Innovative projects and focussed areas

Updated on: Monday, January 30, 2012

Having bagged the status of “Universities with Potential for Excellence (UPE)” from the University Grants Commission (UGC), the University of Mysore, which has plans of breaking into the top 150 universities of the world by 2025 through a multifaceted action plan, has drawn up innovative projects to make a difference.

The university is eligible for a grant of Rs. 50 crore from the UGC under the UPE scheme for launching projects for expanding academic facilities and infrastructure development.

Under UPE, the university has set its vision on developing innovative programmes in basic and emerging disciplines in a phased manner and to update them periodically.

Being one of the respected institutes of higher learning, the university has proposed to involve the faculty and students in an interactive learning environment through contextual and experiential programmes, apart from preparing students to excel in their areas of interest and be the leaders in the worldwide network of knowledge.

The university has identified two “Focussed Areas” of research covering many science and social science departments under the UPE scheme.

Centre of excellence

In the Focussed Area I, the university has decided to spend Rs. 10 crore by setting up a Centre of Excellence in Advanced Functional Materials. In the Focussed Area II, a Centre on Media and Social Development will come up for a case study on Karnataka.

According to the University, the departments primarily involved in research relating to the topic in Focused Area I are physics, chemistry, earth science, biotechnology, microbiology and polymer science.

“The materials considered for research are metal oxides of titanium and zinc – pure, doped and hybrid; carbon polymorphs such as diamond, graphite, and nanoforms and carbon; liquid crystals with large negative dielectric anisotropy and large optical birefringence; and polymer composites with carbon/metal oxides as fillers,” the university said.

Each one of these functional materials has specific technological applications.

The departments primarily involved in research relating to the topic in Focused Area II are journalism and mass communication, social work, political science, economics, anthropology, sociology, Institute of Development Studies, library and information science and Kuvempu Institute of Kannada Studies.

Holistic development

The University will be spending nearly Rs. 35 crore on holistic development. The proposals are:

* Establishment of High Performance Computing (HPC) environment

* Adoption of green technology and solarisation

* “Drusthee,” a centre for education of visually challenged

* Setting up of multimedia learning resource creation centre

* Launch of ‘Earn while you learn' programme

* Setting up of a Centre for Proficiency Development and Placement Services

* Upgradation of university printing division

* Strengthening of laboratories in various departments

* Improving hostel buildings and infrastructure

* e-Governance

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