Emerging models of governance in higher education, administrative and financial management, autonomy and accountability of the university system and the role of regulatory authorities, including the University Grants Commission (UGC), will be among the key topics to be discussed during the three-day all-Indiavice-chancellors’ conference to be hosted by the city from November 12.
The conference, which is to be held at the Bharati Vidyapeeth University’s (BVU) integrated academic campus at Katraj here, coincides with the 85th annual meeting of the Association of Indian Universities (AIU), the apex body of universities in the country. It has been jointly organised by the AIU and the UGC.
Speaking to reporters here on Tuesday, BVU vice-chancellorShivajiraoKadam said, “The higher education scenario in the country has gone through significant change in the last decade and this has led to the emergence of several critical issues relating to governance of higher education institutions (HEIs). For instance, affiliation of colleges and the need to address the acute shortage of quality teachers in higher education. Governance was, as such, preferred as the main theme for the impending conference and the AIU meet.”
Uttamrao Bhoite, a former V-C of the BVU, said, “Conventional systems of administration of the university system have fallen way behind in the wake of the post-1991 open economy in India, globalisation and the advent of new information and communication technology (ICT), internet etc. This has further necessitated the need for HEIs to explore new models of governance that are in tune with the changes.”
“The anticipated entry of foreign education in india providers and the resultant requirement for Indian HEIs to be prepared to take on the competition; gradual withdrawal of the government from the higher education system and increasing emphasis on private initiatives makes it imperative for the HEIs to opt for structural and functional changes,” said Bhoite. The three-day conclave will take an overview about these developments, he added.
Other issues to be deliberated are: human resource development (HRD) ministry vis-a-vis regulatory authorities; central regulatory authorities and autonomy of university, public private partnership in higher education, cross-country collaboration and addressing the faculty shortage.
According to Kadam, at least 250 vice chancellors of various central and state universities, deemed as well as private universities and autonomous institutions have confirmed their presence for the conference. Similarly, senior officials from the HRD ministry, UGC and other regulatory bodies like the AICTE, Medical and Dental Councils of India, Bar Council of India, among others, will be present.
Union minister for science and technology Prithviraj Chavan will inaugurate the event, while Maharashtra governor K Shankaranarayanan will preside over the inaugural session. Founder chancellor of BVU Patangrao Kadam, secretaryVishwajeet Kadam, higher and technical education ministerRajesh Tope, UGC chairmanSukhdeo Thorat, secretaryNiloufer Kazmi, AIU president and IIIT, Allahabad director M D Tiwari and secretary general Beena Shah will be among the prominent figures to attend the conference.
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