Profile

Professor (Dr.) Sibaram Khara has been serving as the Vice Chancellor of Sharda University, India, since March 2020. A distinguished academic leader and institution builder, he has been instrumental in transforming Sharda University into a globally recognized centre of excellence in higher education, research, and innovation. Under his visionary leadership, the university has achieved remarkable milestones in academic quality, research performance, global visibility, and institutional accreditation.

During his tenure, Sharda Universitys NIRF ranking improved significantly from the 150–200 band to the 86th position nationally, reflecting measurable progress in quality teaching, research, and governance. Internationally, the university entered the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings (601–800 band) and attained an impressive 127th global position in the Interdisciplinary Science Ranking 2025. The university also advanced to the 401–600 band in THE Impact Rankings, achieved an 11–50 band position in the NIRF SDG category, and saw its H-index rise from 34 to above 100, demonstrating a substantial growth in high-quality, impactful research. Under his guidance, the university achieved NAAC A+ accreditation, NBA accreditation for all Engineering and MBA programs, and QS I-Gauge Platinum Ratings for its Schools of Media and Engineering.

Dr. Khara has led comprehensive academic reforms emphasizing innovation, research productivity, quality assurance, and internationalization. He established advanced research facilities such as laboratories for Immunology & Virology, Advanced Solar Cells, IoT Product Development, Artificial Intelligence (in collaboration with NVIDIA), Cyber Security, and a Central Instrumentation Facility, fostering interdisciplinary and application-oriented research. He also spearheaded the development of in-house digital platforms including ERP, Learning Management System (LMS), and E-Zone analytics to enable real-time monitoring and data-driven decision-making across academic and research domains. His strategic emphasis on building a research-centric ecosystem has enhanced the number of externally funded projects, increased Q1 journal publications to 35% of total output, and led to a notable rise in patent filings and awards within a short period.

Prior to joining Sharda University, Dr. Khara held leadership positions as Founder Dean (Academics) and Pro Vice Chancellor at Galgotias University, where he played a pivotal role in shaping academic structures, quality assurance frameworks, and outcome-based education. Earlier, he served as Professor and Division Chair of Communication Engineering at VIT University, Vellore, where he contributed significantly to ABET accreditation, academic governance, and faculty development initiatives.

An accomplished researcher in the domain of wireless communication and digital systems, Dr. Khara has presented and published numerous papers at prestigious international conferences including WEAS (Athens), IEEE VTC (Melbourne), IEEE PWC (Prague), IEEE/ACM SAC (Switzerland), and WPMC (USA & Bulgaria). He has supervised six Ph.D. scholars, guided over 20 M.Tech and 100 B.Tech projects, and completed a DST-funded research project on cellular–WiFi interworking networks, in addition to several consultancy assignments. His research contributions have earned recognition including Best Paper Awards at IEEE EWT 2004 (Pune) and IEEE ADCOM 2008 (IIT Madras), the Best Research Faculty Award (VIT, 2010), and the TCS Best Teacher Award (2014). For his exemplary leadership in higher education, he has received accolades such as the Education Times Higher Education Leadership Award (2025) and the APAC Leadership Award.

Dr. Khara is deeply engaged in global academic collaborations and has visited leading universities including Georgia Tech, Brown University, Johns Hopkins University, NIH, Georgetown University, Rutgers University, University of South Florida, University of Arkansas, University of Rhode Island, and George Washington University, as well as institutions in Thailand, Vietnam, and Denmark. He has represented Sharda University at premier global education platforms such as NAFSA (2016, 2023, 2024, 2025) and EAIE (2024, 2025), fostering impactful academic partnerships and enhancing the universitys international academic footprint.

He currently serves as Editor of the International Journal of Research and Reviews in Next Generation Networks (IJRRNGN) and Wireless Sensor Networks (IJRRWSN) (UK), and as an Advisory Board Member for WPMC and Science Academy Publisher (UK). A key contributor to ABET accreditation processes, he has participated as a non-evaluating observer during the ABET visit at the University of Arkansas and has contributed significantly to ABET readiness initiatives at VIT University. He also serves as Team Chair – NAAC Peer Team, Chairperson – NBA Visit Team, and Member – National Working Group on Fiber Optics (TEC, India). Additionally, he has been part of the Core Committee for NEP-based Curriculum Design at the Uttar Pradesh State Higher Education Council (UPSHEC).

Dr. Khara obtained his B.Tech. in Electronics and Communication Engineering and M.Tech. in Digital Systems from NIT Allahabad, and his Ph.D. in Engineering from Jadavpur University. A life member of the Institution of Engineers (India) and IETE, and a member of IEEE, he continues to champion a vision of higher education grounded in academic excellence, research innovation, and global engagement. His leadership continues to inspire institutional transformation and international academic advancement at Sharda University.