After a brilliant school career, Rev Dr Antony Kozhuvanal joined St Joseph’s Pontifical Seminary for his priestly training where he completed three years of philosophical and four years of theological training and was ordained priest in December 1971.  He took his BTh degree (Bachelor of Theology) from the same institute.

         
Eager to pursue higher studies, he joined the University of Toronto (Canada) for a postgraduate degree in Comparative Religions. Having obtained his MA, he was selected by Toronto University for his PhD. His doctoral thesis was on ‘Gandhian Politics and Christian Liberation theology – A Comparative Study’.

          On his return to India, he fully immersed himself in pastoral and administrative service. While taking care of his flock, he realized that a vibrant and responsible society could be expected only when three indispensable segments of society are made competent and efficient, namely TEACHERS, THE YOUTH AND STUDENTS.

          For this he began organizing regular training sessions for school teachers. Equally, to supplement the lacunae in school education and to fully develop the potential of each child, he devised a unique skill development scheme called ‘Master and Mini Master Programme’.

          The core content of the ‘Master and Mini Master Programme’ consists of regular exposure of students to wide reading, creative writing,  communication skills, public speaking, career choice based on one’s aptitude, a scientific approach to issues and problems etc. Training in aesthetics, emotional intelligence and ethical conduct, spirituality and leadership are pillars of this programme.

          Deeply concerned with the ever increasing problems of farmers in the face of globalization, in 1997 Dr Kozhuvanal started organizing farmers. In South India he began this movement in the district of Calicut which gradually spread out to other parts of the country. He gave leadership to the well-known palm oil and cola-boycotting movement in 2000, which received worldwide media attention. He is one of the founder-directors of the “Indian Farmers’ Movement” known as INFAM officially founded in 2000. From its inception to date he is the National General Secretary of INFAM. Besides fighting for farmers’ rights, INFAM serves as a pioneer organization promoting organic and eco-friendly farming. 
 
          Having done his higher studies abroad, he has wide contacts both in India and abroad, which is beneficial to the work he is doing now.

Abraham Kurien, Academic Director had a distinguished academic career, topping the University of Madras both at the Graduate and Post graduate levels. After a short stint of teaching in the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras, he qualified in the Civil Services examination and was allotted to the Indian Police Service. In the course of diverse official duties he continued to pursue his academic interests, serving twice as Director of the U.P. State Police Academy and securing a National Police Fellowship to do research work on participative governance through community policing.

Dr. David. H Bailey, Distinguished Professor, School of Criminal Justice, State University of New York who scrutinized the research work made these observations in his communication dated 12th May, 2002. “Abraham is one of India’s leading experts on the subject of community policing. He has done this work on a self directed basis for the National Police Academy at Hyderabad. I have read summaries of his research, and have heard him make several presentations about the topic. His work is thorough, insightful, and well presented. As you know, IPS officers are very well educated, and some could have pursued distinguished careers in the academic world. Abraham Kurien is certainly one of these”.

            Government of India recognized the services of Abraham Kurien by decorating him with the Indian Police Medal( IPM ) in 1991 and the President’s Police Medal for Distinguished Services (PPM) in 2000. On retirement, he served as Consultant to the Commonwealth Human Rights Commission and later as Advisor to the Union Public Service Commission at New Delhi. He took up the current assignment in January, 2005.