Aligarh: The Department of Business Administration, in collaboration with the Department of Economics, Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), successfully organised a symposium on “Organising Pro-social Interventions in School Education” under the Education Ministry’s Scheme for Promotion of Academic and Research Collaboration (SPARC).
Welcoming the guests and participants, Prof. Ayesha Farooq, Dean, Faculty of Management Studies and Research, commended the SPARC team for their efforts in fostering interdisciplinary collaboration, while Dr. Ahmad Faraz Khan, Assistant Professor, DBA, and Indian Co-Principal Investigator of the SPARC project, outlined the objectives of the symposium.
The Chief Guest, Prof. Kathan D. Shukla (IIM Ahmedabad), joined virtually to deliver the presidential address, and stressed the importance of real-world educational strategies.
The guest of honour, Mr. M.K. Sherwani, Founder, Blossoms School, Aligarh shared insights into the role of grassroots initiatives in creating inclusive learning environments.
International scholars Prof. Suhaib Riaz (University of Ottawa, Canada) and Prof. Arjun Bhardwaj (Western University, Canada) elaborated on the global impact of such interventions.
Prof. Shehroz Alam Rizvi, Chairman, Department of Economics, and Prof. Omar Farooq, Director, Research and Development Cell, emphasised the significance of pro-social interventions in education.
The symposium featured two practitioner talk sessions, where distinguished speakers, including Nafees Ahmad (Piramal Foundation), Rafia Nikhat (Raza Nagar Primary School), Saman Sherwani (Blossoms School), and representatives from the Society for Human Welfare and Education, discussed challenges in inclusivity, caste and class dynamics, and parental counselling. The sessions were chaired by Prof. Saboohi Nasim and Dr. Asif Akhtar from the Department of Business Administration, AMU.
A panel discussion moderated by Dr. Ahmad Faraz Khan featured experts including Dr. Shivani Nag (Dr. B.R. Ambedkar University, Delhi), Prof. Kathan D. Shukla (IIM Ahmedabad), Danish Aziz (UNICEF), and Prof. Mohammad Shaheer Siddiqui (Department of Education, AMU). The discussion emphasized the need for systemic reforms in school education, advocating for a shift beyond traditional numerical learning outcomes towards more comprehensive approaches.
A key highlight of the event was the Paper Development Workshop, chaired by distinguished academicians, including Prof. Ranjeet Nambudiri (IIM Indore), Dr. Abrar Ali Saiyed (University of Glasgow), Prof. Saboohi Nasim, and Prof. Feza T. Azmi from AMU. The workshop provided a platform for emerging researchers to present their work and contribute to academic discussions on education and social interventions.
Prof. Amanullah Khan, former Principal, JNMC, presided over the valedictory session, acknowledging the contributions of all participants, faculty members, and organizers.
Dr. Abdul Azeez N.P., Principal Investigator, and Dr. Ahmad Faraz Khan, Co-Principal Investigator of the SPARC project, expressed their gratitude to the attendees for their active participation.
