
SOA University aims to be one of India's top notch institutions: V-C
Addressing the foundation day programme of the university, Nanda said SOA has been focusing on quality education, healthcare and focused research, while aiming to be one of the top 10 universities in the country. 'Ranked 14th in the country by the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) in 2024, SOA is a category-I university governed by the UGC,' he said.
The V-C said over 115 of research projects of the university have been funded by the government. The university has set up 18 inter-disciplinary research centres and 60 laboratories to facilitate the work, he said.
Nanda also said that the research publications which were around 300 a few years ago have now increased to 15,800. Around 300 PhD researchers are getting enrolled to the university every year, he said.
Speaking on the occasion, director of the Institute of Life Sciences, Bhubaneswar Dr Debasis Dash said SOA should think of a project in which researchers from health sciences, engineers and life scientists can collaborate. He also called on researchers to take up projects that are more relevant to the society.
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BOX WHO SCORES WHAT Only 22 institutions from Asia made it to the global top 100 in agricultural sciences Thirteen of these are from China, followed by Japan (2), and one each from Israel, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Pakistan and India India is represented by just two agricultural institutions in this category: Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), New Delhi, at 47th position, and PAU at 93rd While IARI is a national institute under the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), PAU is the sole full-fledged state agricultural university to receive this global recognition. PAU ranks 20th in Asia with China Agricultural University being on the top, ranking 6th in the world WHO RANKED AGRI INSTITUTIONS EduRank, an independent global ranking platform, evaluates more than 14,000 institutions based on measurable indicators such as research output, citation impact and academic influence. PAU's entry into the top 100 is a powerful indicator of its rising prominence in global agricultural research and education PAU's PAST LAURELS The university was ranked no. 1 among all state agricultural universities in India by the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) of the ministry of education for two consecutive years, 2023 and 2024 In addition, the Indian Institutional Ranking Framework (IIRF) 2025, a prominent private-sector agency, also named PAU the top state agricultural university in the country VC SPEAK The international ranking reflects the commitment, scientific strength and tireless work ethic of the PAU fraternity. Such global recognition is not only a milestone for the university, but also a moment of national pride. These rankings will help PAU expand its international visibility and foster new collaborations with research institutions and industry leaders around the world Satbir Singh Gosal, VC, Punjab Agricultural University