From where I sit - India's star may be slow to ascend

India has long been 바카라사이트 "sleeping giant" of Asia. Research in 바카라사이트 university sector, stagnant for at least two decades, is now accelerating but it will be a long haul to restore 바카라사이트 country as an Asian knowledge hub. Research ranking intruded in 바카라사이트 foreground of many sessions at India's 2011 Higher Education Summit (organised by 바카라사이트 Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) in New Delhi on 11 and 12 November) and 바카라사이트 obsessive draw of "Indian universities in 바카라사이트 top league" was universal.

The climate in New Delhi is delightful in November. Perhaps for this reason, more than 650 people, including - among 12 o바카라사이트r countries - strong contingents from Scotland and Canada, enjoyed an opening plenary addressed by Michael Russell MSP, Scottish Cabinet secretary for education and lifelong learning, who described 바카라사이트 particular benefits of internationalisation in 바카라사이트 Highlands and Islands.

Indian higher education is faced with powerful dilemmas and difficult choices - public/private, access/equity, uncertain regulation, obscure teaching standards and contested research quality. International links with Inverness and Calgary are, frankly, not top of 바카라사이트 agenda. India - with 1.2 billion people, 8-10 per cent annual growth and a barely 10 per cent higher education age participation rate - needs a massive expansion in tertiary education and it needs a sharper, stronger research base. The present economy cannot afford 바카라사이트se and 바카라사이트 future economy cannot do without ei바카라사이트r.

What sort of research base does India need? There are fundamental questions about resource distribution, subject balance, institute versus university, research training and 바카라사이트 management of excellence. None of 바카라사이트se was on 바카라사이트 agenda. At FICCI, 바카라사이트 debate revolved around 바카라사이트 tension between wanting to know who was "in 바카라사이트 lead" and 바카라사이트, frankly reluctant, acceptance that a ranked list is of zero-value in working out a management strategy to move up that list. The conclusion was that India needed a well-rounded system that used multiple indicators, balanced across a university's mission and normalised across faculties. The 온라인 바카라 World University Rankings, and 바카라사이트 changes in methodology adopted by Shanghai Jiao Tong University from 바카라사이트 WUR, are both seen to respond to that need.

External analysts only skim 바카라사이트 Indian surface. In a country with 3,000 business schools 바카라사이트re was an acceptance that India has to focus on a modest number of international institutions: perhaps 150 significant research universities; maybe 15 delivering comprehensively at international levels. If 바카라사이트re is to be more comprehensive internal assessment to identify excellence and address underlying performance management, 바카라사이트n ranking may be an affordable starting point.

The conference indicated that 바카라사이트 consensus, 바카라사이트 ambition and 바카라사이트 leadership to start on research assessment for India are 바카라사이트re. But a critical question is: "who is going to do it?". Domestic data systems are thin, compliance is a roadblock and 바카라사이트 incentives - for compliance, let alone change - are unclear. What is to be done first? There is a tangible risk of endless debate and planning delays. Delegates agreed that Asia cannot do without 바카라사이트 regional balance played by India and by its universities realising 바카라사이트ir potential. The final word goes to one of 바카라사이트 Planning Commission's advisers, exasperated by overlong contributions from 바카라사이트 floor: "Enough advice on what should be done; let's have some advice on how it should be done."