LIBA’s efforts of re-strategizing its future, gained further strength in the formal inauguration of the state-of-the-art LIBA building by the Honourable Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu – Thiru M.K. Stalin on October 15th, 2021, in the presence of Rev. Fr. Danis Ponniah SJ, Provincial, Jesuit Madurai Province (MDU), Rev. Fr. Jebamalai Irudayaraj SJ, Provincial, Jesuit Chennai Province (CEN), Rev. Fr. Francis P Xavier, SJ, Rector, Loyola Institutions, Chennai, Thiru Dhayanithi Maran MP, Tmt. Kanimozhi MP, Dr. K. Ponmudi, Hon. Minister of Higher Education, Tamil Nadu, Dr. Ezhilan M.L.A., Dr. Inigo Irudhyaraj M.L.A, Dr. S. Xavier Britto, Chairman, Kerry-Indev Logistics and Mr. Shiv Shivkumar, Executive President, Aditya Birla Group.
In his welcome address, Fr Joe Arun, Director, LIBA, shared with the audience the reason for inviting the Chief Minister: ten years ago, in 2010, Kalaignar Karunanidhi, his father, opened the engineering college, LICET, and after ten years now he was opening LIBA’s new building. Fr Joe Arun also explained about how he had conceptualised and designed the interior of the building based on design thinking and IT infrastructure guided by Artificial Intelligence (AI). This will help implement the academic thrust of AI, Machine Learning (ML) and Deep Learning (DL). In his address Thiru M.K. Stalin said, “I will never forget Loyola College because many in my family have studied here. Even my son, Udayanidhi, studied here. Not only that, even whenever the election results are announced, I come to Loyola to receive the winning certificate. I have become the Chief Minister only after knowing the results from Loyola College.”
The Hon’ble Chief Minister further said how he always longed to have studied in Loyola College like others in his family. The Chief Minister, before coming to the function in the LIBA new building, first visited LICET, and he spoke emotionally about it during his address in the function.
LIBA has been granted Category II in the categorisation of the Standalone Institutions for Graded Autonomy. LIBA’s proposal was examined and processed by an Expert Committee, AICTE and granted autonomy in Category II to LIBA.
This means that LIBA will enjoy more autonomy in many significant dimensions, to name a few, LIBA can start new courses/programmes, without the approval of AICTE, start skill courses with the National Skills Qualification Framework, hire upto 20% foreign faculty over and above the sanctioned faculty strength without AICTE approval, hire 20% foreign students over and above the sanctioned strength without the approval, and offer courses online/open modes, without approval. LIBA is exempt from annual monitoring and any mandatory approvals, laid down in the AICTE approval process book.
C. Joe Arun, SJ
Inauguration of LIBA’s New Building by Chief Minister of Tamilnadu
LIBA’s efforts of re-strategizing its future, gained further strength in the formal inauguration of the state-of-the-art LIBA building by the Honourable Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu – Thiru M.K. Stalin on October 15th, 2021, in the presence of Rev. Fr. Danis Ponniah SJ, Provincial, Jesuit Madurai Province (MDU), Rev. Fr. Jebamalai Irudayaraj SJ, Provincial, Jesuit Chennai Province (CEN), Rev. Fr. Francis P Xavier, SJ, Rector, Loyola Institutions, Chennai, Thiru Dhayanithi Maran MP, Tmt. Kanimozhi MP, Dr. K. Ponmudi, Hon. Minister of Higher Education, Tamil Nadu, Dr. Ezhilan M.L.A., Dr. Inigo Irudhyaraj M.L.A, Dr. S. Xavier Britto, Chairman, Kerry-Indev Logistics and Mr. Shiv Shivkumar, Executive President, Aditya Birla Group.
In his welcome address, Fr Joe Arun, Director, LIBA, shared with the audience the reason for inviting the Chief Minister: ten years ago, in 2010, Kalaignar Karunanidhi, his father, opened the engineering college, LICET, and after ten years now he was opening LIBA’s new building. Fr Joe Arun also explained about how he had conceptualised and designed the interior of the building based on design thinking and IT infrastructure guided by Artificial Intelligence (AI). This will help implement the academic thrust of AI, Machine Learning (ML) and Deep Learning (DL). In his address Thiru M.K. Stalin said, “I will never forget Loyola College because many in my family have studied here. Even my son, Udayanidhi, studied here. Not only that, even whenever the election results are announced, I come to Loyola to receive the winning certificate. I have become the Chief Minister only after knowing the results from Loyola College.”
The Hon’ble Chief Minister further said how he always longed to have studied in Loyola College like others in his family. The Chief Minister, before coming to the function in the LIBA new building, first visited LICET, and he spoke emotionally about it during his address in the function.
LIBA has been granted Category II in the categorisation of the Standalone Institutions for Graded Autonomy. LIBA’s proposal was examined and processed by an Expert Committee, AICTE and granted autonomy in Category II to LIBA.
This means that LIBA will enjoy more autonomy in many significant dimensions, to name a few, LIBA can start new courses/programmes, without the approval of AICTE, start skill courses with the National Skills Qualification Framework, hire upto 20% foreign faculty over and above the sanctioned faculty strength without AICTE approval, hire 20% foreign students over and above the sanctioned strength without the approval, and offer courses online/open modes, without approval. LIBA is exempt from annual monitoring and any mandatory approvals, laid down in the AICTE approval process book.
C. Joe Arun, SJ
Chennai
The author is a former Director of Goa Institute of Management (GIM) and currently Director of St Joseph’s Institute of Management (JIM), Trichy.
