Srishti Gupta
The concept of Meta University marks a paradigm shift in the field of higher education and skill development and India has become the first nation to take this giant leap. This article tries to delineate the concept of Meta University, its present status, and future implications.
What is a Meta University?
What is a Meta University?
It is essentially an open platform where students will be able to access courses from other universities, interact with international faculty members and, in the process, generate knowledge. Simply put, this will allow students to pursue two courses simultaneously in two different institutions.
The main purpose of Meta Universities is to share open learning resources by different universities by using latest technologies available in order to enable students to benefit from learning resources available in different institutions.
Combining “Collaborative learning” and “Trans-disciplinary learning”, this open platform will also allow students from remote locations of India to access courses from other universities, interact with international faculty members.
In a sense, Meta Universities represent 2nd Generation Universities, free from physical boundary conditions and able to operate in virtual space, taking advantage of the innovation and flexibility possible in such domain. Hence the existing capabilities and resources of these institutions will be utilized through means of high order of cooperation.
With a network of Universities coming together offering courses cutting across disciplines, it is believed that the Meta University will reinterpret the concept of a University as not just a traditional, physical space of learning, but as a repository of knowledge and information that can be delivered in multiple ways, and can be accessed from anywhere and anytime. It will seek to enhance the learning experience through new and innovative delivery models of education that allow students and institutions to collaborate in unprecedented ways. Thus the 21st century meta-university would be a network and an ecosystem rather than a single brick and mortar space – “a Facebook of Institutions” in the words of Mr Kapil Sibal.
The Present Status
The main purpose of Meta Universities is to share open learning resources by different universities by using latest technologies available in order to enable students to benefit from learning resources available in different institutions.
Combining “Collaborative learning” and “Trans-disciplinary learning”, this open platform will also allow students from remote locations of India to access courses from other universities, interact with international faculty members.
In a sense, Meta Universities represent 2nd Generation Universities, free from physical boundary conditions and able to operate in virtual space, taking advantage of the innovation and flexibility possible in such domain. Hence the existing capabilities and resources of these institutions will be utilized through means of high order of cooperation.
With a network of Universities coming together offering courses cutting across disciplines, it is believed that the Meta University will reinterpret the concept of a University as not just a traditional, physical space of learning, but as a repository of knowledge and information that can be delivered in multiple ways, and can be accessed from anywhere and anytime. It will seek to enhance the learning experience through new and innovative delivery models of education that allow students and institutions to collaborate in unprecedented ways. Thus the 21st century meta-university would be a network and an ecosystem rather than a single brick and mortar space – “a Facebook of Institutions” in the words of Mr Kapil Sibal.
The Present Status
The setting up of the Meta University was announced by the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, on Tuesday, while releasing the first report of the National Innovation Council (NIC).
To give this idea shape, a National Mission on Education through ICT [Information and Communications Technology] has been mounted under Dr Sam Pitroda. This will link 25,000 colleges and 2,000 polytechnics for enabling e-learning and content sharing. A National Knowledge Network (NKN) has also been created which will soon link 31,000 college of which 1,100 open source courses have already been created according the estimates available. In view of the new opportunities available and leveraging the National Knowledge Network, the National Innovation Council has also proposed to create the first Global Meta University.
As of now, the centre has also got the nod of the HRD Ministry and it is extending assistance of Rs 25 crore. The Ministry of Human Resource Development is in process of setting up a Meta University at Delhi in which, Jamia Milia Institute, Delhi University, Jawaharlal Nehru University and Indian Institute of Technology, New Delhi would participate. Since the Government does not interfere in the academic matters of higher educational institutions, it is left to these institutions to collaborate and to identify the courses and areas to be offered through the Meta University.
Delhi University and Jamia Millia Islamia have already announced the admission for the first course under meta-university concept. The application process for a two-year joint degree programme 'Master of Mathematics Education' (equivalent to MSc Mathematics Education) for the academic session 2012-13 will start from October 29.
Implications
To give this idea shape, a National Mission on Education through ICT [Information and Communications Technology] has been mounted under Dr Sam Pitroda. This will link 25,000 colleges and 2,000 polytechnics for enabling e-learning and content sharing. A National Knowledge Network (NKN) has also been created which will soon link 31,000 college of which 1,100 open source courses have already been created according the estimates available. In view of the new opportunities available and leveraging the National Knowledge Network, the National Innovation Council has also proposed to create the first Global Meta University.
As of now, the centre has also got the nod of the HRD Ministry and it is extending assistance of Rs 25 crore. The Ministry of Human Resource Development is in process of setting up a Meta University at Delhi in which, Jamia Milia Institute, Delhi University, Jawaharlal Nehru University and Indian Institute of Technology, New Delhi would participate. Since the Government does not interfere in the academic matters of higher educational institutions, it is left to these institutions to collaborate and to identify the courses and areas to be offered through the Meta University.
Delhi University and Jamia Millia Islamia have already announced the admission for the first course under meta-university concept. The application process for a two-year joint degree programme 'Master of Mathematics Education' (equivalent to MSc Mathematics Education) for the academic session 2012-13 will start from October 29.
Implications
This is overtly an innovative and highly commendable move for higher education in India. It also promises a unique opportunity to the country for innovation, given the huge unmet demand for high quality education in an environment of limited resources and availability of a dedicated national network.
Issues relating to intellectual capital and skill development have unprecedented importance of social and economic well being of today’s India. The kind of challenge the nation faces in terms of skilling its population is humongous. The government is endeavouring to push ahead its skill enhancement agenda through the “Coordinated Action on Skill Development” with a three-tier institutional structure . However, only providing the required skills is not enough; issues like credible certification and employability are equally important. Meta University can be deemed as an innovative move towards imparting divergent skills and expanding
employment horizons for students.
A robust system to assess efficacy of the model being introduced can suggest real merit that the idea holds and the changes required. The need of the hour certainly is to intersect education, employability & employment ecosystem to accelerate India’s journey. Meta Universities clearly can play a highly significant role in this regard. With collaborations also being explored with other nations like UK to evolve a Global Meta Alliance, the idea surely holds a lot of potential.
Issues relating to intellectual capital and skill development have unprecedented importance of social and economic well being of today’s India. The kind of challenge the nation faces in terms of skilling its population is humongous. The government is endeavouring to push ahead its skill enhancement agenda through the “Coordinated Action on Skill Development” with a three-tier institutional structure . However, only providing the required skills is not enough; issues like credible certification and employability are equally important. Meta University can be deemed as an innovative move towards imparting divergent skills and expanding
employment horizons for students.
A robust system to assess efficacy of the model being introduced can suggest real merit that the idea holds and the changes required. The need of the hour certainly is to intersect education, employability & employment ecosystem to accelerate India’s journey. Meta Universities clearly can play a highly significant role in this regard. With collaborations also being explored with other nations like UK to evolve a Global Meta Alliance, the idea surely holds a lot of potential.
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