PU to be developed into a digitally empowered campus soon

Patna: Patna University (PU) is likely to develop into a digitally empowered smart campus soon by fully adopting e-governance and paperless administration.In its vision document for 2026-30 displayed on its website, PU aims to strengthen academic standards through modernization of curriculum, introduction of emerging disciplines, and enhancement of student-centriclearning systems. PU also contemplates to adopt multidisciplinary and flexible curriculum structure as per NEP guidelines and to promote conceptual learning, critical thinking and problem-solving aptitude amongstudents through outcome-based teaching, experiential learning, case studies, project work, field exposure and interdisciplinary approaches.PU’ internal quality assurance cell (IQAC) director Birendra Prasad said the university proposes to introduce several new academic programmes to address emerging educational and employment opportunities, including data science, artificial intelligence, and skill-based interdisciplinary courses (undergraduate) an M Sc in forensic science and specialized interdisciplinary programmes in environmental studies (postgraduate level).He further pointed out that in the next five years, PU is bound to emerge as a major centre of advanced research and innovation by promoting interdisciplinary research culture, international collaborations and industry oriented innovation. The major infrastructural development plans of the university include provision of a central instrumentation facility for researchers across departments and colleges and establishing a biosafetylevel-3 (BSL-3) laboratory to strengthen advanced biological, biomedical, microbiological, and infectious disease research capabilities.PU also plans to establish an Incubation Hub to promote start-ups and entrepreneurship, encourage innovation among students and faculty and facilitate industry collaboration and technology commercialization. Thedigital initiatives of the university include full automation of the university library and departmental libraries, expansion of e-library services, digital repositories and online access systems and strengthening ICT-enabled teaching-learning processes.Besides, the vision document also envisages expansion of digital studio for development of e-content, MOOCs, online lectures and virtual classrooms; smart classrooms, integrated camps networking and digital student support systems, Prasad added.