Globally Competitive Education: The need for Enlightened leadership and System

(Key Note address at Xavier Institute, Jabalpur at the National Seminar on April 2, 3 and 4, 2009.)

Swami Vivekananda,“Education can unlock all doors for progress,” A nation advances in proportion to education and intelligence spread among masses.” If      India      is to grow to her full potentials a strong, united, prosperous nation, a nation attuned to the highest and ethical moral values, true to the genius of her cultural and spiritual heritage; it is possible only through transformation and regenerative power into her full potential as strong united nation with strong moral and cultural values.”

Higher Education is the main instrument for all development and change. It has the important task of preparing leaders for different walks of life. In the context of the unprecedented explosion of knowledge, especially in science and technology, higher education has become much more dynamic than before.

However, in the era of globalization the students are seen as participants rather than as receivers or buyers of a final product. There fore as the major stakeholders of the academic community, students have to share responsibility for their education and for the institution which provides the frame work for this education.

One of the areas of students’ participation in higher education is student valuation of the academic performance of the teachers, management, the Principal, Non-teaching staff and the other facilities provided by the institution. Monitoring should be a regular activity and based on acceptance by the stakeholders.

The curriculum should also have an eye on job opportunities available so that he students bridge the gap between the world of education and the world outside. The curriculum should be designed with due care to students expectations and aspirations. Curricula framed must be need based and socially relevant and must be periodically restructured and up dated.

Information Technology: An effective tool for quality enhancement in Higher Education

The world has moved into 21^st century with the technological boom. Globalization has become an expression of common usage. The recent developments in information technology have accelerated the progress of global integration with open      sky, porous borders      and reluctant geography. The   human society has already seen two major transition sin the past: one for tribal to agrarian society and the other from agrarian to industrial society. The third transformation has begun in nineties withextensiveuseofinternetbasedcommunicationthatresultedinacceleratedgrowthanddevelopmentofinformationTechnology.The on going convergence of communication technologies ,integrating Computation, Telecommunication and Broadcasting, is rapidly changing the whole array of processes and requirements of society. Fortunately ,our bold initiatives in eighties on economic liberalization are emphasis on computers; software and telecom are bearing fruit with many global success stories, which give us the confidence to move even faster to be a Developed Society by 2 020.

The powerful nature if IT is expressed in the report by ‘National Task Force on Information Technologies (1998), appointed by the Government of India, as follows: “Information Technology (IT) modernizes the economy. Expands and deepens the possibility in education accelerates growth, creates large-scale direct and indirect employment to the educated youth, and boosts exports. If there is one single technology that can be applied right across all sectors of technology, all area of administration, all levels of education and all types of services, IT IS Information Technology. Similarly, if there is one technology where India can emerge as a strong global player in the foreseeable future, it is IT.”

We require paradigm shift in our system of traditional education, tail or edfor the industrial society. Into Electronic Education that imparts personalized education on a mass scale to the emerging information society.

Higher education, especially technical education, would have to address the industry’s needs and the advances in technology. We   need to drastically change our frame work and mind set on higher education. We need to revamp the existing systems, which still cater to an agrarian and industrial society, for fulfilling aspirations of the emerging global society. We need to create new levels of leadership in emerging areas of Biotechnology, Embedded Circuitry, Environmental Health, Informatics, Nanotechnology, Omics, and Smart Technologies. We need to ensure participation of various stakeholders in designing of our curricula. We need to launch new  multi-disciplinary packages with flexibility in content and curriculum based on a modular approach that provides multiple credit sand exits to students. We need more of quality teachers thoroughly trained in their subject in informatics. We need to develop only one buzzword–certifiable quality in higher education.

Leaders as Catalysts: Redefining Roles and Responsibilities

“Be the change you want to see in the world”, Mahatma Gandhi

In the convocation address to the University of Allahbad on December 13, 1947, Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru said,” A vast responsibility there fore rests on our Universities and educational institutions and those who guide their destinies. They have to keep their light burning and must not stray from the right path even when passion convulses the multitude and blinds many amongst those whose duty is to set an example for others.”

Honorable Justice S. Mohan, Judge of the Madras High Court, while addressing the 5^th convocation at Bharathidasan an University. Headed,“ Education must shift from instruction; it must shift from mere learning. It must induce probing and exploring. It is education, which has assisted the process of development of human society. It alone has been instrumental in making the people to meet the challenges wrought by the ever-changing situations.”

As Joseph Addison said,” what sculpture is to a block of marble, education is to the human soul? The philosopher, the saint, the hero, the wise, and the good, or the great, very often lie hid and concealed in a plebeian, which hap roper education might have disinterred and brought in light.” As Kant put it,” Man can only become man by education. He is merely what education makes of him.”

A P J Abdul Kalam at the convocation ceremony of Jiwaji University Gwalior, on 10^th August, 2004 said, “India has a population of one billion people. Out of this one billion, 540 million people are below the age of 25 years, which his our national strength. We have natural resources. Also we have a road map for transforming India into a developed nation by the year 2020. Ignited minds of the 540 million youth will definitely transform India in to a developed country by the year 2020.”

'Education’, as Nobel Laureate, Prof. Amartya Sen has said, is essentially about' capacity building and it widens the choice of people and empowers the nations.’ The world is moving in to what is characterized’ as information age. The various markets forces are restructuring the economic content of our lives. The impact, that has pervaded almost all walks of life, is largely discernible in the modes of production, dissemination of knowledge, use of information network sand mass media, which are redefining the prospects of employment and employability”.

Our mission is to stature the intellectual, physical and moral development of our students by providing the man environment that realistically reveals superior quality and acceptable global standard education. Promote a educational culture that nurtures unity, tolerance and respect in its diversity, in order to equip our students to meet the challenges

And opportunities of leading and contributing to an increasingly global society.

Teachers missions, therefore, to steadily and soundly endow an academic environment that organizes competent professional who can render high quality, up-to-date and relevant education leadership in vocational, tertiary and higher level of learning.

Internationalization of Quality Higher Education in India: Challenges and future prospects.

Urgent action should be taken in the matter of finalization of Govt. policies relating to the promotion of Indian education abroad.

The UGCAct,1956, and the Acts of other statutory councils, need to be amended to include a specific provision allowing universities to open off-shore campuses and export Indian Education through the distance mode.

There is a need to specify, within the existing legal framework, procedures relating to registration etc.

The government should advise Indian Embassies and Higher Commission abroad to play a proactive role in providing information regarding the facilities for higher education available in India.

There is a need to adopt an open-door for self-financing students.

The government statutory bodies and the UGC should grant greater autonomy and flexibility to universities in dealing with the process of admission of foreign students.

The government should set up a single-window clearance mechanism, in their form of task force including representatives of different bodies like the UGC, AICTE and MCI for admitting students to different professional programs.

The government should consider establishing a financial mechanism for international education, such as a possible International Education development Bank.

The government should setup a mechanism for monitoring the standard of education that is imparted by foreign universities.

Recommendations to Academic Institutions.

Universities and other academic institutions which decide to enroll a large number of international students need to have a good infrastructure in the form of lecture halls etc.

The academic institutions must evaluate their strengths in different disciplines of education, and identify areas that would attract international students at different levels.

The procedure for granting admission to international students must be specified.

The ‘Social infrastructure ’should be strengthened so as to place the international students at ease.

International education is at woway process and it is essential that Indian academic institutions, and especially the universities, should establish partnerships and develop network with foreign universities in both the developed and developing countries.

System of Governance of Higher Education Institutions: The Universities are various kinds: with a single faculty, or multi-faculties; teaching or affiliating, or teaching cum affiliating, single campus or multiple campuses. Most of the Universities are affiliating universities, which prescribe to the affiliated colleges the course of study, hold examinations and award degrees, while undergraduate and to some extent post the colleges affiliated to the impart graduate instruction. Many of the universities along with their affiliated colleges have grown rapidly to the extent of becoming unmanageable. Therefore, as per National Policy on Education, 1986, a scheme of autonomous colleges was promoted. In the autonomous colleges, where as the degree continues to be awarded by the University, the name of the college is also included. The colleges develop and propose new courses of study to the University for Approval. They are also fully responsible for conduct of examination. There are at present 138 autonomous colleges in the country.

Focus of Ninth Plan: Thrust are as are: measures for quality improvement and modernization of syllabi, renewal of infrastructure, extra-budgetary resource mobilization and greater attention to issues in governance. Issues of access and relevance would receive attention. Conferment  of grater autonomy to deserving colleges and professional up gradation of teachers through Academic Staff Colleges would be given priority. Emphasis is being placed on consolidation and optimal utilization of the existing infrastructure through institutional networking, restructuring expansion, so as to only meet the demand of the unnerved areas with a focus on women and underprivileged sections. The Open University system, which has been growing in popularity and size, is striving to diversify courses and offerings and gain wider acceptability by upgrading its quality. It would focus more sharply on the educational needs of women and rural society, as well as professional training of in-service employees.

Impact of Globalization on Higher Education in India.

Education system in India can be dated centuries back to the age of Buddha but, now, there has in fact been substantial improvement in the higher education state of affairs of Indian both quantitative and qualitative terms post globalization.

The higher education system in India suffers from acute paucity of funds, lack of autonomy, burden of affiliation etc. It is characterized by extreme rigidity and lack of flexibility. There a weakness of the higher education is in the structure itself, and there is a need for introspection and reflection on what we have achieved and where do we go from here during the times of globalization on the other hand, the effects of globalization on education bring rapid developments in technology and communications are foreseeing changes within learning systems across the  world asides, values and knowledge, changing the roles of students and teachers, and producing a shift in society from industrialization towards an information based society

The globalization is not a new, but is an old age concept which was first introduced by Adam Smith in the year 1776 through the book titled,’ Wealth of Nations”. He argued that a country as a whole would gain by having trade relations with other countries. The whole globalization connotes were all the nations join their hands with each other and create a kind of socio-economic environment to do business or any commercial, cultural and educational activities in which he very participant nation should be benefited.

The process of globalization has transformed world trade, communications, educational activities and economic relations in the latter part of the 20^th Century, is having a similar profound effect on education at the start of the 21^st century.

The impact of globalisation on higher education may now be summarised in the following ways:

Increasing interest of parents to their children admitted to foreign educational institutions will cost us precious foreign exchange. In1997-98, about 31,000 students were studying in the USA, which cost us 62crore dollars (Rs3, 000 crore).

Sometimes there is also the possibility of sub-standard courses being offered to the students, which may lead to cheating of innocent citizens of India.

It will lead to the creation of three different classes of graduates---those educated in foreign universities, those from costly private domestic institutions, and those from economically weaker sections studying government funded institutions. This will only lead to social tensions.

In view of the nature of the globalise higher education, the commoditisation of Indian higher education is bound to have an adverse effect on our culture, the ethos of social welfare and even the quality of Indian education system.

The government of India has recognised these dangerous phenomena and belatedly started the process of constituting a Committee for the Promotion of Indian Education Abroad (COPIE) under the ministry of human resources development, department of education. During 2001, there were 54,664 Indian students in the United States alone, with the total number abroad exceeding 10 lakhs. In contrast, there were only 7,791 foreigner students in India, mainly from the developing countries like Bangladesh and countries of South and East Asia. On the other hand, the number of foreigners in Australian universities has increased in 10years from 47,000 to1,80,000 (in2000) and this contributed to the Australian economy to the extent of 3.2 billion dollars.

The emphasis of extensive privatisation and commercialisation of education and deregulation by advanced industrial countries are understandable in terms of the following facts:

Sixty percent of production and employment is in the service sector.

It accounts for two thirds of the, European Union’s economy and jobs and for one fourth of its exports.

It accounted for two thirds of the US’s economic growth in the last five years.

As the private sector’s contribution in higher education in India is gaining in strength, India cannot take recourse to article 1.3 of the GATS that allow sex emption for services provided by the government. In order to cope with the western countries, the measures required include the adoption of accredit based semester system with continuous internal evaluation, a cafeteria type option to the students for the course to be offered and facilitates of credit transfer. A majority of conventional universities in India are far behind, at least in non-professional courses. As the UGC, AICTE (All India Council of Technical Education) and other controlling agencies are not in a position to intervene effectively and control the foreign educational institutions, the government of India has set up a committee under the NAAC, under its chairman Ram Takwale, to monitor the applying foreign universities. At present 150 foreign universities (50from UK, 45 from Australia, 30 from USA and the rest from Canada and other European countries that have been operating in India. The UGC has decided to invite proposals from institutions that are keen on “exporting Indian education” to foreign learners under a “Study India Programme(SIP).”A recent study shows that one in every 10 students studying in the US was an Indian, while less than 0.6 percent of American students were receiving educational credit for studying in India.

Globalisation and commercialisation of education has thus become a reality and, India being a signatory to the WTO as also to the WATS, we have to be very much cautious about the functioning of the foreign educational institutions.

The entire higher education in India has thus been thrown into a dangerous situation, which was never witnessed before. The World Bank has published a report on higher education in developing countries, titled Peril and Promise. Is there any doubt, however, that the current drive of globalisation of higher education will not bring any promise to developing countries; on the contrary, it will thrust into a catastrophic peril the higher education system in developing countries?

Educational Leadership and Accountability.

As Ralph Nader rightly said, “I start with the premise that the function of leadership is to produce more leaders, not more followers.” According to John Quincy Adams, “If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more, you are a leader.” Leaders make things happen.

Student Participation for Quality Enhancement in Higher Education.

The main stakeholder of the educational system is students. Without them, schools would remain dead buildings and meaningless structures. Principals make significant contribution in the areas of student’s capacity building, teaching and learning. Interpersonal qualities of Principals showed acommonand consistent set of personal traits, behaviors, values and beliefs, such as honesty and openness, highly developed communication skills, flexibility, commitment, passion, empathy with others, asense of' innate goodness', support of equity and social justice, a belief that all children are important and can succeed, being other-centred, high expectations and a belief that schools can make a difference. Principal’s relationship with students would be of great significance particularly in today’s context. He could be a connecting link between students belonging to different communities, religions, social status and backgrounds. He could build the mindset of the future citizens on gospel values. In the context of communal violence and growing hatred towards Christian presence and missionary activity, it is vital that we let our students know who we are and what the main teachings of Christ are. The purpose of education is the healthy interaction between information and formation resulting in transformation of life. More than filling the empty minds with knowledge, we must enable them to develop soft skills, make them appreciate the good things in life and contribute to make this world a better place to live in. We must develop in them an attitude of gratitude and loyalty, lest they take our institutions as commercial entities. Focus on holistic development. We have introduced what is known as 4 H Method (Head, Heart, Hands and Habits) for the integral development of students.

Higher Education in 21^st Century: Challenges and Opportunities.

India's government will create 12 new central universities, adding to the 18^th at currently exist. This is a mammoth undertaking and the equivalent of US$73 million has been allocated from the central government budget to it. Earlier this year India announced it would create 30 'world class' universities, eight new Indian institutes of technology and seven Indian institutes of management in the coming five years. On there commendation of the National Knowledge Commission, the central government is planning massive investment to upgrade and expand higher education. Other plans include enhancing the salaries of college and university academics-boosting salaries by as much as 70%.

This prospect represents welcome news since India currently lacks world class universities according to the international rankings, and Indian academics, when compared internationally, are rather poorly paid. Students also suffer an immense shortage of places in India's top academic institutions and through out the higher education system. India today educates only half as many young people from the university age group as China and ranks well behind most Latin American and other middle income countries.

India exhibits a special problem at the top of its higher education hierarchy. With the notable exceptions of the institutes of technology and institutes of management, and a small number of outstanding non-university research and training institutions-such as the All India Institute of Medical Sciences-top-notch schools are rare. Indeed, none of India's 348 universities is ranked in the top 100 in the world. Generally, when India has wanted to innovate in the higher education sector, it has side-stepped the universities and has started entirely new institutions such as the institutes of technology.

However, if India invests large amounts of money and human capital into academic improvement and expansion without undertaking strategies to ensure that the investment will yield results, resources will be wasted and failure will be assured. Despite a discussion of organizing some of the new universities based on the American model, so far neither the ideas nor the funding seems adequate. Yet, a news paper reported that one official said: "The view was that there should be no hierarchy or disparity in standards amongst universities, and there forms and changes suggested forward class universities should be applied to all universities.”This attitude shows a complete misunderstanding that the American system institutes significant hierarchy among the public universities.

Just pumping money and resources into a fundamentally broken university system is a mistake. Establishing new universities, especially those intended to be innovative, requires careful planning and an understanding of the weaknesses of the current system. Let us outline some of the problems that need fixing before resources are given. Academic culture and governance: Indian universities are enmeshed in a culture of mediocrity, with little competition either among institutions or academics. Universities are subject to the whims of politician sand are unable to plan for their own futures. Academics are seldom involved in the leadership and management of universities. Bureaucracy governs everything and holds down innovation.

With out essential and deep structural change in how universities are governed and in the culture of institutions, there is little possibility for improvement. An additional challenge is that some of the world class universities are to be created by improving existing state universities. This will be extraordinarily difficult, since these institutions are, with very few exceptions, miredinmediocrity and bureaucracy, and hardly amenable to change and improvement, even with the carrot of additional resources.

An element of corruption exists at many levels of the higher education system, from favoritism in admissions, appointment to faculty positions, exam cheating, questionable coaching arrangements, and many others. Damaging at all levels, corruption destroys are search culture and makes a world class university impossible.

Higher Education for Employability on Students

The rapid growth of higher education over the past fifty years has seen expectations increase, and governments seeking to widen participation. There is now an urgent need for the Government and higher education institutions to address the issue of graduate employability. The authors of this timely book encourage apro-activestance, offering a ground-breaking model that can be easily implemented in institutions to make low-cost, high-gain improvements to students' employability.

Higher education institutions must recognize that for many students the transition from education into employment is not a straight forward matter and in the past many students have been ill-equipped for this transition. During the1990s, this issue has been exacerbated because of the considerable expansion in graduate numbers which has taken place within are latively short period of time. Further more, the nature of graduate employment is changing; today it is only a minority of students who can hold any realistic expectation of employment in a position directly related to the discipline studied; this is particularly the case for those students whose focus remains within traditional academic disciplines. Whilst it is essential that the academic standards of particular disciplines or broader fields of study are not undermined it is also important to be realistic and to note that the academic knowledge gained will (for most students) never be utilized directly in any employment context. More and more, the academic qualification of the degree is merely a statement that the graduate has demonstrated the ability to perform to a particular level of academic competence and, perhaps more importantly, possesses the ability to learn.

Today's graduates are faced with a quite different employment challenge than that of earlier generations (which of course includes most of those employed to teach them whilst at university). Research conducted on behalf of the Association of Graduate Employers noted in 1995 that unemployed graduates felt "short changed" by higher education institutions which had failed to note that the "rules of the game had changed" and consequently (despite fulfilling the traditional goal of a "good degree")had not provided them with the essential skills for employment.

Furthermore, it should also be recognized that even for those in work, the nature of employment is changing such that education (higher and other wise) is the first step in a continuing programme of life long learning-much of which will subsequently be conducted in a work place setting.

It is against this back ground that national debate has arisen about with what should universities and other institutions offer to their students. Since 1997, this debate has been fuelled by the report from the National Committee of Inquiry into Higher Education (Dearing Committee) which has recommended that:

"....institutions of higher education [should] begin immediately to develop, for each programme they offer a' programme specification 'which....Gives the intended outcome      s of the programme in terms of :the knowledge and understanding that a student will be expected to have on completion; keyskills: communication, numerically, the use of information technology and learning how to learn; cognitive skills, such as an understanding of methodologies or ability in critical analysis; subject specific skills, such as laboratory skills."

The economic development and progress of any nation depends on its higher education system. Our modern higher education system was established in 1857 by our colonial relents and it has not changed much since its inception In its concepts and organizational structures (such as the affiliation system). In recent times, our higher education system has been discussed in many forums with regard to its relevance and quality. India is ranked third interms of graduates out put next to that of USA and China, but interms of quality we are trailing behind, as hardly 1 percent of our students get quality education.

Indian economy is experiencing an accelerated growth of more than 9 percent in there cent years and is poised to grow further. The World Development Report (2007) emphasizes that in India the situation of increasing youth population presents an unprecedented opportunity to accelerate growth and reduce poverty. Because labour is the main asset of the poor, making it more productive is the best way to reduce poverty. This requires enhancing the opportunity to earn money and developing the human capital to take advantage of those opportunities. The progress, prosperity and accelerated growth in economy require support from the higher education system in providing an uninterrupted supply of a skilled and efficient workforce.

Need for skilled manpower: In many countries, building a work force with higher order skills is an important part of improving the climate for investment, acquiring a competitive edge and generally maintaining an engine of growth (World Development Report, 2007). Higher education enhance earnings of the individuals and contributes to economic development and makes a significant contribution to reduction in absolute as well as relative poverty. A recent survey among our students has shown that 75 percent of our students are studying for employment (that is learning is for earning).

More than 50 percent of our GDP is supported by service sectors and about 28 percent is through the manufacturing sector. The McKinsey Global Institute predicts that during 2008 ,about 160 million jobs inservice are likely to be out sourced and hence India stands to have a better opportunity in getting a lion’s share in that opportunity, since we are the global leaders in IT and BPO out sourcing. The report also says that Indianeedsa2.3-million-strong IT and BPO work force in the next two years. The same report has also cautioned that India will confront a potential shortage of skilled workers in IT and BPO industries.

According to an Evaluation Survey Report, the KPO sector will create 2,50,000 jobs by 2010 and for every job created in the offshore financial sector, that will result in creation of an additional two-three jobs in other sector. A report on global skills for graduates in financial services (Business Standard, June6, 2007) also says 58 percent of our financial service organizations are facing difficulties in recruiting people with right set of skills. At present only 25 percent of our technical graduates and 10–15 percent of general graduates are suitable for employment.

Further in association with industry, an industry internship programme has been made mandatory so that the graduates can understand the industry atmosphere and the industries can identify the talents and skills in our graduates and employ them when opportunities arise. The future of industry depends on the availability of trained graduates not only for its day-to-day working but also for innovative approaches on which the growth of industry finally depends. Improving of skills and capabilities as related to the requirements of the society is the basic task of universities.

Skills which are more in demand should be provided by our universities, on a priority basis. While introduction of soft skills and language skills will certainly improve the employability of our graduate students, vocationalisation of tertiary education will enable the graduates to become entrepreneurs. Hence, efforts are underway to introduce the professional skills for all undergraduate students from the next academic year at the University of Madras.

Conclusion: The growing economy now faces shortage of competent man power.

There is a mismatch between required qualifications and competencies. The achievements in terms of academic qualifications do not show up in terms of competencies in the work area. There is a big difference between the actual learning out comes and the required learning outcomes.

The growing concern now is the ever increasing number of unemployable graduates. Hence, therefore min the higher education system must necessarily provide the skilled graduates with suitable value additions in order to meet the demands of the growing economy.