IIT Delhi Hosts 2nd Transformative Leadership in STEMM (TLS) Workshop for SC/ST PhD Scholars

IIT Delhi hosted the 2nd Transformative Leadership in STEMM (TLS) Workshop, aimed at empowering PhD scholars from the SC/ST community with the leadership skills and knowledge necessary to excel in STEMM fields.

The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi has launched an annual, national-level mentoring initiative, the "Transformative Leadership in STEMM (TLS) Workshop," designed for advanced-stage Ph.D. scholars from the SC/ST community. The workshop aims to inspire and empower these scholars to pursue faculty positions at prestigious institutions such as IITs, NITs, and other higher educational institutions (HEIs). This initiative by IIT Delhi seeks to tackle the underrepresentation of the SC/ST community in the scientific field, particularly in faculty roles.

This year's three-day workshop focused on Electrical Engineering, Computer Science and Engineering, Mathematics, and Biological Sciences, and also included select participants from the previous batch. The TLS workshop is jointly organized by IIT Delhi's Initiative for Caste Equity (ICE), the Office of Diversity & Inclusion (ODI), and the SC/ST Cell.

This year, the TLS workshop saw a significant number of high-quality applications, making the competition for the limited seats particularly intense. A scientific advisory committee, chaired by Prof. Narayanan Kurur (Dean of Academics, IIT Delhi), and comprising HoDs and expert faculty, selected a cohort of 50 students from institutions across the country. This included ten distinguished candidates from last year's batch for ongoing mentoring. The workshop's sessions focused on key aspects that set faculty members at premier institutions apart, such as high-quality research and teaching, scientific and professional skills, and engagement with industry and society through incubation and commercialization efforts.

The workshop included various skill-building sessions that addressed specific aspects of the faculty application process, with a strong emphasis on building participants' confidence. Prof. Sonajharia Minz and Prof. D. K. Lobiyal from the Computer Science Department at JNU conducted a session on strategies for maintaining self-respect and boosting confidence in challenging environments. In another session, Prof. Divya Dwivedi from IIT Delhi explored the nuanced aspects of social and cultural capital needed for effective academic engagement and overcoming barriers related to the English language.

Prof. Angelie Multani, Dean of Diversity and Inclusion at IIT Delhi, congratulated the Initiative for Caste Equity (ICE) and the SC/ST Cell for the remarkable success of the TLS workshop, emphasizing its potential to inspire prospective faculty members from marginalized communities. Prof. Jogdand and Prof. Ingole, the conveners of the TLS workshop, noted that the initiative is a crucial step toward addressing the faculty diversity gap in premier educational institutions.

Read More

• IIT Delhi and World University of Design Launch First Functional Clothing Contest at FTC 2025
• Education Budget 2025: Engineering Institutes Get a Financial Lift: IITs Lead with INR 10,384 Cr