Best practice

Best practice I

Title of the Practice: Capacity building of student and faculty towards improved research practices.

Objectives of the Practice:
To improve participation of students and staff towards constant improvement of the research component of the program.

To ensure exposure of students and staff to international and state of art research practices by facilitating interaction with international scientists and deputations to foreign labs.

The Context:
Nitte University Centre for Science Education and Research was established in 2013 under the ambit of Nitte University with an aim of creating a state-of-the art facility for biomedical research through an interdisciplinary approach. The focus in the centre is Human Health and Diseases comprising the infectious, non-infectious and the environmental modes of diseases. Health care involves several stakeholders including hospitals, pharmaceuticals, diagnostic services, medical equipment supplies, medical insurance regulators, research and development institutions. Over the last decade, India has witnessed a phenomenal rise in health sector. As the health care sector is continuing to grow, the employment opportunities for biomedical scientists are also increasing. Recognizing the need for producing quality biomedical scientists who could serve in health care sector in India, NUCSER started its teaching program with the B.Sc. and M.Sc. courses in Biomedical Sciences and two years later introduced two more M. Sc. programs namely Food Safety and Biotechnology and Marine Microbiology and Biotechnology. These courses are first of its kind in the state of Karnataka and NUCSER stands among the few handful of institutes in the entirely country that offer such unconventional courses, designed keeping in mind the job opportunities in the field of research. The course also equips the student with strong research training. Research project is a part of the syllabus. Thus forming an important component of the course.

The Practice:
We strongly encourage students to participate in research related activities. The institute has MOUs with several international and national centres for research. This encompasses staff and student exchange programs.

Students and staff are encouraged to attend and present papers at National and International conferences.

Limited student fellowship is awarded for undergraduates to conduct novel research. Ph.D. scholars are given scholarships/fellowship to encourage them to conduct sustained, quality research.

Evidence of Success:
Students are participating with much enthuse and bringing laurels to the institute. Research scholars have been awarded best posters at national level conferences. Post graduate students represented in south India zonal national level student research convention.

International recognitions: 7 faculty members and 11 students have obtained the Sakura Science award; 2 faculties have received the EMBO fellowship and one faculty has received BELSPO award in the past 5 years.

Student exchange: One of our M.Sc. student has done his research work at Ghent university, Belgium and simultaneously a student from Ghent university is doing his M.Sc. dissertation work at NUCSER.

Problems Encountered and Resources Required: The university has been very supportive in our efforts. The number of fellowships can be increased to enable more students to avail this benefit of support extended by the University. Laboratory space is a major constrain to the ever growing student numbers under taking research.

Best Practice II:
Title of the Practice:
Integrating interdisciplinary subjects, enrichment programs by offering choice based program (CBCS) in BSc. Biomedical Science.

Objectives of the Practice:
Interdisciplinary studies are the prospects which determine direction of science in future. With the global demand for students trained in interdisciplinary sciences in biology we have implemented the Choice based credit system in our curriculum structure. The course is also designed to cater to the need of increasing demand of skilled manpower in the health sector. The institute focusses itself on skill development and enhancement in Biomedical sciences.

The Context:
The new education policy by the government stresses on skill development and interdisciplinary approach to revolutionize education system. This calls for need for academic flexibility. Choice based system will enable students to enhance skills across various subjects offered. It will broaden the understanding of various subject based aspects as well as improve their comprehension and communicative skills.

The Practice:
The institute drafted a CBCS system as per the current context for relevance. It was approved by the Academic council. Post approval, the curriculum refinement was undertaken. The staff were trained in the system prior implementation. The IQAC ensured the consent of stakeholders of parents, student representatives and enlightened them of the new structure of the course.

The CBCS includes three types of courses; Core courses, Elective courses (EC) and Ability Enhancement courses (AEC), which together comprises 26 courses with a total of 140 credits. Core courses are the courses that should compulsorily be studied by a candidate as a core requirement. Elective Courses are those, which can be chosen from a pool of courses and which may be very specific or specialized or advanced or supportive to the discipline/ subject of study or which provides an extended scope or which enables an exposure to some other discipline/subject/domain or nurtures the candidate’s proficiency/skill. In elective courses, there are again two types, Generic Elective (GEC) and Discipline Specific Elective (DEC). GEC is an elective course chosen generally from an unrelated discipline/subject with an intention to seek exposure whereas DEC refers to courses related to the main discipline/subject of study. Ability enhancement courses are of two types again, Ability Enhancement Compulsory Course (AECC)- Courses that lead to knowledge enhancement. Environmental Science and English Communication. These are mandatory for all disciplines. Skill Enhancement Course (SEC)- Value-based and/or skill-based and are aimed at providing hands- on- training, competencies, skills etc. May be chosen from a pool of courses.

Evidence of Success:
The system will ensure active student participation, with more weightage given to practicals/ skill development. To imbibe and practice highest standard of ethics in scientific research by including non-credit courses like good laboratory practices, biosafety and bioethics.

Problems Encountered and Resources Required:
The university has been very supportive in our efforts. Implementation of Choice Based Papers increases the need for more teaching staff members. There is also need for additional classrooms to accommodate parallel classes during the CBCS allocated hours in the timetable.