Good idea! On Sun, May 11, 2008 at 6:08 PM, Rajiv Baruah <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> > Can Assam support another University? We need a world class university, > yes, > but why build another institution. Why can we not invest in Guwahati > University itself? > > I would propose diverting the Airport Road away from the University > campus, > combine the resources and infrastructure of the Engineering and Law > colleges > and you have an enormous area to build a world class university. > > It needs financial commitments but needs a strong empowered administration > free from government interference more. Finally, is there will the > students > and teachers also share the ambition to build a world class university in > Guwahati? > > Best regards > > Rajiv > ------ Original Message ------ > Received: Sun, 11 May 2008 06:27:08 PM SGT > From: "Manoj Das" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: "A Mailing list for people interested in Assam from around the world" > <assam@assamnet.org> > Subject: [Assam] Assam International University-AT edit > > > *Assam International University > > ? Pratap Bora* *T*he recent declaration by the Chief Minister of Assam > > regarding the Central Minister for Human Resource Development's > announcement > > of establishment of one university of international standard in Assam is > a > > development pregnant with many implications. Universities, as these are > > generally known today, were born in medieval Europe and were gradually > > exported to other parts of the world as a part of the European > expansion. > > > > In India, Calcutta, Bombay and Madras universities were established in > 1857 > > synchronizing with Sydney and Melbourne Universities in 1850 in > Australia. > > However, universities with classical and spiritual ideologies had been > first > > established in India more than 2000 years ago. Two of them, Nalanda and > > Taksila were known in countries like Tibet, China, Korea, Japan, > Thailand, > > Malayasia, Burma, Ceylon, Cambodia and Indonesia. As these modern > cradles > of > > wisdom started growing the universities of Punjab (1882), Banaras > (1916), > > Mysore (1916), Patna (1917) and Osmania (1918) were established in India > > progressively. Assam joined this quest for "sweetness and light" with > > Gauhati University in 1947-48. Today our State has five national level > > universities and one Indian Institute of Technology. Still there is a > very > > wide void and enough space for one international university in Assam. > > > > Twenty first century has already exhibited many uncertainties. The > > challenges before mankind today are entirely different from those faced > by > > us during the whole period of human existence. Technology has led us to > a > > new era which is yet to acquire a proper nomenclature. Information boom, > > automation, electronic revolution, biotechnology, nano technology, to > name > > only the familiar few, have created for us a new world, the ways of > which > > are not known to us. The new concept of a modern university is that it > is > on > > the one side a huge warehouse of information and on the other an > excellent > > workshop for production of human resource capable of handling this > > information through knowledge and wisdom for welfare of man and nature. > > > > These universities must offer impressive range of academic resources and > > research facilities. It must have a state of the art library with three > to > > five million volumes with on-line catalog system and database search > > service. It must subscribe to at least 30,000 periodicals. Its extensive > > research facilities must have wings of, 1) Biotechnology, 2) High Energy > > Synchrotron Studies, 3) Nano Fabrication Facility, 4) Centre for Theory > and > > Simulation in Science and Engineering), 5) Centre for Specific Regional > > Studies. > > > > The major fields should be created after most careful consideration. > Besides > > being highly competitive the fields ought to be able to fulfil universal > as > > well as regional needs. These must include, Outer-space Engineering, > > Agro-biological Engineering, Cellular - Biology, City and Regional > Planning, > > Environmental Engineering, Communication Technology, Consumer Economics, > > Development Sociology, Food science, Hotel Administration, Human Service > > Studies, Immunology, Rural Development, Management Science, > Neurobiology, > > Nuclear Science. Atmospheric Science and Performing Art beside basic > fields > > of Science and Humanities. > > > > The seed money required for building up infrastructure par excellence > for > > such an institution is approximately Rs 3000 crore. The figure is > carefully > > projected by comparing expenditure on infrastructure of two IITs and two > > Central Universities of India and that of two leading universities of > the > > world. As suggested by the Chief Minister land required will be from six > to > > eight hundred hectares. Most important is the careful planning of the > entire > > project making through comparative study of the master plans of major > > European, American, Australian and Asian Universities and keeping in > mind > > the history and heritage of Assam. > > > > The university has to be raised at a tranquil, unpolluted locality. > Instead > > of further eroding either forest area or the available land in tribal > belt > > two outstations of Assam Agricultural University may be brought under > > consideration. These are Citrus Research Station, Tinsukia and Sugarcane > > Research Station, Shillongoni, Nagaon. Otherwise government may also > > consider one of the sick tea gardens under ATC. The Negheriting and > > Sokolating Tea estates at Jorhat and Dergaon are very attractive > > propositions. It must be noted very seriously that site selection is a > > serious matter and no whimsical consideration should be allowed to creep > in. > > > > The next important job is the collection faculty from different parts of > the > > world. Assarnese scholars and researchers today occupy many chairs in > > leading universities and research institutions of the world. This pool > of > > human resource should be explored thoroughly and as much as possible > native > > brains should be lured back. Then taking merit and ability as only > criteria > > faculty from all over the world should be commissioned. From the > beginning > > reservation of seats and unionism of students should be totally banned. > A > > true scholar of modern technology does not have time for politics and he > or > > she does not need caste or community label. Their only goal is a > peaceful > > and prosperous future for mankind. > > > > There are 187 universities in India and the "New policy on education" > had > > determined eight priorities for these institutions: (1) Consolidation > and > > expansion of institution; (2) development of autonomous colleges and > > departments; (3) redesigning courses; (4) training of teachers; (5) > > strengthening research; (6) improvement and efficiency; (7) creation of > > structure for coordination at the state and the national levels; and (8) > > mobility. From 1986 till today a good number of Indian universities have > > undergone a kind of renaissance. In the present world if India is able > to > > hold its own in scientific research and technology it is partly because > of > > the work done in this sector. > > > > Hence, people forming the core group for visualizing the concept of this > new > > University shall have a great responsibility. The life histories of all > five > > universities of Assam are full of general as well as periodical sick > > reports. Ambitious planning executed with very poor managerial ability > has > > let down the aspirations of the people. Corruption at all levels > including > > the arrest of a vice-chancellor had soiled the images of all these five > > great institutions. The core group must immunize the new university and > > provide bullet proof armour to this new born child so that its health > > continues to grow and progress. Every university aim at universal > standards > > but fail due to their own weaknesses. As this proposed university is > going > > to be located in Assam it must uphold the ethos of Assamese people and > make > > them proud of it. Knowledge and learning are rootless and futile if they > are > > not cultured and exercised through good will and wisdom. > > (*The author is the retired Registrar of Assam Agriculture University*) > > -- > > Manoj Kumar Das > > C 172 GF, Sarvodaya Enclave > > New Delhi 17 India > > 0091 9312650558 (HP) 9910972654 > > _______________________________________________ > > assam mailing list > > assam@assamnet.org > > http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org > > > > > _______________________________________________ > assam mailing list > assam@assamnet.org > http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org > -- Manoj Kumar Das C 172 GF, Sarvodaya Enclave New Delhi 17 India 0091 9312650558 (HP) 9910972654 _______________________________________________ assam mailing list assam@assamnet.org http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org
