First Catholic University in India to be inaugurated

(December 6, 2008) The inauguration of Don Bosco University (DBU) Guwahati, Assam, the first Catholic university set up under the new government legislation, is officially inaugurated on Saturday, December 6, 2008.The earlier inaugural programme scheduled for October 31 was postponed due to the serial bomb blast that rocked Guwahati and left 81 people dead and over 200 people injured, October 30.Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi and four State ministers (Education, Health, Power and Social Welfare) along with a galaxy of eminent civil and church personalities of the region are gracing the function. “We are focusing on teaching, research and consultancy on three core areas: technology, service and social sectors with the declared objectives of working with cutting-edge technology, ensuring the employability of the graduates and their capacity to transform society,” says Vice-Chancellor-designate Dr. Stephen Mavely in an interview with Radio Vatican in the Vatican, November 26. While Information Technology and Biotechnology dominate the Technology sector, Nursing, Pharmacology and Para-Medical, Psychology, Counselling, Management, Media, Teacher Education, Social Work and Rural Development are other subjects of the Service sector. Teaching and research on Religion and Culture, Ethics, Governance and Tribal studies will be the forte at DBU as North East India has a concentration of over 200 distinct tribal groups. The first constituent College of Don Bosco University, Don Bosco College of Engineering and Technology (DBCET), Airport Road, Azara, launched its engineering programmes in August 2008. The new campus, located 15 km from state capital Dispur, when completed will nestle in a 230 acre tea garden. Don Bosco in India is 100 years old and has some 5,000 Fathers, Brothers and Sisters running 27 colleges and over 100 technical schools.