Dr. Renu Garg is an academic leader, interdisciplinary arts educator, researcher, and
creative practitioner with over 15 years of experience in higher education, spanning
academic leadership, curriculum development, media education, theatre, performing arts,
and institutional development. Her professional journey brings together scholarship and
creative practice, giving her a distinctive perspective on how education can connect
knowledge with experience.
An Alumnus of the National School of Drama (NSD), New Delhi, Dr. Garg has a strong
foundation in professional theatre and performance. Her wider creative journey has also
included television, film, radio and professional actor training. She has worked with
institutions and professionals, including Anupam Kher’s Actor Prepares, Jackie Shroff Acting
Academy and T-Series StageWorks Academy.
Her academic qualifications include an M.A. in Theatre and Television, a PhD in Journalism
and Mass Communication, a Post Graduate Diploma in Computer Applications, and a
Bachelor’s degree in Computer Applications. Her doctoral research, Emerging Trends in
Indian Theatre in the Light of COVID-19, reflects her continuing interest in the relationship
between performance, technology, society and changing forms of communication.
Dr. Garg has held senior academic and institutional leadership roles, including Director of
the Indira School of Communication, Dean of the School of Liberal Arts, Chief Branding
Officer of the Indira Group of Institutes, and Dean at T-Series StageWorks Academy. Her
work has involved academic planning, curriculum innovation, faculty leadership,
institutional growth, industry partnerships, and student development.
As Director of the School of Liberal Arts at Dnyaan Prasad Global University by Dr. D. Y. Patil
Group, she is focused on developing an interdisciplinary, practice-oriented and
internationally benchmarked academic environment. Her priorities include designing
contemporary programmes, strengthening experiential learning, developing industry and
academic collaborations, supporting research, mentoring faculty and creating world-class
studios and learning spaces where students can learn through practice.
Her research interests include theatre and performance studies, interdisciplinary arts
education, AI and performing arts, media and cultural studies, digital humanities, practice-
based pedagogy, gender and creative industries. She has published research in Scopus-
indexed, IEEE and UGC-recognised publications and has presented at national and
international academic forums.
Her contributions have been recognized through honours including the Top 50 Women in
Education Leaders Award, World Education Congress (2025), Branding & Marketing
Excellence Award, CMO Asia (2023), Singapore, Best Director Award (2022), and Best Media
School of the Year (2022).
Dr. Garg believes deeply in learning by doing and in creating educational spaces where
students are encouraged to question, experiment, collaborate and create. Her vision is to
build SLA into one of South Asia’s leading Liberal Arts institutions, distinguished by
intellectual rigour, creative practice, interdisciplinary scholarship and a deeply human
approach to education.
“I believe education becomes meaningful when knowledge is experienced, questioned
and transformed into something of our own.”