The State Government which has planned to open Centres of Excellence (COEs) in three of its prime and oldest universities is contemplating tie-up with foreign varsities to boost the brand value of COEs.
The Higher Education Department has asked Utkal, Sambalpur and Berhampur universities to send their proposals by March end so that the collaborations could be worked out by next academic session.
The Department has identified 13 subjects in the three universities. Physics, Chemistry, Geology, Psychology and Anthropology have been selected for Utkal University, Economics, English, Sociology, Physics and Chemistry are for Sambalpur and Industrial Relations and Personnel Management, Botany and Zoology for Berhampur University, .
To boost the brand, collaborations with universities of UK, USA and Australia will be explored.. The Department has mooted that renowned professors and teachers will be invited as visiting faculties.
Similarly, tie-up with National Institute of Science Education and Research, IIT-Bhubaneswar and Institute of Physics and other national institutes will also be explored.
The curriculum will be changed by respective universities taking into account the modern advanced studies that are prevalent in advanced universities across the globe.
Besides, the Department has instructed that laboratories of all the three universities must be upgraded to facilitate the COEs. Vice-Chancellors of these universities have been asked to arrange funds for lab upgradation from internal sources, hold monthly review meetings and send progress report to the Department.
Utkal University has chalked out new curriculum in five identified subjects. Basing on UGC recommendation, choice-based credit system has been introduced for 2013-14 academic year. It has also planned to extend the COE to the Departments of MBA and MCA.