Professor Naima Khatoon has been appointed as the Vice Chancellor of Aligarh Muslim University (AMU). The Ministry of Education appointed Ms Khatoon after receiving approval from President Droupadi Murmu, who serves as the Visitor of the university.
With that, AMU has also become the third central university to have a woman Vice-Chancellor. While Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit is is the current VC of the Jawaharlal Nehru University, Najma Akhtar completed her tenure as the Vice-Chancellor of Jamia Millia Islamia in 2023.
Ms Khatoon is the first woman to be appointed to the post in the varsity's 123-year history. Begum Sultan Jahan became the Chancellor of AMU in 1920, making her the first and only woman to hold the position.
Some facts about Naima Khatoon:
1. Naima Khatoon started her professional journey as a lecturer at AMU in August 1988. She gradually rose through the ranks, becoming an Associate Professor in April 1998 and eventually a Professor in July 2006. She served as the Professor and Chairperson of the Department of Psychology before being appointed Principal at Women's College in July 2014.
2. She taught at the National University of Rwanda, Central Africa, for an academic year. She has also served in various administrative roles at AMU – Deputy Director of the Residential Coaching Academy, Deputy Proctor, and Provost in both Indira Gandhi Hall and Abdullah Hall.
3. Naima Khatoon has a PhD degree in Political Psychology. She conducted her doctoral work at the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies, Delhi, and AMU. She has presented her research findings at the University of Louisville (USA), the University of Alba Iulia (Romania), Chulalongkorn University (Bangkok), and the Hollings Centre in both Istanbul (Turkey) and Boston (USA).
4. Ms Khatoon is also a writer and researcher, having authored, co-authored, and edited six books and published various papers in several national and international journals. Her areas of expertise are clinical, health, applied social, and spiritual Psychology.
5. Naima Khatoon was honoured with the Papa Mian Padma Bhushan Best Girl Award for all-round excellence.
