You started your career as a lecturer of Ravenshaw College way back in 1977. Now you are heading Utkal University of Culture. How do you feel?

When one is elevated to the highest post in the academic arena, it gives him a sense of contentment and satisfaction. It provides him a wider area to execute his thoughts and experiences that he has accumulated over the years. I am working in that direction.

You are from sociology background. How you are managing the affairs of a university whose objectives are certainly different from other universities.

A sociologist is always keen to know the ethos of various culures. That inquisitiveness helps one understand the work and culture of the university. Culture happens to be the thrust area of sociology.

Though the university was set up in 1999, it is still operating from a temporary campus. Are you not getting the required support from the government?

The campus construction work is going on now at a break-neck speed. I am hopeful that by October-November this year, we will shift to the new campus at Madanpur. Construction of hostels is almost complete. At present, the work of the administrative building is going on. The campus is coming up at a cost of Rs 30 crore. We will make the new campus as the cultural hub of the southeast corridor. We will train our students accordingly on the new campus.

Do you have any specific design for the building?

We are aware of the fact that being the university of culture, it carries some significance. One will see the stamp of the Kalingan art and architecture in the building. A special well-designed gate will be there in front of the campus. We have decided to name the new campus as Sanskruti Vihar. However, the government will take a final call on this issue.

If the campus is shifted to Madanpur, what will happen to the existing building?

This is an historic building, known as Sardar Patel Hall (the old state Assembly). The University’s city centre will operate from here for promoting research in frontier areas of culture.

Is there a need to have a culture university in view of the fact that there are a number of institutions, including Odisha Sangeet Academy and Odissi Dance Research Academy, also working to promote the Odia culture?

It’s a unique university that is first-of-its-kind in India. Itengages itself to preserve, promote, propagate and protect the richness of the cultural heritage by way of making substantive accomplishments through teaching, research and extension. While others are putting stress on performance and organising events, we are giving thrust on budding talents through research as well as performance. We are creating and developing talents.

People have very little idea about the activities of the university. In fact how many students you have at this moment and how many departments are there?

Last year, we had 380 students on our campus. The student strength will be increased to 500 this year. Besides, we have four affiliated government colleges and 43 affiliated private colleges. If we take all these students together, our student strength will go up to nearly 4,000.

There are allegations that certain institutions have obtained affiliation from the university, but do not have adequate infrastructure to run the courses.

The university issued temporary affiliation to colleges only after the government gave them a no-objection certificate. It has to be renewed annually, up to a maximum period of 10 years. However, at the end of five years, they can apply for permanent affiliation, which will be granted by us after conducting a strict review of their infrastructure.

But some of the institutes compromise the quality of teaching because they don’t have the required trained manpower and students have been affected because of this.

I have prepared a non-negotiable academic calendar that has already been submitted to the chancellor. It is mandatory for every stakeholder not to make any deviation from the calendar. Any deviation will not be tolerated. Admission, examination and publication of results will be done systematically. Everything is going on online.

There are allegations that students can get certificate by influencing the varsity staff.

I strongly refute such allegations. The examination system has already been streamlined. Those students who are coming to the university are coming with a great hope. All of them are talented. No one will be allowed to play with the future of students. Besides, certificate printing is personally supervised by the examination controller, who is a senior Class I officer from education background.

Do all the teaching and non-teaching employees being recruited have the required qualifications?

Teaching staff has been appointed on the basis of recommendation of selection committee, according to the UGC guidelines. In the case of non-teaching staff, all the recruitments are made, as recommended by the selection committee. Now against 50 sanctioned posts, we have 23 temporary staff. It has affected the work culture.

What is the future of the students passing out from the university? Are they getting employment?

We are emphasising on the overall personality development of a student. However, we have not overlooked the employment aspect. We are now working on how music therapy can be developed. The music therapy is a panacea to heal psychiatric patients, including rape victims. We had already held discussion with the representatives of the University of California. Work is on to sign an MoU to this effect to develop the music therapy. We had also negotiated with various companies in Odisha to absorb our students. We are hopeful that it will workout. The university focuses on producing capable persons, who can be self-employed. The state government has accepted our proposal to recruit art teachers in schools. Now, we have broached the idea of hiring music teachers. We are also in touch with hoteliers for recruitment of painting and sculpture students.

Academic of repute

A noted scholar, professor Jena is a well-known figure

Born in Bhuinpur village under Kendrapara district, Jena completed his schooling from Ramchandra High School, Fakirabada

He did his graduation from Kendrapara College and completed MA in sociology from Utkal University

He stood first and was recruited as a lecturer the next year in 1977

He joined as Reader in Vani Vihar in 1985 and was later promoted as professor in 1999

He has worked in various capacities and also held the post of registrar of the Utkal University twice

In 2000, he was awarded Indira Gandhi NSS award by the ministry of youth affairs

He has guided 22 PhD scholars and 100 MPhil scholars

He has authored six books and published more than 15 research papers in national and international journals

What would you have been had you not been an educator?

I have never thought of that. I was born in a rural place and had not seen the world enough to have big aspirations as a child. However, perhaps I am in the right profession — that is teaching. It gives me satisfaction and pleasure.