With a four-decade legacy under the Dr DY Patil Unitech Society, Dnyaan Prasad Global University (DPGU) is reinventing higher education through a vision that fuses tradition with innovation. From industry-integrated programmes and global academic collaborations to research-driven learning and an entrepreneurial ecosystem, DPGU is positioning itself as a future-ready institution preparing students for a digital, interconnected and opportunity-rich world. In this conversation, pro chancellor Dr Somnath P Patil, shares how DPGU is shaping the next generation of innovators, researchers and global leaders. Edited excerpts from a recent interview with BW Education’s Upasana:
DPGU carries a four-decade educational legacy under the Dr DY Patil Unitech Society. How does the university plan to blend this rich heritage with its futuristic vision of digital, global and industry-integrated learning?
The university, with a 4-decade legacy, creates a future-oriented academic structure by keeping the traditions that developed its brand — its strong fundamentals in education, its schools and decades of experience in professional education, while rethinking how education will take place. The reference to DPGU by Dr DY Patil Unitech Society represents a strategic move to emphasise digital-first, global benchmarked and industry-integrated education.
The university has updated its curriculum with emerging technologies and an outcome-oriented structure, flexible with the National Education Policy (NEP). It is also growing its industry-backed laboratories, incorporating live projects and certifications, and enhancing its global partnerships to leverage opportunities for students to gain experience beyond the classroom. In short, the institution is leveraging its legacy as the skeleton while creating a new landscape that is future-ready with an emphasis on innovation, global competence and real-world application.
In today’s rapidly changing world, technology and entrepreneurship are reshaping education. What role do you envision universities like DPGU playing in driving innovation and nurturing the next generation of entrepreneurial leaders?
The institution plays a vital connective role in talent, technology and enterprise: by embedding industry projects & startups and co-developing specialised technical streams like AI, Computational Drug Discovery, Clinical Trials, Pharmacovigilance, MTech, Fintech and PhD pathways in technology with industry partners, students are left with hands-on problem statements ready to be commercialised. With a clear commitment to partnerships/MOUs with tech schools, industry-supported labs and a clear commitment to an ‘entrepreneurial ecosystem’ on its vision pages, the institution aims to position graduates to develop or participate in venture startups or lead innovation teams in corporate settings.
Research-led learning is gaining traction as a key force in higher education. How is the university fostering a culture of inquiry and innovation among students and faculty to turn research into real-world impact?
The university is strengthening its research capabilities by establishing industry-connected research labs and developing interdisciplinary opportunities. The university is committed to working closely with companies and the labs are supported through industry. The university promotes students and faculty to do applied research that has practical outcomes - for example, developing products, filing patents or supporting organisations, rather than research that is only presented in textbooks and research journals. As the university expands and establishes formal collaborative memorandum of understandings with technology partners, it expects to see more applied research outcomes.
The gap between academia and industry remains a challenge in India. What specific initiatives or collaborations is the institution undertaking to ensure that its graduates are truly future-ready and aligned with global job market demands?
In addition to strategic partnerships, the university is taking concrete steps to bridge the academia–industry gap through hands-on exposure and skill-driven initiatives. The university has signed MoUs with several industry leaders, including Piramal Pharma Solutions (training, visits, internships and placements), Indus Biotech (a long-term 10-year research collaboration), TCS (industry-specific, application-oriented course development) and Taj Blue Diamond – IHCL SeleQtions (HR support, grooming and hospitality placements).
DPGU has also partnered with the WNS Career Foundation, offering students career guidance, webinars, CSR initiatives and online sessions designed to build confidence and prepare them for real-world opportunities. Alongside these collaborations, the university continues to establish industry-supported labs, organise placement drives and conduct regular guest lectures by sector experts. Together, these efforts ensure that graduates are future-ready and aligned with national and global job market demands.
Curiosity and creativity are vital in the age of automation and AI. How does DPGU encourage students to cultivate an innovation mindset while balancing technological advancement with human-centric learning?
The university balances technical skills development with liberal-arts and entrepreneurship contributions: it has its School of Liberal Arts positioned alongside technology and pharmacy, with options for inter-disciplinary coursework, design thinking and ethical modules that contribute to human-centred problem solving. Practical elements — project studios, industry projects, hackathons, all paired with global exposure, are intentionally housed in the university’s stated model. With the practical exposure, students develop a mindset and learn skills from AI tools to augment creativity and critical thinking.
As higher education in India becomes increasingly globalised, how do you see the role of institutions like DPGU evolving in shaping India’s position as a global education hub and knowledge economy?
By relabelling itself as a ‘Global University’ and making a concerted outreach for international partnerships, DPGU is presenting itself as a regional hub able to attract cross-border students, cross-national collaborative research and tireless global internship pipelines. The blend of reputable regional legacy combined with an evidence-based strategy to thoughtfully pursue internationalisation enables trust and more importantly, builds the capacity of skilled talent. It supports India's ability to scale the knowledge economy.
The university has tied up collaborations with institutions such as Aivancity School of AI & Data for Business & Society (Paris), St John Fisher University (USA), University of East Anglia (UK), Arizona State University (USA), and RWTH Aachen (Germany). These partnerships are more than just symbolic relationships; they support student and faculty exchange programmes, collaborative research and help raise the education standard to a global benchmark. |
