Azim Premji University

Azim Premji University

Azim Premji University is a private, not for profit university established in 2010 under the Azim Premji University Act, and set up by the Azim Premji Foundation. The university works toward a just, equitable, humane, and sustainable society through education, research, and practice, with a specific focus on the education and development sectors. It runs from campuses in Bengaluru, Bhopal, and Ranchi (the third campus becoming operational in 2026), offering undergraduate, postgraduate, PG diploma, and professional development programmes across education, development, economics, public health, climate and sustainability, and the sciences.

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Head Quaters: Bengaluru, Karnataka, India

Major Areas of Work

• Education: Preparing teachers and education professionals through programmes like the MA in Education, MA in Early Childhood Care and Education, and the Integrated Teacher Education Programme, aimed at improving public education systems.
• Development Studies: Running the MA in Development and BA in Social Science to build understanding of social change, welfare, and public policy in India.
• Economics and Public Policy: Offering programmes in Applied Economics, Economics, and Philosophy, Politics and Economics aimed at shaping a more inclusive economy and connecting research to policy.
• Public Health: Delivering a Master of Public Health programme focused on building an equitable health system for India.
• Climate and Sustainability: Running the MSc in Climate Change and Sustainability and BSc in Environmental Science and Sustainability to address ecological and climate challenges.
• Research and Field Practice: Supporting faculty and student research through dedicated Research Centres and Field Studies in Education, translating research into practice at the grassroots level.

Major Initiatives and Programs

• Azim Premji Health Equity Fellowship for Postgraduate Doctors, a hospital based fellowship for doctors choosing to work in underserved communities across India
• Kannada Initiative and Anuvada Sampada, supporting regional language education and translation resources
• Social Enterprise Cell, running the National Social Enterprise Idea Challenge and supporting student led social ventures
• Centre for the Study of the Indian Economy (CSIE), producing research including the publication "Realising Rights: A Handbook of Welfare in India"
• Continuing Education and Community Engagement programmes, including a Professional Development Course on India's Rural Employment Guarantee Programme
• Radio Azim Premji University and The Health Worker, media and knowledge platforms supporting the wider social sector
• Placements support connecting students with over 140 partner organisations across the development sector

Impact Azim Premji University runs 28 programmes across 3 campuses, with more than 270 faculty members and over 3,200 currently enrolled students drawn from 29 states. It has graduated over 5,300 alumni to date, works with more than 140 placement organisations, and hosts over 100 student clubs and events. The university is backed by the Azim Premji Foundation, which has a broader outreach of over 22,000 schools and more than 2.5 million children across India through its education and development programmes.

Leadership

• Azim Premji, Founder and Chancellor
• Anurag Behar, CEO, Azim Premji Foundation, and Chancellor, Azim Premji University Bhopal (founding Vice Chancellor of the university)
• Richa Govil, Vice Chancellor, Azim Premji University Bengaluru
• Gautam Pandey, Vice Chancellor, Azim Premji University Bhopal

Azim Premji University offers the chance to work at a mission driven institution focused entirely on education, development, and public systems research, backed by the scale and stability of the Azim Premji Foundation. Faculty and staff work across three growing campuses on programmes ranging from teacher education to public health and climate science, with strong grounding in field research and direct engagement with India's social sector, alongside placement partnerships with over 140 development organisations.