 Early Times Report
DEHRADUN, July 8: UPES, India's AI-First University, successfully concluded the first batch of the AI Training Program for Educators of Uttarakhand, organised in partnership with the Department of Higher Education, Government of Uttarakhand. The three-day Faculty Development Program was conducted by the Artificial Intelligence Transformation Office (AITO), UPES, and organised by the Department of Social Outreach, UPES at the UPES campus in Dehradun.
The program is among the first such focused AI training initiatives for Professors and Assistant Professors from government colleges and universities across Uttarakhand. The Higher Education Department, Government of Uttarakhand, selected UPES for the initiative in recognition of its AI-first approach to higher education. The first batch was designed for 45 educators. Still, overall, the program marks the beginning of a greater capacity-building effort, with two more batches of educators from government institutions across the state scheduled to undergo similar training in the coming days.
The program aimed to equip educators with a practical understanding of artificial intelligence and its applications in teaching, learning, research and academic innovation. Its impact is expected to extend beyond the participating faculty members, as they return to their respective institutions and share their learnings with other educators and students, particularly across government institutions that serve large student communities in Uttarakhand's mountainous regions.
Across the three days, the program moved from formal context-setting to focused training and ecosystem-level collaboration. On Day 1, the program was inaugurated in the presence of senior officials from the Department of Higher Education, Government of Uttarakhand, including Prof. (Dr.) Sangeeta Gupta, Joint Director, and Prof. Pramod Kumar Dobriyal, Assistant Director. UPES was represented by Mr. Rahul Nainwal, Director, School of Business; Mr. Lokendra Dutt Sharma, Deputy Director & Head, Department of Social Outreach; and Dr. Rakshita Gokula, Assistant Professor and Member, AITO Operational Leadership Team, who led the training.
Day 2 focused on helping participating educators explore the role of AI in teaching, learning, research and academic innovation, with sessions aimed at building practical understanding and confidence around AI-enabled education. On Day 3, the program concluded with participant feedback, certificate distribution, the announcement of the next two training batches, and an MoU signing ceremony between UPES and the Department of Higher Education, Government of Uttarakhand |
