Through activities related to community outreach and extension, social inclusion and involvement, student engagement and sustainable development, higher education institutions need to respond proactively to society’s needs and increasing demands for community participation. Whether large or small, public or private, rural or urban, higher education institutions need to emerge from their silos and invest their resources and expertise in hands-on involvement to address some of the most pressing and intriguing societal issues and concerns. Islamic University of Science and Technology, Aawantipora, Kashmir is the first university in the region to establish an office of the Dean, Outreach with a view to promote community outreach and extension activities, to foster better industry academia interaction, to strengthen innovation-incubation and entrepreneurship development, to harness youth engagement and exchange programmes, to strengthen international networking and community relations, to promote the context and societal relevance of research outputs, to supervise public relations Centre and its activities, to oversee disaster management, relief and rehabilitation activities and to enhance student participation in NSS, NCC, adult literacy/education programmes. Dean Outreach envisages to establish strong communication and linkages with academia and industry, enhance corporate relations and international networking at IUST. It also seeks to partner, collaborate and cooperate with alumni of the university in taking this institution to new heights by promoting and projecting our students and achievements at the national and international level and helping us expander sphere of influence and activities beyond the boundaries of the UT of J&K. Alumni of the University can get associated with academic, research and extension activities of the varsity and contribute by way of their expertise, services, financial and intellectual support towards all its programmes. They can lead IUST students towards a brighter future by showing them the direction towards success and accomplishment and this can be done not only by extending financial assistance to them but also by providing suitable guidance, mentorship, counselling, information and moral support. It will be my constant endeavour to facilitate and promote skill development, employability enhancement, innovation incubation and entrepreneurship development among students of IUST in consonance with the provisions of National Education Policy-2020. Office of the Dean, Outreach will give flip to career counselling, placements and coaching activities at IUST and promote industry-academia interaction and corporate relations at local, national and international level. My overall aim will be to promote an awareness and realization of self-worth, self-actualization and accomplishment of goals among students and teachers of IUST. Further they will be encouraged, trained and enabled to assume community responsibilities and thereby enhance self-reliance and self-development among local communities. We will try to connect with the MSMEs in the vicinity of IUST and offer technical support, marketing guidance and training for modernization. I call upon all Heads of Departments, Deans of Schools and Directors of various centres besides student and teaching community of IUST to join hands with me in this noble mission and extend their full cooperation, share their insights and expertise with us in accomplishing our mandate and making this university a socially-linked institution with high values of community service and engagement. Together we will make efforts to extend the benefits of our academic research to the local communities with a view to make our research need-based, locally and socially relevant and context specific at IUST.