At present Mahatma Gandhi University offers research programmes in forty disciplines through its own Schools as well as through its approved research centres. The University has close collaboration for academic, research and extension programmes with a number of national agencies and institutions including the UGC, FIST, DRS, ISRO, COSIT, DIT, DST (Nano Mission), CSIR, DAAD, STEC, ICMR, BARC, MOEF, ICCR, ICHR, IED, IIFT, Institute of Chinese Studies and the Sahitya Akademi. The University is also involved in active collaboration with research institutions of international reputation such as the Max Planck Institute of Technology, Germany, Brown University, USA, University of Nantes, France, California Institute of Technology, USA, University of Toronto, Canada, Catholic University, Belgium, Heidelberg University, Germany, and the Institute of Political Studies, Rennes, France, Trent University, Canada, IPF Dresden, Germany, University of Paris and University of Strasbourg.

Right from inception, Mahatma Gandhi University has made immense strides in the fields of inter disciplinary teaching and research in the areas of pure and applied sciences, social sciences and humanities. The teaching programmes conducted under the Credit and Semester System (CSS) in the statutory departments of teaching and research, organized as interdisciplinary Schools, are marked by their innovative curricula and their learner-oriented approaches. CSS is a student friendly system that fosters interactive acquisition of knowledge in a multi-disciplinary context. The students are made familiar with the latest developments in their subjects of study. The faculty of the University comprises outstanding scholars, many of whom have made original contributions in their respective fields of specialization. The faculty and research scholars of several departments have gained widespread recognition for the commendable quality of their research publications. The research journals published by some of the Schools have earned international recognition.

The University has been able to make these gains thanks to the healthy environment of academic interaction. The web enabled University Library with its large collection of books, journals and e-journals, the online Theses Digital Library that provides open access to its enviable collection of digitized PhD dissertations, the facilities available at the School of Physical Education and Sports Sciences for developing physical culture, the ecologically sensitive extension programmes initiated by the University Departments and the National Service Scheme, the Students’ Web Centre that provides round-the-clock web-support to the campus community, the coaching and placement services provided by the Department of Student Services and the University Employment Information and Guidance Bureau, proactive communication system developed by the Information and Public Relations Department and the general administrative support that the academic community receive from the University administration – all these work in tandem with the academic business transacted by the University, making the learning experience a holistic one.

Director of Research Prof.(Dr) Jayachandran K. School of Biosciences jayachandrank@mgu.ac.in