SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo on Thursday held consultations with vice-chancellors of universities and senior Higher Education Department officials to examine the creation of a Multiversity ecosystem aimed at linking the academic, research, technological and infrastructure resources of institutions across the Union Territory.
The meeting discussed an institutional framework for inter-university collaboration, shared academic resources, multidisciplinary education, student and faculty mobility, joint research and stronger industry-academia linkages in line with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
Dulloo said the proposed model should help prepare students for a changing employment landscape in which technological advances are creating new requirements for multidisciplinary knowledge and skills. He stressed the need for greater collaboration between institutions to enable students to access expertise and resources beyond their parent universities.
He also called for a clear roadmap to move research “from papers to patents”, with defined milestones, timelines, institutional responsibilities and measurable outcomes for research, innovation and technology transfer.
During the consultation, Islamic University of Science and Technology (IUST) Vice Chancellor Prof Shakil Ahmad Romshoo presented the concept and its possible application in J&K. He said an inter-institutional framework was needed to strengthen the higher education system and noted that NEP-2020 provided a policy basis for greater academic collaboration.
Romshoo highlighted the presence of universities, agricultural institutions, AIIMS, SKIMS, IIT, IIM, technical institutions and a large network of colleges in J&K. He said these institutions could share infrastructure, expertise and academic resources without duplicating facilities.
The proposed framework included shared courses and laboratories, interdisciplinary learning, student and faculty mobility, internships and apprenticeships, industry and public-sector partnerships, credit transfer mechanisms and measurable key performance indicators.
University of Kashmir Vice Chancellor Prof Neelofar Khan said institutions in J&K had undertaken collaborations in the past, although on a limited scale. She stressed the need to strengthen skill development and industry-academia partnerships.
University of Jammu Vice Chancellor Prof Umesh Rai referred to provisions under NEP-2020, including Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) and the Academic Bank of Credits, and suggested mechanisms for seamless transfer and recognition of credits among participating institutions.
Cluster University of Srinagar Vice Chancellor Prof Mohammad Mobin said the existing Cluster University model could provide experience for developing a wider collaborative framework, while Cluster University of Jammu Vice Chancellor Prof K. S. Chandrasekar described the two Cluster Universities as an early collaborative model and suggested exploring further academic and institutional expansion.
Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University Vice Chancellor Prof Pragati Kumar referred to the Government of India’s I-STEM platform for sharing high-end research equipment and scientific resources. He also called for suitable financial mechanisms to support faculty and student exchanges.
Baba Ghulam Shah Badshah University Vice Chancellor Prof Jawaid Iqbal described the two Cluster Universities as “mini-Multiversities” and suggested bringing additional institutions into a common academic system through online, offline or hybrid modes.
Commissioner Secretary, Higher Education Department, Ram Niwas Sharma, said collaborative arrangements for sharing resources, faculty and students were already being adopted by some private universities in the country. He suggested identifying a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) or anchor institution to initially drive the proposed initiative through a selected set of courses.
Director Colleges, J&K, Dr Twinkle Suri, stressed that equitable access should remain a key consideration while designing the model, noting the existing network of universities, technical institutions and colleges in the Union Territory.
The consultation also examined possible anchor institutions, initial courses, shared laboratories and facilities, mobility of students and faculty, credit transfers, research partnerships, industry linkages, internships, apprenticeships, financing and institutional responsibilities.
Dulloo directed the concerned stakeholders to further develop the proposal into a time-bound and outcome-oriented framework with clearly defined institutional roles and measurable milestones. He said the initiative should expand opportunities for students and researchers while strengthening the quality, employability, innovation and research capacity of J&K’s higher education sector.
