New Delhi: National Knowledge Commission (NKC) chairperson Sam Pitroda on Thursday said Indian universities must become the hub of research to capture the synergies that exist between teaching and research.

"Universities must become the hub of research to capture synergies between teaching and research. This goes on to enrich the two areas beautifully," Pitroda said in an interview to Indira Gandhi National Open University's (IGNOUs) newsletter.

Emphasising the need to expand the higher education system in the country, Pitroda said, "India has around 350 universities and this number is simply not enough with reference to our needs in higher education. We need to create many more appropriately scaled universities."

"This is necessary to raise our enrollment to levels comparable with most developing countries. We have also recommended 50 national universities that can provide education of the highest standard," he said.

-- IANS