Shadow Correspondent
JAMMU, NOV 06-
In order to expose the young minds, faculty members of the University of Jammu to the experts from national and international repute and to make University of Jammu emerge an important hub of academic discussions, one of the significant interventions has been to institutionalise the Benchmark Lecture Series under RUSA 2.0. These types of lectures are more so required at a point of time, when University of Jammu is celebrating its 50th year of its existence. Benchmarking helps the institution to identify the ways and means by which University can evaluate, analysis and set new benchmarks in teaching, research and innovations.
Aaron Benavot, Professor of Global Education Policy in the school of Education at the University of Albany-SUNY in his keynote address spoke on “The Global Monitoring of Education: Probing its Intended Effects and Unintended Conseq uences.”Prof Benavot eloquently talked about the role of global monitoring agencies such as UNESCO,OECD and the world Bank in the education landscape in the past decade or two. He further said that every Country must assess its populations in terms of its human capital, skills and knowledge that its adults gain through formal, informal education, workforce training, and lifelong learning. The policy makers must also ask new set of questions such as what is the relationship between literacy skills and the ability to benefit from employer-supported training and lifelong learning etcetera. Prof Benavot exhorted that faculty and the civil society should review the written curriculum to guarantee that the goals and objectives make sense and are attainable within the constraints of the program. He further said that international education reports, the attention of media and policy attention they garner, significantly alter the terms of debate among different stakeholders and succeed in fostering and legitimating serious education reform efforts. He also emphasised upon to explore whether these changes have bought measurable improvements in the provision and quality of education in different Countries.
Prof Manoj Dhar, Vice-Chancellor, University of Jammu in his presidential address congratulated the HRDC,JU for organising 6th Benchmark series lecture as was the target being set by the University of Jammu. He said in next six months, University is envisaging to hold six more bench mark series lectures of eminent experts in varied fields for capacity building and enhancing the quality and excellence in teaching, research and innovations in the Campus. Prof Dhar complimented Prof Benavot for his elucidate lecture which also touched upon fifteen reports being released by UNESCO, OECD and the World Bank. Prof Dhar said that India has remarkably done well for the out of the school children in spite of varied challenges it faces and from time to time have launched various schemes to increase the literacy rate among its masses. University of Jammu is having large number of affiliated Colleges . Through these affiliated Colleges, the University is monitoring the dissemination of quality education at Undergraduate level and to ensure that the education reaches at the door steps of its people University has opened 7 offsite Campuses in its hinterlands, said Prof Dhar. He said that University invited approx. 300 experts of national and international repute to undergo “Curriculum Reforms” under RUSA scheme (Phase II) to update and restructure course curriculum for Master Degree Programme.
Earlier Prof Rahul Gupta, Director, HRDC delivered the formal welcome address. Prof Renu Nanda Dean, Faculty of Education, University of Jammu introduced the keynote speaker to the audience. Sh Ranjeet Kalra, teaching faculty delivered the formal vote of thanks.
Among others Prof R.K Ganjoo, Registrar, University of Jammu, Prof Arvind Jasrotia, Director, CDC, Prof Jigar Mohd, Prof Mubarak Singh, faculty members, students, scholars, staff were also present on the occasion.
