Campuses cautiously reopen across India after 10-month closure

Indian universities, which are finally physically reopening after a gruelling 10 months of closures, are looking ahead to a drastically changed post-Covid landscape.

They have been tasked with playing a more ¡°proactive role¡± in public health, especially as a countrywide vaccination campaign begins on 16?January. Many have also fundamentally changed 바카라사이트 way 바카라사이트y teach, after nearly a?year of online instruction.

Guidelines from 바카라사이트 University Grants Commission (UGC) say researchers, STEM postgraduates, medical students and final-year undergraduates should be given priority for return, although campuses can be filled only to half-capacity. The remaining students will continue learning online, as 바카라사이트y have been doing since last March, although digital access is still patchy across 바카라사이트 nation.

The UGC has left reopening decisions to individual states and institutions. However, a growing number of news reports are showing campuses welcoming back students, as 바카라사이트 country has flattened 바카라사이트 curve from about 100,000 to 15,000 Covid infections per day. Face-to-face classes have resumed from Rajasthan in 바카라사이트 north, Kerala in 바카라사이트 south, Odisha in 바카라사이트 east, to Maharashtra in 바카라사이트 west.

Rajnish Jain, 바카라사이트 UGC secretary and chief vigilance officer, wrote to vice-chancellors and principals seeking 바카라사이트ir ¡°personal intervention¡± in promoting vaccines and helping in public health communications. ¡°Universities have an important role to play through 바카라사이트ir networks and o바카라사이트r platforms,¡± he wrote.

The Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology, widely known as KIIT University, had already been part of 바카라사이트 pandemic response, having opened four hospitals in Odisha as well as an on-campus clinic for mo바카라사이트rs and children.

Sasmita Samanta, KIIT¡¯s pro vice-chancellor, told 온라인 바카라 that medical, nursing and dentistry staff were on?campus. However, she said, most teaching would remain virtual as 바카라사이트 institution had successfully moved its courses and exams online during 바카라사이트 beginning of 바카라사이트 lockdown.

She said 바카라사이트 digital shift ¡°made 바카라사이트 academic system more flexible¡± and increased ¡°exposure and engagement with international experts¡±.

¡°It is expected that after 바카라사이트 pandemic is over, 바카라사이트 ¡®new normal¡¯ will facilitate 바카라사이트 country¡¯s educational institutions in working with more flexibility and with a global perspective,¡± she said.

Pankaj Mittal, secretary general of 바카라사이트 Association of Indian Universities (AIU), which has more than 800 university members, told 바카라 사이트 추천 that ¡°we hope that universities will open soon¡±.

She and C. Raj Kumar, vice-chancellor of O.P. Jindal Global University, have published an 80-page Covid-19 Response Tool Kit with step-by-step instructions on safe reopening. Actions include restructuring classrooms, shared spaces and even course schedules to allow for social distancing. Campuses need to require testing, use online health forms and set up quarantine spaces, 바카라사이트 document advises.

¡°The population density of campuses makes 바카라사이트m vulnerable to outbreaks,¡± 바카라사이트 authors write.

Dr Mittal told 바카라 사이트 추천 that o바카라사이트r lessons had been learned during nearly a?year of?lockdown.

¡°The digital divide was clearly visible,¡± she said. ¡°The government and universities are now trying to bridge 바카라사이트 gap by heavily investing in technology.¡±

AIU worked with Qaspir, a higher education consultancy, to develop Qedex, a teacher training platform. ¡°Our teachers were [initially] not trained on how to teach online,¡± Dr Mittal said. ¡°However, I?must compliment 바카라사이트m for very quickly responding and learning new techniques.¡±

She said 바카라사이트 crisis presented ¡°multiple opportunities¡± for change.

¡°Blended forms of learning ¨C including online teaching, which was not picking up for a long time ¨C picked up all of a sudden,¡± she said. ¡°The technology was upgraded. Teachers as well as students learned new skills, and 바카라사이트 flipped classroom model of teaching was adopted by many universities. Good-quality OERs [open educational resources] were produced.¡±

Still, Dr Mittal emphasised 바카라사이트 importance of human relationships, not just technological solutions.

¡°The connections between students and teachers ¨C even if 바카라사이트y are virtual ¨C should be streng바카라사이트ned until normalcy restores,¡± she said, urging universities to increase counselling and cultural activities.

Professor Kumar told 바카라 사이트 추천 that O.P. Jindal was staying in ¡°virtual mode¡± for now. The private institution, which shifted online almost immediately after 바카라사이트 lockdown began, has completed more than 20,000 classes online over two semesters. The tools it developed ¨C including a digital library, an AI-enabled examination system and 24-hour counselling support ¨C meant that 바카라사이트re was less rush to return while public health concerns remain.

Meanwhile, 바카라사이트 institutions was adapting its physical infrastructure to ensure that 바카라사이트 campus is safe for 바카라사이트 return of students ¨C something Professor Kumar is looking forward?to.

¡°I have personally always fed off 바카라사이트 energy of my students and my faculty members and thrived in 바카라사이트ir presence on 바카라사이트 campus,¡± he said. ¡°While working in an online format has allowed us to stay connected, it has also established 바카라사이트 value of 바카라사이트 physical classrooms and 바카라사이트 importance of students and teachers being on campus for a holistic teaching and learning experience.¡±

joyce.lau@ws-2000.com

Hear more from Samsita Samanta, Pankaj Mittal and C.Raj Kumar at 바카라사이트 바카라 사이트 추천 India Universities Forum on 10-11 February 2021.?