Those eligible to be engaged as Professor of Practice in universities and colleges include distinguished experts who have made remarkable contributions in their professions from various fields such as engineering, science, technology, entrepreneurship, commerce, social sciences, media, literature, fine arts, civil services, armed forces, legal profession, and public administration among others.
"The maximum duration of service of 'Professor of Practice' at a given institution should not exceed three years and is extendable by one year in exceptional cases and the total service should not exceed four years under any circumstances," read the draft guidelines.
The number of these experts in an institute should not exceed 10% of the sanctioned posts.
"For skilling of youth at the optimum level, learners are required to think like employers and employers are to think like learners. Towards this, the UGC has taken a new initiative to bring the industry and other professional expertise into the academic institutions through a new category of positions called 'Professor of Practice,' UGC Chairman M Jagadesh Kumar said on Tuesday.
The decision has been taken as a measure to promote the National Education Policy 2020, which seeks to transform higher education by focusing on skill-based education to meet the needs of the industry and the economy.
According to the UGC chairman, the move will augment the faculty resources in higher education institutions (HEIs).
"This will help to take real-world practices and experiences into the classrooms. In turn, the industry and society will benefit from trained graduates equipped with the relevant skills," the UGC Chairman said.
The objective of this move is to meet the industry and societal needs and enable the HEIs to work with industry experts on joint research projects and consultancy services which will be mutually beneficial.
Another important objective is to bring distinguished experts from various fields such as engineering, science, technology, entrepreneurship, commerce, social sciences, media, literature, fine arts, civil services, armed forces, the legal profession, and public administration into the academic institutions.
