SHIMLA: A two-day meet of Association of Indian Universities (AIU) -- North Zone Vice-Chancellors' Conference -- organized by Himachal Pradesh University (HPU) will commence here from Friday.

VC of HPU prof A D N Bajpai said, "The first meeting to provide a platform to universities of India through a coordinating body to promote varsity activities at the national and international level by way of sharing information and increasing cooperation in field of education, sports and other areas was held in Shimla by the then Viceroy, Lord Riding, on March 23, 1925. The idea to form the inter-university board of India, which was rechristened as AIU in 1973, was mooted at this meeting."

He added that after a gap of 87 years, 34 vice-chancellors of universities of north zone, including Jammu & Kashmir, Punjab, Haryana, Uttarakhand, UP and Himachal Pradesh, would deliberate in Shimla on 'traditional knowledge systems of India', besides different issues related to higher education in the university system.

"Different VCs and scholars from various agencies will deliberate on the traditional knowledge systems in the country in five technical sessions. Also, the north zone VCs will discuss issues pertaining to standards of quality control, administration, examination and financial reforms, research aspects, syllabus and scholarly publications, among others," he said.

The deliberations of the two-day technical sessions, recommendations and regional problems pertaining to university system discussed in the meetings of VCs in the business house will be collated as 'Shimla charter of resolutions'. It will be later discussed at the annual general meeting of AIU and also sent to different education and government agencies for consideration.