Dr P Vijayan appointed as VC of IMU

Chennai, Nov 22 (UNI) National Maritime Academy Director Dr P Vijayan was today appointed as the first Vice-Chancellor of the Indian Maritime University (IMU) being set up here at a cost of Rs 245 crore.

Union Minister of Shipping, Road Transport and Highways T R Baalu said President Pratibha Devising Patil, in her capacity as the visitor of the IMU, has appointed Dr Vijayan as the first Vice-Chancellor for a three-year-period.

With its headquarters in Chennai, IMU would have campuses at Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Visakhapatnam and other places and the university would function both as a teaching and affiliating university.

It would be a world class university that would promote maritime studies, research and extension work with focus on emerging areas of studies, including marine science and technology, marine environment, socio-economic, legal and other related fields.

The university would standardise the quality of education and training through affiliation and academic supervision.

In a statement from New Delhi, Mr Baalu said along with the IMU, a National Maritime Complex (NMC) would be set up at a cost of Rs 1,500 crore.

A maritime museum, maritime art gallery, maritime aquarium, maritime commercial complex, a food court with a catering college and world class convention centre with a five star hotel would be housed in the NMC.

While the Central government would provide funds for the IMU, the NMC would be developed through Public-Private Partnership mode.

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