Dawn of a new era at EFLU
. -Photo: K. Ramesh Babu
New innings: V-C Abhai Maurya of English and Foreign Languages University
The transformation of the Central Institute of English and Foreign Languages (CIEFL) into English and Foreign Languages University (EFLU) has evoked a mixed reaction.
The new Vice-Chancellor, Abhai Maurya, says, “Over the last three years, there is a paradigm shift in demand for languages with so many Indian students going abroad and equal numbers of foreign students coming to India."
Expanded
The CIEFL was originally created to train the teaching faculty. Later it expanded to teaching languages to students too and was raised to a deemed university. "Despite the good work, certain stagnation set in.”
The soft-spoken Professor Maurya who holds a doctorate in Russian literature wants to provide the best facilities, restructure the courses and enrich the university to self-sustaining levels. “The present mandate is to continue training teachers and also bring in inter-disciplinary studies, research, extension of services to primary and rural areas, prepare trainers to train teachers and for this I’m taking the 11th Plan proposals.
"It will no longer be a study of English or foreign languages in isolation. Comparative studies of other Indian languages will be introduced,” Prof. Maurya explains.
“Joint research with other national and international organisations, particularly for placing English language at the disposal of professionals, is on the anvil. We will have an interface with the industry. Already we are in talks with Oracle.”
The VC expects his initiatives to bring in foreign students in droves.
“A large number of our students taking admissions to professional courses in foreign universities have to necessarily do a preparatory course in learning the local language there which is quite expensive.
“We are mulling collaboration with such universities wherein the language course of the first year can be pursued at EFLU. It saves money for the wards and helps our own economy.”
Five-year integrated programme
EFLU will also have a five-year integrated programme in all streams of English and other languages. New foreign languages such as Korean will be introduced.
On the research front, good works from foreign languages will be sourced out and translated into Indian languages to make them accessible to scholars.
Five new campuses, replicas of the central one in Hyderabad, will be opened in hinterland across the country with an idea of making inroads into rural areas.
Profits
“We need special funds from the Centre and only land from the State to expand. We need more hostels to house students. In a couple of years our financial self-sufficiency will enable us to fund our programmes and we will plough back the profits in scholarships to needy students. My dream is to create a press like the Oxford University Press,” he says.
RANEE KUMAR
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