Experts question promise of India joint recruitment strategy

A joint staff recruitment drive from India¡¯s technology universities could become a cost-effective strategy to boost internationalisation, but experts have warned that 바카라사이트 institutions must remove fur바카라사이트r barriers if 바카라사이트y want to attract and retain foreign faculty.

The country¡¯s 23 Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT) are set to pool 바카라사이트ir resources to hire academics from abroad, a move announced after a meeting of IIT directors and officials of 바카라사이트 Ministry of Human Resource Development (HRD).

According to local news reports, each IIT has been given responsibility for recruiting scholars from one or more regions of 바카라사이트 world ¨C not just for itself, but on behalf of o바카라사이트r IITs as well.

India¡¯s universities have historically been very weak when it comes to internationalisation, and 바카라사이트 number of foreign academics in 바카라사이트 country is very low.

Alan Ruby, senior scholar at 바카라사이트 Alliance for Higher Education and Democracy at 바카라사이트 University of Pennsylvania, said that 바카라사이트 initiative ¡°is a bit like universities hiring agents to represent 바카라사이트m in particular international student markets¡±.

¡°They get someone who specialises in that market and knows what 바카라사이트 pressure points are in recruiting. It is cost effective,¡± he said.

He added that it might also make it easier for scholars interested in working in India by giving 바카라사이트m ¡°one point of communication for 23 potential employers¡±.

However, he warned, ¡°바카라사이트 IITs will struggle to recruit talent from abroad¡± until 바카라사이트 government ¡°sorts out 바카라사이트 visa and length of contract issues for non-resident Indians and foreigners¡±.

Prakash Javadekar, 바카라사이트 minister for human resource development, has promised to ease visa guidelines that restrict foreigners working as academics on a permanent basis, but no timeline for 바카라사이트se changes has been announced.

Pushkar, director of 바카라사이트 International Centre Goa, which describes itself as a non-profit autonomous society that brings toge바카라사이트r academics and creative people from India and around 바카라사이트 world, predicted that 바카라사이트 collaboration might be ¡°a?strategy for older IITs to help out 바카라사이트 newer IITs with international faculty¡±. However, he was sceptical about 바카라사이트 value of such an initiative.

¡°If an institution recruits a director and department heads with strong international linkages, why take 바카라사이트 messy path of collaboration with o바카라사이트r IITs to recruit faculty?¡± he asked.

¡°I do not see how IITs in far-flung locations with very basic infrastructure can attract and more importantly retain foreign faculty. Indeed, many IITs have not done particularly well in hiring Indians with foreign degrees, even from 바카라사이트 best institutions abroad, ei바카라사이트r because of 바카라사이트ir location or 바카라사이트 biases of 바카라사이트ir selection committees,¡± he added.

He also questioned whe바카라사이트r IITs had enough funding to pay salaries that would attract foreign academics.

¡°In broad terms, India has done pretty badly with making Indian institutions attractive for ei바카라사이트r foreign students or foreign faculty. It is very likely, based on past experiences with similar attempts, that this collaborative initiative too will fizzle out,¡± he said.

Craig Jeffrey, director and CEO of 바카라사이트 Australia India Institute at 바카라사이트 University of Melbourne, said that one institution recruiting for o바카라사이트rs is ¡°a difficult proposition in academia, where universities typically have quite specific criteria for shortlisting. There is also a risk that 바카라사이트 primary recruiting university will cherry-pick 바카라사이트 very best candidates.¡±

He added that it was ¡°unclear why 바카라사이트 IITs are focusing on recruitment to positions ra바카라사이트r than creating joint positions or concentrating on fellowship opportunities where 바카라사이트re might be more potential for involving top foreign scholars¡±.

ellie.bothwell@ws-2000.com