The Internal Quality Assurance Cell (IQAC), Directorate of Planning and Monitoring at Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU) recently organised a three-day training programme titled “Learn to Lead: An Executive Development Programme on Leadership and Management” for the Training Faculty.
Recognising the growing need for strong academic leadership and professional excellence in education, research, and technology transfer, this program has been designed.
In his inaugural address, Subrahmaniyan, Registrar and Acting Vice-Chancellor of TNAU, emphasised that empowering faculty members, academic administrators, and emerging leaders within colleges and universities is vital.
With higher education undergoing rapid transformation driven by technological advancements, policy reforms, globalisation, and evolving student expectations, effective leadership has become essential for institutional success.
He noted that the programme has been thoughtfully designed to strengthen leadership capabilities among collegiate professionals who play a critical role in shaping institutions and mentoring future generations.
He added that the executive development programme focuses on enhancing strategic thinking, academic leadership, team building, decision-making skills, and quality assurance to promote academic excellence, specifically tailored to the Agro ecosystem.
In his felicitation address, Jeyakumar, Director of Planning and Monitoring, stated that in an era defined by rapid transformation, dynamic markets, and increasing organisational complexity, effective leadership has become the cornerstone of sustainable success.
Addressing this critical need, the programme aims to equip professionals with the competencies required to lead with vision, resilience, and strategic clarity.
Mahendran, Director, Centre for Water and Geospatial Studies (CWGS) at the university, said operational management and human resource management are the most important areas for any institutional development.
Training relevant to human resources is needed in the field of agriculture, adopting methodologies like case studies, which empower leadership quality among the faculty who are the future leaders of the institution, like TNAU.
The training covered Acts, Statutes and Regulations of TNAU: An Overview; Finance Management and Auditing; Educational System for Today and Tomorrow; New trends in Research Management & Innovations.
Legal Issues and Disciplinary Procedures; Digital Tools in Office Administration; Emotional Intelligence for Work-Life Balance, Team Building: Planning Skill and Supportive Development in Teamwork, Working Methodologies for Team Building; Excel in Extension for Effective Transfer of Technology; Cyber Security in Office Management, Competencies for Successful Leadership, Quality Assurance for Academic Excellence.
Subject experts from the University and other institutions served as resource persons.
The programme also included a module on Emotional Intelligence, aimed at helping participants enhance self-awareness, self-regulation, empathy, and interpersonal skills.
Additionally, the Cyber Security in Office Management module provided participants with essential knowledge on cyber risks, data protection protocols, digital ethics, and best practices for maintaining information security.
Srinivasan, Professor, Agrl. Entomology at the university welcomed the gathering, and Samsai, Professor (ARM) of the Directorate of Planning and Monitoring, delivered a vote of Thanks.
The programme was coordinated by Kavitha, IQAC Coordinator and Associate Professor, Horticulture, with the support of other teaching & non-teaching staff of the Directorate of Planning and Monitoring.
