The Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies (Kufos) will launch four new centres of excellence, new academic courses, and classroom facilities on its Puthuvype campus on Monday.
Centres of excellence
A Centre of Excellence in Sustainable Aquaculture and Aquatic Animal Health, another in Aquatic Resource Management and Conservation, and a third in Food Processing Technology will be launched by Pro-Chancellor of Kufos and Minister for Fisheries J. Mercykutty Amma on Monday at 10.30 a.m. The fourth Centre of Excellence in Advanced Studies and Research in Entrepreneurship Development will be functional in a few months’ time. All four centres of excellence will be based out of the main campus at Panangad.
According to the university, the Centre for Excellence and Advance Research in Aquatic Resource Management and Conservation “would promote and facilitate sustainable development in the coastal regions of Kerala and beyond”. Its main thrust areas include development of clean technologies for the viable utilisation of aquatic resources, improvisation of knowledge on conservation and management of aquatic living resources, facilitation of policy research and impact assessment in the coastal and inland zones of Kerala, and serving as a platform for information dissemination and training.
The Centre of Excellence in Food Processing Technology will help develop unconventional value-added products, and address quality requirements by ensuring safe and quality products for domestic markets.
New facilities, courses
The new facilities on the Puthuvype campus, which will also be inaugurated by the Minister, include classrooms, laboratory facilities and a seminar hall for students studying for its ongoing postgraduate degree in Remote Sensing and Geographic Information System and diploma in Brackishwater and Marine Aquaculture. The School of Fishery Environment, which was established in 2014 and was based out of the university’s Panangad campus till now, will now function out of the new facilities at Puthuvype.
The new postgraduate courses on offer include one in Environmental Science and another in Climate Science “to fulfill the mandate of providing technically qualified manpower capable of protecting our rapidly deteriorating environment,” according to a press release by the university. The postgraduate degree in Environmental Science, catering to a maximum of 20 students, has just commenced and will be based out of the new facilities at Puthuvype. The postgraduate degree in Climate Science has also been approved and will be launched soon on the premises, says Devika Pillai, professor and head of the Department of Aquatic Animal Health Management.
The inaugural meeting will be presided over by Kufos Vice Chancellor A. Ramachandran in the presence of S. Sarma, A.N. Shamseer and E.T. Tyson, MLAs, and Manu C. Pulickal, governing council member of the university.
