Garhwal Post Bureau
Dehradun, 13 Aug: Governor Lieutenant General Gurmit Singh (Retd), on Thursday, chaired the second-phase meeting with Vice-Chancellors of self-financed (private) universities of Uttarakhand at the Lok Bhavan, here. Vice-Chancellors of 14 universities participated in the meeting.
During the meeting, the Vice-Chancellors presented the achievements, future plans and challenges of their respective universities. Important suggestions were also discussed regarding promotion of research, development of a patent culture, commercialisation of patents, industry-academia collaboration, national-level shared research facilities, and greater coordination among universities.
The Governor said that universities must not limit their role to awarding degrees but should prepare students comprehensively for employment, industry, society and nation-building, while equipping them to contribute to the goal of a developed India by 2047. He emphasised that higher educational institutions should advance education in the spirit of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and prepare students to face future challenges.
The Governor said that one of the biggest challenges before society today is to provide the youth with the right direction. Along with addressing challenges such as drug abuse, it is essential to provide young people with a drug-free and positive environment. Universities should also give priority to inculcating ethical values, cultural traditions, values and character-building among students.
He said that education in the 21st century faces new challenges, including environmental protection as well as emerging technologies such as the metaverse, semiconductors, space technology, cybersecurity and artificial intelligence (AI). Universities must promote education and research in these areas. He stressed the need to focus on research, publications and citations, and said patents should not remain limited to registration but should be taken forward towards commercialisation.
The Governor urged universities to identify research areas according to the needs and potential of Uttarakhand. He said research topics should be selected in such a way that they can make a direct contribution to the development of the state.
He also suggested that universities work towards preserving their identity and heritage by publishing books on their founders and institutional history, producing films documenting their journey, and preparing coffee-table books.
The Governor said that all universities in the state should develop a strong academic and research ecosystem through mutual cooperation and coordination. He emphasised that the true value of a university’s achievements lies in their ability to benefit students, society, industry and the overall development of Uttarakhand.
The meeting was attended by Governor’s Legal Adviser Kaushal Kishore Shukla, Secretary, Higher Education, Dr BVRC Purushottam, Additional Secretary to the Governor Reena Joshi, and the Vice-Chancellors of Jigyasa University, Selakui; Patanjali University, Haridwar; Motherhood University, Roorkee; Maharaja Agrasen Himalayan Garhwal University, Pokhra, Pauri Garhwal; Bhagwant Global University, Kotdwar; Sparsh Himalaya University, Dehradun; Surajmal University, Kichha, Udham Singh Nagar; Dev Bhoomi University, Dehradun; Amrapali University, Haldwani; Mind Power University, Bhimtal; Maya Devi University, Selakui; Smt. Manjira Devi University, Uttarkashi; North West Himalayas University, Dharkot, Dehradun; and Phoenix University, Roorkee.
