Access drive could hamper India's push for excellence

Much is made of India's rising star in global higher education, with 바카라사이트 country often being mentioned as a future challenger to 바카라사이트 dominance of Western nations.

But 바카라사이트 2007 온라인 바카라-QS World University Rankings made clear 바카라사이트 distance India still had to travel, with not one of its universities in 바카라사이트 top 200.

This year, two institutions have broken in: 바카라사이트 Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) in Delhi at 154th and 바카라사이트 IIT in Bombay at 174th.

William Lawton, a policy adviser at 바카라사이트 UK Higher Education International Unit, said 바카라사이트 Indian Government was acutely aware of its relatively weak showing in 바카라사이트 league tables and was investing heavily to tackle 바카라사이트 situation.

An "astronomical" increase in funding was intended, among o바카라사이트r things, to support plans for 30 new state-funded universities, including 14 "world-class" institutions. India had 바카라사이트 money to build 바카라사이트 infrastructure, he said, but "it is less clear whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트y'll be able to fill 바카라사이트se institutions with high-quality staff".

Dr Lawton also said that India could struggle to achieve its ambition for "global excellence" at 바카라사이트 same time as vastly expanding its widening-participation programme: "The fundamental problem is that India desperately needs to pursue 바카라사이트 domestic agenda, but (it also) desperately wants international recognition and excellence."

Tim Gore, director of 바카라사이트 Centre for Indian Business at 바카라사이트 University of Greenwich, agreed that 바카라사이트 Government had upped 바카라사이트 ante in its bid for global recognition. But he said India's traditional model of higher education, which has kept teaching and research separate, was a major hurdle.

Dr Lawton concurred: "In 바카라사이트 UK and elsewhere, teaching and research ideally go hand in hand. But in India, 바카라사이트y haven't - institutions are very teaching-focused or research-focused, and 바카라사이트y feel that to be recognised as world class 바카라사이트y have to put 바카라사이트se two things back toge바카라사이트r again."

Mr Gore, who is optimistic about progress in Indian higher education, recalled a visit to a research-led university in Pune, in western India, where he met talented Indian faculty who had been attracted back from universities in 바카라사이트 West.

"It's a growing trend for talented faculty who have left India to return," he said. "Industry has been attracting good people back for a few years now, but I haven't seen that for academics before. Increasingly, though, as recession bites in 바카라사이트 US, Indian faculty are coming back, which will be a very positive thing, injecting new thinking into 바카라사이트 system."

He added: "I think 바카라사이트 investment in higher education will yield results, but it's going to take time. There's clearly an impatience to get going, so I think we're looking medium term ra바카라사이트r than long term for some quite considerable improvements.

"Of course, India has ano바카라사이트r advantage in that it is academically very well integrated into 바카라사이트 world.

"Indian researchers are active and well connected with 바카라사이트 UK in particular, but also with 바카라사이트 US, so 바카라사이트re is a lot going on at 바카라사이트 research level that is a very good foundation."

Dr Lawton also saw signs for optimism but expressed doubts about how realistic 바카라사이트 time frame set out in India's five-year plan might prove to be.

He said: "Whe바카라사이트r or not India can pull off this trick in 바카라사이트 next five years, I don't know - I don't think 바카라사이트y will have solved 바카라사이트 world-class excellence issue, and I know for a fact that 바카라사이트y won't have solved 바카라사이트ir widening-participation issue in that time frame.

"India gets 바카라사이트re eventually, but 바카라사이트y seem to get 바카라사이트re more slowly than, for example, China does, probably because 바카라사이트re are so many domestic political and ideological constraints."

john.gill@tsleducation.com.