Multidisciplinary approach in education, furthering knowledge is the need of the hour: JNU V-C

Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit says that the days of compartmentalisation of education with universities offering specialised courses only of their choice are over and the era of holistic multidisciplinary approach in education has come into place now

Vice Chancellor of Jawaharlal Nehru University Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit delivering the inaugural speech at the three-day international conference on multidisciplinary research at Sharnbasva University in Kalaburagi on Tuesday. | Photo Credit: ARUN KULKARNI

Vice-Chancellor of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit has said that a multidisciplinary approach both in pursuing educational goals and furthering knowledge is the need of the hour.

Speaking after inaugurating a three-day International Conference on Multidisciplinary Research organised by Sharnbasva University at Basavarajappa Appa Memorial Hall in Kalaburagi to commemorate the 53rd birthday of chairperson of Sharanabasaveshwar Vidyavardak Sangha Dr Dakshayini S. Appa on Tuesday, Prof. Pandit said that from time immemorial the country has been in the forefront in dispensation of knowledge and pursuing a path of research for fine tuning the knowledge acquired.

She said that the days of compartmentalisation of education with universities offering specialised courses only of their choice are over and the era of holistic multidisciplinary approach in education has come into place now.

Lauding the initiative taken by the Sharnbasva University in adopting a multidisciplinary approach in offering courses to students even before such recommendations were made in the new National Education Policy (NEP),  Prof. Pandit said that like the vision of Rabindranath Tagore who introduced fine arts, music and languages at Santiniketan, visionary educationist Mahadasoha Peetadhipathi of the Sharanabasaveshwar Samsthan Dr Sharnbaswappa Appa too introduced post-graduate studies in fine arts and music long ago, even before the establishment of Sharnbasva University and made the university a truly multidisciplinary one in the private sector.

Prof. Pandit said that organising the three-day international conference is a part of the efforts of the university to support the initiatives of the government to take higher education to the next step. She said that multidisciplinary research has a very good Indian connect with modernity.

Vice-Chancellor of Sharnbasva University Niranjan V. Misty in his presidential remarks advised students that the world belongs to those who pursue learning and who consider learning as a continuous process.

Jerry chun-Wei Lin from Norway delivered the keynote address. Secretary of the Vidyavardak Sangha Basavaraj Deshmukh and IETE president Gunashekhara Reddy spoke.