India, May 13 -- Professor Susan Elias was appointed the first woman principal of St Stephen's College in New Delhi, a first in its 145-year history. HT's Gargi Shukla reached out to Elias to discuss her appointment. Edited excerpts:

What does being appointed the first woman principal of St Stephen's mean to you?

I definitely feel excited to head such a premier institution, but I do not necessarily believe that my gender played a major role in the selection process. I was asked several questions related to research, artificial intelligence (AI), and technology, which made it clear to me that the institution was looking for someone with a strong academic and technological background, irrespective of gender. They would have selected anyon...