What we dream is no mediocre university, says Jayakumar

The foundation day was participated by people from different walks of life from whom views were sought on the kind of goals the university should have for its future growth.

Social Welfare Minister M.K. Muneer inaugurating an online Malayalam dictionary project of Thuchath Ezhuthachan Malayalam University as part of its second foundation day celebration in Kozhikode on Friday. - Photo: S. Ramesh Kurup

A grand function was held here on Friday to mark the second foundation day of the Thunchath Ezhuthachan Malayalam University, which its Vice Chancellor K. Jayakumar says will not in any way be a mediocre university.

With this aim, the foundation day was participated by people from different walks of life from whom views were sought on the kind of goals the university should have for its future growth.

Minister for Panchayat and Social Justice M.K. Muneer inaugurated the event, in the absence of Education Minister P.K. Abdu Rabb, at the Tagore Centenary Hall here.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Muneer said that the two-year-old university was already showing a steady growth for its age.

Applause

He lauded its Vice Chancellor and other staff members for seeking the public opinion for charting a future trajectory for the university.

Dr. Muneer said it took courage to ask the public what their dream was for the university.

“No other Vice Chancellor would dare ask such a question in the present scenario,” he said.

Support

Promising all support from the government’s side for the future ventures of the university, Dr. Muneer said that a university anywhere in the world would be rated high only for its academic achievements and for nothing else. “The universities here should not forget that,” he said.

Malayalam dictionary

The Minister, who also inaugurated the online Malayalam dictionary project of the university on the occasion, said that it would be one of the greatest gifts the university could give to Malayalis world over.

Mr. Jayakumar said the foundation day was arranged as a grand function to facilitate an opportunity to interact with the public and get a feedback about the university. Unlike any other universities in the State, Malayalam would be the language of discourse at the university.

“Its not conceived as just another university, but as a university which will act as a centre of all knowledge related to Kerala including its culture, environment and its people,” he said.

Stating that the university’s recently introduced course in environmental studies had invited very good response, Mr. Jayakumar said that diaspora studies and film studies would be some of the new areas the university would focus on in the coming years.

“Whatever be the course we may introduce, one thing is sure that we have no plans to make it a mediocre university,” he said.

Historian M.G.S. Narayanan, C. Mammootty MLA, university linguistic department professor M. Sreenathan, register K.V. Umar Farooq, and students’ union chairman Dinu among others spoke.