Leadership

Dr. Gopalakrishna Prabhu—popularly known as Dr. G. K. Prabhu—brings with him a formidable track record of over three decades in higher education. He most recently served as the Chief Academic Officer at the Manipal Education and Medical Group (MEMG), Bengaluru, where he played a crucial role in shaping academic strategy and quality across institutions under the Manipal umbrella.

A native of Karkala in Karnataka, Dr. Prabhu began his academic journey with a Bachelor's degree in Electronics and Communication Engineering from BIET (Mysore University), followed by an M.Tech in Biomedical Engineering from the Manipal Institute of Technology (MIT), where he graduated top of his class at Mangalore University. He further earned a PhD from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras, strengthening his academic foundation in interdisciplinary research and innovation.

Dr. Prabhu’s professional journey began in 1989 as a lecturer in the Department of Electronics and Communication Engineering at MIT, Manipal. Over the years, he rose steadily through the academic and administrative ranks—serving as Head of Biomedical Engineering, Associate Director (R&D), and Director of MIT. His leadership was instrumental in strengthening MIT’s research culture, industry partnerships, and academic reputation.

At the Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE), a deemed university of international repute, Dr. Prabhu held key roles as Deputy Registrar (Technical), Registrar, and later, Pro Vice Chancellor (Technical and Administration), where he was responsible for major institutional reforms, digital transformation, and capacity building.

In 2018, he was appointed President (Vice Chancellor) of Manipal University Jaipur (MUJ), where his visionary leadership propelled the institution to achieve NAAC A+ accreditation. He also oversaw the launch of online degree programs, significant growth in student enrolment, improvement in faculty training, and expansion of academic and residential infrastructure. His contributions were recognized through the “Education Excellence Award” by the Governor of Rajasthan and the “Pride of Rajasthan” honour by the Chief Minister.

An accomplished researcher and a committed educator, Dr. Prabhu is widely admired for his innovative pedagogy and student-centric leadership. He has published extensively in peer-reviewed journals and received the prestigious “Shri Shyam Lal Saxena Memorial Award” from the National Academy of Medical Sciences in 2007 for his research contributions.

His illustrious career, along with his deep commitment to institutional development, has positioned him as a thought leader in interdisciplinary education and translational research.