New Delhi : Odisha-based Centurion University of Technology and Management (CUTM) has won yet another accolade by getting honoured as an ‘Outstanding Skill University’ at the recently-concluded World Education Summit. The university, first in the country to be recognised as a Centre for Excellence by the Union Ministry of Skills Development, bagged the honour at an event held in the national capital and attended by scores of educationists as well as representatives of schools and colleges from different parts of India and abroad. Inaugurated by former President of India Dr APJ Abdul Kalam in 2011, the World Education Summit is a coveted annual global event in its 29th edition this year.
Sharing the vision behind creating a skill university over two decades ago, when skill-integration in higher education was rarely even thought upon, Centurion University Vice Chancellor Dr (Prof) Supriya Pattanayak, said, “We have always endeavoured to create a teaching pedagogy that is experiential, solving real life problems with skill-based learning and action learning. While it makes the university a sought after one, more importantly it enables the creation of an industry-ready workforce. We firmly believe in ensuring that students become an asset to whatever industry they make their career in. This award by the World Education Summit stands testament to the fact that we are making efforts in the right direction. We appreciate and thank the decision makers for this honour.”
The award was accepted by Centurion University’s Pro Vice Chancellor, Dr Ajay Kumar Nayak. This comes less than a month after the skill university bagged the 18th rank in India in the Times Higher Education University Impact Rankings for its effective strategies and concerted efforts in promoting Sustainable Development Goals. Prior to it, the university had etched its name in the Eligible List for Indian universities as per the University Grants Commission for academic collaboration with foreign universities.
Centurion University offers courses across various fields, including allied health sciences, engineering, technology, media, communication, agriculture, management and forensic science. It has about 50 on-campus manufacturing set ups as well as advanced industry-sponsored labs to support skill-based education amongst students. Lateral entry using credit scores allows students to enrol and complete their education at their own pace. The aim is to equip students with the necessary skills to become entrepreneurs and job providers, instead of mere job seekers.
