GNDU plans to set up Global Outreach Cell
After securing funding for establishing the Guru Nanak Dev Sikh Studies Chair at Guru Nanak Dev University, Prof Karamjeet Singh, Vice-Chancellor, Guru Nanak Dev University, said that the varsity has now signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Samarkand University, Uzbekistan, to promote academic and cultural collaboration. Addressing a conference today, the VC who has just returned from his tour of the USA, said that the university will now focus on global outreach and has established a Global Outreach Cell for this purpose, with Prof Preet Mohinder Singh Bedi as its head.
“We managed to reach out successfully to the Punjabi diaspora in USA and with an endowment exceeding Rs 3 crore, we are establishing the Guru Nanak Chair, alongside student scholarships. Talks are going on with UC Davis for academic collaboration and campus development. In Canada, meetings with leading universities, including the University of British Columbia, which is the second best government university in Canada, focused on joint research and academic exchange. Similarly, our MoU with Samarkand University will allow our faculty, initially a team of eight academicians, to teach at Samarkand for a week and their faculty members will come and teach our students,” said the VC.
Calling it a roadmap for GNDU’s value-based expansion plans, Prof Karamjeet Singh said that the visit aimed to enhance partnerships in research, faculty exchange and innovative academic programmes, marking a significant step towards global academic excellence.
During the visit, Prof Singh met with Dr Lalitha R. Wilms, Professor and Dean of Pharmaceutical Sciences, at the University of British Columbia, to discuss potential collaborations in cutting-edge research and academic initiatives. In a meeting with Dr Bashir Makhoul, president and vice-chancellor, University of Canada West, Prof Singh explored opportunities for joint academic ventures and knowledge exchange. Discussions with Joanne MacLean, president and vice-chancellor, University of the Fraser Valley focused on strengthening ties through collaborative programmes and faculty engagement. Prof Singh held productive talks to identify avenues for partnership in applied research and academic innovation at Kwantlen Polytechnic University (KPU), Surrey.
Prof Karamjeet Singh said that Guru Nanak Dev University has introduced a series of forward-looking academic programmes in Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, Environmental Science, Design, Journalism, and Business Analytics. “A key highlight is the launch of 100 university-funded PhD fellowships of Rs 8,000 per month, a first-of-its-kind initiative reflecting GNDU’s commitment to research and academic excellence. We have already secured funds up to Rs 37 lakh through our outreach activities and through various nodal agencies for research and education. We are hopeful that we can begin with our scholarships this year onward and sustain them as well,” he said. The scholars being awarded these scholarships will be under review, he said, to ensure quality research comes out of university. The university has also embedded entrepreneurship in every degree and expanded access to online learning through dual degree and certificate options, he added.
Major capital projects like Dashmesh Auditorium, Centre for Entrepreneurship and Health Sciences Research Centre, are being fast-tracked to modernise the campus experience.
Marking the 350th birth anniversary of Guru Tegh Bahadur, he said that the university has committed to organising at least 350 events across its main campus and affiliated colleges by December this year. These events aim to honour the Guru’s legacy through academic, cultural and social engagement. Additionally, a Rose Garden will be established in the Guru Nanak Dev University and the Fountain Chowk will be re-designed keeping in view the philosophy of Guru Nanak’s teachings.
Amritsar