'Indian Univs should improve quality of teaching'

Coimbatore: Vice-Chancellor of University of Technology, Papua New Guinea, Dr Albert Schram today suggested that Indian universities must improve the quality of teaching, research and extension on par with global standards. Interacting with students and teachers of Tamil Nadu Agricultural University here, he urged Indian researchers to contribute to global knowledge to solve global challenges and create a web of inter-connectedness together to achieve more. Researchers in India were doing 'wonderful work', but getting their papers published only in local journals, he said and suggested they come forward to get their research and outcome printed in leading world journals. This would help them share their work with developed world researchers, he said. The VC said scientists and research scholars should use opportunities abroad, especially in Europe, which have been giving financial aid since 1980 through various schemes like Erasmus Plus, Marie Curie Fellowship, Research and Innovative Staff Exchange Programme and Societal Challenge Programme. The EU would fund 80 billion Euros in the next five years and this was the right time for Indian researchers to apply for financial support for research and make a short visit to some designated laboratory or country, he said. The VC said the world was looking at India with envy as it has a huge youth population, opportunities available for start up companies and also market potential and added that Indian researchers should upgrade their skills. Schram, who was here with a delegation, signed an MoU with TNAU for collaborative research in Agricultural Biotechnology, Agricultural Social Sciences and Food Security. PTI