BDU allows research scholars to get co-guide in nearby institutions

BDU allows research scholars to get co-guide in nearby institutions

TNN | Oct 10, 2020, 04.15 AM IST

Trichy: Liberalising its part-time PhD norms, Bharathidasan University (BDU) has allowed scholars employed in other states and countries to get a co-supervisor from a nearby government institution or university.

Usually, the guide has to appoint a co-supervisor at their place of work. However, many are unable to find a co-supervisor within their organisation.

Easing the norms will allow the candidate to look for co-supervisors from the same discipline in the nearby institutions and help them pursue PhD.

There are roughly 1,000 candidates who have registered for part-time PhD programme with the BDU.

“It was a long-pending request from students and supervisors as many candidates working in IT companies and other organisations could not find a co-supervisor of the same discipline with in their organisation,” said registrar G Gopinath.

He cited the example of a senior vice-president of Microsoft working in the US, who wanted to do PhD in BDU, but was unable to find a co-guide or co-supervisor, which was delaying the PhD programme.

Relaxation of norms will help the candidate approach a nearby government institution or university. The candidate needs to get a letter of official guideship from the respective university and it should be forwarded by the head of the institution. The co-supervisor should attend the departmental research committee (DRC) and doctoral committee (DC) meetings in person or through online.

A senior faculty from BDU said that easing of norms should not have been restricted to government institutions alone. “It would have been better had the BDU research committee considered reputed private institutions or universities for the candidates to look for his or her co-supervisor,” said the faculty member.

Research director S Muthusamy could not be reached despite repeated attempts.