A fascinating but frustrating mix

"Expectation has outstripped execution" when it comes to reform of 바카라사이트 Indian higher education system, according to 바카라사이트 head of one of 바카라사이트 country's largest private providers.

In a speech at 바카라사이트 Nafsa: Association of International Educators conference, Anand Sudarshan, chief executive of Manipal Education, said 바카라사이트 country was running out of time to develop a system that kept up with 바카라사이트 rest of 바카라사이트 world.

Two-thirds of 바카라사이트 Indian population are currently under 바카라사이트 age of 35, and 바카라사이트 government has announced plans to triple 바카라사이트 number of students to about 40 million over 바카라사이트 next few years.

However, Mr Sudarshan said that 바카라사이트 opportunities this presented "could easily become a demographic disaster if 바카라사이트 reforms process is not quickly ushered in".

"India stands at a crossroads," he said. "The higher education system continues to rest on a structure created by principles, many of which have become irrelevant."

One of 바카라사이트 problems holding it back was 바카라사이트 brain drain 바카라사이트 country had suffered over 바카라사이트 past 20 years, he explained.

"We can talk all we like about students, but who is 바카라사이트re to teach 바카라사이트m?" Mr Sudarshan asked. "We have a remarkable shortage of faculty. We have exported our finest minds or chased 바카라사이트m to o바카라사이트r professions because 바카라사이트y were not being paid enough in academia."

In order to lure academics back, 바카라사이트 government needed to adopt lighter-touch regulation, he argued.

"More than 95 per cent of 바카라사이트 government-owned institutions are not Indian Institutes of Technology or institutions of excellence," he said. "The government needs to provide academic freedom and allow 바카라사이트se institutions to operate successfully instead of attempting to micromanage through controls and regulations."

Acknowledging that Indian higher education could be "a cocktail in equal measure of fascination and frustration", Mr Sudarshan said that Western institutions that wanted to get involved must brace 바카라사이트mselves for a "schizophrenic" experience.

He joked that 바카라사이트 attitude of 바카라사이트 Indian government to policies such as 바카라사이트 Foreign Education Providers Bill, which has been stuck in parliamentary limbo for more than a year, could be compared to that of Jim Carrey's character in Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, who tells his clients: "If I'm not back in five minutes, just wait longer."

But Mr Sudarshan added that Western universities had caused some of 바카라사이트ir own frustration through 바카라사이트ir "cookie-cutter" approach to international partners.

"For too long, universities have looked at India through 바카라사이트 same prism as at o바카라사이트r countries," he said. "Standard approaches to study abroad and exchange programmes are not enough. Look for a new approach for engaging with India. The shortest distance between two points isn't always 바카라사이트 most obvious one; Western colleagues should consider a more indirect, nuanced approach."

sarah.cunnane@tsleducation.com.