GBU made affiliate university for non-technical courses in Noida, Ghaziabad

The Uttar Pradesh government has announced that it will make Gautam Buddha University (GBU), an affiliate university for non-technical courses.

The Uttar Pradesh government has announced that it will make Gautam Buddha University (GBU), an affiliate university for non-technical courses.

HT Image

The move, experts believed, is aimed at trying to contain the workload of Chaudhary Charan Singh University, Meerut, which affiliates most of colleges in Noida, Greater Noida and Ghaziabad.

Prof Bhagwati Prakash Sharma, vice chancellor of GBU, said that he had received information that the government had made GBU an affiliate university. “The GBU will affiliate all non-technical programmes at Gautam Budh Nagar-based colleges from the next academic session. Lucknow-based Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Technical University (APJAKTU) will continue to affiliate programmes like B-Tech, MBA, MCA,” he said.

The GBU will provide affiliation for programmes in humanities, law, journalism, fine arts, education, social sciences, Buddhism studies. The V-C said that the Chaudhary Charan Singh University, Meerut, will continue providing degrees to students who are already enrolled and are pursuing their programme.

“The UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath has decided to make GBU an affiliate university to promote quality education and streamline administrative works in academics. The chief minister has also decided to make GBU a Centre of Excellence in the field of Buddhism Studies,” office of UP CM tweeted on Tuesday evening.

The GBU, came into existence in 2008 and is spread over 455 acres of green campus. The varsity has 4500 students and 500 faculty members, including 250 guest faculties. Noida Authority and Greater Noida Authority have been funding the university since it started operation.

V-C Sharma said that the University is trying to become self-funded. “We have stopped taking grants from authorities since April 2019. The new move will further strengthen us to become self supported,” he said. The GBU is yet to figure out the total number of students, programmes and colleges for the affiliation. “In a meeting with government officials two weeks ago, we had proposed for affiliation of GB Nagar based colleges. We have not received any information about offering affiliation to colleges in Ghaziabad or other neighbouring district,” Sharma said.

GBU is known for its unique integrated programmes for bachelors and masters degree. Its School of Management offers a dual degree programme BBA-MBA, and also B.Com (hons.), B.Sc. (Hotel Mgmt.), MBA, etc. The School of Information and Communication Technology offers five year integrated programmes in B.Tech-M.Tech; B.Tech; BCA; M.Tech; MCA. Similarly, the School of Engineering offers B.Tech; B.Arch; Dual Degree B.Tech.-M.Tech; M.Tech; M.Arch, etc. The University also has schools of Vocational Studies and Applied Sciences; Humanities and Social Sciences; Buddhist Studies and Civilization; Law, Justice & Governance, etc.

Arvind Kumar Singh, director International Affairs, GBU, said that the University has over 100 International students from Vietnam, South Korea, China, Myanmar, Mongolia, Cambodia, Thailand, Yemen, Nepal, Afghanistan, USA, Canada, and Bangladesh.

This year the university has completed admissions in most of the courses through online entrance examination. The university is seeking applications till October 31 in courses, where some seats are still vacant.

Dr H Chaturvedi, director of Greater Noida-based BIMTECH, said that GBU becoming an affiliating university is a good move. “Due to the upcoming Jewar airport, a number industries will come up and offer job opportunities in the future. GBU should devise a mechanism and run job oriented programmes in its affiliated colleges. There is need to just channelize the existing infrastructure in a suitable way,” he said.