The Delhi University (DU) will be providing assistance to students of Islamic University of Science & Technology (IUST) in Kashmir by sending experts of mathematics to teach a consolidated semester in the next few months.
As a part of a memorandum of understanding between the two universities in 2011, DU is planning to engage more by giving a specialised platform and infrastructure to their students. DU Vice-Chancellor Dinesh Singh said he welcomed more institutions to engage with DU for student and faculty exchange.
"We are in the process of sending our faculty to teach students in Kashmir. Students from both universities of Kashmir visited DU in 2012 and this year in January for a two- month internship at the cluster innovation centre (CIC). Our mathematics teacher, Umesh Kumar, delivered lectures in a two-week visit at IUST in July last year. We are planning to engage in a long term relationship with respect to academic and research based exchange," said Singh.
"According to availability of our staff, we will soon send peoples for their help," said Madan Chaturvedi, Dean of Research at DU.
Fozia Qazi, the head of mathematics department of IUST, said students are eager to take up projects with DU as their own infrastructure is weak and they have approached DU for academic assistance.
"For giving our students job-oriented training, we introduced a course BSc in actuarial and financial mathematics some years ago. It is one of the first in the entire country and valley does not have efficient teaching staff for specialised courses. To counter this, Delhi University had sent an expert teacher last year who took extra classes to teach a tough part of the syllabi. The students and faculty here was extremely satisfied with the whole engagement and this year students are demanding more teachers for assistance," said Qazi.
"The duration period of college examination and vacations is different in Kashmir so accordingly we will decide on sending the faculty so that it does not hamper with their work here. The DU wants to extend its support to the students who need academic help and efforts are being put to share more resources to benefit the students through the National Knowledge Network," Chaturvedi said and highlighted that the DU was interested in such exchanges with the universities across India.
"The Vice-Chancellor was the one who signed the MoU in Kashmir. It is his vision to reach out and seek assistance for DU students also. Unlike other Indian universities who tie up with foreign institutions DU has taken initiatives for students at Jamia Milia Islamia and institutions in Kashmir," added Chaturvedi.