Gujarat's Premier Educational Institutes Include COVID Aspects In the Curriculum

With four months of countrywide lockdown due to pandemic outbreak, several premier educational institutions of Ahmedabad have proposed to include these aspects in the curriculum in the form of either projects, seminars, case study or coursework.

IIM Ahmedabad Dean, Prof. Shailesh Gandhi said, "A set of courses such as Economics of Pandemics and Operations Research (OR) applications in the Public System are proposed for next year. Similarly, discussions like COVID-19 impact on GDP growth, fiscal policies and monetary policies in the course of macroeconomics have also been proposed."

Similarly, Gujarat National Law University (GNLU) is in the process of identifying the epidemic's effect on social economic, legal, and political spheres and what can be integrated into academic work.

GNLU Director, Prof. S Shanthakumar said, "There will be a module on labor law challenges amid COVID-19 with a focus on those employed in the informal sector. There could be modules such as the after-effects of COVID-19 on the banking sector in light of bankruptcy and insolvency, effects of force majeure in post COVID world, and state's res[onsibilities in context to a global pandemic."

Also Read Gujarat Govt to deploy medicos for Anti-COVID duty; students face exam challenge

MICA Prof. Ashutosh Dutt also conveyed that the Institute has introduced a new course- 'Global Governance, Change and Transformation'. The course looks at the way the world has handled the pandemic crisis and the impact of various governance models. Alongside, a podcast and an online lecture series were initiated by MICA to examine 'the new normal' and its impact on society at large.

Many NIDians have also participated in hackathons and competitions on the theme of COVID-19., said NID Ahmedabad director Praveen Nahar. The institute also organized a hackathon in partnership with Motwani Jadeja Foundation to find solutions related to the epidemic where 500 entries were received.

Educators at Cept University are using interactive online tools and believe that such tools will prove important for budding architects.

Institute of Technology of Nirma University is also covering the theoretical aspects as the practical work can be done once the university reopens.