Mumbai University AC clears dual, joint, twinning degrees; introduces professor of practice

NEW DELHI: University of Mumbai’s academic council has approved dual degrees, joint degrees, and twinning programmes in line with the National Education Policy 2020 and as per the University Grants Commission (UGC) guidelines. This initiative seeks to encourage multidisciplinary education and provide students with opportunities to explore diverse fields of knowledge across various disciplines.

Under the dual degree programme, students can simultaneously enrol in two colleges or higher education institutions and earn two degrees upon course completion. These degrees can be pursued in distance, online mode or through a combination of one degree in distance mode and another in regular mode.

As per the official press release, candidates can also pursue both degrees in the regular mode simultaneously, provided the participating colleges obtain prior approval from the university and establish an academic agreement.

“Institutions involved in the dual degree programme must ensure there is no overlap in credits or courses. For programmes pursued in regular mode, the institutions must be located within a distance of 5-20 km from each other,” the English translation of the official press release read.

Approval for the appointment of professors of practice

According to the official press release, Mumbai University’s academic council has approved the appointment of professors of practice in line with University Grants Commission (UGC) guidelines, based on recommendations from a university-formed committee.

The committee suggested that these positions should focus on emerging fields, with university departments identifying the needs of industry sectors. It also recommended adherence to All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) guidelines and conducting an annual policy review.

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Institutional eligibility criteria

The institute stated that Mumbai University's departments and affiliated colleges can collaborate with other higher education institutions or international universities on joint degree and twinning programmes through academic agreements.

However, such institutions must be ranked within the top 1,000 of the Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University Rankings, among the top 100 in the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF), or hold a National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) accreditation grade of 'A.' Approval from the university is mandatory for establishing such agreements.

International academic partnerships

Mumbai University has already entered into academic agreements with St. Louis University and Moscow State University for joint degrees. According to vice-chancellor Ravindra Kulkarni, agreements for twinning programmes have been signed with universities in France and Italy, while discussions with other international universities and institutions are still ongoing.

He further stated that the implementation of multidisciplinary education in alignment with the National Education Policy will facilitate deeper studies and research in advanced knowledge fields across two institutions. It will also encourage the exchange of knowledge, resulting in significant changes in the education system and promoting the sharing of best academic practices.