Dr.Nidhi Pande: On A Mission Worth Believing In

Online, October 8, 2013 (Newswire.com) - TERI University has established itself as the top most institute in the field of environment and sustainability. This has struck a chord not only with aspiring students, but educationists as well. Dr.Nidhi Pande is an Assistant Professor working with the Department of Policy Studies at the university. She has been teaching for one-and-a-half years and finds her experience at TERI University "extremely enriching."

As Dr. Pande says, "I have learnt a lot while teaching resource economics and public economics. In particular, the opportunity to work with students on their Masters theses has been immensely fruitful."

A PhD in Economics, Dr. Pande encourages students to think for themselves and tries to boost classroom participation by "incorporating questions/examples during class and making students present papers." She believes that the case study based approach is the way forward for students to get a more relevant learning experience.

What made Dr. Pande choose TERI University to enhance her teaching experience in? "It's quite simple; TERI U has created a niche for itself with its interdisciplinary approach to sustainability," she says. This focus on sustainability and environmental consciousness resonates in her everyday life too. "I try to segregate waste and am involved in bird and dog feeding," says Dr. Pande thoughtfully.

A dog lover, Dr. Pande takes care of strays around the university campus and her residence. Her compassionate nature is reflected in the choice of paper she is working on with Prof. Tanika Chakraborty from IIT Kanpur. Dr. Pande has already presented several papers, but the upcoming one on 'the impact of the mid-day meal programme on school going children' remains close to her heart.

When asked about a particular experience in her teaching sojourn at the university that she cherishes, Dr. Pande instantly mentions the TERI University retreat at Mukteshwar. "It was one of the most fun-filled experiences of my working life," she says. "The opportunity to bond and exchange ideas with colleagues was also used constructively as we talked about the vision and mission of TERI University."

Clearly, not just the university but also its educationists like Dr. Pande remain focussed on its mission and endeavours. And she would like to inculcate that dedication in her students too. "Getting yourself established in sustainability related research requires a lot of hard work and often times, success comes slow," she says. But she encourages them by adding, "Believe in the mission you are into."