Focus shifts to post-grad programmes

The Bengal Engineering and Science University (BESU),which has become the country’s first university to get the status of Indian Institute of Engineering Science and Technology (IIEST),has decided to lay emphasis on integrated post-graduate courses and research works,and will slowly phase out the undergraduate courses. “There are many engineering institutes in the country that provide engineering degree at the undergraduate level. Being a national institute,BESU will instead focus on post-graduate education and research,” said the university’s Vice-Chancellor Ajoy Kumar Ray.

The university plans to launch integrated five-year MTech and MSc programmes from the next academic session. In the integrated programme,enrolled students will receive a Bachelor’s degree after the completion of four years and the Master’s degree after five years.

The university also plans to admit 1,300 more students to its existing strength of 2,400. For its PhD programmes,the university will increase its strength to 300 per year. Since the 154-year-old university will be converted to IIEST by suitably amending the NIT Act,the admission will now be through All India Engineering Entrance Exam (AIEEE) and 50 per cent seats will be reserved for students of the state. Ray said they are working on launching a five-year integrated Masters and PhD programmes in pure sciences like Physics ,Mathematics,Chemistry and Geology and Geophysics.