We aim to establish university as a high-quality self-financing MERU over next 7 yrs: Vidyashilp University VC
Dr Vijayan Immanuel, Vice-Chancellor, Vidyashilp University talks about the University’s commitment to follow the MERU Model of Education (Multidisciplinary Education and Research University). He also discusses the diverse curriculum and its in-depth focus on research and why the university has deliberately chosen specialized domains which are naturally interdisciplinary.
Q. Your university is fully oriented around the NEP 2020 by adopting MERU. Could you elaborate more on it?
A. The primary problem that NEP seeks to solve is the fragmentation of higher education. The solution is to reorient higher education, particularly undergraduate studies as truly multidisciplinary education. Essentially, the NEP reaffirms/redefines, “A university will mean a multidisciplinary institution of higher learning that offers undergraduate and graduate programs, with high-quality teaching, research, and community engagement.”
As a new University, Vidyashilp is founded on multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary education. The single-eyed focus of Vidyashilp is to provide a unique student experience – the ‘Vidyashilp Experience’. This experience will be fused with ‘Domain Expertise’ and ‘Multidisciplinary Education’.
The NEP also seeks to establish model public universities - called “MERU” (Multidisciplinary Education and Research University).
Vidyashilp’s endeavour as a self-financing University is to establish itself a high-quality MERU over the next seven years.
Q. Tell us about the curriculum and how it offers research opportunities?
A. Given the extent and the current state of the problem with higher education in the country, the NEP sets a stiff goal that “by 2040, all higher education institutions (HEIs) shall aim to become multidisciplinary institutions and shall aim to have larger student enrolments preferably in the thousands, for optimal use of infrastructure and resources, and for the creation of vibrant multidisciplinary communities. Since this process will take time, all HEI’s will first plan to become multidisciplinary by 2030, and then gradually increase student strength to the desired levels.”
The founding Academic Schools (and future Schools/Centres) of the University are envisaged to create the foundations for this multidisciplinary emphasis and application of domain knowledge. The Schools will never be in conventional silos. Instead, they will be concentric in engagement and bring in interdisciplinary dependence to create deep domain knowledge for manifold applications. Therefore, the University’s priority is on domain expertise as the premise for academic quality.
Q. Brief on how the university has chosen specialized domains which are interdisciplinary?
A. Our university is committed to building deep domain knowledge in an interdisciplinary context, to enhance the value and impact of the resultant application and new knowledge. This will uniquely position our students to create value at the intersection spaces of different, yet interdependent domains of knowledge.
With this intention, the following founding Schools will be established at the University: School of Computational and Data Sciences; School of Liberal Arts and Design Studies; School of Business Studies.
These domains are interconnected and interdependent, giving a natural advantage in the design of a Program Curriculum Framework and pedagogical approach to provide for multidisciplinary learning, research and problem-solving in various business/industry/social contexts. In the next 2-3 years, more domains such as Legal Studies and Governance, Education and Leadership, Sciences and Digital Humanities will be added to the University.
Q. How do you look at the growth of liberal education in India? How is Vidyashilp rebuilding liberal education?
A. Modern liberal education is a system of higher education designed to foster in students the desire and capacity to learn, think critically, and communicate proficiently, and to prepare them to function as engaged citizens. It is distinguished by a flexible curriculum that allows for student choice and demands breadth, as well as depth, of study, and by a student-centred pedagogy that is interactive and requires students to engage in learning within and outside of the classroom.
The central tenet of liberal education is that it is more concerned with the development of the individual than the preparation of the student for a specific vocation. While liberal education certainly prepares students for their first job out of University, but importantly, it prepares them for future careers that don’t even career yet! In twenty-five years, many of today’s students will be in their mid-40s, working in jobs or fields that don’t yet exist. What is going to help them succeed in an ever-changing world? Critical thinking, communication, creative problem solving, self-expression, innovative research, and lifelong learning—all skills a classic liberal education emphasizes—are central to a great career and a well-lived life.
Vidyashilp is committed to imparting and nurturing such Liberal Education – to challenge students to consider not only how to solve problems, but also train the students to ask which problems to solve and why preparing them for positions of leadership and a life of service to the nation and all of humanity.
Q. Tell us about the university’s scholarship programmes and how many students will be funded by the University?
A. Vidyashilp University has pledged to fund 30% of the students through their uniquely built scholarship programs like Merit Scholarship at Admission, Enabling Scholarship, Encouragement Scholarship, Vidyashilp Girl Leader Scholarship, Academic Performance Scholarship (During the Program to reward and motivate excellence in overall academic performance, scholarships are awarded to select outstanding students during the program i.e., from 2nd Year onwards.
Q. Tell us about how Vidyashilp has partnered with the key industry players and how it will benefit students?
A. As a new University, collaborations with Industry have explored in the following mutually beneficial areas: ‘Industry Experience’ Centre in the University, which is directed to create a culture where teaching, research, innovation and entrepreneurial thinking are set in the industry and business contexts.
Professor-of-Practice, which is an opportunity for experts from Industry to formally engage in the University through both teaching and research assignments.
We also offer collaborative ‘Seed Grants’/ Fellowships to seed research projects in emerging domains and specializations besides other initiatives.
Q. What is Vidyashilp Research Centre?
A. The Vidyashilp University Act provides for a statutory body named as the “Research and Innovation Council” with the following mandate:
“Research and Innovation Council shall be the Principal Research and Innovation Committee of the University and shall provide the larger holistic vision of the kind of research to be undertaken by the University, including prioritization of the research areas.”
As a first step towards realising the mission and research objectives, the University will establish the “Vidyashilp Research Centre” (VRC). This Centre, along with the Schools of the University and other Centres/Academies established for specific purposes, will lead the way and evolve plans and projects to build the research capability and contribution of the University.
The key objectives of VRC shall be to:
a) Promote interdisciplinary research; Inculcate research and innovation culture among faculty members and students;
b) Undertake joint research projects in collaboration with Industry, Universities and Research Institutions;
c) Organize interactions with entrepreneurs, industries, NGOs, philanthropists and faculty members of the university to exchange ideas and generate collaborative research aligned to some of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs);
d) Support the PhD. Programs of the University, and
e) Establish Post-Doctoral Research Programs.
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Abhay an alumnus of IIMC and Delhi University, has over a decade long experience of reporting on various beats of journalism. During his free time he prefers listening to music or play indoor and outdoor games.