IIM Indore signs MoU with Univ of Finance and Economics, Beijing
A very senior level delegation of one of the top universities in China, Central University of Finance and Economics, Beijing (CUFE) visited IIM Indore in end April.
The delegation was led by Professor Wang Guangqian, President of the University and other senior functionaries of the University.
This visit was a result of IIM Indore’s efforts to explore possibilities of having academic collaboration with business schools in China.
Two years back a two member delegation led by Professor Rishikesha T. Krishnan, Director, IIM Indore visited China to meet the officials of some leading Chinese business schools.
IIM Indore also has for the last two years been promoting research on comparing India and China in the domains of economy and management. It regularly organises talks by distinguished speakers comprising of former diplomats and eminent sinologists.
This is the first time that IIM Indore has officially tied up with a Mainland based University for academic collaboration. Both the sides have agreed to Student exchange; Faculty exchange; and Summer school.
Additionally, the collaboartion will encourage the faculties to cooperate in person in their interested research fields, and establish academic research cooperation between the two universities; cooperate to hold academic conference; and also look at other academic exchange that both parties agree to.
BOTH THE SIDES HAVE AGREED TO STUDENT EXCHANGE; FACULTY EXCHANGE; AND SUMMER SCHOOL, BESIDES COOPERATION IN RESEARCH FIELDS THE PROPOSAL IS BEING CONSIDERED KEEPING IN MIND THE RESOURCES REQUIRED TO CONDUCT THE EXAM ANDTHE NUMBER OF CANDIDATES APPEARING FOR IT.
The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has proposed conducting the National Eligibility Test (NET), a qualifying exam for junior research fellowship and recruitment of college and university teachers, once a year due to the poor response it received.
The Board had last year conveyed its inability to conduct NET with its hands being full, however, the University Grants Commission (UGC) has directed it to continue the practice for now.
According to sources, the proposal, which is at a very nascent stage, is being considered keeping in mind the resources required to conduct the exam as well as the number of candidates appearing for it.
“While conducting the exam once a year will make candidates more serious about it, resources can also be utilised judiciously as holding a national-level exam is a massive exercise. However, the idea is at a very nascent stage,” a source said.
“The CBSE has proposed the idea keeping in mind that only 17% of the registered candidates take the exam and only 4% of them clear it,” the source added.
At present, NET is held twice a year — in July and December — for the grant of junior research fellowship. Also, it is a qualifying exam for recruitment of assistant professors in universities and colleges.
CBSE had last year approached the HRD Ministry expressing its inability to conduct the exam due to capacity crunch as it was overburdened with other tests such as the JEEMAIN and NEET for undergraduate engineering and medical courses respectively.
While the ministry had not issued any guidelines in this regard, the CBSE is still to issue a notification for the exam scheduled in July, which is usually out by April first week.
Scores of students had protested outside the UGC last week demanding that the uncertainty over the exam be cleared and a notification issued.
“The CBSE had approached the HRD Ministry expressing their inability. We had a meeting with HRD officials over the issue recently and it was decided that the board will conduct the exam in July without any delay,” a senior UGC official said.
“The arrangement is likely to continue till the proposed National Testing Service (NTS) is set up by the government for the conduct of all exams,” he said. NET was conducted by the UGC till 2014 following which the job was handed over to the CBSE.