. He holds postgraduate degrees in Physics, Psychology, and Education, an M.Phil. in Education, and earned his Ph.D. in Education in 2003.

Dr. Dhanamjaya M has showcased his administrative versatility in various positions that he has held in Higher Educational Institutions. He exhibited his multifaceted skills as a Public Relations Officer and then as Dean – Student Affairs. In due course of time, he ascended to the position of Registrar and for seven long years in that capacity, he brought in several reforms in matters related to admissions, marketing and branding, human resource management, hostel management, regulatory management, statutory compliance  and other niche areas of university administration. Moving ahead in his career graph, Dr. Dhanamjaya demonstrated his exemplary leadership qualities as Pro Vice Chancellor and then as Vice Chancellor. In these roles, he could envision and focus on amplifying various academic affairs. Dr. Dhanamjaya has visited several institutions as the NAAC Peer Team Chairperson. He was the Executive Council Member of VTU, nominated by the UGC. He has visited several countries as part of his academic assignments. Dr. Dhanamjaya is a firm believer of ‘teamwork’ and the adage “when we grow others, we grow ourselves”.