UGC to consider overseas post-doc experience for promotions

Hyderabad: The Akhil Bharatiya Rashtriya Shaikshik Mahasangh (ABRSM) Telangana State had urged the University Grants Commission (UGC) to recognise overseas post-doctoral experience in the promotion criteria for faculty at State universities across India. The ABRSM stated this vexed issue is affecting several faculty members across State universities. The ABRSM representatives noted that recognising such experience in State universities could enhance research activities, attract more MoUs, funding, and projects, and potentially improve the NIRF ranking of these institutions. Also, the academic fraternity feels that such recognition by the UGC will enable researchers to gain recognition for their foreign experience on their return to India, potentially boosting their promotion prospects.

Meanwhile, according to sources, the UGC is actively considering the representations by teachers’ bodies and official guidelines may soon be released bringing these changes. This step is seen, as crucial for incorporating international research experience into university faculty promotion criteria in State universities. Currently, the IITs, NITs, and Central universities consider the foreign post-doctoral experience of researchers for promotion as criteria. However, as of now, the same is not observed in the State universities.