JEDDAH, 2 November 2006 — Professor V. N. Rajasekharan Pillai, a former University Grants Commission vice chairman, has assumed charge as the vice chancellor of New Delhi-based distance education pioneer Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU), which is represented in Saudi Arabia by Jeddah-based ATEICO Communications.
A renowned chemical scientist, Pillai has also served as head of the National Assessment and Accreditation Council, Bangalore, and vice chancellor of Mahatma Gandhi University (MGU), Kottayam. Pillai, who has been at the helm of affairs of several higher education institutions in his 35-year career, was the founder-director of the School of Professional Distance Education and chief of MGU’s employment and information guidance bureau.
