The University of Calicut is planning to set up a Directorate of Research (DoR) with the aim of strengthening doctoral and post-doctoral studies and enhancing quality of research.
Vice-Chancellor M. Abdul Salam, who took charge a couple of weeks ago, says that a DoR will be formulated soon along with other measures to improve research. The university is planning to give training to the faculty in research
writing. Orientation sessions in research and related writing are in the pipeline.
Dr. Salam says that lack of skills in writing research papers, constraining a research problem and translating research problems have been some of the weaknesses being faced by a section of the faculty. “We will do everything possible to strengthen the research faculty,” he says.
The Vice-Chancellor agrees that researchers now are not in a position to smoothly carry out research because of red-tapism at various levels. The DoR and the new research policy will help scholars to circumvent the red-tape.
“My priority is to have an administrative strategy which will have a system of quick governance, and which will deliver services effectively and in a time-bound manner. For that we are trying to integrate technology as well,” he says.
He says more funds will be made available for research. Along with that, the university will change its rules also for easy and hassle-free conduct of research. More powers will be delegated to research departments, and more freedom will be bestowed on researchers.
At the same time, Dr. Salam says that there will be adequate checks and balances to prevent misuse of funds and freedom. Dr. Salam says the research environment in the country has to be improved vastly if we ought to produce quality research. “Unrestricted freedom is needed for quality research. Research at international level is quite different from ours,” he says.
According to him, research in India has transformed itself into a system for meeting the livelihood of some people. The system, where a researcher can work freely and achieve desired results of great quality, is lacking in India.
Indian human genetic material is excellent, he says. “They bloom when they get good environment,” he says, referring to the brain drain from the country.
In India, they get withered off owing to various factors. “Whether you work or not, you will be treated with anyone else here. You are unable to maintain an environment for researcher, empower a researcher, or motivate researcher.”
“If they are in a different environment, they grow, they bloom. Ultimately, research system is reduced to meeting the livelihood security of a section of people.”
It is, however, possible to salvage the system, he believes. “If a professor is recruited in an international system, there will be no political pressure. Appointments will be only on the basis of merit. If he fails to deliver, he will be eliminated. If good research is to take place, the researchers should be provided with everything required — good pay and good environment,” he says.
