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Pooja Lalit Kumar

Manipal University Jaipur, Sushant School of Art & Architecture, Sushant University

ORCID iD 0000-0002-8199-0223
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About

Prof. (Dr.) Pooja Lalit Kumar is an accomplished academic leader, architect, researcher, accessibility advocate, and educator currently serving as Director, School of Architecture & Design, Manipal University Jaipur. She is also an empanelled Access Auditor for the Built Environment under the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment, Government of India, reflecting her commitment to accessibility, universal design, and the creation of inclusive environments. An alumna of the Sushant School of Art & Architecture, she earned a Gold Medal in her Master's degree in Ekistics from Jamia Millia Islamia, where she subsequently completed her Ph.D.

With over three decades of cumulative experience spanning professional practice, academia, research, and institutional leadership, Dr. Pooja has made significant contributions to architectural education and the built environment. Prior to joining academia, she spent more than seventeen years in professional practice, working on urban redevelopment projects, hospitality developments, corporate workplaces, green building initiatives, and premium residential environments. Her professional work has been guided by a design philosophy rooted in contextual responsiveness, sustainability, experiential quality, and human-centered spatial development.

As an academic leader, she has played pivotal roles in curriculum innovation, faculty development, accreditation, quality assurance, and strategic planning. Prior to joining Manipal University Jaipur, she served as Professor and Head of Accreditation & Ranking at the School of Art & Architecture, Sushant University, where she strengthened institutional quality frameworks, advanced outcome-based education practices, and contributed significantly to accreditation and ranking initiatives. Her leadership has consistently focused on aligning academic processes with national and international standards of excellence.

At Manipal University Jaipur, Dr. Pooja leads the School of Architecture & Design with a vision centered on academic excellence, interdisciplinary collaboration, innovation, industry engagement, and future-ready design education. She is committed to nurturing socially responsible professionals equipped to address the complex challenges of contemporary cities and built environments.

Her research interests encompass sustainable architecture, experiential design, community resilience, urban transformation, migration studies, socio-ecological impact assessment, and inclusive environments. She has published extensively in national and international journals and conference proceedings and has presented her work at numerous academic and professional forums. She has chaired conference sessions, delivered invited lectures, and conducted Faculty Development Programmes across institutions in India.

Her doctoral research on migration dynamics in the urban villages of Gurugram generated important insights into spatial vulnerability and urban transformation. Building on this work, she collaborated with Participatory Research in Asia (PRIA) to lead faculty and student teams in mapping and analysing water governance challenges in urban villages across Delhi and Gurugram.

Dr. Pooja is also the founder and convenor of the First International Conference on Art, Architecture & Urban Studies (ICAAUS 2025), organized in collaboration with the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment, Government of India. The conference brought together researchers, practitioners, policymakers, and industry leaders, fostering interdisciplinary dialogue and academic collaboration.

A strong advocate for accessibility, inclusivity, and equitable urban development, she continues to champion research, policy engagement, and educational initiatives that bridge academia, practice, and society while preparing future architects and designers to create resilient, sustainable, and inclusive built environments.

Employment

  • Manipal University Jaipur Director
    2026 - Present
  • Sushant School of Art & Architecture, Sushant University Professor
    2017 - 2026

Education

Education history is unavailable.

Projects & Funding

Projects & funding information is unavailable.

Publications (7)