‘ANUR will be first Smart University in the State’ - The Hindu

‘ANUR will be first Smart University in the State’

B.V.S. BHASKAR

Add cThe model of the main entrance gate of Adikavi Nannaya University designed by Therli Associates of Kakinada. —Photo: S. Rambabuaption

Vice-Chancellor and Registrar of Adikavi Nannaya University (ANUR) Prof. George Victor and Prof. E.N. Dhanunjaya Rao respectively expressed hope that their university will be the first Smart University in the State in a year or so.

The Vice-Chancellor said that Smart University concept includes well-equipped buildings including administrative block, well designed campus with connective roads and VC’s guesthouse.

He said the ANUR Smart University would comprise technology enhanced classrooms that foster opportunities for teaching and learning by integrating learning technology, such as computers, specialised software, audience response technology, assistive listening devices, networking and audio and visual capabilities. These classrooms are available for faculty in the first phase and the facility would later be extended to research scholars.

Prof. Victor said that the university saw significant changes during his tenure with the construction of own buildings in the place of rented premises from where classrooms and administration was operating.

“I handed over 96 acres of land at this place (Velugubanda village in Rajanagaram mandal, adjacent to NH) and handed over most of the buildings to the Central Public Works Department for construction,” Prof. Victor recalled. Nannaya University campus would reflect important historical monuments including Gate way of India, Mumbai, India Gate, New Delhi, Victoria Memorial, Kolkata, etc.

He said that he had been striving to bring up green eco-friendly campus. He briefed that the construction work of Central Administrative block, women hostel and men hostel is almost completed. To ensure the green campus two lakes were being dug to harvest rainwater.

After shifting of campus to Velugubanda, the Vice-Chancellor and the Registrar concentrated on Academics. The five-year courses introduced in the beginning were not recognised by the UGC and no student got any jobs in the market in the first batch. “We started reforming the courses which were inconsistent to under graduate courses taught in Andhra University. We changed the syllabus according to the employability needs”, said Prof. Dhanunjaya Rao.

The pass percentage in UG Colleges affiliated to ANUR has increased from 27 to 39 per cent and Post Graduate courses from 55-60 to 80-90 per cent. A new B.Ed., College also started in ANUR Campus. It is conducting examinations to 75,000 UG students every year.