‘Changemaker of the Year’ award for GNDU VC

Prof Karamjeet Singh, vice-chancellor of Guru Nanak Dev University, was presented the “Changemaker of the Year 2025” award, instituted by the India Education Forum and India Employer Forum in association with TeamLease EdTech and its higher-education platform Digivarsity. The award was announced at the third edition of the Making India Employable Conference & Awards (MIECA 2025) held in Mumbai recently and the organisers chose to bring the award to the GNDU campus in recognition of Prof Karamjeet Singh’s extraordinary contribution to transforming the university.

The team of faculty from the university said that Prof Karamjeet Singh is “a visionary academic leader who has redefined the role of a public university in preparing India’s youth for the jobs of tomorrow”.

The award acknowledged the university’s transition from academics to industry-relevant skills, apprenticeship-embedded degrees, cutting-edge research and entreprenuerial ecosystem. The jury comprised some of India’s most respected minds — Padma Vibhushan awardee Dr RA Mashelkar, Dr Chenraj Roychand, Siddharth Pai, Roma Balwani and Prof TN Singh — each a pioneer in science, education, industry and innovation.

Receiving the award, the VC said, “This honour belongs to the entire GNDU family — our dedicated teachers, brilliant students, supportive alumni and industry partners. GNDU was founded on the sacred principles of Guru Nanak Dev — truthful living, selfless service and sharing knowledge. Today, we are living those values by ensuring that no talented young person is left behind because of lack of employable skills.”