Udupi: Dr. H. Vinod Bhat, Pro Vice-Chancellor of Manipal University, Manipal, has been appointed as its sixth Vice Chancellor for a term of five years with effect from June 1, 2015. With an MD in Community Medicine, he is an Honorary Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians & Surgeons, Glasgow.
Dr. Bhat has had a long and illustrious career both as a teacher as well as an able administrator. A researcher at heart, he has several scientific publications in national and international peer reviewed journals to his credit. With his rich experience in research, Dr. Bhat has been responsible for the spectacular growth in external research funding attracted by Manipal University. The Research Directorate which he set up plays a vital role in directing targeted research across all disciplines and is poised for greater expansion.
Dr Bhat also established the Manipal University Press (MUP) converting it into a unique and vibrant entity. Under his stewardship, MUP has published more than 40 publications in its three years of existence.
More recently, Dr Vinod Bhat served as an Advisor to Manipal Global Education Services (MaGE). Dr. Bhat also serves on the Board of the Groep T International University, Leuven, Belgium, the International Board of Advisors of GlobalNxt University, Kuala Lumpur and on the Editorial Board of Journal of Rural and Remote Health, Australia.
As a science administrator par excellence, Dr Vinod Bhat has been instrumental in establishing the Office of International Programs which co-ordinates more than a hundred academic linkages with Universities abroad. He also oversees the twinning and student exchange programs. Dr. Bhat has initiated over 25 Dual Degree programs with European Universities in the last six years and is responsible for setting up the Centre for European Studies in Manipal, the first ever in the private sector, with a generous grant from the Delegation of European Union to India.
He is also closely associated with several new projects like the entry of Manipal into Sri Lanka and South Africa, the expansion of Dubai operations, strategic planning and growth.
