KU eyeing joint programmes

Envisaged as an offshoot of ‘Interaction with Eminent Scholars’

April 14, 2019 01:20 am | Updated 01:20 am IST - THIRUVANANTHAPURAM

Spurred by its continuing upward trajectory in the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) rankings, the University of Kerala has its sights set on imbibing time-tested pedagogical techniques and facilitating student exchanges through collaborations with other universities.

The prospective collaborations are envisaged as an offshoot of the university’s ‘Interaction with Eminent Scholars’ that is being undertaken under the aegis of its International Quality Assurance Cell (IQAC).

Besides Nobel Prize-winning crystallographer Ada E. Yonath, over 10 scholars in various subjects, including Environmental Science, Zoology, English, Optoelectronics, Geology, Chemistry, Future Studies, and Aquatic Biology, have visited the university and interacted with research scholars during the last few months.

Exposure

Besides facilitating an exposure for researchers, the scheme also entails building external linkage.

While such programmes were mostly one-off engagements earlier, the University of Kerala hopes to ensure a long-term collaboration. “Besides achieving our primary objective, we have also sought collaborations with the universities with which the visiting scholars are associated. Such an arrangement will increase the possibility of initiating exchange programmes and thereby, enhance the capability of students,” IQAC director Gabriel Simon Thattil said.

Innovative teaching

He added that the interactions had also enabled the university to understand internationally accepted innovative practices that could be introduced for research and teaching.

“The subject experts have advocated the need to establish a strong industry linkage to strengthen research. Moreover, it is important to share socially relevant findings with policymakers and also incorporate research outcomes in curriculum,” Prof. Thattil said.

The university also explores the possibility of evolving a system that will enable scholars and faculty members to visit other universities for research collaborations on a regular basis.

Eminent scholars who were brought under the programme include those from Saitama University, Japan; Mansoura University, Egypt; Nanyang Technological University, Singapore; National Taiwan Ocean University, Taiwan; Gandhigram Rural Institute, Tamil Nadu; and Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda University, West Bengal.

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