HYDERABAD: Universities should come up with alternative models of education and need to move forward at a rapid pace to make our education globally competitive and to equip the youth for new challenges, Governor ESL Narasimhan has said.
Speaking at the 17th convocation of the University of Hyderabad here on Thursday, Narasimhan said, “Landline phones have given way to mobiles and banks to ATMs. All these show how the education system can reposition itself to meet the new demands. The current curricula may satisfy the regulatory regime but can be made better. The challenges before the universities is to come up with alternative models of education. Similarly, governance structures have to facilitate innovation. Look for out-of-the-box solutions to development models to make our education globally competitive and to equip our youth for new challenges.”
He said youth were restless and sometimes aggressive, and universities would have to make policy inputs on how to harvest their energies for a productive phase. With policy improvisation, youth can be empowered to drive economic and social change.
“Creating an ecosystem where universities can dynamically interact with the larger environment so as to come up with solutions is the need of the hour. We look at solutions to emerge from our universities and labs, and enlighten the minds. The question is are we equal to the challenge? How can we find solutions to the growing knowledge divide? Towards this we will have to reorient our higher education, we have to create an autonomous and enabled institutions and, at the same time, make pursuit of excellence a part of the core.”
Narasimhan said the challenge before the young scholars was to excel. “The challenge as well as the opportunity of the young and liberated minds is in trying to redraw the ever-expanding tools of knowledge. This journey from known to the unknown, from darkness to light is really what higher education is all about, and this journey of discovery is a reward in itself,” Narasimhan said.
Presenting the academic report, vice-chancellor Appa Rao Podile said, “Our commitment is to fashion a unique and excellent research university, which will not only be an asset to the country but also a role model for other institutions. Ours is a very special university in the way in which it has made a name for itself and the way it has grown. Our aim is to continue to excel and make it much more special.”
In all, 1,491 students received their degrees, 193 of them PhDs. A total number of 109 medals were presented to students for excelling in their respective fields. Five faculty members received the chancellor’s award for their contribution to research, teaching and mentoring of students.