Representatives of a wealthy philanthropic Indian family will meet the ACT government in coming weeks to discuss plans to build a university for indigenous and disadvantaged Australians. Arun and Harikumar Kumar Pallathadka, brothers from Kerala State in India, first proposed the charitable university in 2013 but recently engaged Canberra-based lobbyist Stephen Kendal to discuss land options with the Chief Ministers directorate. The idea is to de-commercialise higher education and reduce the financial burden on students; create opportunities for them, increase their skills and make them compatible for multiple fields, Arun Kumar Pallathadka said. The proposal is to build a green campus, introduce vocational courses and traditional degree courses and provide from admission to graduation free of cost. In a letter to Dr Kendal in late December, ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr described the university as an exciting opportunity for the ACT and raised the prospect of the brothers acquiring land in the territory. Given the potential economic and social benefits that might be expected of such a university, the ACT Government is interested in discussing the potential of the project, he said. Mr Barr referred Mr Kendal to the ACT governments land release program but also cited other mechanisms to identify land for projects that arise on an ad hoc basis. But the university proposed by the Pallathadka brothers would be no average tertiary institution should it get the green light. Another important highlight is that the university shall do farming with active student part-time participation and also build a full-pledged agro-based industry, Mr Pallathadka said. Besides [that], the university will do its best to promote cultural values through motion films. A spokesman for Mr Barr said Mr Kendal would meet officials from the Chief Ministers directorate to discuss the project in coming weeks. Canberra is the nations centre of education and we would welcome investment in this area, he said. (from the article) - [Cat]
Posted on: Sat, 10 Jan 2015 23:22:06 +0000