The programme was organised by the Internal Quality Assurance Cell (IQAC) under the Directorate of Planning and Monitoring, bringing together agricultural scientists from various TNAU centres for capacity building and knowledge sharing.
In his inaugural address, Dr. K. Subrahmaniyan, Registrar and Acting Vice-Chancellor of TNAU, said academic excellence extends beyond institutional rankings and performance indicators. He stressed that excellence is achieved through continuous learning, innovation, interdisciplinary collaboration and impactful research that addresses the needs of farming communities while contributing to societal development.
Dr. E. Somasundaram, Director (ABD), highlighted the need for education to move beyond conventional classroom teaching and examination-oriented learning. He said institutions should nurture entrepreneurial thinking among students by equipping them with practical skills, confidence and innovation, adding that continuous faculty development is essential to achieve this goal.
Delivering the felicitation address, Dr. P. Jeyakumar, Director of Planning and Monitoring, said faculty members play a crucial role in integrating emerging technologies into teaching, promoting research-driven learning and fostering innovation and entrepreneurship. He noted that the programme was designed to strengthen teachers' capabilities in modern pedagogy, digital teaching tools, cybersecurity, scientific communication and advanced research.
The programme featured expert sessions on research proposal writing, quality assurance, cybersecurity, data privacy, publishing in Q1 journals, artificial intelligence-powered pedagogy, virtual and augmented reality, educational technologies, emotional intelligence and smart agricultural extension practices.
The event concluded with a session emphasising continuous learning and innovation to meet the evolving demands of higher agricultural education and research. Dr. S. Umesh Kanna welcomed the participants, while Dr. T. Samsai proposed the vote of thanks.