Thiruvananthapuram, Sep 18 (IANS) Kerala will roll out a Knowledge Valley and Research Park to turn the state into a global knowledge hub, Higher Education Minister Roji M. John said here on Friday.
The project will build on Kerala’s existing higher education and research base, seek greater participation from the private sector and explore partnerships with international universities.
The proposal was discussed at a roundtable on the concluding day of the three-day Reimagining Keralam event. John and Higher Education Principal Secretary B. Ashok led the discussions.
John said the project would not be another standalone institution but would create a platform linking education, research, industry and global opportunities. The aim, he added, was to create economic value and more opportunities for young people.
Ashok emphasised that the focus should be on converting Kerala’s research capabilities into practical applications and economic opportunities. The proposed Research Park will have strong links with industry, provide shared advanced infrastructure and centres of excellence, and support technology transfer, prototyping and deep-tech development.
Participants stressed the need for closer links between universities, research institutions and industry, saying research should move beyond conventional academic structures. They suggested PhD programmes could give greater importance to real-world problems and industry-linked research instead of being largely dissertation-based.
Healthcare research was cited as one area where industry partnerships could help. Such links could turn research into products, services and commercial opportunities.
A large amount of academic research in Kerala remains underused. Participants proposed a systematic review of postgraduate dissertations to identify promising research. Artificial intelligence could be used for initial screening, followed by expert assessment. Retired professors could also be involved in reviewing and developing promising research.
The Knowledge Valley could be linked to the Centre’s University Township programme, bringing domestic and international universities together with shared laboratories and infrastructure. A global virtual classroom was another proposal.
Participants also proposed a knowledge audit to map Kerala’s research institutions, expertise, infrastructure and intellectual assets. Kerala has about 47 research institutions working in areas including space, agriculture and minerals, which could become part of the proposed knowledge network.
The project will also explore the use of underutilised spaces in existing colleges and universities, reducing the need to create new physical infrastructure.
The government wants the initiative to produce measurable results over the next five to ten years and create a distinctive knowledge-led growth model for Kerala.
--IANS
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