Higher education in the State may soon witness a paradigm shift with the government actively pursuing academic programmes in emerging areas with a high level of academic mobility.
The Kerala State Higher Education Council (KSHEC) has mooted interdisciplinary postgraduate (PG) programmes that will enable students to move across universities during the duration of their course. The proposal also envisages appointing experienced faculty on tenure track before they are regularised. Under the system, the performance of faculty members joining as assistant professors will be evaluated at the end of five years and regularised if their performance is found satisfactory. Industry experts may be roped in as adjunct faculty for the proposed courses.
A committee, chaired by KSHEC vice chairman Rajan Gurukkal P.M., recently met to examine the modalities for commencing the programmes. The panel also comprised Kerala State Planning Board member B. Ekbal, Mahatma Gandhi University Vice Chancellor Sabu Thomas, council governing body member R.V.G. Menon, and member secretary Rajan Varughese as its convener.
The group is learnt to have zeroed in on emerging disciplines, including Energy Studies, Nanoscience, Gender Studies, Artificial Intelligence and Data Science, that can be piloted for the proposed master’s programmes.
Highlighting the need to channel the resources of all State universities, Prof. Thomas pointed out that academic mobility would enable each institution to pool in its expertise and infrastructure. The opportunity to experience campus life in different universities is also bound to attract many.
“Soon, we may see our students pursuing a PG course in Nanoscience in the Cochin University of Science and Technology, Kerala University, Mahatma Gandhi University, or any others that have cutting-edge laboratory facilities in the relevant subject. While a semester each will be spent in the universities, the students will be sent abroad for their projects in the fourth (and final) semester. They will get joint master’s degrees at the end of the programme,” he said.
While the committee is expected to submit its recommendations this week, the KSHEC is likely to broach the topic at its discussions that will include Vice Chancellors of the universities.