Chief Secretary, Atal Dulloo, today held a detailed consultation with Vice Chancellors of Universities and senior functionaries of the Higher Education Department to explore the creation of a Multiversity ecosystem in Jammu and Kashmir, leveraging the collective academic, research, technological and infrastructural strengths of the region’s universities and premier institutions.
The meeting was attended by Vice Chancellors of the universities of J&K, Commissioner Secretary, Higher Education Department; Director Colleges, J&K, and other concerned officers.
The consultation focused on developing an institutional framework for greater inter-university collaboration, shared academic resources, multidisciplinary learning, student and faculty mobility, research partnerships and stronger industry linkages, in keeping with the emerging requirements of higher education as per the vision of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
Speaking during the deliberations, the Chief Secretary observed that the world is changing rapidly, with technological innovations continuously transforming lifestyles, workplaces and human situations. He noted that while technology is taking over certain conventional jobs, it is simultaneously creating newer and more complex challenges requiring multidisciplinary knowledge and skills.
He further maintained that the future will belong to those who can continuously upgrade their knowledge, acquire multidisciplinary skills and work across institutional and professional boundaries. Moreover he stressed that such capabilities cannot be developed in isolation and require greater networking and collaboration.
He stated that the idea of developing a Multiversity could provide an institutional mechanism for grooming a future-ready generation by bringing together the strengths of different institutions and enabling students to access diverse areas of knowledge.
He particularly emphasised the need to move “from papers to patents”, with a clear roadmap for research, innovation and technology transfer. He directed that the proposed framework should define specific milestones, timelines, institutional responsibilities and measurable outcomes to ensure that the concept translates into tangible action on the ground.
Earlier, Vice Chancellor, Islamic University of Science and Technology (IUST), Prof. Shakil Ahmad Romshoo, made a detailed presentation on the concept, its relevance and the possibilities of developing such a model in J&K. He gave out that we need to build an inter-institutional framework today to remain relevant tomorrow. The possibilities offered under NEP-2020 provide us a clear policy direction to move towards such a collaborative model, he maintained.
He highlighted that the region possesses a diverse and rich higher education ecosystem comprising academic and agricultural universities, AIIMS, SKIMS, IIT, IIM and other specialised institutions, along with technical institutions and a large network of colleges.
He emphasised that these institutions could complement each other by sharing infrastructure, expertise and academic resources to create a wider learning ecosystem without necessarily duplicating facilities.
The presentation explored possible academic architecture, interdisciplinary learning pathways, shared courses and facilities, mobility of students and faculty, internships and apprenticeships, industry and public-sector linkages, anchor institutions and measurable Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for monitoring progress.
On this occasion the VC, University of Kashmir, Prof. Neelofar Khan, observed that inter-institutional collaboration was not entirely new to J&K, as institutions had undertaken such collaborations in the past, albeit on a limited scale. She stressed the need to strengthen skill development and industry-academia linkages, which could become important components of the proposed framework.
Similarly the VC, University of Jammu, Prof. Umesh Rai, emphasised that NEP-2020 already provides a broad roadmap for such initiatives and that the focus should be on building upon its provisions. Referring to MOOCs and the Academic Bank of Credits, he suggested developing appropriate mechanisms for seamless transfer and recognition of credits across participating institutions.
The VC, Cluster University of Srinagar, Prof. Mohammad Mobin, stated that the Cluster University model itself provides an existing example of bringing multiple colleges within a common academic framework. He suggested building upon this experience while addressing the challenges encountered in its implementation.
While speaking the VC, Cluster University of Jammu, Prof. K. S. Chandrasekar, highlighted the Cluster Universities of J&K as an early collaborative model in the country and suggested that further institutional and academic additionalities could be explored under the proposed Multiversity framework.
The VC, Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University (SMVDU), Prof. Pragati Kumar, on giving his remarks highlighted the Government of India’s I-STEM platform for sharing high-end research equipment and scientific resources among institutions. He stressed the need to examine appropriate financial mechanisms to facilitate faculty and student mobility and exchange across institutions.
Additionally the VC, Baba Ghulam Shah Badshah University (BGSBU), Prof. Jawaid Iqbal, described the two Cluster Universities of J&K as “mini-Multiversities” and suggested expanding the model by bringing more institutions into a common academic ecosystem through online, offline or hybrid modes.
Meanwhile the Commissioner Secretary, Higher Education Department, Ram Niwas Sharma, informed that several private universities in the country have developed collaborative arrangements for sharing resources, faculty and students across institutions and courses. He suggested that one institution could potentially be identified as a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) or anchor institution to drive the initiative in a focused manner, initially through a select set of courses.
The Director Colleges, J&K, Dr Twinkle Suri, also gave her suggestions and stressed that equity of access would be a key consideration in designing the model, noting that J&K already possesses a substantial institutional and infrastructural base in the form of universities, technical institutions and hundreds of colleges.
The consultation also deliberated upon possible anchor institutions, identification of initial courses, shared laboratories and other facilities, student and faculty mobility, credit transfer, research collaboration, industry partnerships, internships and apprenticeships, financing mechanisms and institutional responsibilities.
The Chief Secretary called for further working out the concept into a time-bound and outcome-oriented framework, with clearly defined roles for participating institutions and measurable milestones.
He emphasised that the objective should be to create greater opportunities for students and researchers by enabling them to access expertise and facilities available across institutions, while strengthening the overall quality, employability, innovation and research potential of J&K’s higher education ecosystem.