Thread:Celebrating Freedom in the Field of Higher Education (1)

As India steps into its 64th Independence Day, what better ways to celebrate the true spirit of freedom than the new developments in the field of higher education. Education shapes, builds and creates leaders out of the present generation for the future. India is the world’s second most populous country but a meagre 12% of its population undertakes higher education. But one institution has been making rapid strides towards its goal of offering education to all. It is the Sikkim Manipal University Distance Education (SMU-DE). In a country plagued by problems of lack of suitable education infrastructure, exorbitant fees and an education system that stresses more on theory than practicality, SMU-DE is a welcome breather and a pioneer. Voted as the best distance learning institute of India in teaching efficiency and results and the third overall by an independent survey conducted by Careers360 magazine and validated by Hindustan Times, the leading English daily, SMU-DE has an alumni base exceeding 3 lakh students and close to 1.77 lakh students on its rolls presently. Offering a plethora of courses across multiple disciplines, SMU-DE over the years has created a benchmark for quality education that is practical and industry oriented. The disciplines include Banking & Finance, Allied Health Sciences, Information Technology, Mass Communication & Journalism, Biotechnology, Apparel & Fashion Designing, Hospitality, Telecom Technology, Commerce and Management. SMU-DE has recently launched ProDegree courses in BSc Networking and B. Com with specializations in Export-Import Management, Supply Chain Management and Financial Planning. Through a widespread network of 725 University recognized Learning Centres across 310 towns, fully equipped with faculty and certified counsellors, SMU-DE makes sure that every students gets individual attention and guidance. Add to that the multi award winning internet based learning platform, EduNxt. EduNxt allows students to access faculty mentors, industry experts, counselling, virtual classrooms, self-learning materials and over a million journals. All this can be done 24x7 helping students to plan their studies beforehand. Students can also collaborate with their batch mates on projects and assignments. And the results are always declared on time which means saving up on student’s time and the student does not have to wait for long periods before pursuing chosen career path. An institute that is revered across industry circles for its industry ready course material creating professionals, this presents an unique opportunity to boost one’s career path by joining SMU-DE. It’s the freedom that is valued here; the freedom to study anytime, anywhere and the student gets an UGC recognized degree which is on par with any regular college. Add to that the freedom to work while you earn and specialise in the skill sets needed in the chosen profession. All the courses have syllabus designed and validated by industry experts and hence have inbuilt skill sets that are needed in specific industries. No other institute upholds and practices freedom like SMU-DE. After all freedom is on everyone’s mind at the stroke of midnight on August 15th, and SMU-DE gives students not just the independence to study what they want in their own way but also the platform to a great career ahead. A brighter generation for a brighter India.