Vel's Group gets university status

The Vel's Group of Institutions has been granted university status by the Union HRD ministry. From academic year 2008-09, six colleges affiliated to the Vel's Group will come under the Vel's University umbrella.

The newly-anointed university will have institutes offering courses in subjects like maritime studies, arts, pure sciences, pharmacy, and disciplines like physiotherapy, hotel management and management studies.

The university will apportion more than Rs 5 crore to upgrade its laboratories to global standards and create a centre of excellence that would focus on life sciences, especially in microbiology, biotechnology and bioinformatics, Ishari K Ganesh, chancellor, Vel's University, said in a statement.

A few benefits that will accrue to students through grant of university status will include lower fee structures for the economically disadvantaged, student scholarships for the meritorious and tie-ups with prestigious global universities to update curricula and prepare students for the global market.

The group has earmarked a few key areas for high-end R&D and premier quality education, which include maritime studies that provide huge economic opportunities, paramedical sciences such as pharmacy, physiotherapy and other key service areas to improve healthcare in South Asia, besides biosciences, which will include high-end research in frontier areas like bioinformatics, biotechnology and nanotechnology.

Vel's also plans to introduce courses with facilities for applied research study. Some of the new courses to be added soon include MSc (electronic media), BSc (visual communication), MA (mass communications & public relations) and new specialties like MBA (retail management) and MBA (supply chain management).

For its School of Maritime Studies, the group has acquired a Full Missions Bridge Simulator from Kongsberg, Norway, to help students simulate real-time maritime situations in any part of the world. This is claimed to be India's first maritime simulator to be employed within an educational institution.

"Currently, we have 300 cadets on campus for the BSc course. We have the wherewithal to bring in specialised PG courses like MBA (shipping & port management) in the future. This is something few institutions in India offer, though there are many lucrative openings for candidates qualified in such specialisations," Ganesh added.

Founded in 1992, the Vel's group has over 10,800 students in 15 higher education institutions.