Awantipora, Nov 7: Vice Chancellor Islamic University of Science and Technology (IUST) Awantipora Prof Shakil Ahmad Romshoo on Monday said that within 10 years, the university will be economically sustainable.
Addressing the 17th Foundation Day of IUST, Prof Romshoo said while the government would like to see all educational institutions becoming economically sustainable and independent, it remains a challenge for all universities to emerge as economic enterprises “because funding has always been a limiting factor to the growth of an institution”.
“IUST Awantipora has already launched some big-ticket projects for generating revenue, like a 10 MW solar power plant,” he said, adding, “The university requires 1MW energy and the remaining 9 MW will be sold to AIIMS Awantipora, security establishments and town dwellers. We will earn revenue from it.”
He said that solar panels are installed on the rooftops of all 27 buildings of the university. “For the last one year, we have been working on a solar park in the vicinity. Out of total energy supplied to the varsity, 60 percent is generated from solar panels by renewable means,” he said.
The campus is already carbon neutral and the university has adopted many innovative and out-of-the-box ideas including its community outreach programme, he added.
The IUST VC said the university planted various aromatic and medicinal plants on 100 kanals of land and signed an MoU with 72 Ayurvedic and Unani medicine manufacturing companies. “They will be using the products extracted from these aromatic and medicinal plants,” he said, adding that the government is providing them some land which will be used for constructing Ayush Wellness and Naturopathy Institute.
Prof Romshoo said there is a great scope for medical tourism in Kashmir. “We will promote the centre for medical tourism which will bring income for the university,” he said.
