Ready Set Go

OUAT is envisioned to be a globally recognised and locally relevant Premier Farm University in India providing leading-edge education, research, extension and outreach in agriculture and allied sciences that are life-enhancing, socially sensitive, environmentally responsible and economically beneficial in the current and emerging scenario of socio-economic-climatic-technological changes in India and globe. It will serve the state for providing template of sustainable agricultural development that would transform agriculture sector into the engine of growth of Odisha’s economy and provide livelihood security of farming community. The vision statement is paraphrased as follows.

OUATians have aspiration to greatly improve university activities producing skilled human resources including high caliber graduates with knowledge and expertise, develop relevant technology and provide appropriate services to the farming community, the pathway of which has to run through the plan characterised by desire to consolidate our strengths, to integrate further our research, educational and extension activities, to optimise our infrastructure and accelerate our success. It requires reorientation and restructuring the programmes. The activities are to be built up together by the staff and students in every part of the University to ensure continuance of the journey with great vigour, centering around the original commitment.

Education Mission

• Expandthe science, technology, engineering and practical application, while optimizing the use of water, energy, labour, land and other resources.
• Students to solve real world challenges, and provide experiential learning in an interdisciplinary setting with global impacts. They are to discover and acquire new knowledge through integration of research and scholarly endeavours.
• Reorient and restructure the academic programmes. Graduate education would focus on strengthening professionalism and entrepreneurship; and post graduate education would conduct research and provide consultancy and extension services relevant to current and emerging socio economic needs.
• Be totally student-centric and cater to the overall growth and development of our students intellect and personality. Our alumni should be worthy citizens and highly sought after professionals.
• R & D in integrating emerging areas of cutting edge technology such as space science, computing science, biotechnology, ICT for natural resource management, environment, climate services, IPR and biodiversity.
• A shift to comparative advantage of the state on specific commodities for interstate market, WTO and global trade instead of limiting to local and domestic market.

Research Mission

• Resolve plant production challenges such as harsh conditions of drought and flood. Strategic research for climate resilient agriculture.
• Create new technology to enhance productivity and improve resource use efficiency. ensuring livelihood security.
• Create business opportunity, utilizing technology.
• System approach to technology generation systems rather than specific commodities and focus on Integrated Farming Systems.
• Emphasis on product conversion and value addition rather than ending in production alone.
• Technology as an economically, environmentally and socially sustainable agricultural option.
• Refining location specific efficient production systems based on Agroclimatic suitability.
• Training for entrepreneurship beyond the production process rather than adding skills.

Extension and outreach mission

• Ensure that extension services are responsive to farmers needs and academics value the importance and role of services.
• Strive to disseminate new knowledge, scientific information and innovations through formal and non-formal educational programs to students, growers, faculty, governments, non-governmental organizations, financiers and industries.
• Create and adapt crop selection and production tools for small farmers, undeveloped regions, and highly specialized situations, in order to help grower operations.
• Define the parameters of Simplified/Moderate/High technology.
• Focus on group approach.
• Support services to be rendered by the single window.
• Communicate our successes.

Governance mission

• Proactive governance be consultative, transparent, efficient, inclusive and well communicated.
• Mutually supportive with equal working environment in which all staff feel their needs are recognised, valued and rewarded.
• Decentralisation that collocates decision making, financial control, administration and accountability.
• Increased financial health.
• Address and improve resources for staff support. The financial resources for office and technical staff support are currently substantially below the effective and desirable level. Revenues have to be generated to improve the situation.
• A major need is a new position in each college to handle student related affairs including graduate admissions, student records, and student recruiting at both the graduate and undergraduate levels.

Linkage mission

• Increase the profile of OUAT programs within the state and around the world based on metrics of success.
• Increase multi-disciplinary efforts/projects at the University level.
• Collaboratelocally, nationally and internationally, government and non-government agencies to promote and facilitate innovation and creative application of technology. These include IMD, IITs, ICAR research institutes, ISRO and other science/ engineering/governmental organizations.

Using tools developed over millennia, farming communities in Odisha have developed resilient agricultural systems, well adapted to social and environmental conditions unique to their locations. However, conditions have changed and are changing rapidly. To cope these changes, agricultural scientists and specialists have to partner with the farming community in the effort to meet the market needs of food, feed, fiber and fuel. This can be achieved by addressing contemporary agricultural problems with the most advanced scientific capabilities, while respecting earlier contributions of agriculturalists and traditional approaches to agriculture.

Uphold the values of academic freedom and creativity, and respect the rights of farmers and consumers to decide which technologies are most appropriate.