Presidency University to offer interdisciplinary courses

Come July, science students can get a taste of liberal arts and those delving into humanities can take up a science subject at Presidency University here, a varsity professor said Friday.

"This is the first such initiative in the country. In the traditional Indian university education system, honours students are required to take up two pass subjects... We have replaced the pass subjects," professor Somak Raychaudhury, head of Presidency University's physics department, told IANS.

Raychaudhury said the decision to juxtapose the two branches was taken as students do not take pass subjects seriously.

"So, instead of forcing pass subjects on students, we decided to break them up and have a list of 10 papers. All the honours students are required to take up 10 papers. While the science students are needed to take at least two arts papers, it is vice versa for students of humanities," the professor added.

For example, the physics department is introducing a course, 'Physics of Everyday Life', under which students,irrespective of the stream they are majoring in, will be taught how things like camera work.

"The course is open to everybody. An English literature student can take it up. Similarly, sociology department is offering a subject called 'Love' that students from other department can study," the professor said.