Presi second crack at tutor hire – Pitch for 104 posts with special care for newbie computer science

Presidency University on Tuesday sought applications for 104 posts of assistant professor, including four in the proposed computer science department at the undergraduate level that the authorities want to tend with “special care”.

The posts for which Presidency has issued the advertisement — second since the upgrade to unitary university — were sanctioned by the Mamata Banerjee government in November.

“The new posts are for all 18 existing departments at the undergraduate level — such as mathematics, physics, English and history — as well as the proposed computer science department. The new department will get more teachers in the second phase of recruitment,” vice-chancellor Malabika Sarkar said. “We are focussing on all departments but since the computer science department is new, we will take special care of it,” she stressed.

The setting up of the computer science department has become a must with Presidency having been linked to the National Knowledge Network. The authorities want to design the computer science course in a way that it becomes different from — and better than — the ones other universities offer. Sarkar said she had started talks with experts from renowned universities in India and abroad to decide on the course content.

“We want to lay equal emphasis on theory and technology. If we can initiate the students into the core areas of computer science at the undergraduate level, they would find the subject interesting and may later opt for research in the subject,” the vice-chancellor said.

A Presidency teacher said the computer science course at most institutes tilted towards technology. “If you don’t explain the fundamentals of computer science through theory, students won’t feel encouraged to go for higher studies. Since initiating students into research is our goal, the syllabus will give adequate importance to theory,” the teacher said.

A Presidency official said the last date for sending applications for the advertised posts was February 29.

The university had on January 20 published an advertisement seeking applications for 80 posts of professor and assistant professor. “The recruitment in all three categories will be wrapped up by April,” the official said.

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