Lead story: Entrepreneurship-based courses on offer at GNDU now

The recent USA tour of the vice-chancellor of Guru Nanak Dev University Prof Karamjeet Singh has resulted in a roadmap being drafted for the university from this academic session onward. It includes several academic tie-ups with foreign universities, student exchange programmes and a shift towards entrepreneurship education. The most significant development in all this is the embedded entrepreneurship training with every course from now on.

While addressing the change in direction, Prof Karamjeet Singh said that every year in India, approximately 30 lakh students complete their education and become eligible for jobs. “But only 10 lakh students secure employment. The remaining 20 lakh students face a significant challenge in finding jobs. To address this issue, Guru Nanak Dev University has launched various initiatives. The university will offer entrepreneurship-based courses and provide training to students to start their own businesses. This will not only enable students to become self-reliant but also create new job opportunities in the country." Vice-chancellor Prof Karamjeet Singh was also the chairman of the state working committee to draft a roadmap for entrepreneurship.

“Just as Harvard University offers real-time experience and research-backed learning experience to students, we have planned to upgrade our students’ soft skills through refresher courses, like a week-long refresher course on how to set up your own business, which will be imparted to final year students in every programme."

GNDU will also ensure that students do not merely focus on securing jobs but acquire high-quality education to become responsible citizens and contribute positively to society. The initiative is a significant step towards empowering students to be self-sufficient and support the nation’s economic progress. The university has started 53 new courses, targeted to enhance vocational skills, to address the issue.

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. The university has also embedded entrepreneurship in every degree programme and expanded access to online learning through dual degree and certificate options, he added.

Through its infrastructure grants, the Centre for Entrepreneurship and Health Sciences Research Centre are being fast-tracked to modernise the campus experience.

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Amritsar