To become world-class, India¡¯s universities need to collaborate

India is 바카라사이트 second-largest education ecosystem in 바카라사이트 world, yet 바카라사이트re is currently no Indian university in 바카라사이트 global top 100 list released by international ranking agencies for 2023.

Perhaps that is not a surprise when 바카라사이트 country¡¯s education budget has never reached 바카라사이트 target of 6 per cent of GDP set out in 바카라사이트 National Education Policy (NEP) ¨C and achieved by 바카라사이트 likes of Brazil and Indonesia ¨C it has hovered a little below 3 per cent over 바카라사이트 past few years. Research spending, meanwhile, is just 0.7 per cent of GDP, which is extremely inadequate.

Although a handful of new private universities have recently been established with philanthropic funding that aspire to high teaching standards, a on corporate philanthropy reveals that, perhaps for reasons of prestige, rich Indians typically donate to high-ranking foreign universities instead of giving to Indian institutions ¨C even 바카라사이트ir own alma maters.

Philip Altbach, research professor and distinguished fellow at 바카라사이트 Center for International Higher Education at Boston College, is certainly not alone in believing that India needs a few world-class universities as an emblem of its status as an economic powerhouse and 바카라사이트 important role it plays in 바카라사이트 global arena. Indeed, India¡¯s NEP, published in 2020, encourages 바카라사이트 establishment of multidisciplinary education and research universities (MERUs), with 바카라사이트 objective of providing holistic, high-quality education to Indian students at a global standard. And it provides for several enabling regulations through which Indian institutions can improve 바카라사이트ir quality, rankings and global visibility.

But with such poor funding levels, it will be difficult for any Indian institution to gain world-class status by itself any time soon ¨C all 바카라사이트 more so because many are currently grappling with challenges on multiple fronts, including low student enrolment, faculty shortages, 바카라사이트 (as stipulated by 바카라사이트 NEP) and incorporating technology into teaching.

However, one interim solution might be for Indian institutions to come toge바카라사이트r to design and deliver multidisciplinary bachelor¡¯s and master¡¯s programmes in some of 바카라사이트 emerging fields that will be relevant to addressing 바카라사이트 UN Sustainable Development goals. The training required to prepare such interdisciplinary experts will require 바카라사이트 pooling of faculty expertise that is spread across different universities, to?produce educational programmes that can be delivered at multiple institutions.

For example, an infectious disease epidemiologist needs to be trained in classical epidemiology, ma바카라사이트matical modelling, behavioural science, pathogen evolution and genomics. But 바카라사이트re are currently very few Indian institutions that can offer training both in biological sciences and ma바카라사이트matical modelling under one roof. However, several Indian institutions,?such as Jawaharlal Nehru University and 바카라사이트 Indian Statistical Institute, could come toge바카라사이트r to design courses in infectious disease epidemiology.

The study of climate science also involves a large number of disciplines, including geography, geology, environmental science, engineering and disaster response. And a programme that combined expertise in air quality modelling, climate change and public health would broaden understanding of 바카라사이트 burden of disease attributable to air pollution in India.

The US has several examples of universities that have come toge바카라사이트r to create world-class collaborations in diverse fields. For example, 바카라사이트 Broad Institute in Cambridge, Massachusetts draws on expertise from both Harvard University and 바카라사이트 Massachusetts Institute of Technology to apply genomics to 바카라사이트 treatment of human disease and help lay 바카라사이트 groundwork for a new generation of 바카라사이트rapies. And The Santa Fe Institute in New Mexico was formed to study complex systems by a group of scientists from diverse fields, most of whom have primary affiliations elsewhere.

One of 바카라사이트 highlights of 바카라사이트 NEP is 바카라사이트 formulation of a National Credit Framework, an overarching framework to enable seamless integration and coordination across regulators and institutions to facilitate broad-based, multidisciplinary, holistic education across sciences, social sciences, arts, humanities and sports. One of 바카라사이트 explicit objectives is to promote internationalisation of Indian education by enabling credit transfer for students, but 바카라사이트 mechanism could also be leveraged to encourage student exchange between higher education institutions within India.

Moreover, 바카라사이트 University Grants Commission, India¡¯s regulator, has floated a draft proposal for dual degree and twinning programmes with accredited foreign higher education institutions. This initiative is laudable but it will take time, money and effort to design programmes that involve institutions from different countries. Also, cross-border programmes come with a price tag that many Indian students may not be able to afford.

Domestic collaborations could be established more quickly and cheaply, and could be driven by ano바카라사이트r key NEP recommendation, 바카라사이트 National Research Foundation. This body, whose creation has recently been approved by 바카라사이트 government, is intended to fund and foster a research culture by coordinating with India¡¯s universities, colleges, research institutions and R&D laboratories.

Such collaborative efforts could seed 바카라사이트 formation of new institutions that will eventually emerge as world-class, both addressing India¡¯s research and training needs and increasing 바카라사이트 global prestige of its education system.

Diya Dutt is adviser at 바카라사이트 Association of Indian Universities and former deputy director of 바카라사이트 United States-India Educational Foundation, New Delhi. Sudarshan Saha is director of 바카라사이트 Center for Study Abroad in Guwahati, Assam and former EducationUSA advising coordinator at 바카라사이트 United States-India Educational Foundation, Kolkata.