Manish Arora is a distinguished academic and design professional serving as Professor in the Department of Applied Arts, Faculty of Visual Arts, Banaras Hindu University (BHU), Varanasi. With over 21 years of teaching and professional experience, he has significantly contributed to the field of visual communication and design education in India. He is the first person from Fine Arts in India to be awarded the prestigious Raman Post-Doctoral Fellowship, which he pursued in Health Communication Design at Johns Hopkins University, USA. His academic journey includes a Ph.D., M.F.A., and B.F.A. in Applied Arts from BHU, and he has qualified the UGC-NET in Visual Arts.

Dr. Arora has authored over 40 research papers and led numerous research projects with a cumulative funding of over ₹5.5 crores. His projects span topics such as digital advertising, social design, environmental sustainability, and artisan upliftment. He has also played key roles in initiatives like the Design Innovation Centre at BHU and academic collaborations under SPARC and ICSSR.

A seasoned academic leader, he has held multiple administrative positions, including Coordinator of the DIC, Convener of the Institution’s Innovation Council, and Steering Committee Member for International Collaborations. He has guided 11 Ph.D. scholars and over 140 M.F.A. dissertations. His creative outputs include logo designs for major institutions, book designs, and policy documents. Dr. Arora has represented India in various international platforms across the USA, Canada, Singapore, and Europe, and has been recognized with several national and international awards.

His vision emphasizes design innovation, ethical pedagogy, universal accessibility, and the alignment of applied art education with sustainable development goals and industry needs.