Prof. Sandeep Shukla New IIIT-H Director
“This wasn’t about fancy resumes,” said former director Prof. Rajeev Sangal, who was part of the selection committee. “We were looking for someone who could engage, adapt and lead with openness.”
Hyderabad: When Prof. Sandeep Shukla assumed charge as the director of IIIT Hyderabad this week, he stepped into a role shaped as much by public scrutiny as by academic merit. The transition, finalised on August 20, followed months of deliberations involving faculty, board members, students, staff and alumni worldwide.
Unlike most top institutional appointments, the selection at IIITH involved direct conversations with the campus community. Candidates weren’t just interviewed; they were watched, listened to, and questioned across informal and formal sessions on campus. They spent entire days interacting with faculty and students, holding town-hall-style meetings, and discussing vision documents that were shared and critiqued internally.
“From the beginning, we asked what kind of director the campus wanted,” said governing council member Srini Raju. Inputs came from all corners: online sessions with alumni in the US and Europe, feedback from non-teaching staff, and closed-door meetings with students, none of which were attended by the selection panel to ensure freedom of expression.
Prof. Shukla, a faculty member from IIT Kanpur with a research background in cybersecurity and AI, was eventually picked from a shortlist of names after this rigorous campus immersion. The selection process echoed a similar transition in 2012, when Prof P.J. Narayanan took over through a comparable consultative method.
“This wasn’t about fancy resumes,” said former director Prof. Rajeev Sangal, who was part of the selection committee. “We were looking for someone who could engage, adapt and lead with openness.”
Prof. Narayanan, who handed over the baton after 12 years, said he was especially pleased that the collaborative spirit behind leadership selection was preserved. “I am glad the institute stayed true to its values,” he said. “There’s no better way to choose a director than by letting the campus weigh in.”
With the new term beginning, expectations regarding academic growth, community trust, and leadership that listens before deciding are high and clear.