A Doctor of Philosophy a day!

Visakhapatnam: The number of PhD (Doctor of Philosophy) degrees awarded to research scholars by Andhra University, Waltair, has been increasing year after year. On an average, during the last five years, the university awarded PhDs at the rate of one degree a day! All in all, the university awarded 1,808 PhDs during the five-year period.

“It is true that during the last five years, research work increased in the university. According to the National Institute of Ranking Framework, the AU, ranked 69th in 2017, jumped up by 33 places to reach the 36th position in the overall ranking of the top 100 institutions. Not only in India, the Andhra University has recognition abroad too," a senior professor of Andhra University opined on the number of PhDs awarded by AU.

The 92-year-old Andhra University during the past one decade signed several MoUs and the UGC is also encouraging the university by releasing a large sum of money to promote research activity.

In 2015, as many as 462 PhDs were awarded in which 296 were in sciences. In the present calendar year, during the last 150 days (January 1 to May 31), 178 PhDs were awarded by the university. University Vice Chancellor Prof G Nageswara Rao says there is nothing surprising about the trend and it was because of heightened research activity. "Research has increased manifold. In fact, the university has been signing MoUs with a number of national and international institutions for research activity,” he said.

The university has procured advanced equipment to facilitate research in new areas. “Funding from the UGC and Rajiv Gandhi Fellowship have led to increase in research work. Collaboration with the institutions, including NGRI, Indian Institute of Chemical Technology, National Institute of Nutrition and Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, also is driving research activity in the university,” the Vice-Chancellor said.