KOLKATA: Presidency University needs more privately funded endowment chairs like the Infosys Foundation-funded chair in economics set up in 2015, feels Presidency University Mentor Group chairman Sugata Bose. The reason: such chairs give more flexibility in terms of remuneration, which is restricted in case of distinguished chairs set up from state government funds.Bose, after consulting other mem bers of the group, feels the university should make appointments to the vacant chairs only when outstanding scholars are available to take up such assignments. The Infosys Foundation had donated Rs 5 crore for the economics chair.Visiting his alma mater during the bicentenary celebrations of Presiden cy University , Bose said all the recommendations made by the group in its reports had been implemented, barring one. "We had proposed that the remuneration of faculty in Presidency University be made at par with the teachers of the Central Universities. However, due to financial constraints being faced by the state government it couldn't be done," he said.Another proposal to be mooted by the group is to introduce inter-disciplinary schools in the second campus at New Town. "Our primary interest lies with the School of Public Policy . It should be on the lines of The Fletcher Scho ol of Law and Diplomacy at Medford and Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy in Singapore," Bose said. "There is an immediate need to start the inter-disciplinary public policy school, which will be the first in the country. It will be based on strong academic and scholarly basis in formulation of policy . The thrust of the school should be to develop policies related to economic development as well as foreign policy with the rest of Asia. Next should be the School of Design."Bose said the role of the mentor group will be more advisory in nature than pro-active as it was earlier. He also suggested that Presidency should increase international contacts. "The group will be now a resource and won't be involved in micro-managing the institute. Instead, we will be giving some large directional advice to the authorities," he said.He also hinted that the pace for faculty recruitment at the moment was right. "We would suggest that the hiring of faculty doesn't need to be moved too fast, as quality has to take precedence over numbers," he said, adding, "I am highly impressed with the upgrade of the academic infrastructure."

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