Professor & Dean - Institute of Design

Position: Professor & Dean

Department: Institute of Design
Location: Mehsana, Gujarat, India
Employment Type: Full-Time

Position Overview

Ganpat University seeks a dynamic, visionary, and accomplished academic leader to serve as Professor & Dean Institute of Design. The incumbent will provide strategic academic and administrative leadership for the B.Des. (Interior Design), M.Des. and PhD programs and will be responsible for ensuring academic excellence, innovative teaching, faculty development, research, industry engagement, student progression, and overall institutional growth.

The position requires an individual with strong academic credentials, leadership capabilities, industry orientation, and a demonstrated commitment to contemporary design education. The incumbent will work closely with University leadership to strengthen the Institute's academic profile, industry partnerships, research ecosystem, student experience, and national and international visibility.

Key Responsibilities

1. Academic Leadership

• Provide strategic academic leadership for the B.Des. (Interior Design), M.Des. and PhD programs.
• Lead curriculum development, review, and implementation aligned with industry and academic standards.
• Promote innovative pedagogy, experiential learning, design thinking, studio-based and interdisciplinary learning.
• Ensure academic quality, effective course delivery, assessment, and student learning outcomes.
• Mentor faculty and promote academic excellence, professional development, and contemporary design practices.
• Facilitate academic collaborations, workshops, exhibitions, competitions, and guest lectures.

2. Institute Administration & Operations

• Lead the overall academic and administrative functioning of the Institute.
• Plan and monitor academic activities, budgets, resources, infrastructure, and institutional targets.
• Manage faculty recruitment, workload, performance, development, and retention.
• Ensure effective utilization of studios, laboratories, workshops, classrooms, software, and other resources.
• Monitor admissions, student progression, attendance, mentoring, and academic discipline.
• Ensure compliance with University policies, academic regulations, quality standards, and statutory requirements.

3. Faculty Development & Academic Quality

• Build and lead a high-performing academic team.
• Facilitate faculty development through FDPs, workshops, conferences, certifications, and professional opportunities.
• Encourage research, publications, consultancy, design projects, innovation, and industry engagement.
• Monitor teaching effectiveness and faculty performance through feedback, academic review, and outcome analysis.
• Promote knowledge sharing, interdisciplinary collaboration, and continuous academic improvement.

4. Research, Innovation & Design Practice

• Develop a strong research, innovation, and design practice ecosystem.
• Promote research and projects in interior environments, spatial design, materials, furniture, lighting, sustainability, technology, and emerging design practices.
• Encourage publications, funded projects, consultancy, intellectual property, exhibitions, and professional outputs.
• Facilitate participation in conferences, competitions, exhibitions, and design forums.
• Support research grants, sponsored projects, consultancy, and industry-supported initiatives.

5. Industry & Professional Engagement

• Establish strong partnerships with interior design firms, design studios, industry, consultants, and creative organisations.
• Facilitate internships, live projects, industry visits, field exposure, and industry-led learning.
• Engage industry professionals in curriculum development, mentoring, workshops, and academic activities.
• Strengthen placement, career opportunities, consultancy, and professional projects.
• Develop an effective industry advisory mechanism for continuous program enhancement.

6. Student Development & Engagement

• Foster a student-centric environment encouraging creativity, innovation, critical thinking, and professional development.
• Strengthen academic mentoring and student support systems.
• Promote participation in competitions, exhibitions, workshops, internships, conferences, and industry projects.
• Encourage entrepreneurship, innovation, start-up initiatives, and design-led enterprises.
• Support student portfolios, showcases, exhibitions, and professional development.
• Ensure a safe, inclusive, collaborative, and stimulating learning environment.

7. Institutional Development, Industry & Revenue Generation

• Develop a niche and distinctive model for the Institute of Design to attract students from across India.
• Establish consultancy and paid design projects in collaboration with industry and professional organisations.
• Develop industry partnerships for live, sponsored, and revenue-generating projects.
• Facilitate on-campus interior design consultancy/work projects as a practical learning and revenue-generating initiative.
• Implement mandatory two-month industry exposure/internship for faculty and students.
• Introduce industry-relevant certification programs for working professionals to strengthen continuing education and revenue generation.
• Enhance the Institute’s brand visibility, industry network, placements, and national outreach through exhibitions, competitions, events, and strategic collaborations.

Qualifications & Experience

Essential

• Ph.D. in a relevant Design discipline from a recognized University/Institution with consistently good academic credentials.
• Minimum 15 plus years of relevant experience in teaching, research, academic administration, and/or professional design practice.
• Minimum 5 years of academic leadership/administrative experience, preferably as Dean, Head, Director, Professor & Head, or equivalent.
• Proven experience in curriculum development, academic planning, faculty management, student development, and institutional administration.
• Strong understanding of contemporary design education, pedagogy, industry trends, digital technologies, sustainability, and emerging design practices.
• Demonstrated contribution through research, publications, design projects, consultancy, exhibitions, conferences, or professional achievements.
• Excellent leadership, communication, interpersonal, organisational, and team-management skills.