Jun 06, 2007

Nagalim: Campus Inaugurated


The Dimapur Campus of the Global Open University of Nagaland was inaugurated yesterday [5 June 2007]. This facility will allow more Naga youths to access higher education.

The Dimapur Campus of the Global Open University of Nagaland was inaugurated yesterday [5 June 2007]. This facility will allow more Naga youths to access higher education.

Below are extracts from an article published by The Nagaland Post:

Dimapur: Chief minister Neiphiu Rio on Tuesday [5 June 2007] inaugurated the Dimapur campus of the Global Open University Nagaland at Youth Hostel building, Dimapur […].

While delivering the inaugural speech, Rio said that education was the most basic requirement for human resource development, and highlighted that Nagaland has already achieved a reasonably high rate of literacy much above the national level. He however expressed regret that there were still critical gaps in education system of the state, mostly due to syllabus not being adequately updated to suit the ever changing job requirement. He also said that this has made many educated youth remain unemployed unable to find suitable placement in the job market. Rio pointed out that it was because of these defects in the system that education often fails to give true empowerment to the Naga youths and become self supporting and independent.

"This is one of the main reasons why we welcome the establishment of this new Global Open University of Nagaland", he added. Rio expressed hope that with the various job oriented and practical courses offered by the new University, students graduating from the University would be much better equipped for the job market in Nagaland and elsewhere and that they would feel more confident and empowered.

While pointing out that about 40 percent of Naga students study outside the state draining around Rs 100 crore out of the state by parents spending annually for these students, the chief minister expressed hope that the University will help reversing the trend and help retention of the huge amount within the state for economic development.

He also expressed delight that the University will start offering B.Sc course in Hotel Management, Catering Technology and Applied Nutrition which has much relevance as well as employment potential especially in the NE region where tourism is given interest to promote as an industry. In this regard, the chief minister announced that students from the backward tribes of Nagaland who join the management courses (selected) will be sponsored from CMCF.

Rio also disclosed that Nagaland University will start a new engineering faculty from the current academic year. He also said that the Institute of Chartered Financial Analyst of India (ICFAI) University of Nagaland will start offering various job oriented degree and diploma courses from the current academic session.

Pro Chancellor of Global Open University, Dr P.R. Trivedi while presenting the vision and action plan of the University said that the University will open another campus at Kohima within this academic year and ultimately open its campuses in all the eleven district headquarters of the state.