Nagaland: NECU hosts faculty development prog

North East Christian University (NECU) organised a three-day Faculty Development Programme (FDP) on Training of Teachers (ToT) from January 27 to 29, under the Capacity Training Centre (CTC) in collaboration with the Internal Quality Assurance Cell (IQAC). The programme was attended by 35 teachers, with Dr. Ashis Kumar Chatterjee, former deputy general manager (Training), National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC), Government of India, as the resource person.
Addressing the sessions, Dr. Chatterjee highlighted key challenges faced by faculty in classrooms and categorised students into four groups—dominant, dormant, provocateur and critique—while offering strategies to engage each effectively. He stressed the need for democratization of knowledge in the post-COVID era, urging teachers to adopt the approach of being “a friend on the side and not a sage on the stage.”
He also underscored the role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in modern education, describing it as “an assistant, not an authority,” and encouraged its integration into teaching methods. He advocated the use of caselets to promote critical thinking and practical learning among students.
In his session on values and professional conduct, Dr. Chatterjee urged faculty to embrace empathy, compassion and integrity. He further emphasized the importance of fostering gender-sensitive educational institutions, highlighting provisions of the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013. He noted that Internal Complaints Committees (ICC) are mandatory under the Act and stressed that institutions must be proactive rather than reactive in ensuring safer workplaces.
The programme concluded with group discussions on action planning, where participants formulated suggestions and policies to be converted into collective practice, thereby shaping institutional culture.
The inaugural session was chaired by Director (Academics), Dr. Kangzangding Thou. NECU Pro Chancellor, Prof. Darlando T. Khathing, delivered the welcome address, while PMHR Director, Er. Kapil Thapa, proposed the vote of thanks.