Experts stress compassionate mentoring, psychological safety, and emotional resilience in academia
Srinagar : The Counseling Cell, in partnership with the Cultural Club at the National Institute of Technology (NIT) Srinagar, successfully conducted two online Faculty Upgradation Programmes aimed at enhancing faculty skills in student mentoring, counseling, mental health, emotional well-being, and emotional intelligence.
The inaugural session was led by Prof. RoohieNaaz Mir, who commended the coordinators for their timely initiative. Prof. Binod Kumar Kanaujia, the Director of NIT Srinagar, underscored the necessity of such faculty development programs in fostering a comprehensive academic environment, highlighting the importance of equipping faculty with both technical and emotional support skills. The workshops, coordinated by Dr. Neeraj Gupta, Dr. Vijay Kumar, Dr. Dinesh Kr. Rajendran, and Aamir Bashir, focused on addressing the psychological and emotional challenges faced by students. The first workshop, titled “Student Mentoring Skills Workshop / Student Mentoring & Counselling,” featured Wasim Rashid Kakroo, a clinical psychologist, who discussed prevalent mental health issues among university students, including anxiety, depression, and academic pressure. Faculty members were trained to recognize early signs of emotional distress and behavioral changes in students. The second workshop, “Mental Well-Being & Emotional Intelligence for Faculty / Mental Health & Well-Being,” included Dr. Devendra Singh Basera, a neuro-psychiatrist, who emphasized the critical role of emotional intelligence (EI) in academia. He argued that academic success is insufficient without effective teaching and leadership skills, which are enhanced by EI. Dr. Basera provided insights into how emotional intelligence contributes to better communication, resilience, and conflict resolution, while also addressing real-world academic challenges faced by faculty. He shared strategies for fostering empathy and psychological safety within educational settings, reinforcing the idea that emotional intelligence is essential for creating supportive academic environments.
