IIT-Delhi & JNU to coming together to offer research facility

Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi and Jawaharlal Nehru University have joined hands to offer programmes under the meta-university scheme. These two institutes are thinking to sing a formal understanding by December, 2013 which will provide PhD scholars from either to earn credits by studying in both.

This long-term plan includes conducting master’s programmes jointly and faculty exchange. IIT-Delhi and JNU has agreed that they will work as per the original agreement and were in talks to the first initiative research collaboration before starting any academic programme.

As per the director of IIT Delhi RK Shevgaonkar, the talks are in final stage and “the two institutions will sign a formal MoU soon on the collaboration. According to plans so far, we are starting with research and would like to allow our respective PhD scholars to earn credits for doing part of their studies in either institution.”

While IIT Delhi is trying to woo the perspective research scholars in the areas of humanities and social studies and tapping the potential in JNU, collaboration with JNU’s biotechnology is also on the cards. Prof. Anurag Sharma, dean, said, “Research is very specialized and we get a lot of students for research in humanities. Our students can go to JNU and study in their school of social sciences or language and earn credits. Similarly, JNU students from the school of physical and natural sciences as well as biotechnology can benefit from our programmes.”

In humanities, students from both institutions will select courses offered and IIT and JNU will work out on the modalities for credit transfer. The students will receive their degrees from respective institutions.

IIT is thinking to increase the number of PhDs to double in the coming four to five years. Presently, it offers nearly 180 to 190 PhD degrees which is likely to increase to 400 to 450 annually. Presently, there are 2,101 PhD enrolled and as per Sharma, “we have allowed more candidates to register for PhDs so that we get to the desired number in another four years. As an institution, our focus is on research, which is why even the meta-university concept we are starting with JNU is to do with research collaboration.”