Anu Gopinath, Associate Professor and Head of the Department of Aquatic Environment Management at Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies, has been selected by the UGC to develop and deliver Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels on Arctic studies.
She will deliver the courses through the Swayam portal, focusing on the six-pillar subjects of India’s Arctic policy. This initiative is a collaboration between the UGC and the Ministry of Earth Sciences, with the aim of raising awareness among universities, colleges, and institutions about the availability of Arctic or polar studies.
The decision to generate course content on Arctic/Polar studies for the Swayam platform was made during a meeting of the National Security Council Secretariat, held after India released its Arctic policy on March 17, 2022. This policy is expected to play a crucial role in preparing the country to collectively address challenges such as climate change. In implementing the Arctic policy, the country needs multiple stakeholders, including academia, the research community, businesses, and industry.
At this juncture, the UGC sought proposals from universities and colleges for the development of MOOCs at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels for six-pillar subjects like climate and environmental protection, economic and human development, transportation and connectivity, governance and international cooperation, and national capacity building under India’s Arctic policy.
The other three selected scientists are BS Balaji (JNU), Jitendra Kumar Pattanaik (Punjab Central University), and P Sakthivel (Dr Ambedkar Law University, TN).
Anu Gopinath was a member of India’s Arctic expeditions in 2014, 2016 and 2017.