The University Grants Commission's (UGC) concept of networking universities for the purpose of pooling of resources and expertise would lead to inclusive and sustainable growth, said R. Kannan, Principal Secretary, Higher Education.
For instance, the UGC had recognised Madurai Kamaraj University as a UGC-Networking Resource Centre in Biological Sciences because of its potential and competency in that field, he said after inaugurating the first on-site workshop in computational genomics at Sri Venkateswara University in Tirupati on September 19.
The scientists and expert team of MKU's School of Biological Sciences would train young research scholars of Andhra Pradesh through this networking initiative. The Higher Education Department of Tamil Nadu government had been encouraging State universities to establish strong research collaborations with the industry.
MKU was among the nine universities in India to be recognised with the status of University with Potential for Excellence by the UGC. Students who graduated from the university's School of Biological Sciences were competent and occupying prestigious positions.
He also recalled the contribution and services of S. Krishnaswamy in establishing the School of Biological Sciences when MKU was carved out of the University of Madras in 1967.
For biological sciences, the UGC had started two networking resource centres — one at the MKU and the other at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) in New Delhi. For the onsite workshop in Tirupati, 25 research scholars were selected and the MKU team would impart technical skills in ‘Computational genomics' for them.
Gives new direction
Dr. Kannan said that genome technology, along with nanotechnology, would provide a new direction for targeted drug delivery toward cancerous cells.
A. R. Reddy, Vice-Chancellor, Yogi Vemana University, Kadapah, delivered the keynote address at the workshop's inaugural function. K. Jayantha Rao, Principal, Sri Venkateswara University College of Sciences, S. Budhudu, Dean (Development), Sri Venkateswara University, and P. Gunasekaran, Coordinator, UGC-Networking Resource Centre for Biological Sciences, MKU, were among those who spoke.
