Dakshin Dinajpur University brings in veteran professors to raise teaching standards

BALURGHAT: Established in 2018, Dakshin Dinajpur University has, until now, relied on faculty from other colleges to conduct its classes. However, in an effort to improve the overall quality of education, the university’s authorities have invited retired professors from prominent universities across the state and country to lead special courses, said vice-chancellor Pranab Ghosh.

According to the vice-chancellor, the list of invited educators includes former faculty members from prestigious institutions such as Jadavpur University, the University of Calcutta, Visva-Bharati University, Kalyani University and North Bengal University—all renowned state universities.

Recently, Professor Sanjeeb Kumar Dutta from the department of Mathematics at Kalyani University began teaching at Dakshin Dinajpur University. According to university sources, he will conduct classes for a few more days in response to the administration’s request. In addition, the university is set to welcome Professor Jinia Mitra from the English department and Professor Ramesh Duran from the Political Science department—both from North Bengal University—to hold special courses soon. Meanwhile, former Maharashtra-based professor Srikanta Gaikwad has already arrived in Balurghat to begin teaching students at Dakshin Dinajpur University.

Despite firm plans for North Bengal University and Kalyani University professors to join, the names of those coming from Calcutta, Visva-Bharati or Jadavpur are yet to be finalised, sources said.

Dakshin Dinajpur University currently offers postgraduate courses only in Mathematics, English and Political Science—a programme that began in 2021. No new subjects have been added since. Except for the vice-chancellor, the university has no permanent staff or regular professors. Until now, classes have been taught by college-level teachers, NET-qualified assistant professors and researchers.

This initiative marks a significant shift: the university is now appointing subject-specific experts across departments. “We are grateful to the many professors who have agreed to come to our university and teach specialized courses,” vice-chancellor Ghosh said. He added that additional professors are expected to join in the coming days.