Jawaharlal Nehru University is in the process of building five high-tech studios on the campus to “videograph” lectures of its faculty members, a step for making the university “borderless” and “barrier-free” and then likely to put them online.
In an exclusive interview with The Pioneer, JNU Vice Chancellor M Jagadesh Kumar said this was his first step to making the campus “absolutely boundless”.
“We are creating five studios to videograph the lectures of our faculty members. These lectures could benefit those who are not full timers and are pursuing the certificate courses - many of which the university is preparing to introduce. I am a firm supporter of borderless, boundless and barrier free campus and this is the first step towards that. Once the lectures are recorded, they would be played and also shared for learning. I think beyond the traditional class room,” said Kumar.
The V-C said the university will begin this “facility” by doing a “phase wise” recording. “We will choose courses which appeal to the students more...several courses would be recorded phase wise,” he said.
“We have to communicate and connect with the realities...The university has goals to perform. It cannot live in an Ivory Tower. Giving access to teaching to more students would be an achievement,” he added.
Over the issue of ex- servicemen visiting the campus and proposing to “showcase a tank” on the campus for instilling nationalism among students, the V-C said the defense officials find a “strong psychological link to JNU”.
“May defense institutes are affiliated to JNU thus their degrees and certificates are stamped by JNU. They came to meet me and express their connection. They want to closely interact with us and we would also interact with them,” Kumar asserted.