Day Zero: The First Employee of a Global University

This session provides an insider’s perspective on building a global university from the ground up. It examines the design of systems, governance structures, and institutional frameworks that make a university function effectively. Participants will learn how vision is translated into strategy, culture, and operational reality, highlighting the challenges and opportunities of creating an international institution from Day Zero.

Speaker Bio: Ms Neha Gupta Phull currently serves as the Chief of Staff and Director in the Office of the Vice Chancellor at O.P. Jindal Global University (JGU). A founding member of the university, she joined Professor (Dr.) C. Raj Kumar in 2008, at a time when JGU existed only as a visionary concept — an aspiration to build India’s first truly global university.

Over the past 17 years, Ms Phull has been closely associated with every phase of JGU’s journey, contributing with dedication and commitment to the growth of an institution that today stands as one of India’s leading private universities with a strong public mission.