Higher Education Must Focus on What Students Learn Rather Than Where They Study: Minister R Bindu

Thiruvananthapuram: Higher Education Minister Dr. R Bindu emphasized that higher education is not merely an academic option but a powerful instrument for promoting social equality. She was speaking at the inauguration of the 5th All India Public Open University Vice Chancellors’ Round Table Conference, hosted by Sree Narayana Guru Open University.

The minister highlighted the role of open universities as “guardians of ideas,” providing transformative education to individuals whose studies were interrupted by life circumstances. She called for the implementation of a “Mutual Trusted Credit Transfer” system to foster academic mobility that focuses on what students learn rather than where they study.

Minister also stressed the careful integration of innovative technologies, including artificial intelligence, while preserving human relationships in education. She praised Sree Narayana Guru Open University’s collaborative initiatives with Kudumbashree and the Saksharatha Mission as exemplary, urging the higher education sector to prioritize learners’ journeys over institutional rigidity and discrimination.

During the event, the university released the ‘Graduate Employment Skills Guidelines,’ which were unveiled by Minister Dr. R Bindu by presenting it to Prof. Rajan Gurukkal.