Ajay Goyal
Mastery in Interviews and Academic Administration
Dr. Vinay Nangia effortlessly combines the idealism of academia with the realism of industry, a trait that he has honed over long years just as an exponent masters his art. What comes through is an uncompromisingly pragmatic, impeccably honest, multi-faceted person that one can never claim to know enough! Just when about everyone appeared prejudiced and opinionated against a business entity trying to establish a university, Dr. Nangia came upon us as a wave of fresh air. I think his grinding into the real world of banking and industry differentiated him from the rest. He had this uncanny knack to swim against the current. Right since inception, his ability to associate, to hold hand, to mentor, to contribute and to ‘get things done’ has been phenomenal. He would travel in impossible time frames to attend our meetings and help us establish our processes, sit as an expert during interviews, guide the directors and their teams in curating the syllabi; all this and more with a studied modesty, notwithstanding his larger-than-life stature at IIT Roorkee. Among his professional attributes, his in-depth mastery on matters of applied finance makes him a highly resourceful faculty for his students, and a very bankable counselor for his recipients like me, as he would always have a keen eye on the possible resource constraints whenever he would suggest any course of action. I have also been delightfully privy to his mastery in interview skills on numerous occasions. It is not without a reason that he has often served on the interview panels of the UPSC for the civil services. Generally, in first three minutes he would know whether to proceed further with the interview or not. He has this awesome ability to see through people. When most members on the panel thought that the candidate looked satisfactory, he would rip through the person with his reasons and also vice versa. A background check would almost invariably prove him right! Today, as the Chancellor of Quantum University, I realise that I have been fortunate to have Prof. Nangia in the proximity at IIT Roorkee, and to have been mentored by him from the very early stage. His participation comes in handy at every stage and continues to guide me through the maze.
