Bhubaneswar: Siksha ‘O’ Anusandhan (SOA) in Bhubaneswar will introduce niche courses suitable for selected groups of professionals to further enhance their skill, knowledge and competence.
The focus of the courses will be on micro-credentials and a short and competency-based recognition which would allow the learner to demonstrate mastery in a particular area, Prof Amit Banerjee, Chancellor of SOA, said while releasing the second volume of ‘SOAFAL MALA’, a compilation of 25 online lectures on popular topics delivered by eminent personalities in the SOA Fortnightly Academic Lecture (SOAFAL) series during 2022-23.
Stating that such courses were in vogue in the USA, Prof Banerjee said students who had graduated from a university or institution could return to their alma mater to pursue such courses.
Prof Banerjee said the third cycle of SOAFAL was focusing on Integrated Maritime Studies. SOA had been ranked 15th best university in the country this year but it could not rest on its laurels and should move forward, he added.
The speakers drawn from diverse fields including doctors, scientists, academicians, social activists, spiritual leaders, diplomats and administrators had delivered lectures on different topics.
Prof Vijay Sakhuja, former Director of National Maritime Foundation, New Delhi, elaborated on micro-credentials
saying it was an academic instrument which could potentially enhance the vertically specialised knowledge obtained by business professionals. Those in administrative services and entrepreneurs could return back to academia and learn special skills which could help them to excel in the field they were engaged in, he said.
The more suitable destinations for such activity should be their alma mater – university or institution – which would offer them conducive environment in terms of academic life and professional development, Prof Sakhuja, who had delivered the first SOAFAL lecture of the third series on Integrated National Maritime Studies, said.
Prof Harihar Panda, former professor of National Defence Academy, Prof Ajit M. Srivastava, former professor at the Institute of Physics, Bhubaneswar and Dr Subhendu Patnaik, former director of the Pathani Samanta
Planetarium at Bhubaneswar, who were among SOAFAL speakers, also addressed the gathering.
Prof Ashok Kumar Mahapatra, Principal Advisor to SOA on Health Sciences, who had conceived the idea of fortnightly lecture series when he was the vice-chancellor of the university, Prof Pradipta Kumar Nanda, vice-chancellor of SOA and Prof Nachieketa K Sharma, Director, University Outreach Programme and Editor of the
commemorative volumes, were present.
