Prof. Uma Kanjilal

Prof. Kanjilal is the first woman to serve as Vice-Chancellor since the university's establishment in 1985, bringing over 36 years of experience in Open and Distance Learning. She has held several prominent positions at IGNOU, including Pro Vice-Chancellor, Director of the Centre for Online Education, and Director of the Inter-University Consortium for Technology-Enabled Flexible Education, among others. She also served as the University Librarian and Director of the School of Social Sciences. Nationally, she plays a pivotal role as the National Coordinator for SWAYAM and SWAYAM PRABHA under the Ministry of Education. She currently leads the Project Management Unit for NMEICT Phase-III. Her international contributions include consultancies with the Commonwealth of Learning (Canada), UNRWA (Jordan), and the Commonwealth Educational Media Centre for Asia. Prof. Kanjilal has received numerous recognitions, including a Fulbright Scholarship at the University of Illinois, the Manthan Award for e-Education, an Australia-India Council Grant, and the DANIDA Fellowship. She has also been honoured with the Silver Medal for Best Paper at IGNOU and the DELNET Best Lending Library Award. An active member of several professional and advisory bodies, she has contributed to national policy-making through her work with NMEICT, the National Digital Library of India, SWAYAM, and the Raja Rammohun Roy Library Foundation. Her key areas of expertise include inclusive education, ICT-enabled learning, global academic partnerships, and faculty development. Prof. Kanjilal has published extensively, with one authored book, two edited volumes, 14 book chapters, 38 research papers, and five policy documents, reflecting her deep commitment to advancing digital learning and educational equity at both national and global levels.

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