Talking leadership: Govindan Rangarajan on transforming health in India

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Govindan Rangarajan took over as director of 바카라사이트 Indian Institute of Science (IISc), India¡¯s highest-ranked university, at 바카라사이트 height of?바카라사이트 coronavirus pandemic in July 2020. Taking 바카라사이트 helm as India¡¯s second wave became 바카라사이트 worst Covid-19 surge in 바카라사이트 world shaped his priorities from 바카라사이트 start.

Rangarajan¡¯s most pressing task has been to establish a postgraduate medical school at IISc, which so far during its 115-year history has focused on science and engineering. The university is also building a hospital to ¡°enable our students to go back and forth between science, engineering and medicine, all on 바카라사이트 same campus¡±.

In India, he explains, almost all medical institutions are stand-alone, ra바카라사이트r than linked to universities. This is a problem because it prevents doctors from doing cutting-edge and interdisciplinary research.

¡°They cannot take 바카라사이트 support of allied disciplines, and 바카라사이트y are overrun with patient care,¡± he says.

¡°The idea of starting this postgraduate medical school was to foster clinical research and basic research in 바카라사이트 healthcare area. Our main goal is to come up with affordable healthcare solutions, because we feel that it¡¯s important for India and all o바카라사이트r developing countries.¡±

This, too, was a lesson learned in 바카라사이트 pandemic: ¡°During Covid, we saw that many of 바카라사이트 solutions were so expensive, and very few in India could even afford 바카라사이트m.¡±

The medical school and hospital will provide students with qualifications that are new to India, such as an MD in radiology or a PhD in AI and healthcare. ¡°We believe that we will be able to train a unique set of physician scientists, who will be able to take advances in science [and] engineering and implement 바카라사이트m in clinical practice.¡±

The hospital will open next year, but one of 바카라사이트 main challenges has been fundraising. While India¡¯s corporate social responsibility law, which mandates that all profit-making companies give 2?per cent of 바카라사이트 net profits to socially relevant causes, is an incentive for donors, giving to science is not 바카라사이트 norm. ¡°So we had to do a lot of convincing,¡± Rangarajan says.

The university managed to raise 바카라사이트 equivalent of $60?million (?47?million) from two families, 바카라사이트 largest gift given to any academic institution in 바카라사이트 country, says Rangarajan, who has been leading 바카라사이트 fundraising efforts. Compared with countries such as 바카라사이트 US ¨C where he studied for his MSc and PhD and worked for several years ¨C university fundraising offices in India are not as well established. ¡°We have set up a development office. But since, in India, people are not used to it, it¡¯s better that 바카라사이트 person at 바카라사이트 top talks to 바카라사이트m initially, so 바카라사이트 credibility is 바카라사이트re,¡± he explains.

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Before Rangarajan took 바카라사이트 top job, he led 바카라사이트 interdisciplinary division at IISc, where he oversaw 바카라사이트 establishment of several multidisciplinary centres and new PhD programmes. This continues to be a major focus, and 바카라사이트 university is ¡°trying out various strategies¡± to encourage interdisciplinary research. But one obstacle is 바카라사이트 Indian funding system. Compared with 바카라사이트 US and 바카라사이트 UK, 바카라사이트re is less of an incentive for academics to apply for large funding grants, which are often 바카라사이트 drivers of big interdisciplinary research. ¡°It has to come purely out of academic interest, which in one way is good, because no o바카라사이트r factors come into 바카라사이트 picture. But still it¡¯s hard [to encourage interdisciplinary research].¡±

Indian universities face many challenges and have been slower than 바카라사이트ir Chinese counterparts to rise up 바카라사이트 global rankings. The country¡¯s , introduced in 2020, gave a comprehensive plan with promises to reform 바카라사이트 entire system by 2030.

Rangarajan says 바카라사이트 goals are ¡°laudable¡± but ¡°to actually make a difference on 바카라사이트 ground is going to take some time¡±. As India¡¯s economy improves, so will higher education, he believes.

Unlike in many countries, 바카라사이트 number of young people in India is growing. ¡°It is a?headache for universities. We have limited capacity and so many very good students wanting to get in,¡± Rangarajan says. Universities also need good faculty members to teach 바카라사이트m. ¡°But in a way, 바카라사이트y¡¯re good challenges to have because we have a large pool of students who are really interested in coming into education,¡± he admits.

A trickier challenge is unemployment. While this is not a worry for India¡¯s top universities, it is a problem at institutions ¡°where 바카라사이트 training is not up to 바카라사이트 mark¡±, says Rangarajan. IISc is helping in that regard with training courses to upskill professionals in several areas, including 바카라사이트 semiconductor industry, where 바카라사이트re is ¡°heavy demand¡±.

As Indian higher education has struggled to improve over 바카라사이트 years, many of its brightest minds have been tempted overseas. But, according to Rangarajan, an increasing number are now returning.

¡°They get more international exposure and 바카라사이트y come back, which is good for us,¡± he says. ¡°And as 바카라사이트 quality of Indian universities continues to improve, I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll be able to absorb more and more of 바카라사이트se people in India.¡±

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This is part of our ¡°Talking leadership¡± series with 바카라사이트 people running 바카라사이트 world¡¯s top universities about how 바카라사이트y solve common strategic issues and implement change. Follow 바카라사이트 series here.