The University of Pune has sought the intervention of Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh in its renewed efforts to set up a campus in Dubai by next year.
With plans to start its Dubai campus put on hold for this year, it is the UoP’s reading that minus a big push, its efforts to get going even in 2009 may come a cropper.
Sources in the UoP said that the chief minister would send a letter to the Union HRD Ministry to get its clearance as soon as possible. “The chief minister will put up the case as it is a matter of pride for the state,” said a top officer in the UoP. He said the “negative mindset” of UGC officials towards the project was the main hindrance to getting a no-objection certificate from the commission.
Vidya Yerawadekar, UG Cmember, said the commission is examining whether a state university with limited jurisdiction can start an offshore campus. According to the rules, unless a state university has a no-objection certificate from the UGC and Ministry of HRD, it cannot run an offshore campus. Yerawadekar said, “Foreign countries recognise the UGC as the sole authority in higher education.,” she said.
Another obstacle could come from Dubai itself. Authorities there have restricted the number of Indian institutes to be set up at Dubai International Academic City (DIAC).
“The Dubai authorities have decided to give preference to European, American and Australian institutes,” said a top official of an institute in the city, which is also setting up a campus at Dubai.
More than 10 institutes from India have either started or propose to start campuses at DIAC. These include BITS-Pilani, S P Jain Institute and deemed universities in the city such as Symbiosis and Bharati Vidyapeeth.
“The local authorities are of the opinion that DIAC should have a global face and it will not be achieved if it is crowded with institutes from only one country. That is why the authorities have put a limit on the number of institutes from India and decided to give preference to institutes from other countries,” said the officer.
The obstacles notwithstanding, the vice-chancellor of University of Pune Narendra Jadhav has assured that the Dubai campus of University of Pune would definitely come up.
Deemed varsities catch the bus early
Bharati Vidyapeeth deemed university is ready to start its Dubai courses. “We have got all clearance from authorities in Dubai and we will be starting our campus there next month,” said S F Patil, coordinator of the Dubai campus project. The procedure for deemed university to start offshore campuses is easier than that for a state university, Patil said.
Symbiosis International University plans to start its Dubai campus a few months later, in June 2009. “We are in the final stages of getting licences from Dubai,” said Yerawadekar.