Martin Luther Christian University Wins Accolades In Grand Jury Awards

SHILLONG: In the Grand Jury Awards 2019-20 of Education World, India’s leading education magazine, Martin Luther Christian University, Shillong was nominated among India’s top 10 newly emergent private higher education institutions which have demonstrated high potential to quickly adopt and integrate 21st century education best practices. MLCU was also nominated for ‘Student Diversity’ and secured the 10th rank in this category.

The awards event was held at the Taj Hotel, Bangalore on Saturday. Dr R Jennifer War, Dean Academics and Dr Marina B Marwein, Registrar received the awards on behalf of MLCU. The programme included talks by eminent educationists and a panel discussion on “Reviving Higher Education: Roadmap for the New Government”.

The jury comprised of eminent educationists from three higher education sectors – regulatory, government and private: Dr R Natarajan, former chairman of the All India Council for Technical Education, Anand Sudarshan, former CEO of Manipal Education Group, and Dr Ashok Misra, former director of IIT-Bombay.

They evaluated over 300 institutions in nine categories: extraordinary leadership, quality of campus life, newly emergent institutions, campus design excellence, student diversity, IT integration, sports and co-curricular education, professional education and vocational and skills education.

In its nomination, MLCU was cited for its experiential learning, community engagement and emphasis on continuous formative evaluation rather than examinations, affirmative admissions, and gender-friendly policies. The university was also cited for its breadth of student diversity, focus on learners of various abilities, and individualized learning.

In the panel discussions, it was informed that more than 60 per cent of students in higher education are in the private sector. Hence, the role of private educational enterprises in developing the required skill sets for students like digital skills, leadership abilities, listening skills, empathy, leadership, entrepreneurship was emphasised. It was highlighted that knowledge accompanied with relevant skills is what distinguishes students. A need was also felt of capturing industry inputs to improve curriculum. Students’ mental wellness should be given equal importance as academics.

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