Osmania University to launch twinning courses soon

Students of Osmania University (OU) will soon be able to complete a part of their course in the OU and rest in a foreign university.

Hyderabad: Students of Osmania University (OU) will soon be able to complete a part of their course in the OU and rest in a foreign university. The university administration in collaboration with the foreign universities is planning to launch twinning programmes starting next academic year i.e., 2023-24.

The undergraduate and postgraduate twinning programmes are being planned in engineering, sciences and management streams in association with universities in the UK, Australia and the US. The varsity will shortly enter into Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the different universities in Wales.

According to a senior official of the varsity, the twinning programme will allow OU students to pursue half of the coursework in the OU and rest in a collaborated university abroad. Likewise, foreign students from the collaborating foreign universities will be able to take up academics in the OU. However, students must meet required eligibility criteria including academic performance.

Meanwhile, the OU administration is also planning to make major changes in the postgraduate courses including slashing the total number of credits from 96 to 80 from the academic year 2022-23.

This, according to the senior official, is being done so as to align the framework of credits with the national framework which will enable the varsity to implement multiple-entry and multiple-exit policy.

This apart, the university has drawn plans to increase the number of electives offered from three to five in different courses besides bringing in uniformity including credits and question paper pattern among arts, social sciences and commerce courses. Also, a research methodology paper and project is being made mandatory for all the PG courses from this academic year.

However, several teachers particularly in the arts and social sciences, science streams are opposing the plan to cut down credits. According to them, reducing the number of credits would also reduce the number of papers offered in the course.

“Cutting credits means reducing the papers from five to four. It will reduce the syllabus and students will get limited knowledge in the respective subjects,” a teacher said. The OU standing committee which is scheduled to meet on Saturday is expected to take a decision on these changes in PG courses.