SPPU to set up school of undergraduate studies

The proposed school is expected to become operational from the next academic year, with discussions and planning underway

The Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU) is planning to establish a dedicated School of Undergraduate Studies on its campus, said varsity vice-chancellor Suresh Gosavi on Thursday.

The university has more than 45 academic departments, most of which currently focus on postgraduate education and research. (HT FILE)

The proposed school is expected to become operational from the next academic year, with discussions and planning underway. It will bring multiple departments together to develop interdisciplinary, employment-oriented and integrated undergraduate programmes.

“The idea is to bring together different departments and develop innovative, integrated undergraduate programmes that are aligned with the needs of the coming years,” he said.

The university has more than 45 academic departments, most of which currently focus on postgraduate education and research. While some undergraduate programmes, including liberal arts and blended BSc courses, have been introduced in recent years, the number of degree programmes directly offered by SPPU remains limited.

Under the proposed school, departments such as physics, biology, chemistry, mathematics, statistics and biotechnology could collaborate to offer integrated science programmes. Similar interdisciplinary courses are also being considered in the humanities and social sciences.

The university is also considering a centralised admission mechanism, under which students would be admitted to the school rather than applying separately to individual departments.

SPPU has already experimented with interdisciplinary undergraduate education through its blended BSc programme offered in collaboration with the University of Melbourne and IISER Pune. According to Gosavi, the programme has received a positive response, particularly because it allows students to build foundations in subjects they did not study in Class 12.

The move assumes significance as affiliated colleges increasingly become autonomous and as the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 emphasises multidisciplinary, flexible and integrated higher education.