JOIN USProduce knowledge consistently, Nobel laureate tells varsities
The freedom given to universities would be rendered meaningless if they did not take the initiative to consistently produce knowledge, said Nobel laureate Rudolph Marcus on Monday.
Marcus was addressing the sixth annual convocation of the Tumkur University at the Raj Bhavan in the City. The scientist pointed out that universities had to earn cognitive freedom by perseverance in high quality academics.
“In an university, you will be subjected to a regimen of methodological thinking, intellectual labour and structured intellectual activity. At the end of this, one earns cognitive freedom. Such freedom cannot be claimed as a right,” he said.
He called upon officials of the varsity to emphasise the importance of this freedom to students, without which there would be a risk of mere production of technocrats.
The university gave away 32 gold medals to toppers in various disciplines on the occasion.
Chandrashekhara G, a BPEd student who won the gold medal for topping his course, told Deccan Herald that he would pursue his MPhil and PhD in the same discipline and wanted to make a career in academics.
“I have always been good in sports and I needed a platform to hone my skills in the area. The course has given me the opportunity. By entering the teaching profession after getting my doctorate, I want to give the same opportunity to many others like me,” he said.
Mamatha C N, who won the gold medal for topping in MSc Physics, wants to pursue PhD in the subject from the university. “I will pursue research in semiconductors. I believe there are plenty of career opportunities in pure sciences and students have to tap them,” she said.
Tumkur University also conferred D Litt on chairperson of Infosys Foundation Sudha Murthy, violinist T T Srinivasan, A Shivathanu Pillai, CEO and MD of BrahMos, Prof Mallepuram G Venkatesh, V-C of Sanskrit University, among seven other academicians. It also conferred Honorary Doctorate on Nobel laureates Rudolph Marcus and Prof Eric S Maskin among 15 others.