List of Accepted Abstracts for ICFLT n ICD

Two day National Seminar on “Green Technologies for Sustainable environmental Management”

School of Environment and Natural Resources, Doon University, Dehradun (Uttarakhand) is organizing a two day National Seminar on “Green Technologies for Sustainable environmental Management” during March 27 – 28, 2013 at Dehradun.

The deadline for sending registration forms/submission of abstracts is 20th February 2013. Please circulate or forward this information to faculty members/ research scholars/M.Tech & M.Sc. students in your institute/department/school for their active participation.

For the details of the conference Please download the Brochure here.

The brochure can also be downloaded through the link on University website

 http://www.doonuniversity.ac.in/images/pdf/brochure_doon%20university.pdf

 

Third National Conference on “Data warehousing, data mining and data modelling”

Doon University, Dehradun (Uttarakhand) is organizing a two days Third National Conference on “Data warehousing, data mining and data modelling” during February 23 – 24, 2013 at Dehradun.

For details of the conference please see the brochure that can be downloaded here DWDN as well as at http://www.doonuniversity.ac.in/images/pdf/DWDN.pdf

Interview with the Vice Chancellor, Doon University

Interview with the Vice-Chancellor of Doon University

by Barkha Mathur

“Doon University should gradually move towards innovative mode…” : Prof. Girijesh Pant

Well known for his expertise on West Asian affairs, Prof. Girijesh Pant joined Doon family as Vice Chancellor on 19th january, 2009. Prior to taking over as VC of Doon University, he has also been VC of Guru Ghasidas University (Chattisgarh). He is truly a man of wisdom and holds many positions of responsibility contributing a lot to Higher Education in India. Presently, he is also serving as Professor in School of International Studies of Jawaharlal Nehru University.

Here are some excerpts from the interview:

• Doon University is a source of pride for the people of Uttarakhand. How do you wish to see Doon University after ten years?

Doon University is only two and a half years old and has come up at the time when three processes are happening simultaneously: The global process, the national process and the regional process. We are experiencing a situation where because of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) revolution it is possible to have global networking of ‘education’ (higher education in particular). Universities of India including Doon University, today have to visualize themselves in the global context where universities are going to interact globally more intensely and extensively using ICT. Nationally, government is very keen to enhance gross enrolment ratio to create the demographic dividend and therefore there is an effort to do some fundamental changes as far as the higher education is concerned. Finally, at the regional level we see that Doon University came at the time when the state of Uttarakhand was formed.

Therefore, the first priority of Doon University should be to focus on how to develop the human resources of Uttarakhand and empower it with skill and knowledge. Therefore the most important task for DU for next ten years is to focus on the good teaching and infrastructure development. Its priority should be to build a well structured syllabus and enabling environment. Ten years later it should get engaged extensively and pro actively into the innovative mode. So, ten years down the line, I see Doon University as the prime institution for teaching and learning in Uttarakhand with national and international identity and gradually moving toward innovative mode.

• When and how did your Association with Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) begin?

After doing my masters in economics I had a job in Allahabad University but there was a pressure from my home that I should appear for competitive exams, but I did not want to. So I was looking for some research avenue and I got a studentship and scholarship in JNU. That is how my association with JNU began. When I was doing my PhD, I got job in the Chamber of commerce which I did only for sometime as temperamentally it was not suiting me.  As I finished my PhD, I took a teaching assignment at Jawaharlal Nehru University.

• You have more than 30 years of experience in the field of academics. How do you see the changes which have taken place in the Indian education system?

When we were recipient of the higher education and moved towards delivering higher education that was the time when higher education in India was becoming the part of a global interaction. So it was the phase of huge excitement but at the same time it was also a period of conflicts and complaints as the kind of technology and infrastructure needed was not available and so what I’ll say is, that was a time when the university system was more towards learning kind of thing. Today when I look back at the last ten years especially after economic liberalization of the Indian market, I see that the orientation of higher education has changed a lot very radically and people are not looking for higher education as need for knowledge enhancement but for job. It is not that earlier people did not use to decide their higher education on the basis of job but their prime motive used to be gaining knowledge. Today on the basis of job you are deciding about the choice of your higher education. That’s the very basic fundamental change and that’s the reason you can find that gradually people are going towards the professional courses than to the traditional courses which were taught earlier. So what I want to say is that universities are moving beyond the process of knowledge sharing and creation to the process of wealth creation and so they seen as a part of not only national knowledge but also national wealth creation. This has just begun and has changed the education system drastically and I feel that this has both positive and negative connotation and so I have my apprehensions about fulfilling the objectives of education. It might give a good career but whether it would increase your wisdom, this is a question.

• Any improvement measure you would like to suggest.

While career should remain as an important element to focus on students’ career as we cannot imagine the university not being sensitive to the careers of the students but it should be constantly reminded that universities are made to empower the students with knowledge. Education should be such which promotes your career and your career should not define you, rather you should make a choice. So, in other words, I don’t know how many students are making choices about the career which they want but I always prefer to give students full freedom to do what they really want to.

• Teaching is the most respectable job. It brings lot of responsibility with it and also requires huge amount of patience. How do you deal with the naughty students in the university?

You should try to understand the psyche of the students. Nobody’s DNA make them naughty. I try to deconstruct the student and try to see where the problem lies. Many times the problems are such where you can talk to the student for some time and there are possibilities of solving the problem then and there because they want somebody to hear their grievances empathetically and appreciate them and then if you correct them they will understand. So important thing is to talk to them. And if the problem is of administration then as a VC and as a teacher it all depends how you tackle. There can also be cases when the students carry the load of family problems or the psychological problems coming out of some episode in life which has been affecting their personality. When I was in JNU, I came across many students who came from the rural background and had to face different kinds of tensions in their personal life. They used to come and share with me. You can do a counselling to some extent and beyond that you would have to talk to the professional counsellor. I always believe that if you are a good teacher, you will enjoy dealing with naughty students. It is only the insecure teacher who feels irritated and agitated by the naughty students because at that age normally, naughtiness is not carrying maliceness. So, the teacher with some patience and wisdom can always resolve the issue easily.

• Are there any new schools to be introduced in the University?

Yes, we are very keen to develop the School of Design which would include various aspects of designing ranging from designing the building to designing of towns, interior, furniture, fashion, infrastructure and other such fields of designing and we might introduce one more language and in addition to that we may start Ph.D. programme in School of Communication and also start a specialization in Social media.

• Please tell us about your hobbies.

I enjoy reading books. I try to flip though all the new books which come as I am very keen to know about the new books. Although I do not read all the books but at least I should know what the book is all about as I feel very uncomfortable when somebody mentions about a book and I don’t know about it. The nature of the books has seen changes from time to time. When I was younger I used to read more of the Romantic novels. I also used to play Cricket. I continue to enjoy listening to music mainly Hindustani classical music. I also like to write. I usually write when I am disturbed by something and this helps me a lot.

• How do you cope up with so many important positions you are holding at present?

I do hold few responsibilities but this has never been a burden to me as I have opted to do so as my choice. Honestly, I am very happy. I spent around two hours in the morning appreciating the natural beauty which the environment of Uttarakhand possess and this gives me strength to carry on with my work efficiently for the whole day.

• Your message to our students.

Respect the hard work your parents do in order to give you good education and comfortable life and to take care of the hard earned money of your parents. Try to take returns from the university on every rupee your parents have paid and this is possible only if you can get best of your teachers, only when you have done your homework. Be ‘Academically Naughty’ and keep your teachers on their toes all the times as I really like to have crazy students and teachers on the campus who are academically very creative. Actively participate in various extracurricular activities and have healthy competition among yourself. Try to compete with your own abilities. This will give you a more satisfying experience of your university days. You all have my love and support.

http://www.lokkatha.com/150/index.php/life-stories/41-ls/125-an-insight-to-our-vice-chancellor-prof-girijesh-pant

Happy New Year, Welcome back!!!

A very Happy New Year to all of you. Students and faculty members of Doon University are back from their Winter Vacations. Classes for the current semester started from 17th January. In spite of the cold weather, it is mostly bright and sunny in Dehradun and the students and teachers of Doon University are just as bright and cheerful. Events at Doon University started even before the commencement of the Academic Session. The first event of 2012 took place on 13th and 14th January, the XIIth Conference of Indian Congress of Asian & Pacific Studies (ICAPS) in collaboration with Association of Asia Scholars (AAS), Institute of Chinese Studies and Doon University on “China-India Historical Linkages and Future Partnerships: Implications for Cooperation between South and Southeast Asia”. The report on the conference will be posted separately. The Doon University newsletter was also published. On the 17th of January our honourable Vice Chancellor interacted with the students as part of “Samvaad”. Samvaad is a new initiative where leaders and prolific personalities from different walks of life will interact with the students to inspire and motivate them to think about issues relevant in our society.
We also heartily welcome our new Registrar. Let us look forward to another eventful semester ahead. We appreciate the students for their labour in the previous semester. A lot of hard work still needs to be done by everyone in the Doon family to make ours a one of its kind university.

Prof. J. P. Sharma

Corporate Story: Endangered by scams, Genesis of Corporate Governance Lies in various Scams and Scandals.

A company is a person, it may not be seen or felt but it exists in the eyes of the law therefore no one can own it. Corporate governance has only become an important subject of debate and discussion in the last 20 to 30 years. There is a difference between corporate governance and good corporate governance. Collapse of Satyam is the first corporate failure in India. And the reason is the failure of the corporate governance.