: To promote high quality research in higher educational institutions, the Jawaharlal Nehru University has proposed an initiative called Jawaharlal Nehru University Inter-Institution Research Cluster (JIRC) that will be hosted and administered at JNU.
V-C’s meeting
The proposal has come after a brainstorming session held recently by Vice-Chancellor M. Jagadesh Kumar that was attended by heads and nominees of various research institutes.
The institutes included IIT-Delhi, Safdarjung Hosital, Department of Science and Technology, Department of Biotechnology, Indian Council of Medical Research, National Institute of Plant Genome Research, among others. The participants agreed that the cluster would be formed once a Memorandum of Understanding is signed by all member-institutes.
The Cluster seeks to impart training and research in cutting-edge areas and sharing of resources among its member institutes/departments. Researchers will have free access to resources of the member-institutes. The representatives in a statement said that a mechanism will be evolved to sustain and promote the JIRC's financial implications, responsibilities and viabilities as well as administrative framework.
Optimum use
They felt that the optimum use of JIRC's infrastructure will include teaching, training, and credit-sharing. “Teachers and scientists from the member-institutes will be encouraged to teach and supervise among various institutes,” the representatives of participating institutes decided.
It was also proposed to hold workshops and seminars to enhance and promote research and develop novel courses involving faculty drawn from the cluster.
The members will be able to share available e-resources like journal subscriptions, books libraries and research infrastructure.
