Amrita Center for Policy Research

About

The Amrita Center for Policy Research will act as an institutional mechanism for advancing the theme of higher education for sustainable development. The center will engage closely with government institutions, academic institutions of national and international reputation, private, professional training, and other educational organizations to provide evidence-based recommendations for enhancing sustainability education and training. The center will develop national surveys, conduct documentary analysis, collaborative projects, research publications, and reports, and actively participate in various outreach, capacity-building, and training activities.

Life and living are not the same. For living, we may need a job, money, a home, a car and other creature comforts. However, these alone fail to make life complete. For that, we need love, compassion, tenderness — a heart that knows and responds to the pain of others. We need broadmindedness and maturity in thought and action. – Amma

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The guiding light of Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham

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DST Policy Research Cell

The Department of Science and Technology (DST), under the Ministry of Science & Technology Government of India, is mandated to develop and deliver public policy support to promote research and development in the country. The Department engages in periodic dialogues and discussions with stakeholders, national and international experts, and others to develop policy-related papers. DST’s “Policy Research Cell” is actively implementing the measures and mechanisms in the Science Technology & Innovation Policy. The new National Science, Technology, and Innovation Policy focuses on institutional mechanisms for the development and promotion or flow of sustainable technologies that will be created across the country to promote development as well as up-gradation of existing indigenous and traditional technologies directed towards the attainment of UN-SDGs and national priorities as well.

Objectives

Conduct policy research to track and inform the government about emerging sustainability education trends in India’s HEIs, leading to the identification of cutting-edge, innovative learning strategies that transcend traditional, narrow, and siloed approaches.

Develop evidence-based learning strategies, content, and tools for enhanced Sustainability curricula that foster high-quality graduates and capacity to support the UN 2030 Agenda, including the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs); the principles of Atma Nirbhar Bharat and Panchamitra commitment at COP26 within the framework of National Education Policy 2020

Study and compare successful sustainability education and practice models among Higher Education Institutions (HEI) in India, Europe, Asia, and Australia; Provide policy inputs that can enhance the efficacy and impact of Indian HEIs on UN SDG 2030 goals.

Establish collaborations with global networks of Sustainability initiatives like UN HESI, UN Academic Impact (UNAI), GUNi Network, UN SDSN, Jean Monnet, etc., to improve policy analysis that will promote globally recognized sustainability education and research training.

Conduct a Scientometric study of how top-ranked HEIs perform in eGovernance and Sustainability research and critically analyze the potential solutions to raise the profile of Indian HEIs in Sustainability research.

Assess human capital formation and capacity-building approaches using technologically enhanced instructional forms, including virtual and distance education and experiential learning.

Evaluate and document trends in Sustainable Development in higher education- at state, national, and global levels, and disseminate them through publications, reports, conferences/workshops, and consultation meetings to facilitate the formulation of policy responses.

Advocate promoting Sustainability integration in higher education policies by regulators such as UGC, AICTE, etc.

Identify human capital and skills capacity needs in relevant sustainability areas and map their skill requirements. Identify demand-supply gaps at different levels – from secondary and vocational to tertiary and advanced (including PhDs).

Assess extant research practices and policies in the indigenization of sustainable technologies and form a knowledge hub for sustainable technology innovators and startups.

Broaden and support policy review outputs undertaken by other DST CPRs by providing additional insights from a sustainability perspective.

Approaches

The Policy Research Center will engage closely with government institutions, academic institutions of national and international reputation, private professional training, and other educational organizations to provide evidence-based recommendations for enhancing sustainability education and training.

The Center will develop national surveys and conduct documentary analysis, collaborative projects, research publications, and reports. It will actively participate in various outreach, capacity-building, and training activities.

An approach to achieving the objectives is highlighted below. It will be broadly dependent on funding support from proposals to be invited by DST in specific areas on a case-by-case basis based on the recommendations of a national-level expert committee set up by DST.

Promote contemporary approaches in strengthening research, teaching, and advocacy in Public Policy among scholars, students, policymakers, and professionals.
Offer research and training programs in the broad application of public policy approaches in research and teaching.
Undertake research projects and policy evaluations and offer consultancy services on Public Policy and Governance to varied stakeholders, including government, private/ corporate, and NGO sectors.
Conduct sensitization/ awareness programs to communities and other stakeholders on the importance of public policies and interventions on sustaining critical natural resources; developing joint action programs in the major natural resources sectors, viz., land, water, forestry, fisheries, energy & renewable energy, and community livelihoods.

Linkages

Identify areas for innovation in sustainability curriculum, leading to policies on enhancing teacher education and academic research training.
Conduct conferences, workshops, and symposiums with officials from the Office of Principal Scientific Advisor (PSA), NITI Aayog, MoSP, UGC, AICTE, Association of Indian Universities, and National Research Laboratories; Invite representatives from relevant international entities. Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham Proposal for SCPR 22
Establish linkages with International Sustainability Networks like
- UN Higher Education Sustainability Initiative (UN HESI), UN Academic Impact (UN AI), UN SDN (Sustainability Development Network), Jean Monnet Network, THE (Times Higher Education), UI Green Metric, iREG Observatory on Ranking and Academic Excellence, etc.
- Centre for Policy Research in Higher Education (CPRHE) was established at the National Institute of Educational Planning and Administration (NIEPA)

To undertake research projects and policy evaluations and offer consultancy services on Public Policy and Governance to varied stakeholders, including government, private/ corporate and NGO sectors.
To organize International and National events, such as MDPs, FDPs, Conferences, Symposia, Workshops, Webinar Series, and Colloquia on the thematic areas.
To bring out state-of-the-art publications, including Policy Briefs, Discussion Papers, Conference Proceedings and Books
To conduct sensitization/ awareness programmes to communities and other stakeholders on the importance of public policies and interventions on sustaining critical natural resources, developing joint action programmes in the major sectors, viz., land, water, forestry, fisheries, energy and renewable energy, and community livelihoods.

It is proposed to carry out the following activities as part of linkages with other stakeholders:

Carry out evidence-based case studies on
- Sustainability in higher educational institutions (Europe, Asia, Australia, India)
- Carbon footprint and neutrality, environmental protection, equity, and justice among higher educational institutions (Europe, Asia, Australia, India)
- Sustainability practices in Indian higher education institutions: An overview of status and implementation
- Publish findings in Edited Books, Reports, and Research Papers.
- Technology Business Incubators in India creating Green Startups
- Identifying Areas of Policy Gaps for the promotion of Sustainable Development in higher education curriculum

Build a portal for Sustainability data and analytics of the Top 100 ranked HEIs in NIRF (procure data from NAAC, NIRF, and Swachh Rankings)
Produce study reports on
- Scientometrics (using Scopus) on Sustainable Development research by the Top 100 NIRF institutes and compare with the top 100 in the World (THE WUR, Impact Rankings)
- Indian HEI’s performance in Sustainability indicators (THE Impact, Green Metric, NAAC)
- SDG measurement and performance reporting by Indian HEIs and their alignment with India’s SDG targets and indicators.
Propose Online certificate programs in Sustainable Development
To offer research and training programmes in the broad application of public policy approaches in research and teaching.

Projects

eGOV Multimedia Cases – Development of multimedia cases with teaching notes on eGovernance initiatives of Government of India

In 2015, the Government of India launched the Digital India program to bridge the gap between urban and rural areas by…

Improving Tribal Livelihoods, Education & Sustainability – STI Hub at Mizoram

Under a grant from the DST, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, in collaboration with Mizoram University,

Scientometrics

Scientometrics is a field of research that focuses on the quantitative analysis of science, scientific publications, and research trends. It involves using various metrics and statistical methods to study scientific research’s structure, development, and impact.

Ranking Universities on their Contribution to SDGs

This school-based extension program born out of Amma’s vision to keep children from losing their Mapping publications to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is an important and emerging study area, with several initiatives and efforts being undertaken at Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham.

Addressing Global Challenges: The SDGs represent a set of 17 global goals aimed at addressing pressing social, economic, and environmental challenges such as poverty, inequality, climate change, and sustainable consumption. Mapping publications to these goals helps measure the research community’s contribution to tackling these challenges.
Accountability and Monitoring: Tracking research contributions to the SDGs is crucial for holding institutions, governments, and researchers accountable for their commitments to sustainable development. It allows for the assessment of progress toward these goals.
Policy and Decision-Making: Policymakers use research and data to inform their decisions. Mapping publications to the SDGs provide policymakers with valuable insights and evidence-based information to develop policies and strategies that align with the goals.
Interdisciplinary Research: The SDGs are inherently interdisciplinary and require collaborative efforts across various fields. Mapping publications to the SDGs encourages interdisciplinary research and collaboration among researchers from different disciplines.
Funding and Grants: Many funding agencies and organizations increasingly emphasize aligning research projects with the SDGs. Mapping publications to the SDGs can help researchers secure funding and grants.
Raising Awareness: It raises awareness among researchers and the broader public about addressing global challenges and contributing to sustainable development through their research.

The two major sustainability ranking initiatives are:

THE Impact Rankings: Times Higher Education (THE) Impact Rankings is an annual ranking that assesses universities’ social and environmental impact based on their performance in areas related to the SDGs. It evaluates institutions across several indicators, including research metrics like the number of publications related to the SDGs, their contribution to solving global challenges, and their engagement with local and global communities.

UI Green Metric: The UI GreenMetric World University Ranking, initiated by the University of Indonesia, assesses universities’ commitment and performance in sustainable development and environmental responsibility. While it primarily focuses on sustainability practices and campus operations, it also considers research outputs related to sustainability and the SDGs as a part of its evaluation criteria.

In its 2023 assessment, THE has rated Amrita 1st in India and 52nd in the world. The rankings include 1,406 universities from 106 countries and regions. It’s an acknowledgement of Amrita’s commitment to remain an exemplary institution that creates Global Impact on society through Compassion-Driven Research and Education for Life. It’s an education that harmonizes both scientific knowledge and spiritual learning to create a sustainable tomorrow for all.

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