[Assam] Assam International University-AT edit

[Rajiv Baruah]

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" <dasmk2k at gmail.com>
To: "A Mailing list for people interested in Assam from around the world"
<assam at 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
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