OU To Implement Fresh Changes to Fill Academia-Industry Need Gap, Students Elated

HYDERABAD: Osmania University on Friday said that it would be joining hands with alumni from across the globe and industry experts to push for skill and practical application of subject knowledge. The decision was promptly welcomed by students.

"It is a great step towards countering memorising and doing away with rote learning that has done us more harm than good. We hope these discussions and learnings from their professional journeys help us right the wrongs from a very early stage in our career, better, before we even get there," said Ankush Raheja, a BSc student, upon hearing the news.

University Vice Chancellor Prof. D. Ravinder on Friday also listed numerous initiatives to meet the academic needs of students. As part of it, Prof. Ravinder said the university, having launched and restructured courses, was continuing its review of new courses including UG and PG programmes related to mining, special education, artificial intelligence and machine learning, data science, dairy technology, nutrition, forestry, vedic astrology and yoga, among others.

Prof. Ravinder said the university was also revising the syllabi of PG courses as per the choice-based credit system (CBCS) where students have to work for 80 credits. Cluster systems with a multi-disciplinary approach, digital learning, streamlining the academic calendar, university-industry interface and memoranda of understanding with foreign and top universities in the country, augmenting research and funding and focusing on business incubating, were some other initiatives.  

Students said that the integrated credits system and the implementation of a continuous comprehensive evaluation system had brought them great relief. As part of this, the students' performances will be graded almost every week with their assignments, quizzes, debates, lab work and other tiny tests rather than just their final or internal exams.

"To be able to assess our strengths and weakness more often in a semester, without having to wait for the end of it. It helps us introspect and work sooner on our career paths and removes the 'exam fever'," said Sreelata M.N.S., a student. Some others were worried that such a system could only add more pressure.

Asked about instituting a student grievances redressal system, Prof. Ravinder said that they could come up with one soon.  

Meanwhile, work on making the university a closed campus is picking up pace with tenders being floated for the construction of the link road between Vidyanagar-Amberpet side and the Adikmet and Tarnaka road.