In a press conference on Monday, Dr Suresh Gosavi, Vice Chancellor of Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU), unveiled the institution's ambitious projects for 2024. These initiatives include the construction of a seven-storey girls' hostel, the establishment of a research centre on yoga, the creation of a genome sequencing facility, and the recruitment of 118 permanent faculty members.
The seven-storey girls' hostel, set to accommodate 500 students, is slated to commence construction this year. Dr Gosavi emphasised the importance of such hostels for women students, considering safety and educational opportunities. He also hinted at the possibility of announcing another hostel for boys in the future.
The university plans to establish an international-level research centre for yoga on campus, collaborating with institutes like the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute and Deccan Post Graduate College. A grant of ₹5 crore has been allocated for a five-year period to support this initiative.
In addition to these developments, the university is actively working on fostering stronger ties with international universities. The aim is to facilitate resource sharing, student exchanges, and collaborative research initiatives. Dr Gosavi highlighted the university's commitment to aligning with the National Education Policy 2020, emphasising the enhancement of industry connections to provide students with increased exposure and job readiness.
SPPU to set up 3 offshore campuses
SPPU administration is contemplating the establishment of three offshore campuses in Kazakhstan, Nepal, and Georgia, building on the success of its Qatar campus initiated three years ago.
Gosavi stated, "There is a large percentage of students from the country going abroad for higher education. Therefore, foreign universities are allowed to set up educational centres in India. The SPPU has started an educational centre in Qatar. After that, the university is thinking of expanding these international centres as there are demands from some other countries as well."
Gosavi highlighted the positive response to the educational centre in Qatar, with a significant number of admissions this year. He mentioned that there are requests to establish educational centres in countries such as Kazakhstan, Georgia, and Nepal. "Accordingly, one or two countries have also been visited. Now after checking approval and other technical procedures, a decision will be taken to start educational centres in those countries,” he added.