tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9818962.post107354676800007364..comments2024-03-20T13:10:11.477+05:30Comments on nanopolitan: Four-year bachelor's program in the sciencesAbihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06790560045313883673noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9818962.post-75283403336215109562010-01-25T23:56:44.139+05:302010-01-25T23:56:44.139+05:30Hi Abi!!
Having lived in the IISER system for quit...Hi Abi!!<br />Having lived in the IISER system for quite sometime now, I cannot help but agree with your opinion that IISERs have committed a mistake by not taking the initiative and starting a 4 year B.S course. This is really important considering that the 1 year research and thesis component of the 5 year course is not being implemented in a proper manner. The students are being literally forced to choose their thesis projects in areas delimited by the interests of the faculty at the IISERs (which is very narrow anyway). They are not being allowed to collaborate with people outside the respective IISERs and work on things which really interests them. A 4 year B.S would be a much more likeable option for the students since it does not involve them working on things which do not interest them at all for a year (which is considered to be a very long period of time by most of them).Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9818962.post-76956989473237873432008-05-28T14:11:00.000+05:302008-05-28T14:11:00.000+05:30Humanities? Social Sciences? Never heard of (the...Humanities? Social Sciences? Never heard of (them). At least not in the hallowed portals of IISc.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9818962.post-5796250599722591972008-05-28T06:24:00.000+05:302008-05-28T06:24:00.000+05:30aha but you don't mention the most important posit...aha but you don't mention the most important position paper of them all published in <I>Ganashakti</I> by the education cell of the CPI(M). "Efforts to breed elitism by attacking student democracy and by allocating scarce educational resources to a few select educational institutions must be condemned as just another pillar of the imperialist privatization agenda. The need of the hour is to make available resources in an equitable manner to even the most remotest and deprived of our public universities, which are the only instruments of social change." (translated from Bengali by not a native speaker)<BR/><BR/>The necessities of coalition dharma entail that there be no movement whatsoever on this front. This is no trivial matter but a critical part of the left front agendaAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9818962.post-51151700108775463512008-05-28T00:09:00.000+05:302008-05-28T00:09:00.000+05:30I agree to the previous comment. While the establi...I agree to the previous comment. While the establishing of these 4 year science programs is laudable, what is more important I think is to take a relook at the way students are saddled to a particular discipline from day 1. Although there is a minor stream and there are a few electives here and there, the avenues of exploration are very few. The emphasis on exploration is even lesser which is unhealthy for the students in the long run. I can't speak for everyone but quiet a few people are disgruntled by the stream which is thrust upon them and there is a big sense of loss at the end of 4 years.<BR/> One last thing. The quality and value of our Masters programs is absolutely abysmal. People complain about engineers only doing MBAs but the fact is that an Indian masters program adds no value and is not coveted. Perhaps we need to create some really coveted MS programs which add value in visible terms to a student's CV.cipherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15049448088189884477noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9818962.post-72869920580999114682008-05-27T22:48:00.000+05:302008-05-27T22:48:00.000+05:30An error in my last comment in the last para; "stu...An error in my last comment in the last para; "students are required to study at least 12 courses in Humanities and social sciences."Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9818962.post-45774829196757441062008-05-27T22:06:00.000+05:302008-05-27T22:06:00.000+05:30I think that students can actually benefit from a ...I think that students can actually benefit from a 4 year program since it can actually allow space for exploration. For eg:-Somebody who may wish to pursue an MCA can actually take a few courses during the BS to build a small background, or perhaps less pragmatically , someone with an interest in history and science can develop a joint expertise in 4 years which would be impossible in 3 years.<BR/><BR/>Also, one look at the curriculum set up by IISER Kolkata shows two characteristics: 2 courses in Humanities and Social Sciences across 5 years and mandatory 5 courses per semester; which will automatically lead to 2 things, students with a very narrow vision<BR/>and of course students will not master any subject since it requires next to super human effort to learn about 5 difficult subjects simultaneously.<BR/><BR/>It is an interesting exercise to compare the curriculum at the most rigorous science program in the US at Caltech and to see the difference, students required to study at least 12 courses , early and extensive introduction of electives, institutional introduction to research.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com