Enrolment triples, SKUAST-K leads in innovation, eyes global expansion: VC

Srinagar, Oct 21: Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir (SKUAST-K) has witnessed a threefold increase in student enrolment over the past few years, rising from around 2,000 to 6,000, while emerging as a leading institution in innovation and student start-ups among agricultural universities in the country, Vice-Chancellor Prof Nazir Ahmed Ganie said on Wednesday.
Speaking to reporters at the university’s Agriculture Campus, Wadura, Ganie, said SKUAST-K had expanded its academic offerings, with around 15 undergraduate programmes introduced or extended to provide more opportunities for students from Jammu and Kashmir to pursue higher education within the region.
He said the university was also strengthening its infrastructure, with a focus on hostels, laboratories, libraries and auditoriums to improve facilities and provide a better academic environment for students.
Highlighting the university’s growing international presence, the VC said more than 35 foreign students were currently enrolled at SKUAST-K, while over 2,000 students from outside Jammu and Kashmir were also pursuing their studies at the institution.
He said the university was working towards expanding its global footprint by attracting more international students and promoting academic exchanges. Students from Jammu and Kashmir were also exploring educational opportunities in countries such as Japan and South Korea, he added.
Prof Ganie said student exchange programmes should be bilateral, enabling both international students to study at SKUAST-K and local students to gain exposure to institutions abroad.
“We are optimistic that in the next couple of years, we will see a good number of foreign students at the university,” he said, adding that student diversity was essential for achieving global standards and strengthening the institution’s international profile.
He said the university was encouraging its faculty members and students to become more creative and innovative, with a focus on developing technologies and solutions locally.
The VC said the institution was moving beyond a position of consuming knowledge and technology generated elsewhere towards contributing to innovation and technological advancement.
“I am happy to say that we are number one in innovation in the country, besides leading in student start-ups among all agricultural universities,” he said.
Prof Ganie added that SKUAST-K would continue to expand academic opportunities, improve infrastructure, promote innovation and strengthen international collaborations to enhance its standing at the national and global levels. (KNO)