Naima Khatoon Becomes Aligarh University’s First Female Vice-Chancellor in a Century

Naima Khatoon began her professional journey as a lecturer at AMU. The Ministry of Education appointed Ms Khatoon after receiving approval from President Droupadi Murmu, who serves as the Visitor of the university. AMU has also become the third central university to have a woman Vice-Chancellor, with Najma Akhtar completing her tenure as the Vice-Chancellor of Jamia Millia Islamia in 2023.

Ms Khatoon is the first woman to be appointed to the post in the university’s 123-year history. Begum Sultan Jahan became the Chancellor of AMU in 1920, making her the first and only woman to hold the position. Naima Khatoon’s career progression includes serving as an Associate Professor in April 1998 and eventually a Professor in July 2006.

She also held the position of Professor and Chairperson of the Department of Psychology before being appointed Principal at Women’s College in July 2014. Notably, she taught at the National University of Rwanda, Central Africa, for an academic year and took on various administrative roles at AMU. Ms Khatoon holds a PhD degree in Political Psychology and conducted her doctoral work at the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies, Delhi, and AMU.

She has presented her research findings at various international universities and institutions, including the University of Louisville (USA), the University of Alba Iulia (Romania), Chulalongkorn University (Bangkok), and the Hollings Centre in both Istanbul (Turkey) and Boston (USA). In addition to her academic and administrative roles, Naima Khatoon is also a writer and researcher, having authored, co-authored, and edited six books and published various papers in several national and international journals. Her areas of expertise include clinical, health, applied social, and spiritual Psychology.

She was honored with the Papa Mian Padma Bhushan Best Girl Award for all-round excellence.