#MyAshokaStory: Exploring the unique blend of science and liberal arts at Ashoka University through the insightful reflections of a founding faculty member.

I think what is exciting about Ashoka is the idea of practising science within a liberal arts framework, which was quite unique in the Indian context at the time when I was considering a place to join for my academic journey. This was one of the primary reasons that made me pretty excited about Ashoka.

There are two major reasons why I decided to join Ashoka University. One is definitely its amazing leadership, and the other was the promise of building a very strong infrastructure for science, research, training, and teaching. Additionally, it was very exciting for me personally because I had the opportunity to be one of the founding faculty members in the sciences. I had the chance to build the first teaching research programme in biology within the liberal arts framework, which was definitely one of the major highlights.

Thinking back to some of the memorable moments of being a part of the Ashoka community, I had the wonderful opportunity to begin my journey as one of the first founding faculty members at Ashoka University. I witnessed the arrival of the first biology students and Ph.D. candidates to the department, as well as the introduction of the first science equipment. I cherish being part of these memories. Recently, I experienced another exciting moment in my academic journey when I witnessed my first student delivering the Ph.D. defence.

Looking ahead, in the next 10 years, I see Ashoka as one of the finest destinations for science education and research in the country.”

(Imroze Khan is an Assistant Dean, Research and Associate Professor of Biology, Ashoka University)