College on Wheels’: 40 KU students reach Srinagar after ‘transformative’ educational, entrepreneurial journey

Srinagar : The Kashmir University (KU) held a reception ceremony on Monday receiving forty (40) girl students who returned here after two weeks of educational and entrepreneurial train journey under the first leg of the Higher Education J&K Govt ambitious ‘College on Wheels’ endeavour/Programme
According to a statement issued from Centre for Public Relations University of Kashmir, Srinagar the contingent of KU students along with students of other participating universities was flagged off by the Lieutenant Governor, Jammu and Kashmir, Manoj Sinha to places of educational, cultural and historical significance on November 19, 2023 from Katra Railway Station, Jammu.
Vice Chancellor, Prof Nilofer Khan;Dean, College Development Council, Prof Khursheed Ahmad Butt; Registrar, Dr Nisar Ahmad Mir; NSS Coordinator, Dr Musavir Ahmad; Chief Proctor, Dr Imtiyaz Ahamd Khan; officials from the administration, faculty, students and parents received the students in a reception held here at the main campus.
Underscoring the “transformative potential” of the expedition, particularly for the participating girls , the VC termed the journey as a “catalyst for profound personal growth and a paradigm shift in their outlook” towards life and learning.
“This was not a mere leisure trip, this was an educational laboratory,” she said while highlighting the educational and entrepreneurial essence of the journey.
Prof Khan also underlined the significance of the journey for many female students who ventured outside for the first time while thanking parents who encouraged their children to embark on this quest.
Dean, College Development Council, KU, Prof Khursheed Ahmad Butt reiterated the varsity’s commitment to strive for the holistic development of the students.
“The primary objective is to equip students for the future journey, transcending conventional academic boundaries,” he maintained.
The sponsored programme, organised in association with Jammu University (JU), is an initiative of the Jammu and Kashmir Higher Education Council’s educational expedition titled: ‘JK Gyanodaya Express’.
The postgraduate students from varied backgrounds were selected on the basis of their respective projects connected to various aspects of the journey ranging from design of coaches, toilets and engines to ideas and problems connected with the land and places through which the journey passed.
The projects were also based on the culture, economy, history and entrepreneurship of the places of halt.
The journey took the students to significant places like Delhi University, Sabarmati Aashram, Gujarat Vidyapeeth, Surat, the INS Vikrant at the naval dockyard of Mumbai, the entrepreneurial activities of Goa, ISRO and IISc Bengaluru and the Gandhi Ashram at Wardha.
The journey’s uniqueness is not just their exposure to different regions but the rare opportunity to interact with the heads of the states they visited offering them insights into governance, leadership and the regional socio-political landscapes.