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Friday, Dec 09, 2005

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India-U.S. Edusat Network launched

Staff Reporter

Networking of universities the first step towards meeting the demands of the knowledge era: Kalam

KNOWLEDGE GRID: President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam addressing a live video conference from the Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi on Thursday to mark the inauguration of the India-U.S. Universities EDUSAT network for higher education and research. — Photo: V. V. Krishnan

NEW DELHI : President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam formally launched the India-U.S. Edusat Network at Rashtrapati Bhavan here on Thursday. Addressing students and faculty members at various centres, including Chennai and Coimbatore, through the tele-education delivery system, he said it was an important day in the annals of the India-U.S. academic cooperation.

"It is indeed a renewal programme of long standing scientific cooperation between the two countries. This cooperation indeed should result in the virtual university system. Fortunately, Information Communication Technology (ICT) is a distance eliminator and facilitator of bringing together scientific and technological minds. I am sure this meet of academic minds will further enhance the excellence in research - teaching-research cycle leading to societal transformation,'' he said.

Stating that developed India has to be powered by economic development, Mr. Kalam said economic development in turn was powered by competitiveness.

"The competitiveness is powered by knowledge power. Knowledge power is powered by innovation. Innovation is powered by science and technology and technology is powered by resource investment."

The whole purpose of education in a country such as India was to develop and enhance the potential of human resource and progressively transform it into a knowledge society, he said.

A first step

The networking of universities and institutions through Edusat was the first step towards creating universities that could meet the demands of the knowledge era, he said.

"In the world which is shrinking to become a global village, it is also important to produce students who ultimately become the knowledge workers in our economy to be global citizens,'' Mr. Kalam said.

In this regard it was important to offer, courses of predictable standards across universities. "A student should be able to attend courses of his or her choice without geographical constraints. The day when all our universities begin to offer this flexibility and assure constant and consistent high quality, this virtual university could proclaim to be the knowledge reservoir," he said.

Our Coimbatore Staff Reporter reports:

Under an agreement signed with Amrita University, faculty from the participating universities in the U.S. would teach and guide research activities of hundreds of students in colleges and universities in India.

They will use the facilities provided by the Amrita e-learning facility and satellite links offered through Edusat, the educational satellite launched by the Indian Space Research Organisation.

Subjects to be covered include engineering, computer science, biotechnology and nanotechnology.

To a question from Varsha, a student in Kollam, Mr. Kalam said the first duty of students was to excel in their studies. During holidays they could spend time teaching illiterate people to read and write.

Even when still in school, children should develop the ``We can do it!" spirit.

He told another student, Harsha, that students from Standard 1 to Plus Two spent about 25,000 hours in school and should learn from teachers who were good role models.

They could absorb good qualities from the environment, ``good books and good human beings.''

``Knowledge is like a river; it's nature is to flow," said university Chancellor Mata Amritanandamayi, in a message.

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