The ICFAI University is a reputed private university group in India, established under the aegis of the Institute of Chartered Financial Analysts of India (ICFAI), founded in 1984. The university network offers a wide range of undergraduate, postgraduate, doctoral, and professional programs in disciplines such as Management, Engineering, Law, Science & Technology, Commerce, and Liberal Arts. ICFAI universities are recognized by the University Grants Commission (UGC) and are known for their industry-oriented curriculum, case-based teaching methodology, research focus, and strong academic infrastructure.
With campuses across several Indian states including Telangana, Uttarakhand, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Rajasthan, Tripura, Sikkim, Mizoram, Meghalaya, Nagaland, and Himachal Pradesh, ICFAI has built a strong presence in higher education.
ICFAI University has been a member of Oracle Academy since 2025, with participation from 62 faculty members representing 11 institutions across India. To strengthen faculty capabilities in emerging technologies, Oracle Academy, in collaboration with the university, organized an in-person Faculty Day workshop at the Oracle Office in Noida, India, on April 21, 2026.
The day-long workshop aimed to equip faculty with the confidence and practical skills they need to teach modern cloud application development through dedicated learning tracks in database and Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI). Faculty members gained hands-on experience with the technologies while enhancing their understanding of key concepts such as data modelling, cloud infrastructure, security, and operations.
The event commenced with a warm welcome by Ranjini Sengupta, Oracle Academy Program Manager, South Asia, who expressed gratitude to all participants and welcomed them on behalf of Oracle Academy and Oracle.
Following the welcome, Anuradha Sharma, Manager, Oracle Academy South Asia, spoke about the growing technology skills gap in the education sector and emphasized the importance of aligning academic learning with industry needs. She highlighted how Oracle Academy is helping bridge this gap by providing institutions with access to industry-relevant tools, curriculum resources, and learning opportunities. She further explained how integrating Oracle technologies into teaching can empower faculty to better prepare students for the workforce with in-demand, career-ready skills.
This was followed by an engaging technical session on “The New Era of Intent-Driven SQL” led by Abhishek Sikder, Oracle Principal Technology Solutions Architect, and Prateek Thakur, Oracle Staff Solution Engineer. The session provided valuable insights into modern database innovations, intelligent query systems, and the evolving role of AI-driven data management.
Further enhancing the learning experience, the speakers also conducted an informative session on Oracle technologies and their real-world applications within today’s rapidly evolving digital ecosystem. The session enabled faculty members to better understand how these technologies can be integrated into teaching and learning, while also empowering students to explore emerging tools and gain hands-on experience with industry-leading Oracle solutions.
The second half of the day focused on Oracle Academy and its wide range of offerings. Anuradha Sharma and Ranjini Sengupta conducted an interactive hands-on walkthrough of the Oracle Academy website and the Member Hub, showcasing its key features, resources, and functionalities.
In addition to the Member Hub demonstration, the team introduced the audience to best practices for effectively leveraging Oracle Academy membership benefits and resources. The session helped faculty members understand how to maximize the platform’s offerings to enhance teaching, learning, and student engagement.
The workshop concluded with an interactive Q&A session, during which educators engaged with the Oracle Academy team to clarify queries and gain deeper insights into the resources discussed throughout the day.
In her closing remarks, Anuradha Sharma thanked all the participants for their enthusiastic involvement and reaffirmed Oracle Academy’s commitment to supporting educational excellence by empowering faculty and students with industry-relevant technology skills and learning opportunities.
The success of the event would not have been possible without the invaluable support and contributions of Dr. Ravi Gujjula, Chief – Skill Development & Industry Connect, The ICFAI Group, and Anuradha Sharma, Manager, Oracle Academy South Asia. Their continuous guidance, coordination, and commitment played a pivotal role in making the event a success.