University of Madras: Chennai Superking

V-C Thiruvasagam at the university's Marina campusExcellence doesn't come easy. You have to work hard at it. Colonel D.G. Thiruvasagam, vice-chancellor of University of Madras, is unflinching when he speaks of value additions that take place within the ramparts of this 154-year-old citadel. "Just getting a bunch of good students doesn't mean a thing unless you ensure the talent is not only sustained but also nurtured. At the University of Madras, we ensure the best in every brick," he says.Not surprisingly, the university, which has produced eminent scholars, presidents and scientists such as Sir C.V. Raman, S. Radhakrishnan, C.N. Annadurai, M.S. Swaminathan and A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, lives up to its name. Overlooking the Anna Memorial and MGR Memorial on the shores of Marina Beach, the landmark Victorian structure was established by the British in 1857 as the first university in the state following demands from scholars for an English-medium institution. Madras Magic 120 Acres, spread over six campuses 420 Faculty members 69 Number of departments 3,600 Number of post graduate students 2 : 1 Male-female student ratio 1,000 International students 1 : 11 Teacher-student ratio 100 Patents submitted 775 Papers published in 2010The university had 17 departments, 30 teachers and 69 research scholars in 1912. It now has 18 schools and 69 departments of post-graduate teaching and research, 152 affiliated colleges and 52 approved research institutions. Campus life is cosmopolitan and multi-disciplinary. With about 1,000 international students, the university has a separate centre to take care of international relations. "Global linkages have moved by leaps and bounds and the mous signed with universities abroad have been put to use through faculty swaps, student exchanges and joint collaborative projects," says Thiruvasagam.Faculty and students concentrate on improving quality of research studies. The university was placed seventh in the list of top 35 productive science and technological institutions in 2008 in terms of its H-index score of 37 based on research publications between 1996 and 2006. It has now improved its H-index to 44. The H-index is a parameter used to assess the performance of researchers and an institution based on the number of times that a published research paper has been cited by peers or other researchers. The index is prepared by the National Institute of Science, Technology and Development Studies in New Delhi.The university has been ranked 15 among the top 35 national institutions in terms of scientific output in the form of publications. The ranking is accorded to every national institution by the Central Department of Science and Technology. The department has sanctioned Rs 9 crore for three years to the university, during which 22 fellowships have been created to encourage research. In 2010, 480 papers were published in international journals and 295 papers published in national journals."To encourage faculty and scholars to work on cutting edge research, the university has created infrastructure such as installing a high resolution transmission electron microscope, field emission scanning electron microscope, X-Ray photo electron spectrometer and carfocal Raman microscope," Thiruvasagam says. Thirty fellowships have been provided to research scholars to work in the frontier areas of nanoscience and nanotechnology. The university has also created 34 research fellowships in addition to the existing 66 fellowships across all departments. The students, many of whom come from economically challenged backgrounds, display a quest for knowledge inspired by the teaching staff. In order to encourage such students, a corpus fund of Rs 10 lakh was allotted in 2010 to underprivileged students to pursue research studies in foreign universities.The university plans to digitise its library which has over 7 lakh booksUniversity of Madras, as part of a consortium of 19 universities (10 Asian and nine European) headed by the University of Montpellier, France, has won the prestigious Erasmus Mundus Asian Mobility project. Through this project, 14 students and two faculty members will get an opportunity to spend between three months and a year in a European university.An investment of Rs 79 crore has been made to build classrooms where complete infrastructure for multi-media facilities will be available, says Thiruvasagam. The university also plans to digitise its library, which has 7.16 lakh books and more than 2,000 periodicals. The university has a liberal atmosphere and students shuttle freely between the university grounds and Marina Beach across the road. But they never miss their visits to the libraries, which the vice-chancellor calls a treasure trove. "I find myself transported to another world whenever I come to the library," says S. Ramya Murthi, a 22-year-old post-graduate student.Students are given the utmost attention at the University of Madras, and with their quest to be the best, it is hardly surprising that the university is where it is today. At the top.Spearheading a spirit of inquiry University received special status of "University with Potential for Excellence" from the University Grants Commission in 2010. Ranked 15 among top 35 national institutions by department of science and technology in terms of scientific output in the form of publications. Signed MoUs with 85 foreign and 18 Indian universities in 2010.Published By: AtMigration Published On: Nov 30, 1999 00:00 IST--- ENDS ---

Download App

Get 37% off on an annual Print +Digital subscription of India Today Magazine

University of Madras: Chennai Superking

Faculty and student exchanges as well as collaborative projects make the university a hub for research studies

PUBLICATIONS

TELEVISION

EVENTS

RADIO

GAMING

USEFUL LINKS

PRINTING

WELFARE

DISTRIBUTION

SYNDICATIONS

WEBSITES

EDUCATION