Plan to equate research time with teaching experience

Researchers have reasons to cheer. India’s University Grants Commission, or UGC, recently announced that time spent by a student in doing research for a PhD degree will be counted as teaching experience when they apply for direct recruitment to faculty positions in colleges and universities, writes Gauri Kohli for Hindustan Times.

Experts, however, say that, though the announcement will help candidates, the focus on research should not shift. B Thimme Gowda, vice-chancellor, Bangalore University, said: “I concur with the UGC proposal of counting the time spent on research as teaching experience. In universities, teaching and research should go hand in hand. The research experience should not be more than 50% of the service required for higher teaching positions.”

Calling the move a welcome step, Meenakshi Gopinath, a former member of the UGC said: “The artificial divide between teaching and research must be overcome and both activities must complement one another. This looks like an enabling step so that young scholars can avail [themselves of] greater opportunities for mobility within the teaching profession.”
Full report on the Hindustan Times site