Srinagar August 13 (Vijay Kumar) – In yet another significant move to women empowerment, the Kashmir University Vice Chancellor, on Wednesday, appointed Professor Nilofer Khan as the first woman Dean ‘Students Welfare’ of the University of Kashmir. It is for the first time in the history of Kashmir University that a woman has raised to a Dean’s position.
The decision, widely hailed by the varsity community ,especially the female students of the University of Kashmir, has come in the backdrop of Vice Chancellor Prof Riyaz Punjabi’s continued commitment to give due place to women managers in the university set up and weave gender equity in the Higher Education.
A doctorate in Home Sciences from Kashmir University Prof. Nilofer Khan is life member of many prestigious associations of India including Home science Association of India (HSAI), Nutrition Society of India (NSI), National Alliance of women’s organization (NAWO) and, All Indian Women’s Association (IWA). She has more than 50 research articles in National & International Journals especially on women’s issues to her credit and has so far guided 6 Ph.d students, 2 M.Phil and more than 100 post graduate scholars.
A member on U.G.C. consultative Committee of Women’s Studies and coordinator of U.G.C on capacity Building programme for women in higher education for North West region Prof Nilofer has organized number of seminars and workshops especially on Capacity Building Programme for Women Managers sponsored by U.G.C.
Prof. Khan joined University Services in 1986 as a Lecture, and rose to become Associate Professor in 1992 and Professor in 2001. She headed the Institute of Home Science KU from 1992 to 2008, presently she is also the Director of Women’s Studies Centre, University of Kashmir, to which she is founder member besides Department of Food Science and Technology KU.
A widely travelled woman Prof Nilofer was the member of a KU delegation who visited U.S.A.in 2003 under International Visitors Programme of U.S. embassy to study Academics and Examination system in Universities at Washington, Kansas, North Karolina and Chicago besides visiting Universities of other countries like Australia, Thailand, Malaysia and Sultanate of Oman.
Prof. Khan was also Director of the Project PPERA, funded by South Asian Foundation, which established a chain of schools in valley run by women. She has also remained Principle Investigator of number of projects sponsored by UNICEF, NIPCCD & UGC.
However, to recall some prestigious departments of the university which include Distance Education Directorate, Environmental Sciences and Adult Continuing and Extension Education Deptt of Hindi, Deptt of Sociology are already run by woman Professors of the University of Kashmir. Vice Chancellor Kashmir University Prof (Dr.) Riyaz Punjabi, Registrar Kashmir University Prof Syed Fayaz and Showkat Shafi Assistant DSW have congratulated Prof Neelofar over the appointment . “I will try my best to come up to the expectations of my Vice Chancellor” said Prof Khan immediately after resuming her duties yesterday as DSW.
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