Photo Courtesy: nenow
Itanagar: Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu wants universities across the Northeast to ditch standard degree-focused models. He demands they become problem-solving institutions. He spoke Monday at the Rashtriya Raksha University campus in Guwahati. The event was the first-ever two-day Roundtable of Vice-Chancellors of North-East Universities.
Khandu pushed for measurable results over empty talk. He wants academic outfits to tackle climate change, tribal issues, and border security. The goal is to make these schools laboratories for the people. "Universities should become laboratories where local challenges are converted into research questions and research outcomes are converted into practical solutions," he said.
The Chief Minister identified agriculture, bamboo, handlooms, and tourism as key areas for study. He wants students to work directly on community-level problems. Digital transformation is also on the table. Khandu urged schools to use artificial intelligence for disaster prediction, healthcare, and remote learning. He also proposed a Northeast Higher Education Consortium to share labs, datasets, and infrastructure.
Khandu called for stronger startup incubation. He believes schools should be the engines of entrepreneurship, not just feeders for government jobs. He pointed specifically to the Rashtriya Raksha University site in Pasighat. He sees it as a hub for forensic science, cyber security, and drone technology. He expects every vice-chancellor to set time-bound roadmaps. He wants them to adopt at least two partner institutions immediately. The roundtable aims to finalize strategies for innovation and social impact before it wraps up.
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