VTU, celebrating silver jubilee, draws up various plans to go forward

Belagavi

Visvesvaraya Technological University (VTU) in Belagavi, which is celebrating silver jubilee this year, is set to witness several reforms and undergo several changes in its structure.

Vice-Chancellor of the university S. Vidyashankar has drawn up short-term and long-term plans for the institution to go forward.

In the ensuing months, he has plans to modernise the institution, fix some issues with evaluation and revaluation, renew the curriculum, work in coordination with industry to increase chances of internship, onsite training and employment.

“Our long-term plans include evolution of VTU into a new age university of global standards. It will include turning the university into a multi-disciplinary institution as per the mandate of the New National Education Policy, set up an all-India level institution that offers various types of technical courses in the online mode and to set up a centre to train teachers and engineering students that offers short-term courses,” Prof. Vidyashankar told The Hindu.

Meanwhile, the university will organise various programmes round the year to mark its silver jubilee. They will include lectures from entrepreneurs, academics and eminent personalities and industry-academia interactions.

As an immediate measure, the university will work with industry to renew the curriculum. “We are holding a meeting with corporate leaders in Bengaluru on February 8 to ask them to contribute to our curriculum formation and renewal. Several IT and non-IT engineering companies will participate,” the Vice-Chancellor said.

“We have ambitious plans to develop VTU into a multi-disciplinary institution that offers courses in arts, commerce and science. We are going to construct teaching blocks and students hostels on land on VTU campuses in Belagavi and other places that have not been utilised. Inter-disciplinary education involves integration of arts and commerce subjects with STEM subjects. This can lead to creativity and innovation, problem-solving abilities, teamwork and increased social awareness among students, he said.