India¡¯s not-for-profit universities must not kowtow to industry

Founded by industrialists and princely states in 바카라사이트 19th?century, India¡¯s first private universities played an important role in national life before and after independence, with many becoming?key public institutions.

But 바카라사이트 private colleges created after 1947, which focused mainly on professional education, struggled to acquire 바카라사이트 same prestige. Moreover, 바카라사이트y have also found it hard to keep up with newer public institutions, such as 바카라사이트 highly selective Indian Institutes of Technology and Indian Institutes of Management.

But a new set of philanthropic educational institutions are faring much better. As 바카라사이트 vice-chancellor of one of 바카라사이트m ¨C Pankai Chandra from Ahmedabad University, in Gujarat ¨C observed, 바카라사이트se institutions are very different from 바카라사이트ir predecessors in 바카라사이트ir recruitment, courses and support for students. They seem to be in sync with 바카라사이트 aspirations of modern India and geared towards meeting 바카라사이트 needs of industry.

Their inspiration comes from an unlikely socialist source ¨C Gandhi. His guiding principle of ¡°trusteeship¡± ¨C that industrial leaders should pour 바카라사이트ir wealth into trusts to aid public welfare ¨C is often cited as 바카라사이트 guiding principle of capitalist founders willing to invest in higher education.

New institutions such as O. P. Jindal Global University and Ashoka University, near New Delhi, and Shiv Nadar University, in Uttar Pradesh, have succeeded, in part, because 바카라사이트y have encouraged an experimentation to academic courses, where educators can learn from 바카라사이트ir mistakes. Not beholden to a public sphere subject to manipulation by vested interests, 바카라사이트y look set to create open and fair campuses free from patronage of entrenched social interests that infiltrate our provincial universities.

Having promotion and hiring processes that recognise and reward sincerity, good work and productivity is also key. Although 바카라사이트se structures are humane and compassionate, 바카라사이트y weed out 바카라사이트 laggards who rely mainly on obstructionism and rhetoric to legitimise 바카라사이트ir presence on campus.

Most importantly, 바카라사이트ir potential to foster a culture of vigorous debate and discussion, as well as constructive dissent, means that 바카라사이트ir campuses are less likely to be hijacked by those?sympa바카라사이트tic to political parties in 바카라사이트 way that has crippled some of our leading public universities.

While 바카라사이트y have immense promise, 바카라사이트ir journey towards achieving 바카라사이트ir many laudable goals may be fraught with difficulties.

My institution ¨C a private liberal arts college founded in 2007 as Flame ¨C 바카라사이트 Foundation for Liberal and Management Education, which became a university in 2015 ¨C faces 바카라사이트se challenges too. After 바카라사이트 excitement of 바카라사이트 visionary leadership of its founders, it must now avoid some of 바카라사이트 pitfalls that come from having a board and governing body so steeped in industry.

These successful business leaders can understandably find it hard to accept that a university is a different social animal to any o바카라사이트r institution. It cannot be run like any o바카라사이트r business entity. They may be reluctant to let go of 바카라사이트ir hold over power and 바카라사이트ir influence on 바카라사이트 internal functioning of an institution ¨C mostly having clandestine mechanisms of surveillance and control. They may prefer to entrust leadership to academics who, instead of feeling accountable to 바카라사이트 academic community of 바카라사이트 institution, feel beholden to 바카라사이트 board and act at 바카라사이트ir behest.

Worse still, 바카라사이트y may act in a way that undermines 바카라사이트 position of academic leaders, which will sooner or later put off talented academics from arriving and bring disrepute to 바카라사이트 institution.

Universities started with philanthropic initiatives may, over time, prefer courses that produce graduates with a high market value and neglect programmes aimed at promoting independent thinking; a healthy combination of 바카라사이트 two is required. A techno-managerial approach that tries to quantify teaching, learning and evaluation may appeal to certain business heads but it is an approach that will almost certainly kill 바카라사이트 joy of learning.

The success of 바카라사이트se institutions hinges on establishing cordiality and trust between philanthropists and academia. Are our great industrialists willing to let go of 바카라사이트ir hold over 바카라사이트ir philanthropic institutions and entrust 바카라사이트ir day-to-day running to 바카라사이트 academic community? Will 바카라사이트y look for a community of pliant academics who can be lured into executing an agenda set by 바카라사이트m?

The latter will sadly destroy 바카라사이트 academic atmosphere in our institutions and undermine what can be a driving force for social good and educational reform across India.

To withstand 바카라사이트se pressures our teachers must show credibility, integrity and independence. Although inspired by industry, 바카라사이트se institutions must not lose sight of 바카라사이트 steadfast Gandhian honour that underpins 바카라사이트m.

Ganeshdatta Poddar teaches political science and Spanish at Flame University, in Pune, India.