St Xavier’s University will hold its own entrance test for admission to BTech programmes that the university will introduce next year.
The university is “in the process of developing” infrastructure for the BTech courses that will focus on areas like AI and robotics, vice-chancellor Father Felix Raj told The Telegraph on Saturday on the sidelines of the fifth convocation of the university in New Town.
“We have decided to introduce the BTech programme from next year. We are in the process of developing the infrastructure. The university will hold its own entrance tests to screen students for the programme,” said Father Felix Raj.
The university, which started with courses in commerce and humanities, introduced a faculty of science in 2022 with courses in statistics and computer science.
“Now, we are diversifying into BTech as well. There is a demand for this. We will start with computer science and electronics and communication. AI and robotics will be our focus area,” the vice-chancellor told this newspaper.
The university will introduce an LLM (Master of Laws) course this year, he added.
As many as 889 students were awarded their degree completion certificates in Saturday’s ceremony at the Biswa Bangla Convention Centre.
Kandeh Kolleh Yumkella, former under-secretary-general and special representative of the UN secretary-general for Sustainable Energy for All, from Vienna, was the chief guest for the function. He delivered the convocation address.
This year, the honoris causa was conferred on Fr S. Ignacimuthu, former vice-chancellor of Madras University and a scientist, and R.N. Jhunjhunwala, attorney-at-law, at Calcutta High Court.
Father Felix Raj said in his convocation address: “The vision of the university is to be rooted in and inspired by the Ignatian charism of forming men and women for others. St Xavier’s University, Kolkata, as a centre of excellence, strives to promote a society based on love, freedom, liberty, justice, equality and fraternity.”
He later told this newspaper: “We want our students to promote these values which the university has imparted in a turbulent time which they are encountering.”
The VC presented the annual report and said that they had launched an initiative to identify the weaker students in hostels and support them by providing academic assistance and counselling.
Kandeh Kolleh Yumkella said: “My topic of interaction, Opportunities for Energy Transition and Sustainable Development, is significant as you are graduating at a time of climatic change, pandemic, economic shocks and volatility exacerbated by international conflicts and geopolitical tensions. All these crises pose real threats to sustainable development.
“We, in the global south, are already experiencing the worst impact of climate change though historically we are not the big emitters of the greenhouse gas.”