In alignment with the New Education Policy (NEP) 2020, Delhi Technological University (DTU) has announced the launch of five Centres of Excellence. These centres aim to promote multi-disciplinary education, green energy, disaster risk management, and drone technology in defence. The newly established centres include:
- Centre for Community Development and Research
- Centre for Excellence in Energy Transition
- Centre of Excellence for Drone Technology in Defence
- Centre of Excellence in Disaster Risk Reduction
- Centre for Executive Education
At a recent press conference held in Delhi, Prateek Sharma, Vice-Chancellor of DTU, confirmed that Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with various ministries are underway. Collaborations with the Ministry of Defence, Central Electricity Authority of India, and the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy will facilitate the establishment of these centres on DTU’s campus.
“These centres will act as verticals for various research activities undertaken by students enrolled in different programmes, supervised by industry collaborators and DTU professors,” said Sharma. He added that these centres would significantly enhance the quality of research and provide multi-disciplinary education to students.
The Centre for Community Development and Research, which started in May, involves projects undertaken by BTech, MTech, and PhD students. These projects will provide scientific solutions to societal issues in transportation, sustainability, and sanitation, among others. “The solutions provided by the students will be shared with industry stakeholders, including urban and rural ministries, for successful implementation,” Sharma explained.
The Centre for Excellence in Energy Transition and the Centre for Executive Education will be launched in October this year. These centres will focus on India’s goals to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2070 and utilize 50% renewable energy by 2030. Engineering students will engage with these centres to develop scientific solutions to challenges in electricity and green energy domains.
DTU is also in discussions with various ministries and local bodies for the launch of the Centre for Excellence in Disaster Risk Reduction and the Centre for Drone Technology in Defence. These centres aim to prepare students for real-world challenges and advance research in their respective fields.
As part of its outreach programme, DTU plans to offer short-term online courses under the initiative of Digital Education. These courses will teach technical and management subjects to students with limited resources. The Centre for Executive Education will also offer short-term courses for working professionals, including DTU faculty members, to upgrade their knowledge of the latest industry trends.
Additionally, DTU has introduced 5-year integrated BSc+MSc programmes in Physics, Chemistry, Biotechnology, Mathematics, and Economics for the academic year 2024-2025. These programmes, which offer multiple entry and exit options as recommended in NEP 2020, have a total of 30 seats each and admissions are conducted through CUET exams.
