The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, the Vidya Vistar Scheme, and the revival of the Centre for Canadian Studies found mention as initiatives and plans in the Delhi University’s (DU) annual report card for the 2020-21 academic year. The report, released on Monday, detailed the university’s growth, achievements, and plans for the next academic year.
The DU constituted the National Education Policy 2020 Implementation Committee (NEP Committee) this year for making recommendations for its implementation. It said the 42-member committee, headed by Professor Vivek Suneja, is currently examining issues relating to the implementation of the NEP with respect to the academic programmes of the university.
Also, in the last one year, the DU started the Vidya Vistar Scheme to develop cooperative academic bonding between its colleges and those of other universities, which are situated at remote areas of the country. “The aim of the Vidya Vistar Scheme is to maximise the contribution of higher educational institutions to nation-building through optimum utilisation of the existing resources and potentials.
“Through this scheme, the University of Delhi proposes to throw open its faculties, library, and other academic facilities available in its departments and colleges to the partner institutions for academic cooperation and collaboration,” it said. So far, 17 colleges and three departments of the DU have been given the approval to establish academic linkages with 27 colleges and departments in remote areas under the scheme.
During the academic year, the university also revived the Centre for Canadian Studies, which was set up in 1992 to promote Indo-Canadian academic collaboration. “However, the centre was inactive for some years and the same has been revived during this period. It shall take up diverse and intense academic activities in the coming years like conferences, seminars, student exchange programmes, debates, lectures, publications, collaborative research,” the report card read.
Similarly, the Bangabandhu Chair was established in the university to promote India-Bangladesh ties and encourage Bangladeshi students to study in India. In March, the DU signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) to nominate ICCR scholars and students for studies in the university.
“…to cooperate to conduct various academic, cultural and extra-curricular programmes to enhance the academic environment and cultural exchange in the university, facilitate the academic exchange for overseas scholars and teachers to supplement a healthy academic growth and internationalisation of the university by catering to the needs of foreign students funded by ICCR,” the report card said. Since October 2020, a large number of MoUs have been signed with international institutes for the purpose of academic cooperation and collaborations.
“…as many as 23 MoUs have been processed by the International Relations Office through the MoU Committee and another four MoUs are being processed for renewal,” the DU said. The university was selected as a “GATI Charter Institution” in May in the Gender Advancement for Transforming Institutions (GATI) initiative launched by the Department of Science and Technology.
In another initiative, the university set up a technology incubator, the BioNEST-UDSC, in the Department of Microbiology to support entrepreneurship and the development of innovative technologies in the area of life sciences. “The proposed bio-incubator is planned with the objective of supporting incubation for juvenile technologies developed by entrepreneur scientists,” it said.
The university will provide support to the scientists in terms of laboratory space, instrumentation and other infrastructure and mentorship. The DU mentioned that it was also considering engaging the International Adjunct Faculty in its various departments.
“This proposal is with the view to tap external talent and their specialised knowledge, expertise and experience to add significant value to the teaching-learning process, research activities as well as in the overall development of the university and its internationalisation,” it said.
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