South Asian University to offer wider choice to students
Mohammad Shahidul Islam | Sunday, 10 August 2008
THE posh South Asian University (SAU) is expected to start by 2010. It will be going in for a "cafeteria approach" (freedom of choice in opting subjects) where students can go straight for studying science and humanities courses.
The regular university of the regional grouping, to be set up on the lines of American Ivy League universities, will also instruct students and hire faculty from across the globe so that it is not restricted to "narrow distinctive barriers".
The proposal for SAU was made by Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at the SAARC Summit in Dhaka in December 2005 and later endorsed by the eight member nations.
External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee laid its foundation at a 100-acre plot in Maidan Garhi, in south Delhi on May 26 this year. The campus construction is due to start early next year.
This university cannot be weighed against any other in the region. It will give birth to global students from the region. Faculty, course curricula, facilities and infrastructure will be of global standards.
A course likely on offer is a conflict resolution given that terrorism is a major problem confronting the world but the final decision on academic activities will be taken in February next year when the curricula and by-laws would be drafted.
In a cafeteria one can pick and choose any item he/she likes. In this university too, one can have more liberty and wider choice and there will be no narrow distinctive barriers.
The initial investment for SAU will be made by the Indian government after which the member countries could contribute and the university would also raise money from international financial institutions and donors.
The university could take up special studies on economy, culture, religion and societies in the SAARC nations. The progress of the university will be monitored at three layers - inter-ministerial committee, inter-governmental steering committee and a sub-committee.
The sub-committee, which comprises the UGC chairman of each country, is in charge of implementing the project and selected Chadha for the post of CEO.
The governance structure of SAU, with link campuses in Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan and Afghanistan, will be laid down by February 2008.
Gowhar Rizvi of Harvard University, who was entrusted with the task of preparing the university's concept note, has advised a middle path between Government-funded and private education.
The role of the SAARC nation Governments will be confined to providing annual subsidies and grants, the concept note has recommended. Earnestly it hopes, SAU will enlighten the whole South Asia to compete the present day globalization.
The South Asian University will surely contribute greatly to the higher education of this region and thus will add to the skilled human resources for the new century.
Mohammad Shahidul Islam studied at the department of English in University of Chittagong. Email: [email protected]
The regular university of the regional grouping, to be set up on the lines of American Ivy League universities, will also instruct students and hire faculty from across the globe so that it is not restricted to "narrow distinctive barriers".
The proposal for SAU was made by Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at the SAARC Summit in Dhaka in December 2005 and later endorsed by the eight member nations.
External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee laid its foundation at a 100-acre plot in Maidan Garhi, in south Delhi on May 26 this year. The campus construction is due to start early next year.
This university cannot be weighed against any other in the region. It will give birth to global students from the region. Faculty, course curricula, facilities and infrastructure will be of global standards.
A course likely on offer is a conflict resolution given that terrorism is a major problem confronting the world but the final decision on academic activities will be taken in February next year when the curricula and by-laws would be drafted.
In a cafeteria one can pick and choose any item he/she likes. In this university too, one can have more liberty and wider choice and there will be no narrow distinctive barriers.
The initial investment for SAU will be made by the Indian government after which the member countries could contribute and the university would also raise money from international financial institutions and donors.
The university could take up special studies on economy, culture, religion and societies in the SAARC nations. The progress of the university will be monitored at three layers - inter-ministerial committee, inter-governmental steering committee and a sub-committee.
The sub-committee, which comprises the UGC chairman of each country, is in charge of implementing the project and selected Chadha for the post of CEO.
The governance structure of SAU, with link campuses in Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan and Afghanistan, will be laid down by February 2008.
Gowhar Rizvi of Harvard University, who was entrusted with the task of preparing the university's concept note, has advised a middle path between Government-funded and private education.
The role of the SAARC nation Governments will be confined to providing annual subsidies and grants, the concept note has recommended. Earnestly it hopes, SAU will enlighten the whole South Asia to compete the present day globalization.
The South Asian University will surely contribute greatly to the higher education of this region and thus will add to the skilled human resources for the new century.
Mohammad Shahidul Islam studied at the department of English in University of Chittagong. Email: [email protected]