All for the welfare of students
It was his first press conference and Jamia Millia Islamia’s new Vice-Chancellor Najeeb Jung asserted that student welfare was the only focus area for him. He made it clear that any step helping students achieve their educational goals will get his attention. “We should look at what we can do for the students and not get into (other) sundry matters,” he said.
Jung, who took charge as VC from Mushirul Hassan, is a former Indian Administrative Services (IAS) officer. His priority, at the moment, 
is to work on the confidence levels of the students of Jamia. “I ask my colleagues how many of our students can compete at international universities or get employment with the best of multinationals. That is what I ask myself also. I want to give that confidence to my students,” said Jung. “Many children here come from mofussil towns and we have to look after them. These students are not as confident as their counterparts who study at the north campus (Delhi University) or Jawahar Lal Univeristy (JNU) and have been brought up in the best of environments. To build up the students’ confidence levels it is necessary to have good infrastructure, which Jung said, “will be one of the focus areas.”
Fielding a question on whether an academician was better for the job of a vice chancellor, he said: “Jawaharlal Nehru University’s first vice chancellor was not an academician but he was very successful. Look at MIT or Harvard or any other big educational institution. People from various walks of life have been the heads at these places. It is not right to say that bureaucrats cannot run educational institutes.”
On whether he plans to bring in new courses, he said, “If resources and the government permit, I would like to start new competitive courses. There are certain courses that are in demand and hold good future for students. I would love to start them here.”
Author: HT
New Delhi, 9 Sep, 2009
