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
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.
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.
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.
It is proposed to carry out the following activities as part of linkages with other stakeholders:
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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.
Read MoreThis 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.
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.
Dr. Raghu Raman
Dean, Amrita School of Business
Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham,
Amritapuri, Vallikavu P.O.,
Clappana, Kerala – 690525
Email : raghu@amrita.edu
Dr. Vinith Kumar Nair
Professor, Amrita School of Business (Amritapuri Campus) &
Associate Director, Amrita Center for Accreditations, Rankings & Eminence (CARE)
Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham,
Contact Number : +91 8129401036
Email : vinithkumarnair@am.amrita.edu
