SRINAGAR: Governor N.N Vohra, stressed the importance of establishing a list of eminent guest speakers and building a sound knowledge base by collecting and publishing volumes containing lectures delivered and papers presented by the outstanding experts who are invited by the UNESCO Madanjeet Singh Institute of Kashmir Studies (UMIKS). Such corpus of knowledge would contribute towards widening the intellectual horizons of the scholars at the Institute. He also suggested that the significant research work done at the Institute should be suitably highlighted.
The Governor, who is the Chancellor of the Kashmir University and Chairman of the Governing Board of the Institute, was chairing the second meeting of the UNESCO Madanjeet Singh Institute of Kashmir Studies (UMIKS) at Raj Bhavan here on Wednesday. The meeting reviewed the institute’s functioning during the past year and discussed its activities which are planned during 2014, 2015 and 2016.
Mani Shankar Aiyar, Chairperson, South Asia Foundation (SAF); Amb. (retd.) Veena Sikri, Vice Chairperson, SAF; P.K Prabhakaran, CEO, SAF; Prof. A.M Shah, Acting Vice Chancellor, Kashmir University (KU); Rakesh K. Gupta, Principal Secretary to Governor; Prof. Gull Mohammad Wani, Director, UMIKS; Prof. Zafar Ahmad, Registrar, Kashmir University; Prof. Naseem Ahmad Shah, Dean Faculty of Social Science, KU; Prof. Ab. Rashid Malik, Department of Kashmiri, KU; Prof. Satyabhama Razdan, Department of Sanskrit, KU attended the meeting.
The Governor emphasised the need for making the Institute of Kashmir Studies an attractive academic destination and vibrant centre of excellence by offering courses having future relevance. He suggested that the Institute should offer courses on “Comparative Studies” which encompass all the South Asian countries and designing courses in such a manner as would enable students of the Institute to undertake “Choice Based Credit Courses” in other universities and institutions of the country. He also urged that the students, both the SAARC scholars and local students should be counseled at the time of admission to the Institute. The Governor urged Chairman SAF to provide adequate funding for the balanced growth of the Institute.
Mani Shankar Aiyar suggested framing of an annual calendar of visiting academicians and experts at the Institute. He assured the Chancellor that the issue of visa extension of the foreign students at UMIKS shall be taken up at the appropriate level in the Central Government.
Mani Shankar Aiyar assured adequate financial and other required support to the Institute of Kashmir Studies for undertaking its activities.