The Department of Public Administration, Panjab University, Chandigarh organized a one-day National Seminar on Quality of Higher Education in India sponsored by ICSSR North Western Regional Centre, PU, Chandigarh. In the Inaugural Session, Prof. Ramanjit K. Johal, Director, Research Promotion Cell, P.U. Chandigarh and Chairperson, Department of Public Administration, Panjab University, Chandigarh welcomed the guest. Dr. Bharati Garg, Seminar Coordinator and Assistant Professor, Department of Public Administration, Panjab University, Chandigarh introduced the theme of the seminar. Prof. Krishan Kumar, Honorary Professor, Department of Education, Panjab University, Chandigarh and Former Director, N.C.E.R.T., New Delhi delivered the keynote address. During the Keynote Address, Professor Kumar while referring to Naik’s elusive triangle bemoaned the fact that public university have been relegated to the lowest part of Naik’s triangle. He analysed the terms teaching and higher education and call higher education as the heart of entire educational system. Prof. Meenakshi Malhotra, Dean University Instruction, P.U. Chandigarh presided over the Inaugural Address. While delivering her presidential address, Professor Malhotra expressed her concern over issues such as adversity quotient of students, inadequate social awareness and increasing gap between students and teachers. The Inaugural Address was followed by the Plenary Session chaired by Prof. Rajkumari Gupta, Department of Education, Panjab University, Chandigarh. The Plenary Session had presentations on Understanding and Applying 21st Century Skills: Interdisciplinary Collaboration, Intercultural Competencies, and Social Emotional Learning Skills as Essential Ingredients for Quality in Higher Education by Prof. Maureen P. Hall, Professor of Education, Fulbright Research Scholar in India, 2010-2011, STEM Education and Teacher Development, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, USA and Quality of Higher Education in India: Teacher-Student Interface and Other Issues by Prof. Arvind K. Sharma, Former Vice-Chancellor, Mizoram University, Aizawl. Dr Ranjeet Singh, Research Associate, Department of Public Administration, P.U. Chandigarh proposed the vote of thanks. The Seminar has two Technical Session chaired by Professor Maureen P.Hall and Dr Sudhir Sharma, a retired Professor of Department of Public Administration, PU. The presentation during these technical session deliberated on key issues pertaining to quality of higher education, namely, Quality of Social Science Research, Skill Development ,Quality of Research In M.Phil/Ph.D Programmes, dimensions of quality in higher education, linkages between academia and industry, effective factors for increasing students’ interest in mathematics in higher education and the parallels between Bologna System and Swami Vivekananda’s philosophy of quality education. |