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Tamil Nadu
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Chennai
CHENNAI: If you thought Skype was just about free phone calls and long chat sessions, think again. Students from around the world will soon use the popular voice over the Internet service to learn Carnatic music from the University of Madras. From January 2009, the university will offer a six-month certificate course in Carnatic music through the e-learning mode. “We have been offering this course here in India, but so many Indians abroad come to me and say they want their children to learn Carnatic music. This is especially meant for them… It will be the first time a recognised educational institution offers an online Carnatic music course,” said Premeela Gurumurthy, head of the Department of Indian Music. Once they have paid the $1,500 fee—only $500 for those below 18—students will be allowed to log in and access the weekly lesson taught at the university through Skype. Two-way interaction will also be possible for the Skype users, says Dr. Gurumurthy. If students are unable to synchronise their timings with the lesson being taught in Chennai, they will be able to download a recorded lesson from a server here, she said. The Computer Science Department is helping to sort out the technical details. More practical training can be held during visits to Chennai or at the university’s distance education centres across the world. Tests will be conducted online. The certificate will allow students with any undergraduate degree to pursue a Masters degree in music. The course is one of several new initiatives approved by the Syndicate on Tuesday. From January 2009, the Institute for Distance Education will offer a one-year postgraduate diploma in air hostess and aviation hospitality, in collaboration with the Marina School, which trains air hostesses and pilots in Chennai. Another postgraduate diploma be offered in enterprise computing and remote infrastructure management, in collaboration with Maples ESM. Vice-Chancellor S. Ramachandran has revived the internal quality assurance system, bringing in 33 outside experts in July to conduct an exhaustive academic audit of 16 departments. Funding will be allotted on the basis of their scores. The suggested improvements to syllabi, teaching and examinations will be implemented. The university has also decided to set up a placement cell. The university has decided to use a Rs. 45-lakh grant from the University Grants Commission to provide computers for the 200-odd teaching staff who still don’t have one, modernise libraries and equip 12 modern classrooms with LCD projectors and laptops. The university will use almost Rs. 3 crore from its own funds to build the Centre for Dravidian Movement, with another Rs. 2 crore sanctioned for the Centre for Natural Hazards and Disaster Studies.
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