The University of Madras was exploring the possibility of entering into MoU with other State universities to share infrastructure and resources, said its Vice Chancellor G. Thiruvasagam.
At the Senate meeting on Saturday, Mr. Thiruvasagam said the university would hold talks with state medical, engineering, law, agricultural and veterinary universities to share infrastructure and faculty exchange to further inter-disciplinary research.
For instance, the Nano Technology Department in the university has got equipment worth Rs.30 crore but Anna University students or faculty are not in a position to utilise the facility.
A MoU between the State universities would grant easy access to each other's facilities, he said adding that a meeting of the vice chancellors of State universities would be convened in a month.
The Senate also passed a resolution to increase the inspection fee, recognition fee and introduced an annual renewal fee for departments offering M.Phil and Ph.D degrees. Hereafter, M.Phil and Ph.D recognition fee would be Rs.50,000 and Rs.1 lakh per department with the corresponding renewal fee of Rs.10,000 and Rs.20,000 per department a year.
Stand-alone/public institutions would have to pay a renewal fee of Rs.25,000 per department and industry (research and development centres) would have to pay Rs.50,000 per centre.
The Association of University Teachers (AUT) opposed the hike as aided colleges would find it difficult to pay the renewal fee.
On receipt of complaints that the proposed appointments to the teaching vacancies did not adhere to reservation rules, Mr. Thiruvasagam said the university had consulted the Government before publishing the vacancy position. Associations could meet him any time for clarification, he said.
Syndicate members
Madras University Teachers' Association candidates R. Thilagaraj, Head, Department of Criminology and S. Niranjali Devaraj, Head, Department of Bio-Chemistry were elected to the Syndicate of the university.
