The Utkal University has chalked out a roadmap for moving towards a world-class university by 2020.
With the Union Government approving Rs 100 crore for enhancing quality and excellence, the authorities in the premier educational institution has proposed a two-year implementation plan for developing world-class infrastructure, said Higher Education Secretary Bishnupada Sethi.
The Ministry of Human Resources Development (MHRD) has sanctioned Rs 100 crore for the university to develop it as a Centre of Excellence.
According to the plan, the university would have facilities such as an International Hall, an International Collaboration Cell, a Sophisticated Instrumentation Centre, technology-enabled class rooms and laboratories and a world-class digital library including e-resources. Secondly, going for international accreditation, engagement of internationally-reputed faculties, attracting high-quality students from across the globe, scholarship to high-performing students and scholars are included in the action plan, said sources.
The university would go in for research awards for best quality publications and encourage presentation of research papers in international conferences, workshops and seminars. Creating research groups in collaboration with reputed national and international laboratories, universities and institutes is also on card.
The university would also encourage the faculties to file patents and other IPRs for original research works.
Establishing scientific and academic chairs and international advisory boards for quality enhancement in academics, research and administration facilitating distinguished lectures and scientist programmes have also been planned.
Creating endowments with the help of individuals, industries and alumni, establishing research centres to address local issues and cutting-edge researches would be undertaken by the university.
The action plan targets to achieve at least 90 per cent of sanctioned strength for faculties and to bring down teacher-student ratio from 1:20 to 1:10. The university would rope in faculties from foreign countries, Governments, industries and NGOs.There would be collaboration with global universities; and in the mean time, five international universities have been tied up, said sources.
The university would also go for accreditation with AICTE, NCTE, NBA, IAU and SAQS. World ranking initiative would be taken by the university and academic engagement would be undertaken in an organised way with Visiting Fellows, Emeritus Professors, Adjunct Faculty, Post Doctoral Fellows and others.
There would be international exchange programmes and faculty and student exchange programmes with reputed global universities and institutes.
There would be wider involvement of alumni to avail their expertise in academics, research and innovation. Industry-academia interface would be taken up and, accordingly, five memorandums of understanding (MoUs) would be signed in next two years.
Moreover, the university as part of its social extension and outreach programme has decided to adopt ten villages. These villages would be surveyed in details and there would be propagation of the AKRUTI Technology developed by the Bhava Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai.