Nishtha Shukla Anand,Trustee & director

Nishtha Shukla Anand

Trustee & director

The New Education policy, coupled with the advent of online learning, is going to bring a paradigm shift to the higher education space. India has a huge advantage as it enjoys data internet availability at extremely low costs. The flexible approach under NEP and enhancement of learning opportunities will enable a much larger number of our youth to become strong learners. The next decade is critical for India as higher education is a key element in building the nation. Educators play a crucial role in ensuring that the students are offered top-notch education so that they are equipped with the skills needed to thrive and make a positive impact in the society. Enjoying a visionary status in the Indian higher education strata with her knowledge and wisdom is Nishtha Shukla Anand.

Working as a trustee and director at Shoolini University, Nishtha focuses on multiple areas of communications and digital growth for the institution. Along with that, over the last three years, she has been a cornerstone in providing rightful recognition for the wealth of knowledge and research that scientists and academicians of Shoolini University are working on. Today, the University has been able to make impressive strides in the Indian higher education realm and is regularly ranked by recognized institutions such as NIRF (101-150 band among universities) and Schimago (34 among top Indian institutions of higher learning) as well as publications such as India Today and Outlook as one of leading universities in India on student and research parameters.

Journey to the Top
Shoolini University was established to become a unique research-driven campus for students from all backgrounds and today their H-Index is among the highest for a young Indian university. Their FWCI is high routinely and comparable with most top global universities.

“Education is close to my heart.
We set out to create an institution of higher learning in Himachal Pradesh, which gave world-class education to the people of the state. Shoolini University came as the ideal platform where we enable students from all backgrounds to benefit from worldclass faculty and industry experts.”

“Watching the aspirational journey of our young students, witnessing young minds achieve spectacular results at the campus has to be one of the most treasured aspects for me. I love the buzz of the campus, the charm in the eyes of students as they share their new ideas with us. It is almost electrifying and keeps me charged even after having been in the industry for many years”, says Nishtha.

“As a pioneering personality in the higher education fraternity of the country, Nishtha wants to end the divide within the teaching community and enjoy the balance that is required at the workplace”

Nishtha has played a crucial role in the success of Shoolini University and adding about the uniqueness and the learning environment offered by the University, she says, “One of the core things Shoolini offers is a safe family-like environment. We are a small and specialized university. So, all students have a close camaraderie with their teachers, seniors and classmates”.

She tells us that Shoolini’s architecture and design is created to enhance the feeling of belongingness and ease for students. Several spaces within the campus enable student clubs to groom and become a melting pot of people and ideas.

In fact, students at Shoolini University explore a lot more beyond their curriculum. For instance, our library is completely digital and in off-COVID times, it is functional 24x7.

“Our core strength lies in research as we aspire to have higher academic impact in the areas of science, management and liberal arts. Students are encouraged to take up research even at the undergraduate level. Several opportunities are provided for international exchange programs, again to provide a wider range of opportunities in enhanced careers and research. Our alumni
visit international universities like Stanford University, University of Tokyo, and Univ of Korea to name a few”, she says.

Embracing Inclusivity for Sustained Growth
As a pioneering personality in the higher education fraternity of the country, Nishtha wants to close the gender divide within the teaching community and enjoy the balance that is required at the workplace. For her, it’s important to know that you are as good and sometimes even better than your male counterparts and to always have faith in yourself and your ideas. Consistency in output and the desire to improve constantly have been the two driving factors that are fuelling her growth in the Indian education realm.

At Shoolini University, where Nishtha forms the core team, they are planning to create a research and goal-driven ecosystem for students to allow them to explore their boundaries. As online education becomes the new norm, the University is also looking at providing better education by bringing global speakers and faculty to interact with their students regularly. Additionally, several national and international tie-ups are in the pipeline.

The idea is to give students new avenues to explore their potential and with all this, Nishtha says that at Shoolini University, they aim to realize their vision to be among the World’s Top 200 Universities where their research, patent filing and academic pursuits play a huge role in the development of the nation as a whole.

Nishtha Shukla Anand, Trustee & director, Shoolini Univesity
Nishtha Shukla Anand is the trustee and director at Shoolini Univesity. She completed her bachelor’s hons. and master’s in English Literature from Lady Sriram College, Delhi.

Her Favourites
Favorite Book: Freedom at Midnight, Dominique Lapierre
Favorite Author: Haruki Murakami
Destination for Holiday: Southern France
Hobby: World Music
Go-to-Song: Eye of the Tiger, Survivor
Favorite Movie: Rang De Basanti
Quote: that Motivates you the Most: “Life is what happens to you while you are busy making other plans” – John Lennon
Top 10 Women Leaders in Education Industry - 2020