South Asian University plans more online degrees, courses; to start arts, management faculties

NEW DELHI: Now with a permanent campus spread over 100 acres, South Asian University (SAU) is headed for major expansion with new courses and online education.

In SAU’s plans are two new faculties – Faculty of Arts and Design and Faculty of Management. It recently launched a MS in Data Science and Artificial Intelligence as an online degree programme. So far, the university has seen around 135 registrations for it.

South Asian University, New Delhi, is an international university established jointly by the eight member nations of South Asian Association for Regional Co-operation (SAARC) – Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. The university began operating in the 2010 academic year.

It reserves 50% of the seats for Indian students, 40% for students from SAARC countries and the rest for students from other nations.

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The capital cost of establishing the SAU is being borne by the Indian government, while all SAARC member countries share the operational costs.

In SAU’s plan, a virtual campus

Until now an institution offering more postgraduate and research programmes in established disciplines – economics, legal studies, life sciences, biotechnology, mathematics and computer science (CS), social sciences, art and design – it is now planning a major push online.

“There are basically two reasons,” said Sumat P Aggarwal, emeritus professor, SAU, “In most SAARC countries there are visa issues. Students who are getting admission are not able to get visas. So, in order to resolve this we are offering them good degree courses online. Good means emerging technology and industry-oriented courses. Another is that the future is online. The government of India plan is to increase the gross enrollment ratio to 50%. How can it be done? There are issues of infrastructure so online is the way.”

The MS Data Science and AI programme costs USD 550 per semester for students of SAARC region and USD 750 per semester for non-SAARC region. The university is also offering a 25% discount to all the in-service faculty members across SAARC nations along with its students and alumni.

The programme’s faculty includes a team of global AI scientists and teachers from top Indian institutions like Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT), Indian Institute of Science (IISc), and Indian Statistical Institute (ISI).

KK Aggarwal, president, SAU, said: “In a rapidly changing world, online education offers a transformative opportunity to expand the reach of quality learning. This is precisely why we are launching these online programs — to connect with students who may not have been able to join us on campus, enabling them to acquire knowledge and skills, no matter where they are.”

Along with the masters degree, the university has also started four short-term online courses in the following

• Communication design and graphics
• Theatrical arts and acting technique
• Vocal music and art of singing
• Fashion design, modelling and styling

For each of these, SAU is charging Rs 10,000.

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Last year, SAU started its first undergraduate programme – BTech in Computer Science. The university plans to start more undergraduate courses in the future.

International students in SAU

The number of international students at the South Asian University has declined slightly.

From 99 in 2021, their number dropped to 87 in 2022, show annual reports of the university. The largest cohort in 2022 was of students from Afghanistan – 37 – and there were none from Maldives. In the PhD programme, there were 21 students from SAARC members in 2021 and 20 the next year – the last annual report available publicly.

The university went through a period of turmoil over 2022 and 2023. A slashing of stipends for MA students led to protests, police action and ultimately, suspension of students and faculty. The university was also caught in a legal battle.

Aggarwal took office as president in December, 2023. The university was missing a permanent head since Kavita A Sharma retired in 2019.

Expansion at Maidan Garhi campus

South Asian University began operating in a few buildings provided by Jawaharlal Nehru University. The campus was relocated to Akbar Bhawan, Chanakyapuri, in south Delhi, in 2011. It got its own residential campus at Maidan Garhi in January, 2023.

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Guest and club houses have already been built on the campus; hostels are under construction and students are currently housed in faculty residences. Each faculty has its own building. The university is also actively recruiting.

According to reports, other SAARC nationals have stopped funding the SAU. The university is now looking to independently generate revenues by signing a range of agreements with different organisations. The university aims to raise funds from international financial institutions, educational foundations and donors.