Trust nostalgia to be the overwhelming flavour at any alumni meet. There are many stories, some over worn, some inaccurate and some burnished with creativity, from ‘those days’ to share. There is talk of success, the trajectory lives took after the varsity days, and of those who are no more around to regale friends with their tales.
As the alumni of Utkal University meet a couple of days on, there would be stories, in fact, a surfeit of them considering students of the past, span three-quarters of a century. Surely, paeans would be sung to achievers and it would resonate through the five-day event. Uncomfortable questions about the varsity would be swept under the carpet to keep the aesthetics of the big occasion undisturbed.
As is usual at these events, introspection would take a backseat as the feel-good narrative would dominate the proceedings. That, one is afraid, would defeat the purpose of the grand gathering. This ought to be an occasion to raise hard questions, focus on problem areas and put into service the collective intelligence of alumni to find solutions to them. They are, after all, an assembly of decision-makers, influencers, ideators, executors and, in short, movers and shakers in the country. They can be the intellectual ballast as well as driving force of the institution. Financial contribution is fine, but the university must seek to extract more from them.
A good question, as any educator would vouch, is where the ‘new’ begins. Would the varsity, the hub of education, begin with some? Here are a few it might throw at itself and the august assembly.
As the premier institute in the state, how many ideas does it produce for the betterment of Odisha? This is important since campuses are intellectual zones where all ideas of change, both incremental and radical, take shape. The role of a university is not merely to churn out degree-holders but also to unleash thinking that is useful to the society.
Is our system geared to producing quality, in terms of both teaching personnel and passouts? A corollary to this could be why so many students seek out destinations outside the state for better education. If the capacity for retention of talent is low, then it could be because of some weakness in the system. It needs immediate attention.
How many of our doctoral works actually make an impact on policy-making or at least unearth new knowledge? If we look at research from the perspective of purpose it is possible we are falling short. There’s not much ground-breaking work visible in recent years. The university needs to find a way to make them available to the public so that it spurs discussion.
Are we robust at the bottom level, beginning with Plus 3? Initiatives taken here can make our education wholesome. A good filtering mechanism at this level would ensure quality at higher levels. Perhaps it needs a lot of cleaning up and refurbishing. If we feel it doesn’t, then that should be a matter for worry.
Is our campus environment healthy enough for free debates and ideological conversation? It is the duty of educational institutions to provide students an atmosphere free of fear and with scope for uninhibited expression. Above everything else, they are supposed to be upholders of higher principles such as liberty and equality. They cannot produce thought leaders if they themselves are unable to withstand pressure, political and otherwise.
It would be a great service to the cause of Utkal University and education in general if the Platinum Jubilee celebration becomes an exercise in introspection, not in self-congratulation and pointless nostalgia.
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