Conclave focuses on critical thinking, calls for narrowing of industry-academia gap

Kolkata: Critical thinking over AI and the importance of narrowing the academia-industry gap were the focus at Times NIE Leadership Conclave at the Leadership Conclave 2026, organised by The Times of India-NIE, in association with Ganpat University, Gujarat and Ganpat University, Goa (proposed).Subrat Sahu, senior director (accreditation, assessment and rankings) and professor of management, Ganpat University, piloted the talk on ‘Transforming Skills for Next Gen Careers'. Sahu championed a curriculum overhaul, pivoted on critical thinking, to mould students into dynamic knowledge creators. He pushed for project-driven collaborations to ignite analysis, creativity, and innovation—layered with adaptability, ethical debates, and AI ethics.
The event at The Park Hotel on Feb 21 saw the participation of industry experts who enjoyed a panel discussion, ‘Transforming Skills for the 21st Century: Aligning Academia and Industry for Next Gen Careers', in which speakers talked about how academia must bridge the chasm with industry as emerging tech and sustainability demands redefined jobs, calling for retooling students. Ganpat I Patel, patron-in-chief and president, Ganpat University, Mahendra Sharma, group pro-chancellor and joint president, Ganpat University & Satyen Parikh, senior pro-VC, Ganpat University, were present virtually.The panellists included Kishor Barad, senior director (placement and executive education), Ganpat University, orthopaedic surgeon Kaushik Ghosh, also a member of the debating fraternity, Madhubanti Maitra, professor and a media personality, Subrat Sahu, a professor, Sayan Guha, associate director and principal architect at Cognizant and Supriyo Chowdhury, a scholar in strategy and innovation. RJ Vineet moderated the talks. "We stand at the threshold of a new revolution—a challenge to unleash greater creativity and commit to lifelong learning," said Ghosh. While Maitra stressed the need to design ethically sound prompts for AI, Guha and Chowdhury said real-world exposure could prepare the next generation. "Don't let ChatGPT do the thinking for you," urged Samhita Datta from A4 Technology Solutions Inc.Soumya K Das from Techno India Group called the session "highly informative". "The event united academia and HR leaders in a constructive exchange," said Nirav Halvadia from Ganpat University-V M Patel Institute of Management.