‘TN’s knowledge tower to house research hubs for global varsities’

Chennai: The proposed knowledge city near Chennai will house a knowledge tower that will offer plug-and-play facilities with easily accessible classrooms, auditoriums, and research hubs for global universities, Tamil Nadu industrial development corporation (TIDCO) chairperson Sandhya Venugopal Sharma said while speaking at the inauguration of the two-day India global education summit (IGES) at Kalaivanar Arangam on Wednesday."The knowledge city is spread over 800 plus acres. It envisions a knowledge-driven ecosystem, research and development hubs, incubation centres, industry platforms, and global universities. They will not only co-exist but also accelerate ideas from lab to market," she said."This convention has immense potential as we forge global university partnerships and we have large campuses. In the days ahead, development of the economy is no longer about capital investment. It is a knowledge-driven economy; talent, research, technology, and innovation will contribute to growth of the nation," Sharma said.She further highlighted initiatives by TIDCO, such as university research parks, a space manufacturing ecosystem, and globally competitive clusters in advanced manufacturing, aerospace, and emerging technology. Higher education secretary P Shankar said, "The knowledge city will be India's first integrated global education and innovation district.""It represents a new model where universities do not operate in isolation but as part of a living ecosystem with research and industry collaboration. We hope the summit initiates conversations for global academic collaboration, including joint degrees, dual degrees, and research and innovation partnerships in frontier domains," he said. "Our approach was always rooted in rationality, scientific temper, and social justice. For decades, the state pursued democratization of education, ensuring higher education became a pathway for dignity and mobility for every section of society," he added.University of Vienna governor Helmut Kern said Asian universities, including those in India, China, Singapore, Japan, and South Korea, are rising with unprecedented vision, skill, and scale. However, he said the US will continue to have a high pull factor for global talent despite periodic political turbulence due to research-oriented universities.Representatives from more than 20 countries are participating in the summit. DMK MP Thamizhachi Thangapandian, veteran journalist N Ram, national Indian students and alumni union – UK (NISAU) founder Sanam Arora, and TIDCO managing director Sandeep Nanduri spoke at the event.