Garhwal Post Bureau
Pantnagar, 5 Nov: Govind Ballabh Pant University of Agriculture and Technology (GBPUAT), Pantnagar, has achieved international recognition by securing a place in the QS Asia University Rankings 2027, marking a significant milestone in its pursuit of academic excellence, research advancement and global engagement.
A press conference was organised today under the chairmanship of Vice-Chancellor Dr. Shivendra Kumar Kashyap at Conference Room-II of the Vice-Chancellor’s Office, which was attended by representatives of print and electronic media.
Addressing the media, the Vice-Chancellor described the achievement as a reflection of the university’s sustained commitment to quality education, research, innovation and institutional development. He termed it a collective accomplishment of the university’s faculty members, scientists, researchers, employees and students. He emphasised that, as India’s first agricultural university, Pantnagar has a responsibility not only to excel in academics but also to provide new dimensions to agricultural education, enhance farmers’ income through scientific research and modern technologies, and contribute meaningfully to the national vision of Viksit Bharat @ 2047.
Dr. S.K. Kashyap stated that the university’s objective extends beyond securing a position in international rankings. Its foremost priority is to translate research outcomes from laboratories into practical applications in fields and markets, while developing sustainable revenue models through research and innovation. Describing Pantnagar University as an important national academic institution, he stressed the need for greater support and encouragement for its research and development initiatives. He expressed confidence that the university would strengthen its international standing and make its presence felt in the QS World University Rankings in the coming years.
Providing an overview of the rankings, the Vice-Chancellor informed that the QS Asia University Rankings 2027 featured 1,722 universities across 26 higher education systems. The University of Hong Kong secured the first position, followed by Peking University and the National University of Singapore. India had 325 universities represented in the rankings, compared with 448 from China. Notably, 34 Indian universities made their debut, while 21 Indian institutions secured positions among the top 200. Highlighting the university’s recent initiatives and future roadmap, Dr. S.K. Kashyap outlined several measures undertaken to strengthen its academic, research and innovation ecosystem. These include encouraging research proposals under the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF), improving the quality of research publications, pursuing more than 40 new patents, promoting smart agricultural technologies, establishing drone technology training centres, strengthening international academic networks, fostering a vibrant startup and innovation ecosystem, enhancing student placement opportunities and preparing for ICAR accreditation. The university is also working towards expanding collaborations and institutional linkages with more than 20 national and international organisations. Explaining the major parameters of the QS rankings, he highlighted that academic reputation carries a weightage of 30 per cent and employer reputation 20 per cent. Other parameters include faculty-student ratio, citations per research paper, research publications per faculty member, international research network, international faculty and student representation, faculty members holding Ph.D. degrees, and institutional sustainability. He emphasised that sustained, coordinated and result-oriented efforts are essential to improve the university’s performance across these parameters.
The Vice-Chancellor also highlighted the university’s efforts in securing competitive research funding, stating that Pantnagar had submitted the highest number of research project proposals under ANRF. He urged scientists and researchers to participate actively in national-level competitive research programmes and intensify their efforts towards quality publications, research grants and impactful innovations. He further informed that a series of meetings had been conducted to review and strengthen the university’s academic and research performance. These deliberations focused on faculty-student ratio, quality research publications, citations, academic achievements, student performance, classroom teaching standards and the overall quality of academic programmes. Increasing the number of patents, research projects, research grants, innovation initiatives and international student enrolments has also been identified as a priority in the university’s future development strategy.
Dr. S.K. Kashyap stated that the university must effectively showcase its academic and research capabilities at the global level through excellence in research, innovation, international collaborations and a progressive academic environment. He added that the university’s achievements have significance beyond the institution itself, contributing to Uttarakhand’s academic advancement and agricultural development. He expressed confidence that sustained collective efforts, effective institutional management and stronger national and international partnerships would enable Pantnagar University to attain greater recognition on the global academic landscape.
The programme was conducted by Dr. Arpita Sharma Kandpal, Assistant Director, Communication, Dr. S.K. Guru, Nodal Officer, Planning and Technical Cell; Dr. Mamtesh Kumar; Dr. Pankaj Kumar; Dr. Ravi Mohan Srivastava; Dr. Manisha Rani; Dr. J.P. Purwar; and representatives of print and electronic media were present on the occasion.
