Osmania University Vice-Chancellor D. Ravinder said the university was in the process of procuring technologies and equipment that would focus on the creation of IT hubs, interactive websites, creation of online information systems apart from creating infrastructure.
Prof. Ravinder, who completed two years in office, said the idea was to transform the academic culture of the university giving thrust to research and creating facilities in tune with the dream of producing global students. He said works to the tune of ₹120 crore were taken up in the last two years as a part of his motto for the university – Reform, Perform and Transform. Boys hostels, centenary building, centenary pylon and open-air theatre were taken up with those funds.
On the academic front, the university established Chairs with the financial support of ₹3 crore each from Coal India Ltd and Singareni Collieries Company Ltd. Their officers were also teaching at the university as a part of the ‘Professor of Practice’ system introduced this year.
Explaining some of his initiatives, he said the 21-point agenda he had set for the university focused on changes in governance, financial administration, launching new courses, restructuring the existing ones, embedding employability skills and augmenting the research ecosystem. Initiatives like celebrating Foundation Day on April 26 for the past two years, conducting Osmania TAKSH and Open Day in 2020-2023 and holding a Global Alumni Meet bringing alumni across the globe on a single platform were the other best practices.
He also defended the fee hike for Ph.D courses saying the hiked amount was being reimbursed by the government anyway and there won’t be any burden on the students.
The Vice-Chancellor thanked the efforts of Prof. G. B. Reddy, Prof. K. Stevenson and other senior faculty colleagues in facilitating the finalisation of the vision document ‘21 Point Agenda’, which he had pursued in the past two years. He also released a brochure highlighting the initiatives and achievements during the last two years.
Prof. P. Laxminarayana, Registrar, and Prof. K. Stevenson, Dean, Faculty of Social Sciences, were among those present.
