Moving closer with top universities in the globe to pursue research in varied fields and exchange of student programmes, the Madurai Kamaraj University (MKU) has signed Memorandums of Understanding (MoU) with Eastern University, Sri Lanka, and Binary University, Malaysia.
Speaking to reporters here on Wednesday, Vice-Chancellor P.P. Chelladurai said that he had gone to the two countries to interact with faculty members and had the opportunity to address the graduation ceremony. The MoU would facilitate research scholars to have access to reference materials. The student exchange programme for a fortnight, which would be a part of the curricula, would give an exposure to the students while pursuing their degrees.
With changing times, the students have to think big and association with developed universities would not only give them confidence but also bring in great measure of interaction, he said. The MKU has agreed to host an international conference along with Eastern University on ‘Higher Education as a tool for community empowerment’ at the MKU in January.
The Tamil Department, he said, would provide technical support and knowledge transfer for the Binary University from next academic year in which Professors Ramarajan, Satyamurthi and a team would be involved.
In a first of its kind, the MKU would start a two-year M.Sc. (social entrepreneurship) programme with the support of the Binary University from next year, which would be useful for management and entrepreneurship programmes.
Claiming that the MKU was the only university in Tamil Nadu to have filled up all its nodal posts with full-time and qualified personnel, Prof. Chelladurai said that the Dean, Faculty of Science, and the Dean, Faculty of Humanities and Languages had been posted. The university would focus on quality research programmes and look for wider collaborative research projects.
Smart rooms
The MKU campus would be wi-fi enabled soon and 82 conventional class rooms would be upgraded into smart rooms. “It would be ready in about a month and tenders have been finalised,” he said.
The university would prepare students as “employable” as desired by entrepreneurs. The proposed Science Park on a 12-acre space on the MKU campus would come up on 15,000 square feet. It is on a nascent stage now.
