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excellence — outstanding faculty,
unique pedagogy, cutting-edge re-
search and partnerships with leading
universities worldwide. Therefore,
it’s especially gratifying that your
sample respondents have awarded
us top score under the parameters of
pedagogy and curriculum; industry
interface which has enabled us to
focus on applied learning and impart
21st century skills to students, and
internationalism which reflects
our global perspective,” says Dr.
Raychaudhury.
Under Raychaudhury’s steward-
ship, AU has drawn up an ambitious
subject diversification and expan-
sion plan. “To evolve into India’s
premier interdisciplinary research
and teaching university, we will be Dr. Madhu Chitkara (centre): growing research culture
expanding our campus to almost five
times its current size. Simultane- Somaiya Vidyavihar University, always be good teachers,” says Dr.
ously, we are investing heavily in the Mumbai has made an impressive Chitkara.
sciences, including bioscience which debut as India’s #15 private multidis- It’s noteworthy that although pri-
will be the dominant discipline of ciplinary university. vate multidisciplinary universities,
the 21st century. In the next few The steady progress of Chitkara which have acquired new popularity
years, we expect to grow from our University in the EW league table after the National Education Policy
current number of 2,800 students of new genre private multidisci- (NEP) 2020 enjoined all higher
to 8,000. We will also be creating plinary varsities has enthused Dr. education institutions to begin the
great impact through our Centres Madhu Chitkara, an alumna of process of transforming into mul-
of Excellence and partnerships with Delhi and Punjab universities who tidisciplinary HEIs, universities
highly reputed organisations and promoted the eponymous institution which may be modestly ranked in the
universities around the world,” adds in 2010. In 2019-20, CU was ranked 100-strong EW 2024-25 league table
Raychaudhury. #33. Since then it has matured into may well be heavyweights within
The EW Top 10 table of private a multidisciplinary varsity with an their host states many of whom are
multidisciplinary universities is aggregate enrolment of 20,000 stu- larger and more populous than sov-
completed by NMIMS University, dents. This year, it has consolidated ereign European countries.
Mumbai at #6 (ranked #4 in 2023- its ranking within the Top 10 at #8 Thus, Chitkara University
24), Shiv Nadar University, Gau- (cf. #9 in 2023-24). ranked India #8 is top-ranked in
tam Buddh Nagar #7 (5); Chit- “I am quite satisfied with our Punjab (pop.31 million); Krea Uni-
kara University, Chandigarh steady progress in the EW league versity, Sri City, India #11 is #1 in
#8 (9), Symbiosis International tables. We consciously work towards Andhra Pradesh (pop.93 million);
(Deemed University) Pune #9 improving under each EW parameter the research-intensive Shoolini
(8) and the Kalinga Institute of and rather than worrying about com- #12 India is top-ranked in Himachal
Industrial Technology (KIIT), petition, set our own targets. I am Pradesh (pop.7 million) and Amity
Bhubaneswar which has made a proud of CU’s growing research and University, Kolkata ranked India
great leap forward to #10 (14). With innovation culture. In its 2024 global #24 is West Bengal’s #1 private mul-
this rearrangement of seats at the rankings, THE has short-listed us tidisciplinary university.
Top 10 table, the closed shop, incom- among the top eight emerging global Therefore, school and college-
municado Christ University, Ben- universities for research. And I am leavers who don’t wish to travel far
galuru has lost its Top 10 table seat also pleased to note the high score from home for higher education
even as St. Joseph’s University, for research awarded to us by EW would be well-advised to check out
Bengaluru awarded autonomy by sample respondents. In CU, we are the state rankings of private multi-
UGC last year, has debuted at #14. working hard to establish a research disciplinary varsities also provided in
Likewise, the previously unranked culture because good researchers will this issue of EducationWorld.

MAY 2024 EDUCATIONWORLD 53