By IANS,
Aligarh : The Aligarh Muslim University has constituted two expert committees to prepare a master plan for the university’s academic revival and to restore the heritage buildings on the campus.
The university’s annual report, which vice-chancellor P.K. Abdul Azis will present at the institute’s 58th convocation Wednesday, stated that a committee headed by noted scientist M. Saleemuddin had submitted a plan for the university’s academic revival. The report was accessed by IANS a day before the convocation.
“The road map is to create a proper brand image of the university at national and international levels,” the vice-chancellor said in his report.
Azis said yet another committee, headed by R.P. Singh, had submitted a report on the re-organization of the Aligarh Muslim University school system in order to reposition it to enable it to remain the academic backbone of the university.
Steps had also been initiated to improve the quality of teaching and training in the university-run primary and secondary schools. The university had eight public schools and two self-financing schools with 10,300 students.
The report counted integration of madrassas with university education, programmes to promote Urdu and establishment of a Quranic centre as some of the university’s achievements during the previous academic year.
“The university has initiated a policy of recognising prestigious madrassas in the country and according equivalence to their degrees for admission to various courses in the University,” the vice-chancellor’s report stated.
The report stated: “The Centre for Promotion of Science organised several courses, including an introductory science course for teachers of Deeni Madrassas from all over the country.”
Refresher courses in chemistry, biology, physics, mathematics and computer applications were organised for science teachers from Muslim managed educational institutions. The centre published elementary books on science in Urdu language written by experts in the subject, he said.
For promotion of Urdu, the recently established Urdu Academy organised four orientation courses for 200 school teachers. “The university will also be introducing certificate course for Urdu Computer Learning for primary school teachers and a certificate course on Spoken Urdu for media personnel from the next session,” Azis said.
The university has also established the Professor K.A. Nizami Centre for Quranic Studies as an international centre for academic excellence in teaching, research and publications relating to the Holy Quran.
“Through its work, the centre will provide a better understanding of the culture and civilisation of Islam for the achievement of tolerance and friendship. The building for the new centre has been completed through private donations at a cost of about 2.5 crores (Rs.25 million),” the report said.