CHENNAI: Worried over the poor financial condition of state universities, the higher education department has mooted an idea to make them self-sufficient – start a training programme for faculty members of state universities through which they can provide consultancy work to industries and generate revenue.
Taking a cue from institutions like IIT Madras, which works closely with industries, generating revenue through consultancy work, the state government has decided to guide and supervise state universities to work on similar lines.
According to higher education department officials, a blueprint of the training programme is being chalked out. The Tamil Nadu State Council for Higher Education (TANSCHE) will be conducting the training programme for the faculty with the help of experts from the industry and academia.
Officials said most departments in state universities like Anna University, University of Madras, and Bharathiar University have been doing commendable research work and have varied expertise, but they often keep their research to themselves.
“We need to train them on taking up consultancy work for industries so that their dependency on the state government for funds reduces. The universities should realise that nowadays it’s not just about teaching, they need to provide exposure to students by taking up industry projects in changing times,” said a senior higher education official.
To effectively train state universities in attracting more consultancy work, officials said the faculty will be taught techniques to enhance communication skills, and establish strong relationships with potential clients. “Additionally, universities should establish centres of excellence and leverage their existing research capabilities to offer specialised consulting services,” said a higher education department official.
A TANSCHE official said they will be starting the training in phases for state universities very soon. Currently, they are focussing on training the faculty on outcome-based education models and pedagogy.