The University of Calicut (CU) is planning to set up a special academic zone on its main campus at Tenhipalam in Malappuram district to offer new and contemporary courses that will equip students with professional competence sought after by commercial and industrial sectors.Vice-Chancellor (V-C) P. Raveendran told the media on Thursday (July 16) that the courses would be prepared with the help of organisations such as IBM, Tata Consultancy Services, and Infosys. They would cover areas such as artificial intelligence, robotics, and taxation and foreign languages. An industry bridging programme to help those trained in traditional courses, too, was also in the pipeline, he said.Mr. Raveendran said that this would be developed as an academic city that could accommodate around 30,000 students on the university’s 600-acre campus. The proposed placement training centre on the campus would begin functioning in another two months. It would turn out to be a centralised hub for job placement and training. Students and former students would be allowed to register there. Job opportunities, expert training, internship, certification, placement assistance, and campus recruitment would be held here throughout the year, he said.Meanwhile, Mr. Raveendran dismissed the allegations related to the appointment of Syndicate member P. Rasheed Ahammed as the pro Vice-Chancellor of the university. He said that Mr. Ahammed was chosen for the post in line with the guidelines of the University Grants Commission (UGC). This comes against the backdrop of the criticisms levelled by pro-Left Syndicate members against the appointment. Mr. Raveendran said that the UGC Regulations of 2018 permitted choosing a college professor for the post. The right to nominate the pro Vice-Chancellor vested with the V-C, whose proposal was approved by the Syndicate, Mr. Raveendran said, adding that Mr. Ahammed was familiar with the university’s rules and laws as he had been a teacher and Syndicate member for long time.Mr. Raveendran also played down media reports about the decision to appoint a director for the press and publications divisions of the university. The person chosen was someone with years of experience in print media. The V-C claimed that no member opposed the proposal when it was placed in the recent Syndicate meeting. The modern systems in the press were not being properly utilised. The contracts to print some books for the university were being given to firms outside. Mr. Raveendran said that the university would try to publish the books by prominent writers and also print textbooks for students, Mr. Raveendran said.Founding dayThe V-C said that the founding day of the university would be observed on the campus on July 23. A highlight of the event would be a panel discussion involving experts on the steps to be taken and programmes to be launched in the next 10 years. Minister for Agriculture T. Siddique would open the event to be held at the EMS Seminar Complex, and T.V. Ibrahim, MLA, would preside over it. Chandrabhas Narayana of the Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Bengaluru, would deliver the keynote address. People in academia and outside who had made contributions to the university would be honoured. It would be followed by cultural events, he added. Published - July 16, 2026 06:58 pm IST