Mangala Alumni Association (MAA), the alumni network of Mangalore University, has submitted a vision document to make the university the leading institution in Karnataka and one of the top universities globally by 2025.

Addressing the media in Mangaluru on Thursday, Diniesh Kumar Alva, president, MAA, said that the association will be a mentor the university in this initiative.

Apart from infrastructure development, there is a need to make the curriculum contemporary, and bridge the gap between the courses offered and availability of jobs, he said.

Stating that the vision document has a clear road map to excel, Venu Sharma, head of the Vision Committee of MAA, said the curriculum has to be revised to match the industry and global trends. The document proposes introduction of new concepts and courses such as business analytics, drone technology, artificial intelligence, and MBA in politics (public administration) and fisheries management, he said.

More emphasis should be given to research and development activities on campus in collaboration with premier institutions. He said that ongoing interdisciplinary research activities are to be strengthened in order to support and encourage young researchers from all the disciplines by providing them required basic infrastructure.

He said a sports academy to encourage and train students of undergraduate colleges and postgraduate departments is necessary to tap talent at appropriate levels. This will help the university to have a budding centre for national and international athletes and sportspersons.

The vision document has also stressed the need to promote the regional art and folk art with special emphasis on Tulu, Kodava, Beary and Konkani languages and culture through their respective study centres / chairs. A community centre to establish a link between the university and society is very essential in order to have a strong bond to take the university to newer heights, he added.