Ouraimistocreateasyllabusthatenables nextgenerationtofindjobs:Hiranandani

In conversation with N iran jan Hi ran an dani, provost of the Hyderabad S ind National Collegiate( HS NC) cluster university comprising Ki sh inc hand Ch ella ram College, Has sara mRijhu mal College of Commerce and Economics and Bombay Teachers' Training College, Churchgate.

Is the HSNC cluster university a state or private university?

HSNC cluster university is a statepublic university. The cluster university is an experimental model that works on the private as well as the government side. The management is given to the private sector.

What is the objective?

Today, 90 per cent students do not have the adequate qualification, experience or skill sets, which help to get a job or retain the job so employers do not find students good enough for the job. Our main objective is to create an academic syllabus good for students for the next generation in terms of finding a job, where the employer should feel that the student not only has the qualification, but the required skill sets for the job.

Our second objective is to make the syllabi dynamic. For example, we will create flexibility in courses and allow students to shif t to new upgraded courses. We are working with professional industry experts to understand their expectations.

What are the new unaided courses?

We will run certificate courses for specialisations. Students will get university credits for these unaided courses. We will also change the methodology and pedagogy of learning. 20 to 25 per cent courses will be based on online teaching, irrespective of the COVID-19 situation in the future. Students can drop off af ter the first year and get a certificate. If they drop off af ter a second year they will get a diploma, and will get a degree af ter the third year.

For example, we have started a school of yoga, a three-year programme for per forming arts, including music and arts, school of applied sciences, master in information technology and computer science. Our existing doctor of philosophy (Ph.D) programmes will continue. We will start research centres for sociology and liberal arts soon.

What is the roadmap for academic courses?

The courses that are under the aided section will continue to be aided, while the newer courses will come under the unaided section.

Is the cluster university affiliated to the University of Mumbai (MU)?

All new courses starting in KC, HR and BTTC, Churchgate, will fall under the HSNC board. The new first-year admissions to these courses is under the HSNC cluster university. But, the second year (SY) and third year (TY) students, who are already admitted under tMU, will continue to be under it.