Vidyashilp University commits to the adoption of the Multidisciplinary Education and Research University (MERU) Model

Bengaluru : The Vidyashilp Education Group today announced the launch of Vidyashilp University, established under Karnataka Act No.20 of 2021 in the presence of Shri Thaawarchand Gehlot, Hon’ble Governor, Government of Karnataka, Dr Ashwathnarayan C.N., Minister for Higher Education, IT and BT, Science and Technology, Skill Development, Government of Karnataka, Prof. B. Thimmegowda, Vice-Chairman of Karnataka State Council Higher Education, Dr P Dayananda Pai, Chancellor, Vidyashilp University, Dr Kiran Pai, Pro-Chancellor, Vidyashilp University and Dr Vijayan Immanuel, Vice-Chancellor, Vidyashilp University.

The University is built on the backbone of NEP 2020, with its contemporary, new-age curricula curated to fully leverage emerging disciplines. The University will strongly focus on scientific and technology-enabled learning. With advances in hybrid learning approaches and learning analytics, it will help improve and assure learning outcomes.

MERU or Multidisciplinary Education and Research University is a proposed model to encourage holistic and multidisciplinary education. Vidyashilp University will adopt this model through its multidisciplinary courses focused on creating deep domain knowledge in the context of a particular discipline to prepare students in solving the problems of the future. Vidyashilp University has already established the Vidyashilp Research Centre, to inculcate and foster a culture of interdisciplinary research and innovation among faculty members and students.

The university announced a 600-crore investment in the next five years towards its establishment and expansion. Vidyashilp University plans to introduce courses in Legal Studies and Governance, Education, Leadership and Fine Arts focusing on interdisciplinary programs to meet the challenges of transformation and expansion in the respective industries. The program will give students a dual skill-set that is highly sought-after in the respective complementary fields.

Shri Thaawarchand Gehlot, Hon’ble Governor, Government of Karnataka said, “The National Education Policy 2020 sets high goals for our universities to become leaders in providing quality education. The purpose is towards the creation of greater opportunities resulting in resourceful citizens. It lies in creating cooperative communities and a happier, innovative, progressive, and prosperous nation. Vidyashilp University is founded on the belief that an investment of passion, intellect, and collaboration, will allow students to grow as conscientious leaders and catalyze societal progression. The leadership of the university, through its long-standing experience, is deeply committed to providing all support to ensure that Vidyashilp University will provide the highest quality of education. By doing so, the goal is to establish an outstanding University as the pride of the state of Karnataka.”

“The University will also be a beacon to students who belong to humble backgrounds while establishing many scholarships to ensure that no deserving students are deprived of the opportunity of education at the institution”, he also added.

The inaugural batch will commence in 2022. In the first year of launch, it is expected that the university will have an enrolment of 300 students. The undergraduate programmes with an interdisciplinary curriculum will offer immersive learning experiences to students. In addition, it will help them develop domain specialization that they can apply to solve real-world problems across disciplines. These domains will give the student depth in their choice of discipline, eliminate the silos in academics, create collaborative spaces for multidisciplinary research, and enable students to apply their education in solving real-world problems.

Speaking at the event, Dr Ashwathnarayan C. N., Minister for Higher Education, IT and BT, Science and Technology, Skill Development, Government of Karnataka, said, “I firmly believe that NEP will transform the society we live in. With MERU being a key model to the success of the NEP, I am confident that the university will strive towards this model and commit to it. This will definitely open up newer opportunities, promote research and development in the State and the country. The concept of MERU is going to encourage innovation in the country, as students are exposed to a blend of creative and analytical thinking at a much higher level. I commend the commitment that the leadership team at Vidyashilp University have towards realizing the vision and objectives of NEP for higher education. Being born at the beginning of the NEP era, Vidyashilp University would be able to embrace the policy with more ease.”

Vidyashilp Education Group (VSEG) brings a legacy of 40 years, providing thought leadership to the education ecosystem. From being one of the first educational organizations to implementing no textbook, no homework, no exam curriculum to introducing technology-enabled learning in classrooms, Vidyashilp has always been at the forefront of evolution. The group has stayed relevant with the times and has constantly evolved its pedagogy to incorporate changing requirements and life skills. The University will provide a unique Vidyashilp academic experience to students by nurturing them to be self-aware, confident, empathetic, and resourceful. Furthermore, it will aim to create a community of empowered students and faculty members that will evolve into conscientious leaders for a socially conscious society through its integrated multi-domain, interdisciplinary courses.

Dr P. Dayananda Pai, Chancellor, Vidyashilp University, said, “High-quality education has transformative powers for individuals and nations alike. Vidyashilp University will strive to deliver a more balanced education to create next-generation leaders with a comprehensive worldview. We plan to be a holistic learning platform for the students, providing access to data science, management studies, research, design, etc. Over the next five years, we plan to invest Rs.600 crore. Also, we are looking at funding 30% of students by scholarships. We will strive to attain the faculty to student ratio to 1:7 in the next few years. The university is committed to Sustainable Development Goals of providing quality education and a forum of gender equality with a particular focus on social innovation and a commitment to contribute to these spaces in the State of Karnataka.”

Prof. B. Thimmegowda, Vice Chairman, Karnataka State Higher Education Council congratulated the leadership at Vidyashilp University, saying “The task of the educator is to create independent learners who can experiment and innovate. A future-focused university such as Vidyashilp University creates a space for learners to prepare themselves to be leaders of tomorrow. The University creates the ground for students to bring out their analytical thinking and creatively solve problems of the society.”