Prof Sajida Vandal - a revolutionary art educationist.

Sajida Haider Vandal is one of those unforgettable principals of the National College of Arts (NCA) who went all out to make the institute what it is today. She has to her credit introduction of new departments, initiation of diplomas in traditional arts, establishment of film, television, musicology and archives departments, the first NCA Endowment Fund and an art gallery at the college.

In this conversation with Dawn, Prof Vandal traces the milestones in her life to becoming one of the best art educationists of the country.

Born in Lahore in 1947, she completed her matriculation from Sacred Heart School in 1963, FSc from Kinnaird College in 1965, bachelors from the University of Engineering and Technology in 1970 and then MPhil from the University of New South Wales, Australia.

Now, as the vice chancellor of Institute of Arts and Culture (IAC), Prof Vandal said they had introduced the first four-year degree programme in a new discipline -- game design and animation design. The institute was deeply committed to enriching the academic experience of students as well as teachers through its diverse collection of printed and digital resources.

'Like I did in NCA, the IAC maintains a dedicated archival section with a range of collections, including master artists such as Khalid Iqbal, Anna Molka Ahmed, Colin David, architects such as Shaukat Nawaz Raja, designers and creative artists as well as important collections such as the Masud Khaddarposh Trust.'

Among other initiatives, the IAC also houses a botanical garden to promote passive environmental control, safeguard endangered species and educative aspects regarding regional flora. A herbal and fruit garden is also part of this plantation.

Prof Vandal said the idea of establishing such an institute was discussed during one of the sessions at the Thaap conference. 'People wanted that an institute should be established that has both traditional and contemporary education streams. The idea behind the institute was that the education...

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