SMU to offer new Courses

With nine constituent schools already running under the Sikkim Manipal University (SMU), the north-eastern varsity is set to start three new schools in the 2010-11 session. Vice Chancellor Dr (retired Brigadier) Surjit Singh Pabla speaks to HT Horizons about the university’s plans to roll out B Arch, Bachelor of Hotel Management and a five-year integrated programme in computer science.  
What’s the main reason for adding new programmes?
Currently, we are in expansion mode. After drawing a huge number of students for medicine, pharmacy, engineering, and nursing courses, we are geared up to start operations in disciplines that have so far been untouched by us — architecture, hotel management, and information sciences. Most probably, we will also start basic Bachelor’s programmes, such as B.A, B.Com and B.Sc.Thanks to the influx of tourists, Gangtok is the right place to learn hotel management. But what about architecture? Sikkim does not have an industry that could support this course.
Yes, for hotel management, all arrangements have been made. We have already tied up with the Mayfair Hotel in Gangtok for the students’ apprenticeship. For the architecture course, we will send students to other states for industry interaction. The university will also get support from the Manipal University (a sister concern of SMU), which recently sent its representatives to SMU.  
Please tell us more about the information science programmes.
We will start five-year integrated programmes in four disciplines — computer science, information technology, embedded systems, and software development. Each discipline will offer 40 seats and will be run from the Sikkim Manipal Institute of Technology campus in Majitar.

Source:www.hindustantimes.com/HTHorizons