Pondicherry University News & Events ,

University Hosts An International Conference On Technology-Enabled Online And Distance Learning For Education

November 1, 2022: On October 27–28, 2022, at the Convention-Cultural Center of the Pondicherry University, the Directorate of Distance Education (DDE) and the Department of Computer Science hosted the "International Conference on Technology-Enabled Online and Distance Learning for Education: In the context of NEP 2020 (ICTOODLE-2022)". The meeting was welcomed by Prof. Chennupati K. Ramaiah, Director of DDE Pondicherry University, who also emphasised the distinctive services provided by DDE in providing high-quality education, affordable tuition, and access to the most recent information. The conference, timed to coincide with the Silver Jubilee festivities, was planned to promote student-centered learning, simplify the organisational structure, and offer an effective online learning environment. The conference's focus is on identifying and assimilating ICT tools for efficient content delivery and assessment in education, keeping in mind the NEP guidelines.

This conference was specifically organised to give learners a place for discussion and to learn about the various learning methodologies used. The Honorable Prof. Gurmeet Singh, Vice-Chancellor of Pondicherry University, served as the Conference's chief guest. Prof. K. Sankaranarayanasamy, Director of the National School of Technology in Karaikal, and Prof. S. Mohan, Vice-Chancellor of the Puducherry Technological University in Puducherry, served as the guests of honour.

The conference's appropriate timing in light of the evolving educational landscape and its ability to complement the NEP objectives were noted by the conference's guest of honour, Prof. K. Sankaranarayanasamy, Director of the National Institute of Technology, Karaikal. He provided an example of the necessity for a mixed learning environment and a plan for the future by recalling his groundbreaking experience in online teaching. In the wake of the epidemic, he added that technology-assisted online and remote learning are essential, and that this conference will foster fresh ideas and admirable inventions that will propel the educational sector to new heights. Additionally, he discussed his NEP implementation experience in higher education technical institutions. The conference's theme is developing a person's abilities and knowledge. The process of teaching and learning is changing and evolving along with human evolution, but it does not compromise education's ultimate purpose. The educational landscape has seen remarkable changes as a result of the recent rapid advancements in information and communication technology, including mobile learning, ubiquitous learning, synchronous learning, social learning, etc. This conference was jointly organised by the Dean, School of Engineering and Technology Prof. T. Chitralekha, the Director DDE, Prof. Chennupati K. Ramaiah, the HoD, Computer Science Prof. S. Siva Sathya, and the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Gurmeet Singh in order to fulfil the National Mission.

The Conference, where around 40 (Forty) research papers and two industries were presented from across the World, has been a great success with papers received from top academicians, professors, other faculty members from universities, colleges, and research researchers. India and the United Kingdom each contributed one of the conference's seven keynote speakers. Three tracks were available at the conference to cover topics such technology-enabled online and distance learning, ICT & Pedagogy, and online and distance learning.

Pondicherry University Students Participate in a Five-Day Training Workshop

November 1, 2022: A five-day training session for more than 70 students from Pondicherry University and its affiliated colleges was launched by the Department of Social Work, Pondicherry University, and the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, GoI, as part of their project "Towards a Drug Free Puducherry." On November 1, 2022, at 9:30 A.M., the first event was conducted at Pondicherry University's Cultural-cum-Convention Centre. The goal is to prepare students to address issues of drug abuse and addiction in their local communities by serving as peer educators. The students come from the Pondicherry University Community College, the Bharathidasan Government College for Women, the PSV College of Arts and Sciences, the Rajiv Gandhi College of Arts and Sciences, the Perunthalaivar Kamarajar College of Arts and Sciences, the Kasturba College for Women, the Indira Gandhi College of Arts and Sciences, the Sri Venkateswara College of Pharmacy, the Pondicherry Technological University, and the Pondicherry University. In ten communities in the Puducherry District that have been identified, the students will work in groups. The distinctive quality is that these peer educators would work in their respective Puducherry home communities.

The participants are students from Pondicherry University Community College, Bharathidasan Government College for Women, PSV College of Arts and Sciences, Rajiv Gandhi College of Arts and Sciences, Perunthalaivar Kamarajar College of Arts and Sciences, Kasturba College for Women, Indira Gandhi College of Arts and Sciences, Sri Venkateswara College of Pharmacy, Pondicherry Technological University, and Pondicherry University. The students will collaborate in groups as they travel to the ten identified localities in the Puducherry District. That these peer educators will work in their individual Puducherry hometown villages makes them unique.

FoodKing's founder and CEO, E Sarathbabu, served as the event's special guest. Dr K. Anbu, Head of Department in Charge, Pondicherry University's Department of Social Work, officially welcomed the group. Prof. R. Nalini, the principal investigator, described the workshop's objectives. The Presidential Address was given by Prof. K. Tharanikkarasu, Director (Studies, Educational Innovations and Rural Reconstruction), Pondicherry University. He discussed the risks of drug and alcohol addiction and the necessity for young people to reject the damaging influence of their peers and the media on substance usage. E Sarathbabu discussed his motivational journey from his humble origins in Chennai to becoming an entrepreneur. The student body must work extremely hard to accomplish the ideal of a drug-free Puducherry, he said. The vote of appreciation was given by Dr Iftekhar Alam, assistant professor and co-principal investigator.

Pondichery University's Tailormade Professional And Job-Oriented Distance Education Programmes

October 10, 2022: A total of 20 degree programmes are available through Pondicherry University's Directorate of Distance Education (DDE), including 8 MBA degrees in marketing, finance, human resource management, international business, general, tourism, operations & supply chain management, and hospital management, 4 PG degrees, including an MCom in finance and MAs in English, Hindi, and sociology, and 8 UG degrees (BBA, BCom, BA in English, Economics, History, Political Science, Sociology and Journalism & Mass Communication). Typically, the application process for the following academic year begins in July. However, UGC this year's admissions for the Academic Session 2022 are altered and began on 1 September 2022 and ended on 15 November 2022 owing to COVID-19 backlog DEB.

All individuals who are unable to enrol in conventional academic and vocational education programmes at the university's associated colleges can choose from professional and job-oriented academic programmes offered by the DDE, Pondicherry University. This is carried out in order to meet the needs of those who were unable to pursue higher education in the traditional, on-campus programmes. The Distance Education Bureau (DEB), New Delhi, and the AICTE, New Delhi, have recognised and approved these degree programmes.

For the benefit of its students, the DDE at Pondicherry University also held a number of international webinars in February 2022 and job fairs in June 2022 and September 2022 in Pondicherry and Bangalore, respectively. These events assisted in placing a significant number of students. The Job Fairs and its Twinning Program Centers across the country's north, east, and west will continue over the next months. According to Prof. C.K. Ramaiah, the Director of the Directorate of Distance Education at Pondicherry University, each of us would undoubtedly learn a lot from these events that would aid us in our future endeavours, wherever we may be.

The DDE also has 29 faculty members, 17 professors who serve as course coordinators, and a number of full-time teaching and administrative personnel to meet the needs of the teaching. The International/National Webinars are one of several novelties that DDE plans to deliver as part of its Silver Jubilee celebration this year.