Jamia to provide cutting edge learning, says new VC

Jamia Millia Islamia should provide cutting-edge learning experience, internationally-benchmarked education, intellectual freedom and critical opportunities in frontier areas of contemporary concern, Professor Talat Ahmad, the University's new vice chancellor, said Thursday.

An earth scientist of international repute, Ahmad took over as the 14th vice chancellor of the 94-year-old university during a function at the campus here.

"Jamia will remain committed to producing intelligent human resource pool for the promotion of economic growth, cultural development, social cohesion, equity and justice," Ahmad told the university fraternity, adding that he would work towards making the university one of the premier institutions of higher learning in the world.

Earlier, he served as the vice chancellor of the University of Kashmir.

Ahmad said Jamia would need to deliberate upon reconstituting the academic programmes through introduction of the choice-based credit system, discuss suitable examination and administrative reforms and consider use of international benchmarks.

A PhD from Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) in New Delhi, Ahmad had post-doctoral research stints with three foreign universities - Cambridge, Leicester and Nagoya.