Professor Naima Khatoon Makes History as AMU’s First Woman Vice-Chancellor

#Naima Khatoon, an accomplished author, has achieved a significant milestone by becoming the first woman Vice-Chancellor of Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) in over a century.

New Delhi : On Monday morning, history was made at AMU as Professor Naima Khatoon was formally appointed as the Vice-Chancellor for a five-year term, marking the first instance of a woman assuming this top leadership position at the university. The announcement was made through an official notification from AMU.

This appointment is particularly noteworthy because it’s the first time in more than a hundred years that a woman has been appointed as the Vice-Chancellor of AMU. Prior to Professor Khatoon, Begum Sultan Jahan served as the Chancellor of AMU in 1920, making her the first and only woman to hold such a position in the university.

According to the university’s notification, Professor Naima Khatoon, previously the Principal of Women’s College and a distinguished Professor in the Department of Psychology, has been appointed as the Vice-Chancellor for a tenure of five years, effective from the date she assumes office or until she reaches seventy years of age, whichever comes first.

This appointment not only marks a historic moment for AMU but also positions the university among the few central institutions in India with women in significant leadership roles. Alongside AMU, Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) currently has Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit serving as Vice-Chancellor, and Najma Akhtar completed her tenure as Vice-Chancellor of Jamia Millia Islamia in 2023.

Professor Naima Khatoon’s academic background is impressive, with a PhD in Political Psychology from the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies, Delhi, and Aligarh Muslim University. She specializes in Clinical, Health, Applied Social, and Spiritual Psychology and has conducted research and delivered lectures internationally, including at universities in the USA, Romania, and Thailand. Additionally, she has authored, co-authored, and edited several books and published numerous papers in esteemed national and international journals.