The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Madurai News : Varsity to project `science strengths' in New Delhi

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Jul 15, 2005

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Madurai

Varsity to project `science strengths' in New Delhi

Staff Reporter

Aiming at `Potential for Excellence' status " Preliminary material will be sent to the UGC on July 15 to give an idea about the university's strengths''.

MADURAI: : The `strengths' in its science departments will be the thrust area of projection by Madurai Kamaraj University when it goes to University Grants Commission next month to make a presentation in an attempt to receive `Potential for Excellence' status.

A preparatory meeting was held in the varsity on Tuesday with the Vice-Chancellor, P.Maruthamuthu, meeting the faculty members to discuss the material to be presented in New Delhi and the areas to be projected before the UGC.

" The preliminary material about the varsity would be sent on July 15 to give the apex body an `idea' about the strengths of MKU", Dr.Maruthamuthu told The Hindu after the meeting. Already, this was one of the few universities that received invitation for making a formal presentation.

According to S. Shanmugasundaram, Head of School of Biological Sciences, who is involved in drafting the material for UGC presentation on August 5, the thrust areas would be science departments, particularly, genomics and nano-technology. He said the university was already recognised as an advanced centre in genomics at the national level while the contribution of departments of bio-technology/biological sciences has been phenomenal.

"Arts and humanities departments and also the language departments would be given importance," Dr.Shanmugasundaram said and added that the material would comprise information about all the 18 schools in the university.

Besides, the varsity is also thinking in terms of `digitising' the functioning in administrative side by introducing e-administration and e-payment, among other things, he said. The concept of tele-lecturing is also being looked in to.

Vacancies issue

The Vice-Chancellor felt that the issue of filling vacancies in various teaching departments had to be sorted out soon before the UGC took the final decision on conferring `University with Potential for Excellence' recognition. He said the pending legal issues with regard to fresh appointments would be solved `and all steps to remove the litigations had been initiated'.

According to Dr. Maruthamuthu, the varsity Registrar is going to Chennai next week to talk to the lawyers and for speedy settlement of court cases.

Coordinators of arts, humanities and science departments briefed the Vice-Chancellor about the academic/research activities.

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