Central University of Kerala (CUK) is one of the 15 Central Universities established under “The Central Universities Act, 2009 (Parliament Act No.25 of 2009)”. In January 2009, it started functioning from a transit campus in Vidyanagar, Kasaragod, with two academic programmes: MA in English and Comparative Literature and MA in Economics. The Vidyanagar campus houses the offices of the Vice Chancellor, Registrar, Finance Officer and Controller of Examinations, the School of Languages & Comparative Literature, and School of Global Studies, Central Library, Computer Centre, Language Lab, Council Meeting Hall, Guest House, etc. In 2010, the CUK Science schools started functioning from the Riverside campus at Kanhangad, about 20 km south of Vidyanagar. It houses the office of the Dean of Biological Sciences, library extension centre, computer centre and the schools of Biological Sciences, and Mathematical and Physical Sciences. CUK has statewide jurisdiction, and can establish regional centers in any part of the State.
CUK’s mission is to extend the scope of learning through a holistic methodology that accommodates diverse linguistic, scientific and cultural traditions. Our expert faculty with international exposure contributes much to this goal. This multidimensional approach in designing and executing its programmes is hoped to create a paradigm shift in academics.
CUK offers updated interdisciplinary syllabi in 16 postgraduate academic programmes in the Choice-Based Credit Semester System. It has state-of-the-art library and laboratory facilities. Internet and digital resources are freely available to the students. Separate hostel facilities are available for women and men. Three types of scholarships are available to all deserving students of the CUK: Merit, Merit-cum-means and Boarding.
As the first batch of postgraduate students completes studentship, CUK has enough reasons to feel assured that its vision of education has been realistic. The interdisciplinary syllabi have been a success in all programmes; these contributed to the overall development of the students. Our students’ projects/dissertations have tried to link the ‘local’ with the ‘global’, thus partaking in the CUK’s life-based model of education. CUK is now preparing to propagate its unique cultural model of education through faculty and students exchange programmes, publications and the like.