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For better returns, invest in research

According to estimates, by 2020 around 40 million Indian students would be enrolled at the under-graduate level in colleges.

For better returns, invest in research


Smita Sharma 

According to estimates, by 2020 around 40 million Indian students would be enrolled at the under-graduate level in colleges. To meet the 30 percent Gross Enrolment Ratio target set by the HRD Ministry, some 800 new universities, four lakh new colleges and nearly 10 lakh faculty by 2020 would be needed. 

These numbers tell a challenging story of the uphill task ahead for the government in next two years alone. Foreign universities can partner with top-notch Indian educational institutes to increase the scale of quality education and research to help meet some of these demands, says Professor Ian Jacobs, President and Vice Chancellor of UNSW (University of New South Wales) in Sydney.

“I see a country that is extraordinary and developing very fast. High-quality research in several areas is now encouraged. There are many opportunities to partner for a research with India, a country that wants to educate large number of people, but does not yet have the required infrastructure for higher education,” says Prof Jacobs, during a recent India visit. 

A surgeon turned academician, Jacobs has held the top posts with UNSW since 2015. Previously in the UK, he had a distinguished career as a leading researcher in women’s health and cancer, and played leadership roles in top colleges. 

Asked as to why the best Indian institutes, including IITs and IIMs, don’t make the cut to prestigious global-ranking indices, professor Jacobs says it requires high-quality research to qualify. 

“International rankings of universities are determined by measuring research prowess, quality, number and impact of publications produced.” That also depends on having outstanding people in an environment that promises outstanding infrastructure. 

He underlines that research initially needs substantial public funding, and later private funding, to drive the future into transactional and applied research, leading to manufacturing. “So PPP (public private partnership) leads to great discoveries and economic returns.  If you get that pipeline right early on, for every dollar of investment the return is $10 to $20. India has a large young population. Invest heavily in schools and university education. It is not a donation, but investment in the future of the country,” he adds.

As far as the quality of Indian students is concerned, Jacobs feels they are very competitive and can make the cut for admission to the Group of Eight Australian universities for under graduate and post graduate courses with sharpened English language skills. He reminds that of the average 1.5 million applicants for IITs, only around 10,000 find slots. UNSW, in particular, is hoping to increase scholarships for students who can travel to Oz and offer on-and-off campus online courses to those, who cannot afford to travel overseas from India. 

“Potential power of digital technology in education is enormous. It is about using online medium to improve the quality of education. This is a way of personalising education, giving feedback immediately, identifying strengths and providing support.” He clarified that students travelling to Australia for under-graduate courses still get 18-months work permit, while those enrolled for post-graduate courses are allowed a 24-months work permit.

Meanwhile, under the government’s Institutions of Eminence initiative, greater autonomy will now be provided to yet-to-be-finalised 10 public and 10 private institutions in India. Category I and II institutes can partner directly with foreign universities ranking in the top 100 without seeking UGC’s approval. “This has opened doors for us to partner with Indian institutes. 

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