Kashmir women leaders credited with shaping region’s culture and education, says KU VC

# Overview Vice Chancellor of Kashmir University, Prof. Nilofer Khan, told an audience at Women Edupreneurs Connect 2026 that women leaders have been foundational to Kashmir's cultural, educational and social development. Speaking at the MERC Auditorium at an event organised by the Private Schools Association Jammu and Kashmir (PSAJK), she called for more opportunities for women to lead and innovate in education across J&K.

# Historical and cultural framing Prof. Khan invoked the legacy of Lal Ded (Lalleshwari), the 14th-century mystic poet, to illustrate how women's voices shaped Kashmiri literature and moral ideas. She said Lal Ded's Vakhs contributed to cultural consciousness, spiritual values, self-realisation and interfaith harmony, and used that lineage to connect past female thinkers to present-day women educators and reformers.

# University role and achievements Kashmir University credits women — teaching and non-teaching staff, scholars and students — with playing a pivotal role in the institution's progress. Prof. Khan highlighted recent institutional milestones: NAAC A++ accreditation and UGC Category-I status. She linked those achievements to contributions across academic and administrative functions within the university.

# Programmes for women entrepreneurs and trainees

• Certificate programmes in community health trained 261 women, some of whom now occupy mid-level roles in the health sector.
• KU's NewGen initiative and the Centre of Innovation, Incubation and Entrepreneurship provide training, mentorship and incubation support.
• The university has incubated women innovators and provided seed funding to help establish startups.

These steps were presented as practical measures to create an enabling ecosystem for women who want to found educational enterprises or enter the health and social sectors.

# Recognition and calls to action Prof. Khan congratulated PSAJK for organising the Women Edupreneurs Connect event and urged collective action to create educational and social conditions in which women can "dream, innovate and lead with confidence." She stressed that both government and private institutions must work together to prepare the younger generation for future challenges.

PSAJK president Nazrul Islam Baba told the gathering that the initiative aims to recognise and connect women education leaders across J&K, offering a platform to collaborate and inspire.

# Notable mentions Prof. Khan named several women educators and social reformers whose work advanced girls' education and women's empowerment, including Padma Shri Mehmooda Ali Shah, Begum Zafar Ali, Atika Bano and Professor Neerja Mattu. She also singled out education minister Sakina Itoo, who was present at the event, as a role model for women working in social welfare, healthcare and education.

# Bottom line