With growing demand for Artificial Intelligence studies across the globe, the prestigious New Delhi based South Asian University (SAU) are working to enhance the capabilities to introduce AI, along with agriculture, health and manufacturing sector related course curriculum. Newly appointed SAU President Prof K K Aggarwal said these are some of the areas which are of interest to all the SAARC countries.

“So my effort is to think and plan those courses which are not the routine courses like other universities are doing,” Aggarwal said who will be heading the institution for the next five years.

Previously, Prof Aggarwal was the Chairman of the National Board of Accreditation (NAB) in addition to being the Founder-Vice Chancellor of the Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University (IP University), New Delhi.

In an interaction with “The Pioneer” on range of academic issues, Aggarwal shared insights into his vision for the institution and the future plans of South Asian University. With a distinguished career spanning decades in academia and leadership roles, Prof Aggarwal brings a wealth of experience and expertise to his current position.  As the driving force behind one of the premier educational institutions in South Asia, his perspectives are highly anticipated by educators, policymakers, and students.

Aggarwal said, as far as the operation of the university is concerned, the funding is shared by all the countries and it is a proportion which has been decided. For example, India pays about 57%, Pakistan 13%, Afghanistan 3.83%, Bangladesh 8.20% etc.

As far as students are concerned, we are supposed to take 50% from India, 40% from SAARC countries and 10% from outside SAARC countries, ensuring a diverse student body. They also have faculty members from

foreign countries to some extent. “We have in the teachers as well as non-teachers but less but maybe gradually we have to make it a little more,” he added.

The university offers post-graduate and doctoral programs in various disciplines that include Economics, Computer Science, Biotechnology, Mathematics, Sociology, International Relations and Law.

Prof Aggarwal said, in future he was considering to add some course  which is of common interest to all the SAARC countries, like disaster management, Cyclone warning system because Bangladesh is sea surrounded, Maldives is completely sea, India has big coastal line, Sri Lanka is completely sea. That will be of great interest to these countries.

Addressing the visa measures of foreign students, Prof Aggarwal said that our job is to give admissions to the students and after that they’ll automatically get study visas.  “The only thing which I have suggested here is that whenever getting a visa is becoming a little more difficult, we will admit more students, so that even if a few succeed, we are able to get some.

The placement of this university has been pretty good. PhD students are working almost everywhere in the world and scholarships are very liberal in this university. All PhD students get scholarships which are substantial 25,000 rupees per month. In addition to tuition-fee waiver and hostel-fee waiver they will get free tuition, free hostel.

 As of now the university has 600 community students in staff residences and they have plans to build 10 hostels of 500 capacities each. Prof KK Aggarwal has already instructed that the hostel should be the next priority.

He also acknowledged Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s initiative to connect youth towards development. There has been no country in the world which has been developed without the involvement of the youth. Whatever may be the kind of development because youth gives us few very distinct advantages, one is the numbers, we have large numbers and second is the energy of them which we call a demographic advantage that we have the largest percentage of youth in the world. PM Modi is perfectly right when he has seen this and is working on this, he added.

University is also doing press Conferences to attract the students of SAARC countries, Prof Aggarwal did the conference for admissions and invited all the correspondents from SAARC countries and they already have 30% students from SAARC countries.

The other reasons for which students are taking admissions in this university is the lowest fee structure and better infrastructure, faculty members and courses like PhD are zero fees. The only thing is the university’s awareness is little low and they’ve been working on this and have written to the chairman of UGC of all the countries to promote.

In phase one the university has a huge sports ground, swimming pool, guest house and a huge library for students, the convention center is very state of the art. Second phase is yet to come with many more other facilities for the betterment of the students, said Prof Aggarwal. We need people to work with the students of other countries and 50% students from other countries are always there whenever you are studying here, you are working with students from eight countries. That’s one very unique thing, he said.

As a professional technocrat Prof KK Aggarwal said that without technology nothing can work and therefore we have to make sure all of our students are technology aware. Fortunately, the youth today is already quite well aware. Technology must be used in the betterment of our society and for our agriculture.

Professor KK Aggarwal’s passion for advancing education and fostering regional cooperation shone through. His unwavering commitment to excellence serves as an inspiration for the entire academic community.

 With his visionary leadership, South Asian University is poised to continue its journey towards becoming a beacon of knowledge.

 Apart from his contributions in the academic field, Prof. Aggarwal has made a very strong impact in the industrial world. The industry has widely consulted him, most notable being his contribution towards the Reliability Analysis for PSLV (Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle) of the Indian Space Mission.

 He has also delivered lectures and conducted programmes in several leading industrial organisations in India and overseas.

 He was declared as the Man of the Decade, Man of the Century and Man of the Millennium by American Bibliographical Institute, USA. He was also awarded the Delhi Ratan by the All India Conference of Intellectuals.