SKUAST-Kashmir goes global, offers admissions to foreign students

SRINAGAR, SEPTEMBER 19: For the first time, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences & Technology of Kashmir (SKUAST-K) has opened admission for foreign and domestic students in different UG and PG Programmes for 2022-23.

On the occasion, Vice Chancellor SKUAST-K, Nazeer Ahmad Ganai released an information brochure on admission to UG & PG Programmes for National and International students.

Addressing the presser, VC said that the varsity is making its endeavor to make Kashmir a hub of education and is working not only to build the capacity to bring the students here and at the same time not shy to send our people to premier institutions outside also.

“We don’t find ourselves in isolation and we want to move international and to create an ecosystem where every university in India must follow us,”  he said.

He observed that SKUAST-Kashmir has an ambiance with the essence of communal harmony rich in diversity.

Enumerating the benefits for foreign students in studying at the University, the VC said that Kashmiri society is crime free society, having adventure tourism, agri-eco tourism, winter sporting, etc.

While discussing the varsity’s rankings and ratings at the National level, he informed that the university is ranked 6th the best State Agricultural University of India, awarded Band-Excellent under Atal Innovation Ranking by Ministry of Higher Education, ICAR accredited A Grade University. Besides the university is the first SAU to implement National Education Policy 2020, and is among the top three performing universities under the National Agriculture Higher Education Project funded by the World Bank, with flexible choice-based education and a culture of student startups & entrepreneurship.

Elaborating further on the role of the university in implementing NEP-2020, he said that SKUAST-Kashmir is the first in the country to align its curriculum to NEP 2020, giving flexibility and choice to choose from a library of courses and skills, besides building competence in the core disciplines. This model of education has been appreciated by the Indian Council of Agriculture Research, New Delhi, he added.

He further informed that the vision of SKUAST-Kashmir aspires to be the top innovation-led farm for open, collaborative, and innovative culture, commitment to diversity and inclusion, vibrant rural and urban campuses, and a land grant legacy of empowering students to make positive impacts in their communities.

He hoped that SKUAST-Kashmir would be the preferred international destination for Agri-education for its novelty, creativity, innovation, entrepreneurship, leadership, and social and gender equity.

To reach out to foreign students for admissions, he said that they are going to invite ambassadors of different countries to Kashmir to provide them with first-hand information about the infrastructure and ecosystem of the education. Similarly, he added that they are soon going to contact Indian Consulates stationed in several countries to share information regarding the admissions and courses with them in the university.

The media interaction was also attended by the university faculties, scientists, Heads of the Departments, and other officers.