DU's executive council to decide on paying honorarium to international adjunct faculty

NEW DELHI: Delhi University's executive council will discuss a proposal for paying honorarium and extending other facilities to international adjunct faculty. The Executive Council, which is the highest decision making body of the university, will have a meeting on December 17.

In their meetings in August, the Academic Council and Executive Council had approved the recommendation for empanelment of adjunct faculty in the university for value addition and internationalisation of academic activities. The proposal for fixing their monthly honorarium will be discussed in the December 17 meeting.

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The 10 adjunct faculty members whose names have been shortlisted are Prof. Christopher Len, Chimie ParisTech, Institute of Chemistry for Life and Health Sciences, University of Paris; Prof. Erik V Van der Eycken, Department of Chemistry, University of Leuven (KU Leuven); Prof. Reiser Oliver, Institute of Organic Chemistry, University of Regensburg; Prof. Debasish Sinha, Ophthalmology, University of Pittsburgh; Prof. Pradip Raychaudhuri, Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Genetics, University of Illinois at Chicago; Prof. Christian Betzel, Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Hamburg; Prof. Eddy Arnold, Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Rutgers University, Prof. (Dr.) Hilary Inyang Inyang, Global Institute for Sustainable Development, Global Institute for Sustainable Development, Concord; Prof. Shanta Pandey, School of Social Work, Boston College and Prof. Hussein Payandeh, Allama Tabatbai University.

During the meeting held in November, the committee for empanelment of adjunct faculty recommended a monthly honorarium up to a maximum of Rs 80,000 (at Rs 4,000 per day). It proposed one visit to the department per semester i.e. at the most, two visits per academic year for a maximum stay of one month per visit and minimum of two weeks for the appointed faculty members and footing their cost of air travel in economy class.

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The university will be responsible for medical insurance expenses for the period of stay in India and local travel expenses, as per actuals. The appointed faculty members will be provided free lodging and boarding in the university's international guest house with the departments concerned expected to arrange office space for the adjunct faculties. The committee's recommendations will be discussed in the EC meeting. The meeting had also discussed the possibility for empanelment of national adjunct faculty.

The committee for empanelment of adjunct faculty, keeping in view that the budget head for engagement of overseas adjunct faculty is yet to be created and considering the fact that departments have infrastructure limitations to provide logistic support to adjunct faculties, was of the opinion that the proposal for empanelment of national adjunct faculty may be re-visited after one semester of engagement of overseas adjunct faculties. It also cited that adjunct faculties are being or going to be engaged for the first time in the semester and the challenges that arises in the same are yet to be known.