Dr Sivapriya Kirubakaran is the Associate Professor, Cancer Chemical Biology Lab Chemistry & Dean of Student Affairs at Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar. She has completed her Ph.D. in Organic chemistry and also has a Postdoctoral fellowship. She has co-authored about 38 publications, 1 book chapter and has 8 US and 9 Indian patents to her credit. She is also a recipient of the prestigious DST Ramanujan Fellowship. Her current areas of interest include targeted drug discovery and medicinal chemistry. Her long-term goal would be to make affordable medicines for cancer.

IIT Gandhinagar

What is your academic leadership philosophy?

“To put students first in all regards, ensuring the best practices for them”

The mantra of IIT Gandhinagar itself is the student-centric approach. So, when we put the interest of students as a priority, it becomes rewarding for them naturally. 

In my opinion, a leader is the one who works well in a team and motivates others. Here, we have a great team of student affairs which works in harmony for better functioning of the institution. We have been able to achieve great heights due to the same. 

What can an inbound student gain by studying in IIT Gandhinagar?

“Academic activities and extracurricular events both are available for students”

At IIT Gandhinagar, we don't only teach Engineering and Science. We also teach several courses that are skill-based and add value to students' academic life. We inculcate in them a lot of social responsibility during their course years. They study various subjects such as Philosophy, Archaeology and arts as a part of their technology course. 

How does the curriculum of IIT Gandhinagar ensure the best practices in the industry?

“We ensure industrial exposure through campus and field programs”

Field visits are an integral part of our curriculum. In every semester, students get to visit industry sites to gain practical experience. We do have a strong network and are continuously working on improving the same. Our students have been able to create great prototypes for crucial issues as part of their projects. 

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What are your responsibilities towards the students and institute respectively?

“Student welfare, placements and enabling scholarships for meritorious students”

I was appointed as the Dean only about 4 months ago and the core of my responsibility is to ensure student welfare. Under student affairs, there are multiple sub-roles. One of them is to ensure the placements. Our students get placed in domestic and reputed global companies. We want our students to have international exposure and eventually contribute to solving the issues of our country. Another responsibility is to ensure that no deserving student should be refused education due to financial constraints. We have various fellowships, grants, and loans to help them get their degree.

How does your college welcome students of different socio-economic backgrounds?

“An environment of unity and cultural diversity is promoted”

We have students from all the states on our campus. The college has a great hostel and mess facilities. Any kind of discrimination is strictly condemned here. In fact, free mess services are provided to those who have affordability issues. We have state-of-the-art facilities for research which encourage students of all parts of the country to come here and pursue the study of their interest. 

What would you like to tell students about your college that they may not know?

“A prestigious institute that focuses on the overall well being of students”

There are several awards that the institute has won over the years. The IIT Gandhinagar campus was the first Indian institute to be given the Eat Right Campus Award with a 5-star rating by FSSAI. The faculty here are very cheerful and a good number of them are trained in the best institutes in the world. This rich faculty experience also helps the students to achieve their goals. 

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Are there any suggestions that you would like to give the youth of our country?

“They must possess a long term vision for the future of society and country”

IIT Gandhinagar is relatively a new institute of 12 years but we have been able to achieve a lot in these years. This was because of our long term vision. We strived for collective excellence. Our vision was not only to teach technology but also social values. The youth should also be responsible and have a long term view for themselves and the country.