The rapid expansion of the Higher Education sector in India has resolved itself into a demand for capable faculty, possessing skills beyond mere knowledge of the content of subjects that they are expected to teach. The interdisciplinary and integrative attempts that are underway at many universities call for the development of expertise in new kinds of pedagogy and research training.

Faculty development is an important part of HEIRA's interventions in the higher education sector, and is pursued through discrete Faculty Development Programmes as well as through projects undertaken in other focus areas. HEIRA is conducting faculty development workshops with numerous colleges across India as part of the Pathways Project [hyperlink to Social Justice] HEIRA is also conducting faculty development workshops for faculty teaching the undergraduate programme at the various campuses of the Tata Institute of Social Sciences over the 2012-2013 academic year.