A Southampton leader has been appointed as Professor of Practice on International Relations at a top Indian educational institution.

Manav Rachna International Institute of Research & Studies has appointed Lakbir Singh, a distinguished business leader from Southampton, as Professor of Practice at the School of Leadership & Management.

Mr Singh is currently serving as the Chief Operating Officer at the India Business Group (IBG), a leading strategic advisory consultancy working in the UK-India corridor.

Manav Rachna Educational Institutions in India, established in 1997 is a frontrunner in higher education in India.

The institute offers diverse programs in fields such as engineering, management, psychology, economics, computer applications, humanities, education, law, and has an alumni base of over 34,000 graduates.

Mr Singh said: “It is a tremendous honour to be appointed Professor of Practice for International Relations at Manav Rachna Educational Institutions.

“I am passionate about what I do, and the wider positive impact generated for students, colleagues, enterprises and communities.

“I am a firm believer in delivering results with the highest standard of honesty, integrity and selfless service. I look forward to further strengthening UK and India ties, characteristics I have inherited by my late Grandfather Sardar Harnam Singh.”

Sardar Harnam Singh is known as the "father" of the Sikh community in Southampton and is remembered across the city for his contribution to community integrationand relations building.

He was born in Multan, now Pakistan, in 1923 and arrived in Southampton in 1951 with only £3 to his name, before opening the first South Asian corner shop in the city, and playing a crucial role in establishing Southampton's first Gurdwara.

Lakbir Singh has over 25 years of experience in partnership development.

(Image: Submitted) His expertise spans working with public and private sector organisations in the UK and India, providing business intelligence and operational strategies to nurture opportunities in the education and sports sectors.

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In 2020, Mr. Singh was honoured with the Special Recognition Award at the British Asian Media Awards in recognition of his contributions to promoting sports and educational ties between India and the UK.

Mr Singh is also an Ambassador for South Asian Community Engagement with the Hampshire Chamber of Commerce and Advisory Board Member with Solent University’s Business School, receiving an Honorary Fellowship from the University in 2023.

Students from 13 different countries choose to study at Manav Rachna, adding to its cultural diversity. 

Additionally, their dedicated faculty has contributed 7,800 research papers to international and national journals and conferences.

An Manav Rachna Educational Institutions’ spokesperson said: “Mr Singh’s unparalleled industry expertise to our School of Leadership & Management and his vast experience in international relations and business strategy bridges the gap between academia and the global professional landscape, equipping our students with the skills and insights to excel internationally.

“We are excited about his valuable contributions to our institution and look forward to the enriched learning experiences he will provide our students.”