Two institutions, two strides - Merit key to hiring: Presi VC

Presidency University’s second vice-chancellor took office on Monday and promised to follow an “unbiased, merit-based and transparent” teacher recruitment policy that will never be influenced by politics.

“There will be no place for politics. I don’t have any political affiliation. I can assure you faculty recruitment at Presidency will be unbiased, merit-based and transparent,” Malabika Sarkar told Metro soon after taking over the reins of the fledgling university that was once her college.

Sarkar, given a “free hand” to run the university, will spend the next fortnight doing “homework” to understand the institution’s status and prioritise her steps for the rest of her one-year tenure.

The new VC, who had taught English literature at Jadavpur University, was on the College Street campus for the second time since her visit in 2008 to take a class on Milton’s Paradise Lost for postgraduate students as a guest teacher.

Presidency officials and teachers accorded her a “warm welcome” when she stepped onto the campus with the mission to restore its “lost glory” and escorted her to her chamber, which had been the room of the principal of the erstwhile Presidency College when the VC was a student there in the late 60s.

How did she feel on assuming the challenging role? “It’s a great feeling. I am overwhelmed to sit on this chair,” Sarkar said as she took her seat in the VC’s room.

She held meetings with the registrar and finance officer and asked them to give her copies of the university statute, the Presidency University Act and minutes of the meetings of the council.

“I need to first get a grip on the pending issues, especially those related to recruitment of faculty and development of infrastructure. Only then can I set targets, short-term and long-term,” said Sarkar.

Apart from faculty and infrastructure, funds, too, were on her mind.

“Ensuring funds is the most important task at this stage. I took stock of the university funds at the meeting with the finance officer,” she said.

What are her other plans for the university? Sarkar, also president of the Cambridge and Oxford Society, Calcutta, wants to bring the vice-chancellors of the two British universities to Presidency next year.

“Oxford vice-chancellor Andrew Hamilton mailed me on Monday and greeted me on my appointment. As president of the Calcutta society, I have been tasked with organising Andrew Hamilton’s scheduled visit to Calcutta early next year. I will bring him to Presidency.”

Sarkar is also in charge of organising Cambridge vice-chancellor Sir Leszek Borysiewicz’s scheduled visit towards end-2012. She said she would try to persuade Sir Leszek to visit Presidency.

“I want to hold international seminars at Presidency during the visits of the vice-chancellors of Oxford and Cambridge universities,” said Sarkar. She also has plans for faculty and student exchange with Oxbridge.

Will she take classes at Presidency? “If the department wants, I will definitely take classes, especially on Milton, my favourite subject,” said Sarkar.