Kuwaiti varsities to train MKU faculty

TNN | Updated: Nov 24, 2017, 00:33 IST

 

Madurai:Faculty from two Kuwaiti universities would be visiting Madurai Kamaraj University (MKU) to teach professors on the nuances of preparing the university to achieve world ranking. This was agreed upon at a recent visit of vice-chancellor P P Chellathurai to Kuwait.

Speaking to mediapersons on Thursday, Chellathurai said that he visited Kuwait University and Gulf University for Science and Technology, two of the top ranked universities in the world. In order to prepare MKU to focus on world ranking, he had requested some of their faculty to visit MKU, he said.

He also said that Educational Multimedia Research Centre (EMRC) at MKU has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Consortium for Educational Communication (CEC) in New Delhi, which is the nodal agency between University Grants Commission (UGC) and EMRCs. They produce educational television programmes and e-contents on various subjects.

As the result of the MoU, EMRC at MKU will establish a 'digital lounge' that it is free of cost to learners, distraction free, no requirement of internet connection, downloadable contents and the entire UG and PG curriculum in digital mode. EMRC will provide the contents to affiliated colleges for establishing similar digital lounges in their campus.

The colleges have to pay a nominal membership fee, which will be shared between the university and CEC, he said.

Pursuing the digital initiatives of the country, MKU has offered two massive open online courses (MOOC) in sociology, namely glimpses of Indian Social Legislation and Social Welfare and Population studies.

As many as 171 and 241 learners from across the country have been enrolled respectively and certificates will be issued soon, Chellathurai said. Seven more MOOCs will be uploaded soon. The EMRC at MKU has produced e-content materials for UG curriculum on specialised subjects as well, he added.