VISAKHAPATNAM: Andhra University will usher in some radical reforms in the education system as a part of measures for the growth and encouragement of entrepreneurship and smart skills among the students. University vice-chancellor GSN Raju discussed implementation of some decisions like the gap-year concept, a structured period of time when students take a break from formal education to increase self-awareness, and experiment with career options.
On the occasion, Raju said that in the gap-year concept, a student can take a break from the course after a year of pursuing it and go for some startup or entrepreneurship training and other useful career courses after informing the university about it, and providing valid authentication. He also said that the courses had valid duration for completion, like a two-year course could be done in four years, a five-year course in 10 years. The students could make use of the facility.
The V-C also spoke about the smart startups concept, where students in the weekends could visit the startup camps and come up with successful developments and designs. Students will be credited with five marks in every subject and get 20 per cent attendance for the activity.
Massive Open Online Course which would provide interactive user forums to support community interactions between students, professors and faculty, will also be introduced. It is popular in the United States and the Western countries are also adopting it, he explained.
Raju said that they would be converting one year B.Ed and M.Ed programmes into two years and would consider introducing three-year integrated B.Ed course.
A diploma course in Japanese language, M.Phil and Ph.D programmes through the Centre for Gandhian Studies, focus on research in gerontology would also be started next year, he said. The varsity senate also gave the nod for introduction of six-year integrated course where graduate degree would be awarded after four years and M.Tech degree after six years.
The V-C said they had introduced zero-deficit budget in the university for the first time. He said they had also decided to go head with the construction of hostel buildings, sports complexes and staff quarters.