Azim Premji University, which will be operational from the academic year 2011, plans to hire 4,500 people in the next five years. The hunt is on for deans, professors and administrators.

�This would include faculty for both the university and for our existing education initiatives on the field,� said Mr Anurag Behar, Co-CEO, Azim Premji University.

The university, one of the initiatives of the Azim Premji Foundation, already has 25 faculty members on board and is looking for deans and professors across various disciplines including natural sciences, anthropology, health, governance, ecology and environment, apart from registrars to manage finance, student affairs, placements and information resources management.

Mr Behar told Business Line most of the University's faculty would come from existing practitioners who have worked in the field of education and young PhDs who can fill the talent pipeline. �We will recruit very few from existing universities as we do not want to poach from them,� said Mr Behar.

The university, located in Bangalore, will also hire talent from the US and Europe interested in working �for education in India�, Mr Behar said.