BENGALURU: To create new value propositions, the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) will set up a research centre for higher education that will provide the right interventions for policy-making and schemes.
Ganesan Kannabiran, Director, NAAC, said the Centre for Research in Higher Education, recently approved by the executive committee, will provide data collected over the years to institutes or agencies on a ‘project-to-project basis’.
“For so many years, NAAC has been collecting data from primary sources, but neither government bodies nor agencies have explored the use of such a vital database. Through NAAC funds, we will hire institutions or agencies to analyse this data. The research questions will come from either the government or institutions such as the UGC,” he added.
He said the database can be used to figure out the employability of some courses, create qualitative interventions, create focus groups, and much more. “NAAC will first sanitise this data and not reveal any sensitive information such as names and locations of institutions. This centre is part of our long-term plans for the body.”
NAAC is also looking at venturing into accrediting courses such as yoga programmes, not just across the country, but also globally. Announcing a collaboration with S-Vyasa University in Bengaluru, the director said, “There is a growing demand to accredit programmes, especially in yoga. There are at least 11 universities in India alone providing PG courses in yoga, and institutes in the USA and other countries are also keen on getting accredited from India.”