Higher Education Digest – March 2022 – India Edition –Most Inspiring Leaders in Education Special

INDIA EDITION

10

MOST INSPIRING LEADERS IN EDUCATION 2022

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LEADERS IN EDUCATION

Dr. Amita Dev, Indira Gandhi Delhi Technical University for Women Dr. Anant M. Chakradeo, MIT Art Design and Technology University

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Dr. C. Krithika, Meenakshi Academy Of Higher Education (Deemed University) Prof. Indranil Sen Gupta, JIS University Dr. K. T. V. Reddy, Datta Meghe Institute of Medical Sciences (Deemed to be University) Dr. Parsanjeet Kumar, Noida International University

REDEFINING QUALITY IN EDUCATION VICE-CHANCELLOR, BIRLA GLOBAL UNIVERSITY

Dr. R. Balaji, SBIOA Educational Trust Mr. Raunak Jain, Tula’s International School Prof. Suman Chatterjee, Sister Nivedita University

Higher Education Digest March 2022 MARCH 2022

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March 2022

Vol - 4 Issue - 4

Inspiring Leaders in Education Special (India Edition) Head of Advisory Board Dr. Manoj Varghese, Ph.D

Managing Editor Sarath Shyam

Consultant Editors

Dr. Johny Andrews Anjana K Nikita Thakur

Roshni Rajagopal Emma James Anuja Mulmule

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MANAGING EDITOR’S NOTE

Leading in the Toughest of Times

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ducation leadership has never been tougher than today. When educational institutions around the world were closed due to the spread of COVID-19, our experienced academicians had to take on the additional job responsibility of crisis managers.

Even the hardcore advocates of traditional teaching methodologies became strong proponents of digital learning. It must have been hard, but they survived, supported, and guided their society to stay afloat.

Academic administrators now face a daunting task - helping communities recover from the pandemic and rebuild a more equitable, prosperous future for all students.

Experts say that crisis and change management are now essential skills required of senior academicians when discussing the post-pandemic skills needed for education leaders. A research report published by Scott McLeod and Shelley Dulsky states, “during a crisis, education leaders must engage in effective communication, facilitate sensemaking in conditions of uncertainty, be flexible and adaptive, and pay attention to the emotional wellbeing and health of employees.”

These are the most pressing times for effective leadership in educational institutions that will help us to foster both a positive and motivating culture for staff and a high-quality experience for learners.

In this issue, we have identified ‘10 Most Inspiring Leaders in Education – 2022’ who have been effectively applying their educational expertise and management skills to focus their efforts, and those of their teaching staff, on improving the quality of student learning outcomes. They quickly realized the gaps and acted with utmost brilliance to bring innovations in education and keep up-to-date with the latest developments while also seeking feedback from school staff and students. On the cover, we feature Prof. (Dr) P.P. Mathur, who took over the reins as Vice-Chancellor at Birla Global University during the peak of COVID-19 restrictions and successfully stood the test of time. Under the leadership of Dr. Mathur, who has 46 and 40 years of research and teaching experience, the faculty members and students of BGU managed teaching and learning meticulously.

Enjoy Reading.

Sarath Shyam

Higher Education Digest March 2022

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ADVISORY BOARD Mr. Amulya Sah, PGD PM & IR, PG Diploma in PM&IR (XISS Ranchi) Chief Human Resources Officer, Former Head HR group Samsung R&D Institute India,Transformative HR Leader, Change agent, Digitization facilitator, Engagement architect, Trainer and Diversity champion.

Dr. Varughese K.John, PhD, MBA, MPhil, MCom, LLB. Former Program Director, MS in Management Program, GSATM - AU

Mr. Dean E. Hoke, M.S, B.A Co-Founder of Edu Alliance, LTD, UAE and Managing Partner of Edu Alliance Group, USA

6 Dr. Ajay Shukla, Ph.D, MBA, BE. Co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer at Higher Education UAE

Mamta Thakur

Major General (Rtd.) Dr. Sunil Chandra, VSM (Vishishta Seva Medal), Ph.D, M. Phil, MA, M.Ed, PGBDA

Former CEO ( ASEAN), Arc Skills

Ex-M D Army Welfare Education Society, ExCOO GEMS Education - India, Ex- Addl Dir Gen - Army Education, Mentor - Adventure-Pulse

Dr. Venus M. Alboruto, PhD, Master Teacher, Researcher, Innovator, Trainer.

Higher Education Digest March 2022

Shanthi Rajan (MSHRM, FHEA, AMCILT) Director, Institution Development, University of Stirling, RAK Campus, UAE.

Dr. Kuldeep Nagi, Ph.D, MBA, BSc.

Dr. Hans A. Andrews Ed.D.

Distinguished Fellow in Community College Leadership, Olney Central College, Illinois,USA

Former Program Director of Ph.D, Recipient of Fulbright Fellowship Award & Dan Evans Award for Excellence and Writer columnist.

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Dr. Khyati Shetty

Ph.D (Marketing)., SFHEA (UK), MBA (Marketing), PGHRM, BA (Marketing & Economics)

Mr. Sreedhar Bevara, MBA, B.Com CEO at BMR Innovations, Ex Senior General Manager at Panasonic, LG, The Hindu, TATA, Author: Moment of Signal & The Roaring Lambs, Motivational Speaker & Leadership Consultant.

Dr. Manoj Varghese, Ph.D

Senior Director - Global Partnerships, Advisory & Consulting - Connecta®, Head of Advisory Board Higher Education Digest® & K12 Digest®, Adjunct Faculty - Assumption University, Former CIO - Athena Education, Former Global Director Technology GEMS Education

Higher Education Digest March 2022

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REDEFINING QUALITY IN EDUCATION VICE-CHANCELLOR, BIRLA GLOBAL UNIVERSITY

Higher Education Digest March 2022

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LEADERS IN EDUCATION

34 DR. AMITA DEV

Vice-Chancellor, Indira Gandhi Delhi Technical University for Women

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DR. ANANT M. CHAKRADEO

Pro-Vice-Chancellor, MIT Art Design and Technology University

50 PROF. DR. C. KRITHIKA

Registrar, Meenakshi Academy of Higher Education and Research (MAHER)

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DR. INDRANIL SEN GUPTA

Vice-Chancellor, JIS University

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C O N T E N T S

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LEADERS IN EDUCATION

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DR. K. T. V. REDDY

Dean, Faculty of Engineering and Technology, Datta Meghe Institute of Medical Sciences

80 DR. PARSANJEET KUMAR

Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Noida International University

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90 DR. R. BALAJI

Secretary and Correspondent of SBIOA Educational Trust

102 MR. RAUNAK JAIN

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Managing Director, Tula’s International School

114 PROF. SUMAN CHATTERJEE

Registrar, Sister Nivedita University

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VIEW CADM B-school Moulding Students to Become Innovators of Tomorrow

Prof. Dr. Uday Salunkhe, Group Director, S.P. Mandali’s Welingkar Institute of Management Development and Research (WeSchool)

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Future of Work Post COVID-19

Parmita Debnath, Global Head – Student Experience and Professional Development, EMBA, S P Jain School of Global Management

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AMNTRSO’E Teaching of Liberal Arts An Indian Perspective

Dr. Y.S.R. Murthy, Founding Vice-Chancellor, RV University

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PERSCTIV Y TRSINDU

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Helping Young India to Pursue Educational and Lifelong Dreams

Lejo Sam Oommen, Managing Director, ETS India

Higher Education Digest March 2022

PERSCTIV Y TRSINDU

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Emerging Trends in Skill Development

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C O N T E N T S

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Anish Srikrishna, CEO, Times Professional Learning

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Bridging Learning Gaps and Building Conceptual Clarity is the Core of After-School Tutoring

Dr Sankar N Krishna, Teacher and VP - Product Development, BYJU’S

Anant Begani, Co-Founder, Zell Education

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Higher Education Digest March 2022

The Safety Net for India’s EdTech Revolution: Smart Regulations

Edtech Trends to Watch Out For in 2022

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MENTOR’S MANTRA

Teaching of Liberal Arts An Indian Perspective Dr. Y.S.R. Murthy, Founding Vice-Chancellor, RV University

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he liberal education is not new to India.

Ancient Indian universities like Nalanda and Takshasila followed liberal education model more than two thousand years back. In the 20th Century, other streams overtook it but in the last ten years or so, there is a renewed interest in the study of liberal arts in India.

A number of Indian higher educational institutions in the past one decade have either established degree

programmes in liberal arts or have started a School for liberal arts. They include, among others, O.P. Jindal Global University, Ashoka University, Flame University, Krea University, Thapar university and Bennet University. The RV University, which has commenced its degree programmes in 2021, has started a School of Liberal Arts and Sciences. In fact, it is one of the three Schools started by RV University in its first year.

Be it East or West, the broad structure for liberal education remains much the same with students having options to specialise in a diversity of academic disciplines ranging from humanities to sciences and performing arts

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Prof. (Dr.) Y.S.R. Murthy assumed charge as the First Vice-Chancellor of RV University, Bangalore recently.

As a former civil servant from the 1985 batch of IAS and Allied Services, he held many responsible and sensitive assignments including in the National Human Rights Commission, Prime Minister’s Office, President’s Secretariat and Cabinet Secretariat. Between 2009 and 2020, Dr. Murthy steered the O.P. Jindal Global University during its rapid expansion phase as a part of its top leadership team as the Registrar.

He contributed to its rise in international rankings and becoming an Institution of Eminence (IOE). Prof.

Y.S.R. Murthy has published several books, book chapters and journal articles. He holds a Bachelors and Master’s Degree in Statistics from the University of Madras, M.A. degree in Human Rights from the University of London and Ph.D. degree from the Tamil Nadu Dr. Ambedkar Law University, Chennai. He secured University First Rank in M.Sc. and also the prestigious British Chevening Fellowship.

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Some of these universities consciously embraced a purely western model for the study of liberal arts while some have included some India-centric elements.

For instance, RV University is offering Indology as a minor and also as a part of it, a course on the study of Sanskrit language.

The National Education Policy 2020 recognised the importance of Liberal Arts Education and in fact came up with a four-year B.L.A degree. The new policy seeks to break the rigid disciplinary boundaries between Arts, humanities, sciences, technical and vocational education.

It has encouraged the students in technical institutions also to pursue some liberal arts courses. Our sister institution, RV College of Engineering with which we share a campus is already looking up to RV University for the teaching of optional liberal arts course to its engineering students.

While discussing the Indian model for liberal arts education, the National Education Policy, 2020 offers some guidance. It says, “A broad-based liberal arts education at the undergraduate level for integrated, rigorous exposure to science, arts, humanities, mathematics and professional fields will be put in place. This would have imaginative and flexible curricular structures, creative combinations of study, integration of vocational education and multiple entry/exit points.”

Higher Education Digest March 2022

Stressing the need to study Sanskrit, National Education Policy (NEP) 2021 asserts that ‘Sanskrit possesses a classical literature that is greater in volume than that of Latin and Greek put together, containing vast treasures of mathematics, philosophy, grammar, music, politics, medicine, architecture, metallurgy, drama, poetry, storytelling, and more, written by people of various religions as well as non-religious people, and by people from all walks of life and a wide range of socioeconomic backgrounds over thousands of years’. Sadly, it is not taught at many universities that are offering liberal arts courses.

The fundamental tenets of liberal arts education are the same. For instance, if philosophy, ethics and religion or music were to be taught, while the names of the papers remain same between the western and an Indian model, the content of what is taught can have a unique Indian flavour in the indigenous mode. Such instances can indeed be multiplied.

Be it East or West, the broad structure for liberal education remains much the same with students having options to specialise in a diversity of academic disciplines ranging from humanities to sciences and performing arts. Inter-disciplinary studies will, of course, be a major constituent. The first differentiator

Our endeavour should be to produce students who are able to engage in critical thinking in a broad range of topics

can be that curriculum can be Indianised while the broad framework remains the same.

Some scholars are increasingly realising the colonisation of education and are agonised about it. It true that a Confusius or a Kautilya are often dwarfed by other dominant frameworks of thought, though they are no less significant. They argue that there is a pressing need for decolonisation of minds before the decolonisation of our curriculum. Hitherto, Indology was the preserve of some universities in the First World.

RV University seeks to alter the paradigm by offering it from an Indian university setting. Students will also have an opportunity to engage in experiential learning and test their knowledge and beliefs at the field level.

When we talk about the liberal arts in the 21st Century, we need to factor the COVID-19 pandemic and how it drastically altered our social, educational, economic scenario. We need to prepare our students for multiple and emerging careers.

Generation Z learners of 21st Century require a different skill sets and mindsets for succeeding in their mission. Instead of teaching them what to learn, we must teach them how to learn. We must teach them how to think rather than what to think. Careers that are currently in vogue are not likely to be there in future.

Our endeavour should be to produce students who are able to engage in critical thinking in a broad range of topics.

A totally western model is not desirable just as an entirely indigenous one. What we require is a mixed model drawing on the best elements of US or European model for liberal arts education while combining it with unique Indian elements.

The second differentiator is the pedagogical technique adopted in the liberal arts education. While the emphasis in the traditional model of education is to shape the intellectual development, cognitive skills and expert knowledge in the fields of specialisation, the liberal arts education places equal emphasis on the formative skills. As a consequence of the emphasis placed on life and work skills experiential learning pedagogies are seen as crucial in the liberal arts educational process.

When we refer to collaborations, the international ones at once spring to our mind. They are no doubt important. RV University has also gone in for international collaborations. With the same fervour, it has tied up with Indian Universities as well. We are in the process of forging more substantive partnerships with Universities, institutions and organisations within India, in addition to international collaborations. We want to partner with institutions in India that work at a grassroots level on various issues (rights of tribals, mental health, etc). As a part of India immersion programme, we want our students to spend their summer break in remote and rural areas to get a feel of the real India and its problems.

The RV University has tied up with Mysurubased Grassroots Research and Advocacy Movement which is a policy research-based organisation, Swami Vivekanada Youth Movement, Nagaland-based Himalayan Institute, Manipur-based Human Rights Alert, Sochara, a community health rights ngo and many others. Such an element is an important constituent of an indigenous model for liberal arts education.

While three possible constituent elements of an Indian model of liberal arts education have been outlined, there can indeed be more elements.

The apostle of peace and father of our Nation, Mahatma Gandhi’s observations made many decades back are relevant in the current context. He said, “I do not want my house to be walled in on all sides and my windows to be stuffed. I want the cultures of all lands to be blown about my house as freely as possible. But I refuse to be blown off my feet by any”.

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COVER STORY

Higher Education Digest March 2022

REDEFINING QUALITY IN EDUCATION VICE-CHANCELLOR, BIRLA GLOBAL UNIVERSITY

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here is no worst time than the pandemic to take the leadership of a reputed university.

However, Prof. (Dr) P.P. Mathur, who took over the reins as Vice-Chancellor at Birla Global University during the peak of COVID-19 restrictions, successfully stood the test of time. Reminiscing those initial days of upheaval, Dr Mathur mentions, “My role as the ViceChancellor has been very tough as I took over the charge during the pandemic period. The challenges to providing quality education and good placements to the students were real. I used my academic experience to motivate teachers and students to become very competitive in academics.”

Before joining Birla Global University, Dr Mathur was the Head of the Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology and Dean of the School of Life

Higher Education Digest March 2022

Sciences at Pondicherry University (PU). Between 2012 and 2017, he had served as the Vice-Chancellor of KIIT University, Bhubaneswar. Under the leadership of Dr Mathur, who has 46 and 40 years of research and teaching experience, the faculty members and students of BGU managed teaching and learning meticulously. “The students could get excellent placements, and we updated curricula of all the schools with the industry inputs. This will go a long way to help the students acquire relevant skills and be ready for industrial jobs and become entrepreneurs,” shares Dr Mathur.

However, it was not an easy task for Dr Mathur and the team. They had their fair share of challenges to tackle. He recalls, “COVID-19 has pushed the students and teachers for online classes that have posed many challenges for education delivery. The online classes were constrained with infrastructure challenges of electricity and internet

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Birla Global University (BGU) is a self-financed private unitary University and has been established by the enactment of Birla Global University Odisha Act, 2015 with its main campus spread over an area of nearly 30 acres of land situated at IDCO Plot No.2, Gothapatna, Bhubaneswar.

penetration in the homes of some of the students.” Right after the COVID lockdown, the faculty and students innovated their ways to conduct teaching through online mode. “We did not allow the students to suffer as the classes were held online as per the schedule. We even conducted many webinars and online lectures during that time,” Dr Mathur adds.

A life-long Learner Dr Mathur is an alumnus of Banaras Hindu University (BHU), one of the top institutions in India. He feels quite fortunate to have had the opportunity to explore himself and become a self-learner, a value that was inculcated in him by this institution. “BHU offered me many opportunities to explore myself and do self-learning. I was also doing freelance journalism and contributing articles to various reputed periodicals. The library was a great resource for learning,” remembers Dr Mathur.

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As a student, Dr Mathur possessed quality consciousness.

He was always mindful of his thoughts and surroundings.

Experiences from his freshman days gave him insights into the complexities of the education system and set him on the course to improve the quality of learning. Dr Mathur’s academic and professional journey has been primarily influenced by teachers, seniors, and administrators at every step of the way. “I have been fortunate to work with and learn from very able academicians and administrators in the country,” shares Dr Mathur. He further continues, “I do not wish to name all of them, but I give credit to my revered Professors. Prof. M.S. Kanungo, Prof. J.P. Thapliyal, Prof. C.J. Dominic, Professor S. Chattopadhyay of BHU and Prof. A. Gnanam, Prof. V.T. Patil, Prof. J.A.K. Tareen, Prof. A.K. Bhatnagar, past Vice-Chancellors of Pondicherry University. In fact, they believed in me and encouraged me for achieving excellence. My mentor, Dr C. Wayne Bardin and Dr C. Yan Cheng, taught me to be meticulous in every respect and be productive always. Needless to mention the huge inspiration I received from my learned father Professor O P Mathur who was Professor & Head of English Department at Banaras Hindu University. We cannot bask in the glory of the past.”

In his journey as an academician, Dr Mathur has guided several PhD, MPhil and MSc dissertations. He has published over 185 scientific papers/ reviews in various high impact journals and books and participated in more than 100 national and international scientific

Higher Education Digest March 2022

conferences. He has conducted more than forty scientific Conferences/ Seminars/ Workshops. His publications have an h index of 37 (Scopus) and 45 (Google Scholar) and an i10-index of 106. He is on the Editorial Boards of many national and international journals, including Frontiers in Endocrinology and is a Reviewer for more than 125 journals.

Today, Dr Mathur is the recipient of many prestigious awards like the Asutosh Mookerjee Memorial Award (ISCA), Young Scientists’ Award (ISCA), Lifetime Achievement Award (ISSRF), Rockefeller Foundation Special Postdoctoral Fellowship Award, Rockefeller Foundation Biotechnology Career Award, INSA-German Academy (DFG) Exchange Programme, Dr. P.N. Shah Memorial US Vitamin (India) Oration Award, ICMR International Fellowship Award, Subhash Mukherjee Memorial Infar India Oration Award, Dr. K.K. Iya Memorial Oration (NDRI), Vidyasagar Award (Indian Institute of Oriental Heritage, Kolkata) and Re:think India Visionary Eduleader of India Award.

A Leader in Every Aspect Mistakes and failures are part of the success game. Dr Mathur believes that learning from others’ mistakes is a great idea, as he has tried to learn from different experiences he encountered in the real world. In fact, diving into the uncharted waters has never scared him.

This was one of the reasons why Prof Mathur returned from the Rockefeller University. New York, USA and

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Higher Education Digest March 2022

joined a very young University like Pondicherry University and learned from his experiences at KIIT University. For him, learning is a lifelong process.

He says that there is nothing like black and white in anybody’s professional life. “I have the courage and determination to make the decision and then prove it right by sheer hard work and dedication to the cause,” pinpointed Dr Mathur.

Dr Mathur is different from a quintessential academic administrator. He considers himself one of the team members and tries to work along with the faculty and students to develop the university.

He says, “I always try to motivate faculty and students so that they can perform at least optimally.” A lifelong learner, Dr Mathur ensures that he is updated with the latest trends in education by reading new policies and new experiments done across the country and the world. Now, he is keen on the developments of the National Education Policy 2020. “Of course, NEP 2020 is an excellent resource to understand many nuances of the primary, secondary and tertiary education system.

The current education system needs to be reformed innovatively, and I feel that the NEP 2020 has given enough insight in that direction,” states Dr Mathur.

However, Dr Mathur knows that the Indian education system has many difficulties and conflicts.

He opines, “If we can implement even the academic guidelines, our education system will become far better compliant and learner-centric than it is now.” Presently, Dr Mathur plans to introduce new courses and activities in the Birla Global University, focusing on students’ overall development. He is also putting in efforts to enhance the quality of

Presently, the University operates with six schools i.e. Birla School of Management, Birla School of Communication, Birla School of Commerce, Birla School of Social Sciences & Humanities, Birla School of Law, Birla School of Applied Sciences.

education so that students can pursue international careers and bring laurels to themselves and to the alma mater.

Birla Global University and the Way Forward In 2015, Birla Global University (BGU) was established by enacting Birla Global University Odisha Act. BGU is a self-financed private unitary University with its campus spread over nearly 30 acres. Hon’ble Governor of Odisha is the Chancellor of the University, while the Board of Governors is led by Smt. Jayashree Mohta, Chairperson, Birla Academy of Art & Culture.

Built on a goal to be the best destination for aspiring new-gen professionals, BGU is creating and disseminating knowledge in the global context with state-of-the-art facilities, the best infrastructure, and the finest faculty. Initially, the university was started with the nucleus of BIMTECH, providing the nucleus for the School of Management. Later, 5 more schools were added. Presently, the university operates with six schools and has become a popular destination for students in Management, Journalism & Mass Communication, Commerce, Law, Economics and Data Science.

The management of BGU encourages creative thinking and innovation in their students through its specialised courses and curricula. The university’s undergraduate, postgraduate, PhD programs & certificate courses are designed to empower students to pursue excellence, innovation, and inclusiveness.

Additionally, BGU has formalised linkages with numerous leading organisations like Bhubaneswar City Knowledge Innovation Cluster (BCKIC), National Research Development Corporation (NRDC), Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI), BIMTECH etc., which will go a long way for not only inculcating innovation but also promoting it.

In the coming days, Birla Global University is planning to design programmes compatible with Education 4.0, which would be imperative for the success of Industry 4.0. For this, the university has already ushered in the realm of technology by introducing Computer Science and Data Science. Dr Mathur further asserts, “We plan to launch courses of Advanced Computing, Big Data Analytics, AI & Machine Learning, Computer Applications, Digital Marketing, Business Analytics, Liberal Arts and Performing Arts etc.”

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INDUSTRY PERSPECTIVE

Helping Young India to Pursue Educational and Lifelong Dreams 26

Lejo Sam Oommen, Managing Director, ETS India

Lejo Sam Oommen is the Managing Director of ETS India, a subsidiary of ETS based in Princeton, NJ, USA. He is a seasoned business leader with deep management experience and wide business perspectives developed working across locations and sectors. Before joining ETS, Oommen served as the General Manager at Pearson for nearly 10 years where he oversaw all business aspects of the company’s PTE-Academic test in India. He has been credited for his contribution to the strong business performance and delivering significant results in growth, revenue, operational performance, and profitability. He has also held roles with leading organizations including Reliance Money, ICICI Bank and Axis Bank. Oommen holds a graduate degree in Electronics from St. Josephs Arts and Science College, Bangalore University. In an interaction with the Higher Education Digest, Oommen talks about impact of the pandemic on international student mobility, his growth strategy for ETS products and services in India, and much more.

Higher Education Digest March 2022

At ETS we believe in being agile and responsive to the dynamically changing education environment and we continue to do all that we can to meet the needs of test takers where they are

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How has the pandemic affected international student mobility? What is the trend now?

International student mobility helps advance the internationalization of higher education and is an important way to cultivate talent at a global level. While the lockdowns and travel restrictions initially were hurdles for international students, this hasn’t slowed the aspirations of Indian students -- 91% of Indian students still show a strong interest in studying abroad. In fact, applications from Indian students for the 2022 fall admissions cycle at international universities have doubled in comparison to last year, with incentives from campus recruiters helping to grow interest among prospective students.

Many prominent education destinations have also eased visa regulations. A record number of student visas were issued to Indian students recently, with 62,000 issued by the United States and 90,669 by the United Kingdom.

We also witnessed education institutions at the forefront of providing help to international students during the pandemic. U.K. varsities supported Indian students who were facing extreme circumstances as a result of

the pandemic from help with living accommodations to ensuring students’ comfortable repatriation. Australia offered COVID support and relief to students with visa extensions and work permits, while the Canada Emergency Response Benefit provided monetary support to eligible Indian students.

We also saw how higher education institutions worldwide transformed from being providers of education in a physical classroom space to a virtual environment to which both the students and their families adapted quickly to the evolving higher education world.

At ETS, we offer, and develop, solutions that help both test takers and institutions to continue their educational journeys without interruption through our trusted testing solutions amid the pandemic and beyond.

How did ETS manage to function without severe hassles during the pandemic?

As the pandemic impacted the world, the biggest challenge for us at ETS was how to make our assessments accessible to test takers during this challenging time while

Higher Education Digest March 2022

continuing to serve institutions worldwide with reliable scores. In a pioneering move, ETS launched the first at home assessments, the TOEFL iBT Home Edition and the GRE General Test at Home. These tests are identical in content, format, on-screen experience and scoring to

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We look forward to continuing to deliver the highquality, valid assessment and learning solutions that we are known for through ETS India

the tests taken at traditional test centers. Yet, they offer test takers the flexibility to test safely from their home with the support of a live human proctor. Due to the overwhelming demand we have received for our athome solutions they are now a permanent offering to

Higher Education Digest March 2022

ensure that test takers have access to testing options that meet their needs.

Building on the success and learnings of the TOEFL iBT Home Edition, ETS’s TOEFL Program launched a second at-home testing option in May 2021 – the TOEFL Essentials test. This test responded to unmet market needs and provides an optimal combination of the convenience and affordability test takers want, with the high quality institutions trust. A few months later in October 2021, and to further strengthen the TOEFL iBT portfolio, TOEFL iBT Paper Edition was launched in select countries, including India. It’s the same 4-skills TOEFL iBT test delivered in a unique format over two sessions – one in test centres (for the Reading, Writing and Listening sections) and the second at home (for the Speaking section).

The TOEFL portfolio now consists of a range of testing options with convenient test locations and delivery modes to meet student and institutional needs.

At ETS we believe in being agile and responsive to the dynamically changing education environment and we continue to do all that we can to meet the needs of test takers where they are. Our mission is to expand access and equity in education for all learners by furthering our commitment with our best-in-class solutions to support students and professionals continue their educational and professional journeys.

ETS has been operational in India for several decades. Why establish a subsidiary in 2021?

Since 1947, ETS has been delivering trusted, innovative and equitable education solutions to students across the globe including helping Indian aspirants attain their dreams of higher education in the destinations of their choice. The higher education landscape has dynamically evolved in the past year due to the pandemic coupled with the new education policies of the Indian government.

In response, we have established a dedicated Indian subsidiary -- ETS India, to address the needs of test takers and institutions and to further strengthen and foster our presence in India. ETS India is well equipped with an accomplished team to support ETS operations in-country and to continue our work of advancing educational opportunities for Indian learners.

In order to tap into the abundant opportunities that India offers and to ensure our efforts of providing reliable tests now into the future, we will put a sustained focus on the development and execution of locally created initiatives, supported by an accomplished and strong local management team.

ETS India will support growth within the workforce and for aspiring students by providing assessments like

the GRE® and TOEFL® tests along with other learning products that will advance the skills of the learners and workers of tomorrow. India is a dominant force in the global marketplace, and it is our goal to become woven into the fabric of its education system. This will help us to grow ETS’s footprint in India and continue to focus on expanding educational opportunities for Indian learners.

As the Managing Director of ETS India, what is your overall growth strategy for its products and services in India?

ETS India will help ETS execute a focused and coordinated in-country strategy that is aligned with the organization’s broader global strategy. We will have resources deployed across India in order to maximize effectiveness and expand our relationships and work with the higher education community and ecosystem in order to support students (and their parents) no matter where they are in their learning journeys. In addition, ETS India’s staff will be agile and responsive to market needs and take a local approach to test center capacity and management that is required in order to compete in today’s education and workforce landscape.

Our intention is to be viewed as a contributor and asset to Indian students’ acquisition of English-language skills as they work to demonstrate acquired knowledge in the Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM), business and legal fields. By providing learning products and assistive tools, ETS India will be a key contributor to how students and workers validate their skills as they pursue their educational and lifelong dreams.

How will the new ETS center in India impact Indian test-takers? What benefits can be expected?

ETS India’s establishment further underscores our commitment to the Indian student community and will be instrumental in helping ETS understand the rapidlyevolving Indian higher education sector under progressive policy framework such as the New Education Policy (NEP) 2020 while identifying ways to align solutions.

We look forward to continuing to deliver the high-quality, valid assessment and learning solutions that we are known for through ETS India. Indian students and professionals will benefit from having an on-the-ground team to serve them in their learning journey as well as exposure to not only the assessments that ETS offers but also the learning products and solutions that will help bring their education full circle.

Through high-quality learning products and assistive tools, ETS India will play a key role in how students and workers validate their skills and are able to pursue their educational and professional dreams.

The higher education sector in India is undergoing a massive transformation with the introduction of NEP. How does ETS view these changes?

We’ve reached a pivotal point in the ongoing evolution of education — there is a fundamental change in how educational services are delivered, how tools and assessments are structured, and how learners, schools and companies are engaged and connected. Our objective is in complete alignment with those of the NEP — providing equitable and accessible education to all. With our funding, expertise and experience in education, ETS has been instrumental in addressing gaps, while simultaneously tapping into new opportunities. We will continue to bring value-add capabilities in assessments, research and development, global distribution and innovative technologies to our portfolio. ETS India is open to partnering with the Indian government to continue to take education in India to a global level.

How is ETS India preparing to operate in the post-pandemic world?

ETS develops assessments that are of the highest quality, that accurately measure the necessary knowledge and skills and are fair for all test takers. During these challenging times, ETS was able to find innovative solutions to serve its stakeholders and partners with the best in class, reliable solutions they have come to depend on ETS for. Now with ETS India, we have a competent team of experts in-country who are well equipped to accommodate the ever-changing needs of Indian students and the Indian higher education landscape.

ETS is strongly aligned with India’s bold and visionary approach to reforming, improving and broadening access to quality education for all Indians. Our mission-oriented approach of advancing quality and equity in education for all is consistent with this forward-thinking vision. As part of our commitment to the Indian market, we will continue to expand our portfolio of education resources and tools and keep working to further innovate our existing assessments to ensure fairness, validity and reliability to produce meaningful results and help students and professionals achieve their lifetime goals.

In order to tap into the abundant opportunities that India offers, we will put a sustained focus on the development and execution of locally created initiatives, supported by a dedicated and strong local management team with an appropriate sales and marketing organization. Our understanding of the education landscape both abroad and within India will continue to drive demand for our offerings and enable us to expand our footprint in country.

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LEADERS IN EDUCATION

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he past two years have been extremely challenging for the global education system. During this time, we spoke to the administrators and academicians of prestigious educational institutions across India. These inspirational leaders come from different backgrounds and have unique leadership styles. Each

of them has an interesting story to tell. But all of them are driven by a similar goal: to offer quality education to their students and make them future-ready. To know more about their journeys, check out Higher Education Digest’s latest issue of ‘10 Most Inspiring Leaders in Education -2022’. Below are the excerpts from the stories we have covered in detail. You can read them in the coming pages.

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Dr. Amita Dev (Vice-Chancellor, Indira Gandhi Delhi Technical University for Women):

Dr. Anant M. Chakradeo (Pro-Vice-Chancellor, MIT Art Design and Technology University):

“I feel that a holistic approach is needed in the current education system where students are given the freedom to choose their own courses, earn credits, and set duration for their course completion. Additionally, multipoint entry & multi-point exit options along with academic bank of credits are needed.

These would prove extremely beneficial for the overall growth and progress of students.”

“Last 2 years, we witnessed our hybridmode batches graduating and successfully completing their Bachelor’s / Master’s Degrees/ PG Programs. They are now part of national and global brands, pursuing flourishing careers. The most important part was that we could save their valuable academic years without diluting the quality of programs.”

Higher Education Digest March 2022

Dr. C. Krithika (Registrar, Meenakshi Academy of Higher Education and Research (MAHER)):

“Overall, I would like to see a good balance between teaching and research activities, as one cannot exist without the other. There is also an urgent need to inculcate values like professional ethics, gender sensitization, conflict resolution, environment consciousness etc among our students; so such courses can be offered as non-credit compulsory courses across all professional programs.”

Dr. Indranil Sen Gupta (Vice-Chancellor, JIS University):

“We often pretend that the two are always working together, but the truth is often otherwise. Our curricula must be designed in such a way that the students who graduate become more acceptable by the industry.

Also, the industry must understand that in an academic system we can teach general concepts and skills to the students, and not the specific things required by them. More industry-oriented internship programs and projects can help in bridging this gap.”

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Dr. K.T.V Reddy (Dean, Faculty of Engineering and Technology (FEAT), Datta Meghe Institute of Medical Sciences):

“The teaching learning process should become product, team and expert-based. Awarding degree must have minimum standard at all levels. Implementation of NEP 2020 will help the education system to apply talent-based, multi-disciplinary approach. Supervisors or experts based physical learning is always desirable over digital mode.”

Dr. Parsanjeet Kumar (Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Noida International University):

“If we can build teachers’ capacities to construct and adapt curricula to the identified needs and interests of students then we can also grant them greater autonomy for making the sort of differentiated decisions that can individualize and personalize learning. Give teachers the opportunity to make decisions that empower teachers and strengthen their relationships with students.”

Higher Education Digest March 2022

Prof. (Dr.) P.P. Mathur (Vice-Chancellor, Birla Global University):

Dr. R. Balaji (Secretary and Correspondent, SBIOA Educational Trust):

“The current education system needs to be reformed in a very innovative way and I feel that the NEP 2020 has given enough insight in that direction. However, there are many difficulties and conflicts. If we are able to implement even the academic guidelines, our education system will become far better compliant and learner centric than it is now.”

“Value education should be made compulsory.

Students must be taught in depth about the morals of life, inculcated with humanistic values. Education should be above mediocre level that we have engrained in the precise education from holistic approach. Counseling should be given more importance. Technology like AI can become a helping hand to the teachers as well as students.”

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Mr. Raunak Jain (Managing Director, Tula’s International School):

“One thing I would like to bring in the education system is empower our teachers.

If we can build teachers’ capacities to formulate and adjust the curriculum to the stipulated requirements and curiousness of scholars then we can also give them more significant freedom for creating the type of eminent judgments that can individualize and personalize learning. We need to furnish teachers with the opportunity to make decisions that improve and reinforce their relationships with the students.”

Higher Education Digest March 2022

Prof. Suman Chatterjee (Registrar, Sister Nivedita University): “We need to become more student-oriented. The only thing that is constant is change, so let us embrace new technology, methods of teachinglearning process along with our ancient values and teachings. New courses, new placements avenues, and unique approaches towards student management are required. Every student is important irrespective of their intelligence. We should hand-hold each one of them.”

Our inspirational team of leaders in education hold vast years or experience in academia and administration. Their thoughts and insights are a proof of that. If policy makers can implement (few, some, all) changes suggested by our leaders, then our education system will become more progressive.

LEADERS IN EDUCATION

Name

Designation

Institute

Dr. Amita Dev

Vice-Chancellor

Indira Gandhi Delhi Technical University for Women

Dr. Anant M. Chakradeo

Pro-Vice-Chancellor

MIT Art Design and Technology University

Dr. C. Krithika

Registrar

Meenakshi Academy of Higher Education and Research (MAHER)

Dr. Indranil Sen Gupta

Vice-Chancellor

JIS University

Dr. K.T.V. Reddy

Dean, Faculty of Engineering and Technology (FEAT)

Datta Meghe Institute of Medical Sciences

Dr. Parsanjeet Kumar

Pro-Vice-Chancellor

Noida International University

Prof. (Dr.) P.P. Mathur

Vice-Chancellor

Birla Global University

Dr. R. Balaji

Secretary and Correspondent

SBIOA Educational Trust

Mr. Raunak Jain

Managing Director

Tula’s International School

Prof. Suman Chatterjee

Registrar

Sister Nivedita University

Higher Education Digest March 2022

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LEADERS IN EDUCATION

Dr. Amita Dev,

Vice-Chancellor, Indira Gandhi Delhi Technical University for Women

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A Pioneering Leader Cultivating STEM Talent in India

W

hen a curious child with a spark in her eyes is encouraged by her parents, she gets the wind beneath her wings to fly high and succeed. The journey of Dr. Amit Dev, ViceChancellor, Indira Gandhi Delhi Technical University for Women, is nothing but captivating and inspiring for today’s generation of women. She says, “My parents were my biggest motivators and source of inspiration.”

Dr. Amita’s father was a renowned Civil Engineer who contributed immensely in CPWD, while her mother was a highly qualified lady & retired as Principal from Govt. school. They never discriminated between their daughter and son. They never asked their daughter to settle for smaller jobs; instead encouraged her to aim for higher goals and dream big. When her time came to study in a different city and reside in a hostel, her parents remained firm on their decision to send their daughter to pursue her degree. They refused to bend to the family’s resistance. Her parents were the key drivers behind Dr. Amita’s Academic Excellence and Professional Achievements. She gives equal credit to her husband & children for all the support & encouragement.

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Dr. Amita Dev, Vice-Chancellor, Indira Gandhi Delhi Technical University for Women

I always tell my students to believe in themselves.

Tough times don’t last, but tough people do. I know that the path in STEM education is challenging, but at the same time, it is extremely rewarding

Higher Education Digest March 2022

Dr. Amita was curious by nature. Small things like how a fan or a bulb worked, how buildings and dams were built, and the process behind them captivated her attention. She became naturally inclined towards engineering. With support and encouragement from her parents, Dr. Amita pursued electrical engineering from Punjab Engineering College, Chandigarh. For Dr. Amita, those were fantastic days. Kalpana Chawla, the first IndoAmerican woman to go into space, was her senior. Her class consisted of a handful of girls among a large number of boys. Both genders gave a tough competition when it came to academic excellence or campus selections. Dr. Amita was the only one selected amongst her entire class in one such placement program.

IGDTUW houses an Innovation & Incubation center called the ‘Anveshan Foundation.’ Here, right from the first year, students with unique ideas are offered guidance in entrepreneurship and capital funding to turn their vision into reality

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Higher Education Digest March 2022

Overcoming Obstacles through Confidence & Panache No successful journey is complete without hiccups and hurdles. Add in a career in STEM education 4 decades ago; demanding and nerve-racking. Dr. Amita overcame her share of hurdles through patience, perseverance, and persistence. She knew if she gave her all, then the sky was the limit. After her graduation, Dr. Amita pursued her post-graduation degree from BITS Pilani in Computer Science and Engineering followed by a Ph.D. in Computer Science and Engineering from Delhi College of Engineering (Now DTU).

Being a keen observer, Dr. Amita was fascinated by speakers who addressed a crowd of 2000-3000 people and confidently voiced their opinions to make a positive difference in society. Somewhere she knew she had the qualities and traits required to be an administrator, and here she is, the Vice-Chancellor of a leading university.

Asia’s First STEM University Indira Gandhi Delhi Technical University For Women (IGDTUW) is the first government-established STEM University set up in Asia in 2013 with a mandate to promote women’s education, women empowerment, and women enlightenment. The STEM University’s vision is to bring knowledge society and knowledge economy through equal participation of women in engineering, technology, applied sciences, architecture, and allied areas.

Over the years, IGDTUW has been conferred with several awards and recognitions. To name the recent ones in the year 2021: IGDTUW was ranked in 101-200 band for SDG 4 and 5, i.e., QUALITY EDUCATION & GENDER EQUALITY under the World Impact Ranking and “UNIVERSITY OF THE YEAR AWARD” in India

by The Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI) for Quality Education.

A Day in the VC’s Life “Vice-Chancellor is not a position; it is a complete responsibility,” quotes Dr. Amita. She considers her students as her own children and faculty members part of her family. She, therefore, strives hard to offer a conducive environment for students and faculty members. As the VC, she looks after the university policies, academics, administration, vision, mission, accreditations, and the list goes on. Hence, her day at the university goes like a blink of an eye.

With the pandemic introducing the new normal of living, Dr. Amita’s working hours continue till late at night. If some issues need discussion or immediate attention, Dr. Amita and her management team connect online from home. Over time, she has mastered the art of work/life balance, and hence additional hours spent on work don’t bother her.

Boosting Innovation & Creativity in Students IGDTUW houses an Innovation & Incubation center called the ‘Anveshan Foundation.’ Here, right from the first year, students with unique ideas are offered guidance in entrepreneurship and capital funding to turn their vision into reality. They are offered a separate workspace, freedom to innovate & explore the idea, and are designated as the CEO of their companies. Alongside, they also continue their education. This is IGDTUW’s ‘Work While You Earn’ scheme. “Today, I am proud to say that we have around 19 students running their own start-ups under the ‘work while you learn’ scheme,” adds Dr. Amita.

Furthermore, to encourage innovation and creative thinking, numerous research awards are given to students who publish articles in National & International peer-

reviewed, high-impact factor journals. Likewise, faculty members are also given cash awards for their contribution in R& D, patents, and publications.

Technical Expertise came Handy during Pandemic Educators and academicians found themselves in dire straits soon after the announcement of the first lockdown in India.

There was a huge question mark in front of all universities, colleges, and schools on how to continue the teaching and learning process smoothly. Dr. Amita recalls those initial days and shares, “We worked relentlessly as a team, many of our staff came to college even during the pandemic period, and we were able to quickly switch over to the online learning management system.” IGDTUW had the technical expertise required to make this necessary transition. As a result, servers were set up, and regular classes, assignments, and teaching processes were conducted via home. Students were offered a conducive learning environment no different than their classrooms.

For IGDTUW, this feat was accomplished within the first 5 days of the lockdown imposed due to pandemic. In June and July, assessments and evaluations were carried out, and results were declared online. As a matter of pride, QS I-GAUGE recognized IGDTUW for its efforts and conferred it with the ‘Academic Excellence Award’ for Digital Excellence.

Are Women in Leadership a Minority?

Dr. Amita entirely agrees with the statement that women in leadership positions are still a minority. She further explains, “How many women do you find today? Even though there has been an improvement, the numbers are still skewed.” She points out four main areas that more or less hinder the growth and career of women. Firstly, the patriarchal society considers

Higher Education Digest March 2022

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women not par with men, second is the inertia from the home-front, third is the society’s outlook that only women are responsible for childcare, and fourth is the lack of confidence to strike a work-life balance in women themselves. All these mindsets need to be changed. Then and then, only the number of women in leadership positions will be increased.

According to Dr. Amita, today, women are equally competent as men and strike an excellent work-life balance.

If only they were given support and a bit of handholding in the initial days, women could do wonders. “I always tell my students to believe in themselves. Tough times don’t last, but tough people do. I know that the path in STEM education is challenging, but at the same time, it is extremely rewarding.

So, we need to accept the challenges and move ahead. The sky is the limit for you,” states Dr. Amita.

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As a matter of pride, QS I-GAUGE recognized IGDTUW for its efforts and conferred it with the ‘Academic Excellence Award’ for Digital Excellence

Higher Education Digest March 2022

Need for Holistic Approach in the Education System Dr. Amita feels that a holistic approach is needed in the current education system, where students are given the freedom to choose their own courses, earn credits, and set duration for their course completion. If girls take a break of a year in between the course, they should be allowed to come back and complete their degrees. If students wish to walk out after 3 years, they can earn a diploma, a B-tech degree after 4 years, or if it is a dual program, they can get two degrees & even earn a specialization. Therefore, Multi-Point Entry and Multi-Point Exit options are also very essential. Moreover, India should invest in multi-disciplinary research and provide more post-doctorate fellowships. Lastly, Dr. Amita suggests that an Academic Bank of Credit (ABC) would prove highly beneficial. Students can earn multiple credits. If students leave a city or state, they can encash their earned credits and continue their education without a hitch.

“At IGDTUW, we have designed a ‘Happiness Curriculum’ where our students can choose their hobby of interest. Students are given equal credits for pursuing their interests, from dance forms to learning international languages to yoga and karate. This keeps them engaged and content,” asserts Dr. Amita.

Future Endeavours In the future, Dr. Amita plans to work on two main areas.

The first is to make headways in R& D as articulated in NEP 2020, and the second is to encourage women students to opt for post-graduate & Ph.D. programs in STEM education.

The university is also involved in Societal Connect; every student of IGDTUW is mentoring 5 girls from government schools and bringing awareness about STEM education.

Therefore, interdisciplinary Research, Social Outreach, and Implementing the Best Practices of NEP are Dr. Amita’s future goals for IGDTUW as its Vice-Chancellor.

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Higher Education Digest October 2021

Higher Education Digest March 2022

LEADERS IN EDUCATION

Dr. Anant M. Chakradeo Pro-Vice-Chancellor, MIT Art Design and Technology University

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Nation-Building with Creativity and Innovation

W

ith over 25 years of experience in the education industry, Dr. Anant. M. Chakradeo has proven to be an inspiring leader. His work at the MIT Art Design and Technology University and his commendable role in establishing the Institute of Design has made him appear in the list of one of the 10 Most Inspiring Leaders in 2022. He decided to put his creative and innovative mind to good use and become a mechanical engineer. After completing an undergraduate course in Mechanical Engineering and acquiring a Postgraduate degree in Production engineering, specializing in ‘Manufacturing Automation,’ he became a faculty member at the MIT Art and Design Technology University (MIT ADTU).

Dr. Anant joined MIT in 1994 as a junior lecturer in the Production Engineering Department. Today, he adorns multiple hats, as the Pro-Vice-Chancellor of the MIT Art Design and Technology University, the Dean of faculty of MIT Institute of Design, and the Director of International Relations. With a desire to be faculty and contribute to nation-building, he set out to face new challenges and became instrumental in bringing the latest technology to the institute. Dr Anant is known for his love for learning and research. His contributions have

Higher Education Digest March 2022

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Dr. Anant M. Chakradeo Pro-Vice-Chancellor, MIT Art Design and Technology University

Establishing the MIT Institute of Design, Pune campus, and watching it evolve from one classroom in 2006 to becoming an iconic panIndia destination to learn Design, Innovation, Designeering and Sustainability

Higher Education Digest March 2022

given him a place in a number of councils and associations including the Fulbright Fellowship, Academic Council at MITADT University, the Governing Council at MITAOE in Alandi, the Governing Council at Avantika University, the Association of Designers of India (ADI), CII National Committee of Design, Board of Studies, Chandigarh University and is a Life member at MAEER. The CAD and CAM center was established in 2000 and served to create design professionals for various sectors of the industry until it was formally converted into the design institute. Across the 25 years of development, dedication, and efforts, Dr. Anant gradually moved up the leadership ranks, from a faculty to the Head of the Department, to Dean, to Director, and now holds the position of the Pro-Vice-Chancellor. “A Leader essentially wears 4 hats as a Thinker, Doer, Collaborator, and Mentor. I guess I may have worn these 4 hats with a flair, which probably inspired others to see me as a leader. I am grateful for the opportunities that came my way, and I was able to give it my 200%,” says Dr. Anant.

Today, the MIT Institute of Design, a constituent of MIT ADTU stands as an iconic pan-India destination

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Higher Education Digest March 2022

for learning Design, Innovation, Designeering ( Design + Engineering), and Sustainability. Dr. Anant has lent his expertise and inputs for the Institute and the larger University to be well known for its exemplary educational practices and encouraging environment that motivates students and faculty alike. “I personally consider the most significant contribution and a breakthrough milestone of my career is establishing the MIT Institute of Design, Pune campus, and watching it evolve from one classroom in 2006 to what it is today,” shares Dr. Anant. After joining MIT, he was also inspired by his guru Revered Prof. Dr. Vishwanath Karad, Founder and Director General, MAEER’s MIT, a Visionary Educationist, Thinker, Philosopher-Scientist.

Dynamic Leadership Dr. Anant M Chakradeo revels in wearing multiple hats. Apart from being the Pro-Vice-Chancellor of the Art and Design programs, he is also responsible for Design and Architecture Programs as the Dean of faculty and looks after the International Relations Office (IRO) of MITADTU as the director. “As the Pro-Vice-Chancellor, my role serves as the link between all

A Leader essentially wears 4 hats as a Thinker, Doer, Collaborator, and Mentor

stakeholders of MIT ADT University by connecting the Heads of all Institutes, Senior Management, Teaching and non-teaching staff, and above all Students and Parents.

Together, we aim and work towards transforming it into a University of excellence and putting it on the world map of renowned and desirable universities,” shares Dr. Anant. Keeping an open, experimental mind, tuning in to the frequencies of change, and allowing myself to explore the varied opportunities that came along with time, helped me become the leader I am today.

“My typical workday continues round-the-clock. As much as there are age-old misperceptions about the slow pace of the Academia industry and the city of Pune, I can assure you that MIT ADTU works in the reverse mode.

We are a speedily responsive team; we delegate well and, therefore in a better position to handle pressure and stay calm all day. There’s always a ready song to hum or sing at such times,” shares Dr. Anant. Meanwhile, massive reforms in education are taking place at the country level.

For the reforms to penetrate to the ground level, as an experienced academic administrator, Dr. Anant aims to lend his support to the higher vision and bring about a speedier change in the current education system. “If my 25+ years of experience in the academic domain can be of any use to the country’s authorities, MIT ADTU and I look forward to participating in the national-level policies,” he shares.

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The Journey In recent years, Dr. Anant has been leading the mission to take the university to an international level. As the Director of International Relations, he spearheads the team that signed up multiple agreements with many renowned universities around the globe. “We encourage our students to get international exposure by participating in our wellcrafted Exchange/Study abroad programs. Some students also participate in Summer/Winter Schools in collaboration with our international partners. We also have signed up a few progression agreements through which our students get an opportunity to complete some part of their program with the partner university,” shares Dr. Anant.

Safeguarding the Vision MIT ADTU was established under the flagship of the prestigious MIT Group of Institutions, Pune. It is a UGCrecognized multidisciplinary university and was bestowed the ‘Best Campus Award’ by ASSOCHAM. MIT ADTU offers multiple courses at undergraduate, postgraduate, and Doctorate levels in Design, Engineering, Innovation, Management, Marine Engineering, Bio-Engineering, Food Technology, Film and Television, and Broadcasting and journalism. These programs have been crafted in sync with the current industry standards. 3500+ new students get enrolled in these varied courses every year. The university’s strength is now close to 10,000 students, and the numbers are increasing by the day.

Higher Education Digest March 2022

With a vision to combine art, design, science, and technology, MIT ADTU aims to have a transformative impact on society through holistic education, multidisciplinary research ethos, innovation, and entrepreneurial culture.

To carry on this vision, the whole of MIT works towards providing the impetus to faculty, learners and staff through the development of their innate intellectual capabilities, creative abilities and entrepreneurial mindset for the nation’s socio-economic development. The institute empowers learners to become adaptive and agile global professionals through unique, specialized programs building academiaindustrial partnerships. By providing a technology-enabled, learner-driven curriculum, value-added courses, simulated learning environments, state-of-the-art infrastructure, and opportunities for community engagement, this dream becomes a reality for many university members.

MIT Institute of Design, a constituent of MIT ADTU offers specializations in Industrial Design, Communication Design, Fashion Design, Experience Design, and Management.

Aspirants can learn at either of the country-wide locations: Loni Kalbhor / Alandi at Pune, Maharashtra, or at Shillong, Meghalaya, or at Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh. Across the last 15 years, more than 5000 MITID Alumni, spread across the world, are now leading Design and Innovation practitioners and industry experts. They play an active part in ensuring the curriculum stays industry-relevant. During one of the most recent placements drives, Google selected students specializing in User Experience Design. “Google is a part of

With a vision to combine art, design, science, and technology, MIT ADTU aims to have a transformative impact on society through holistic education, multidisciplinary research ethos, innovation, and entrepreneurial culture

every student’s wish list. It is a part of every citizen’s day worldwide. When a world-class Innovation player chooses our student, it gives me a greater boost and adds confidence to keep giving my best for the decades ahead,” says Dr. Anant.

Ably led by Prof Dr. Mangesh T. Karad, Executive President & Vice Chancellor, MIT ADTU and taking forward the 40 years legacy of the MIT Group, the university launched new schools, introduced various initiatives to help students and faculty on multiple projects and experiments.

This includes MITADTU School of Holistic Development (SHD), MITADTU School of Corporate Innovation and Leadership (SCIL), MITADTU Centre for Research and Innovation for Young Aspirants (CRIYA), MITADTU Atal Incubation Centre (AIC), and MITADTU Future Skills Excellence (FUSE).

Through these schools, centers and communities, learners are encouraged to be intellectually curious and technologically equipped to face challenges. They also learn to be mentally sound, physically fit, spiritually elevated, socio-culturally sensitive, and environmentally conscious through continuous holistic education for the ever-evolving world.

Redesigning the Curriculum for Agility With the pandemic in the backdrop MIT ADTU found moving over 10,000 students into the new system to be a mammoth task. “We run Creative programs like Design, Architecture, Film, Media. It was difficult to switch these programs into Online/Hybrid mode,” shares Dr. Anant. The most important challenge was to convert the training material into the format suitable for Online/hybrid teaching. But, the faculty and staff worked towards ensuring that the delivery of all the courses took place. “Last 2 years, we witnessed our hybrid-mode batches graduating and successfully completing their Bachelor’s / Master’s Degrees/ PG Programs. They are now part of national and global brands, pursuing flourishing careers. The most important part was that we could save their valuable academic years without diluting the quality of programs,” says Dr. Anant.

MIT ADTU continues to work for the betterment of education and upskilling students to prepare them for the ever-evolving world that awaits them. As the pandemic continues, Dr. Anant says, “The immediate plans would be to ensure the safety and well-being of our 10,000 students while continuing the hybrid-learning/ teaching mode and executing placements for most of them.” All in all, MIT ADTU is a complete package to transform young children into successful professionals and socially sensitive leaders of the world. A holistic environment is most crucial to encourage innovation and achieve creative outputs from students.

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ACADEMIC VIEW

B-school Moulding Students to Become Innovators of Tomorrow 46

Prof. Dr. Uday Salunkhe, Group Director, S.P. Mandali’s Welingkar Institute of Management Development and Research (WeSchool)

Prof Dr. Uday Salunkhe is the Group Director of Prin. L N Welingkar Institute of Management Development & Research (now WeSchool). His 20 years of academic experience coupled with his industry experience of over 11 years and Doctorate in “Turnaround Strategies for Sick Companies” has helped him lead WeSchool to be amongst the premier B-schools in India.

Higher Education Digest March 2022

All business-related innovation and entrepreneurship initiatives must aim to ensure that every individual or group should have the access to all the resources and support and build new businesses

O

ver the last one and a half years, with the pandemic bringing the country to a grinding halt, two significant values have come to the fore: resilience and adaptability. It was amidst this unpredictable chaos when technology and innovation handheld the economy and made it resilient.

In the new world, innovation became the key at the micro and macro levels. Keeping this evolved need for innovation in mind, various universities have formed dedicated innovation centres, to foster innovative ways of thinking and to spur students to launch entrepreneurial ventures. Also, they are given real life problems and are asked to develop prototypes to solve those problems.

To elucidate an example of this, WeSchool has The Global Citizen Leader program at The Global Citizen Leader program that is a project-based course on leadership and innovation requires all students to apply future tech in their solutions to company sponsored innovation challenges. This is done via AI and Chat based self-assessment tool, thereby helping in the assessment of each student individually on a set of competencies.

In the post-pandemic era, it was clear that delivering education to students was not enough. Students, teachers, school management and administration all came together to rise to the mounting challenges posed by the novel coronavirus to classroom teaching and learning. Especially, business and management related

education underwent exemplary changes, because of which business schools felt the brunt. For a long time, it was a belief that Business schools only produce suitand-tie stock market-ready graduates. However, after the innovation revolution in the past two years, business schools were also expected to produce graduates who can flourish in an innovation economy. This unusual environment has moulded and inspired several strategies that could help business schools to better define their paths to an innovation-based approach to every problem.

Here are a few ways in which B-schools foster innovative thinking amongst students: Encouraging social involvement: B-schools affect the broader business world and the management communities and not just the graduates.

These institutes can contribute to the crucial agenda of inclusion of society as a whole. Whether it is women, individuals from economically challenged backgrounds, individuals from spatially remote geographies, traditionally discriminated communities, business schools have to make a difference for all these individuals and groups. Therefore, it is vital that developing businesses address specific problems to encourage and actively accelerate their societal impact.

All business-related innovation and entrepreneurship initiatives must aim to ensure that every individual or

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group should have the access to all the resources and support and build new businesses.

A holistic curriculum: Earlier, management students were not prepared to manage the challenges of the evolving business world.

However, with rapidly changing times, B-schools have shifted the focus to experiential learning, research and innovation have been an essential part of empowering students and employers.

Business schools will have to develop a curriculum with multiple activities like conducting research, design thinking, teaching relevant theories on innovation management, negotiation skills, and exposing the learners to practice. Bundling these activities adds value to business education. Including such tools within their core course offerings will form the essential toolkit for all managers, especially founders/entrepreneurs.

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We in India can take inspiration from B-schools overseas that believe in fostering innovation and entrepreneurship across different domains

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Refining and fostering Ideas: Further to the changing norms and the growing demand for all-rounders, several business schools have also started prioritising cognitive growth along with theoretical understanding. B-school, these days, tend to have access to ideas, innovations, and research that originates from different disciplines such as medicine, natural sciences, engineering, architecture, design and communication, management studies, humanities, etc.

This shuffling of ecosystems allows holistic thinking, integrated approach and cross-pollination of ideas through cross-disciplinary research. Widening the perspective and good ideation processes via hackathons, boot camps, and workshops is vital. Having said that, it is also crucial for an early-stage entrepreneur/ management graduate to be guided by experienced and specialist mentors is an invaluable resource.

We in India can take inspiration from B-schools overseas that believe in fostering innovation and entrepreneurship across different domains. These institutes have introduced path-breaking initiatives to create specific investment vehicles via alumni and other interested funders while offering an alternate revenue stream for the B-school. For instance, organising unconventional enterprises for alumni who want to switch from corporate roles to entrepreneurship can be led to sustained growth. Since these experienced alumni hold corporate knowledge and skill, they are likely to build businesses around the domain as per their keen understanding. It is businesses/start-ups like these, where the founding teams have domain expertise both theoretically and practically, which attract investors.

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Higher Education Digest March 2022

LEADERS IN EDUCATION

Prof. Dr. C. Krithika

Registrar, Meenakshi Academy of Higher Education and Research (MAHER)

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The Embodiment of Academic Administration

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rofessor Dr C Krithika, the Registrar at Meenakshi Academy of Higher Education and Research (MAHER), makes it to the list of the 10 Most Inspiring Leaders in Education in 2022 for her extraordinary management skills. As the Registrar, Dr Krithika is responsible for effective administration and smooth functioning of all the departments at MAHER, under the guidance of the Chancellor, Thiru.

A.N. Radhakrishnan, Rector Mrs. Jayanthi Radhakrishnan, Vice-chancellor Dr. R.S. Neelakandan and other members of the board of management of MAHER. Dr. Krithika wears many hats and takes on multiple roles, including being the member secretary at the Board of Management, Academic Council and Planning and Monitoring board of MAHER. Additionally, she oversees the appointment of new staff, choosing the best of the best to give students the right faculty to help them reach their potential.

As a leader, Dr Krithika strives to create an engaging environment at MAHER to nurture academic growth and encourage a culture of research and thinking. She is known for her communication skills and impeccable attention to detail. She is responsible for all communication that goes through MAHER

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Prof. Dr. C. Krithika Registrar, Meenakshi Academy of Higher Education and Research (MAHER)

According to me, leadership involves listening, understanding, comprehending, and then executing my tasks, which means being the person I would want others to be

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MAHER was declared as a Deemed to be University under section 3 of the UGC act 1956 to provide affordable quality higher education to all sections of the society

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Higher Education Digest March 2022

and works towards having the best facilities at MAHER that comply with all regulatory norms of the UGC, NMC, DCI, INC, and other bodies. “We have a very robust Internal Quality Assurance Cell (IQAC) that proposes initiatives to continuously improve the quality of MAHER. Feedback is taken from all stakeholders including students, parents, peers and alumni to help us improve regularly,” says Dr Krithika. MAHER was awarded the title of “Best Institution for Higher Education” in 2021 by News 18 Jury. Meenakshi Ammal Dental College was placed at the 24th rank at all India level in the rankings released by the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF). MAHER was also nominated by the Ministry of Jalshakti, Government of India, for the water conservation award and was the only Deemed to be University in south India to have been shortlisted.

Over the years, Dr Krithika understands the challenges students, faculty and administrators face. With her academic

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and administrative experience, she learnt the importance of spirited teamwork and a nagging need to arrive at a solution through consensual opinion. “According to me, leadership involves listening, understanding, comprehending, and then executing my tasks, which means being the person I would want others to be.

Leadership also involves building a relationship with people based on mutual trust, respect, empathy and goodwill,” she shares. As a leader, she ensures that a fair and transparent SWOC analysis is done to identify the potential strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and challenges. Then, by framing a blueprint of the targets needed to be achieved within a definite time frame, one can build on strengths, capitalize on opportunities, and overcome challenges. Regular meetings are held to engage with the heads of the institutions to learn and evolve as people and as an institution continuously.

Early Days Dr Krithika, initially, did not set out to take on an administrative position. She began her studies in dentistry, oral medicine and radiology from the Tamil Nadu Government Dental College and Hospital in Chennai. She was awarded the ‘Best Outgoing Student’ and graduated with four gold medals and a university rank in General Medicine. She later went on to complete her PhD at MAHER. Dr Krithika’s love for research landed her at the end of the NPTEL course on health research fundamentals with an elite gold certificate. She has also attended numerous workshops and courses on research methodology and systemic review offered by the Tamil Nadu Dr MGR medical university, CMC Vellore, and John Hopkins University. She has also completed the ‘International Certificate on the Principles of Bioethics and Human

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Rights’ offered by The Department of Education, UNESCO Chair in Bioethics, HAIFA. She is presently pursuing her PG diploma in the same area.

As a young girl, Dr Krithika was a good student and consistent topper in school and college. “Even as a student, I used to learn a single topic from different textbooks and different specialities and collate the information to have a holistic idea about the subject. I believed in a deep understanding of the principles behind every skill required of a student. I would always give my 100% in preparation for every assignment, class test and university examination,” she says. She carries the same work ethic and commitment to excel in whatever she does, bringing it from her student days to her professional career.

As she looks back, she shares that her husband, Dr Sridhar, has been the most significant influence in her life. “He has always been my friend, philosopher

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and guide, and I didn’t need to look beyond home for inspiration or motivation,” shares Dr Krithika. He served the government of Tamil Nadu and occupied high offices in medical colleges and also served as the controller of examinations at the Tamilnadu Dr MGR medical university. He is an astute clinician, respected academician, an able administrator, and a brilliant artist.

“I look up to him for guidance and support in all my career decisions and professional endeavours. His honesty, integrity, hard work, fair-mindedness, composure and organizational skills are some of the qualities that I strive to emulate in my life and career,” she adds. Her son Praveen, an engineering graduate from BITS Pilani also offers his unconditional love and support which has enabled her to balance family and career effectively.

Though Dr Krithika had immense success in her education and career, there were some inevitable

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mistakes and stumbles. “I used to get upset that a few of my colleagues indulged in spreading baseless rumours to malign my reputation despite my hard work and dedication. I realized that the more I thought about it, the more pain and anguish I experienced. It affected my productivity and peace of mind, even though there were other genuine well-wishers offering advice and comfort,” she shares. Without taking it to heart, she learnt that to be truly happy, one must have the strength and conviction to walk away from people, places and circumstances that threaten the peace of mind. By surrounding yourself with people who really care about you and encourage you to be a better human being, one can have a more nurturing environment that helps one grow and prosper. “Now, even as I am quite open to constructive criticism, I try to ignore negative comments and reactions from others that serve no meaningful purpose. It makes me realize

that internal happiness is just as important as professional success at the end of the day,” Dr Krithika shares.

Instilling Creativity among Students MAHER was declared as a Deemed to be University under section 3 of the UGC act 1956 to provide affordable quality higher education to all sections of the society. MAHER aims to become an institution that transforms society through diverse programmes and healthcare advancements that will lead to the overall development of human resources, knowledge, innovation, entrepreneurship, and research. “We are trying to foster a spirit of innovation and entrepreneurship among our students by creating awareness, providing guidance and organizing programs/ activities through the MAHER IIC,” shares Dr Krithika.

With a mission to create an enabling state-of-theart infrastructure and intellectual capital and provide a

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56 best-in-class learning experience with the freedom to innovate and invent, MAHER strives to bring in more diversity among students, provide academic flexibility as per the guidelines of the New Education Policy, build a strong alumni network to track student progression, encourage publications, patents and funded research projects among faculty, deliver world-class health care to patients and provide an unforgettable learning experience for students. “The organization that it is today, is a result of the untiring efforts of our visionary Chancellor Thiru A.N. Radhakrishnan,” says Dr Krithika.

MAHER is also on a mission to foster values and ethics to develop students and learners into responsible citizens, advance the global cause, and develop consciousness for the environment. They want to collaborate with national and international institutes to lower the carbon footprint and focus on sustainable development, among other things. “We, at MAHER, thrive on collective decision making, adopting fair and student-friendly initiatives, following protocols and regulations, and facilitating a respectful dialogue and consensus-building endeavours between all concerned parties. In my opinion, time management, efficient organization, proper prioritization, and impromptu

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improvisation are the keys to staying calm and handling the pressure,” shares Dr Krithika.

MAHER has an actively functional Institutional Innovation Council (IIC) that collaborates with the Innovation Cell of the Ministry of Education, Government of India (MIC). The institute participates in the programs driven by MIC and organizes its own meetings and IPR related programs every quarter for the benefit of the students and faculty. MAHER completely sponsors the charges for all IPR related activities of the students and faculty, including patent application, publication, and grant, which has resulted in many patents from our students and faculty. In addition, MAHER encourages all Postgraduate students and PhD scholars to copyright their thesis and dissertations. MAHER offers incentives for publications in journals indexed in PUBMED, SCOPUS and Web of Science. MAHER also has its own incubation centre, which provides the floor space, infrastructure, guidance, and mentorship for all creative ideas from the students and supports them all the way from developing a concept to establishing a start-up company. As a result of the efforts of MAHER IIC, we have a few thriving start-up companies launched by our own students and incubated at our own centre.

The organization that it is today, is a result of the untiring efforts of our visionary Chancellor Thiru A.N. Radhakrishnan

Fostering a Need for Excellent Research and Education Dr Krithika believes that learning is a continuous process and that we must embrace the cycle of learning, unlearning and relearning. In this regard, she keeps herself updated with the latest trends in her field by attending courses, workshops, continuing education programs, and reading journals, papers, and newsletters. Through research and interest in gaining more information, Dr Krithika has a spirit to be in the know when it comes to excelling at her job and career. Additionally, she feels that good networking is crucial in academic administration that helps to discuss common challenges, conflicts and difficulties that crop up from time to time in all higher education institutions.

As an administrator, Dr Krithika believes that there needs to be more work done on the education system. She wants to see a change in the teaching-learning process, those required in the evaluation process, those needed to improve research/teaching productivity and those required to instil values through education. On the teachinglearning front, she believes that there is an urgent need to expand the nation’s online resources and online teaching capabilities, as the pandemic has taught us. “It is also imperative that all stakeholders are trained adequately to handle the challenges faced in this transformative phase. The evaluation process could be made completely digital and remote while ensuring that the sanctity and the integrity of the examination or the evaluation process remain undiluted. It would be prudent to have a universal hassle-free, fool-proof, government-endorsed software/ system which is easy and convenient for students and evaluators,” she adds. Overall, she would like to see a good balance between teaching and research activities, as one cannot exist without the other. “There is also an urgent need to inculcate values like professional ethics, gender sensitization, conflict resolution, environment consciousness, etc. among our students, such courses can be offered as non-credit compulsory courses across all professional programs,” explains Dr Krithika.

In association with A.N. Radhakrishnan IAS Academy, MAHER is currently about to offer training to our students for IAS/UPSC/Civil services and other competitive examinations outside of regular college hours to provide career guidance and support. MAHER has upgraded the library network by integrating the libraries of all campuses, complete with OPAC and android mobile applications and promoting the utilization of these services among students and faculty. “We are working on a plan to improve the infrastructure, enhance the admissions, develop a comprehensive ERP, evolve a robust mentor-

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With research in the forefront, the management at MAHER has decided to upgrade their research laboratories in all the campuses, improve infrastructure, including modernizing the hostel premises, auditoriums, lecture halls and patient blocks, and enhance digital capabilities and cybersecurity measures

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mentee system, and promote research projects and publications among our students and faculty,” Dr Krithika adds.

MAHER strives to have a paradigm shift in what they teach and do. After a lot of discussion and deliberation with management, faculty and other stakeholders, MAHER plans to have a complete change in providing higher education to students. On the curricular front, the institute plans to introduce at least a couple of contemporary valueadded courses in each program for the benefit of our students. They are also planning to enhance medical camps, field visits, research projects and industrial internships, and are also drafting policies and SOPs for various initiatives and activities of MAHER both for student support as well as research integrity. “We are going for a full-fledged NABH accreditation of our medical and dental colleges and hospitals. We are revising our faculty appraisal system to make it more transparent and equitable. We are rolling out several student welfare initiatives, including meritcum-means scholarships, fee waivers and sponsorships for student participation in national level sports and cultural activities,” says Dr Krithika.

With research in the forefront, the management at MAHER has also decided to upgrade their research laboratories in all the campuses, improve infrastructure, including modernizing the hostel premises, auditoriums, lecture halls and patient blocks, and enhance digital capabilities and cybersecurity measures. “We are organizing an international conference this year that will witness participation from several delegates worldwide. The theme of the conference will be inclusive and interdisciplinary in nature. We are also adopting several environment-friendly initiatives like sensor-based devices and solar-powered campuses.” Dr Krithika shares.

To encourage research, the management aids faculty to enrol for PhD programmes. They are introducing a semi-annual internal academic and administrative audit to identify strengths and weaknesses and plan their actions to strengthen the Institutional ethics committee, academic integrity panel and Internal Quality assurance cell. The institute plans to organize at least 10 placement drives, twenty discipline-specific career guidance programs, and thirty skill enhancement programs in the next academic year on the student front. “We plan to introduce fellowship and certificate courses in the constituent colleges and expand the electives offered in the choice-based credit system already in vogue in various programs,” Dr Krithika shares. They also want to introduce a credit transfer of Swayam courses offered on the NPTEL platform across all the programs offered in the humanities and sciences faculty. With all these coming soon to MAHER, this is the institute to consider for higher education and research.

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Higher Digital Education First Magazine Digest August March 2021 2022

LEADERS IN EDUCATION

Dr. Indranil Sen Gupta Vice-Chancellor, JIS University

Reshaping Research in Academics

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n 1979, the world knew a little about computers. The concept of the internet was nothing but a distant dream. However, Dr Indranil Sengupta, now the Vice-Chancellor of JIS University, took the bold step of taking up BTech in Computer Science after completing his Bachelor of Science with Honors in Physics. Dr Indranil recalls, “I have been fortunate to observe the field of Computer Science and Engineering evolve around me from its very nascent stage to the very mature stage that we see today. I can recall writing my first computer program in Fortran-IV on an IBM1130 minicomputer, which had 32 kilobytes of memory and 10 megabytes of disk space. Today, some high-end mobile phones have almost one million times the higher capacity than these figures.”

When Dr Indranil entered the BTech programme, he didn’t envision himself taking up teaching as a profession. Influenced by Late Prof. Arun Kumar Chowdhury, whom Dr Indranil found as a teacher, mentor, and PhD guide, Dr Indranil took up teaching and never looked back. He served the Indian Institute of Technology in Kharagpur for more than 32 years in the Computer Science and Engineering department. Being more of an academician

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Dr Indranil Sen Gupta Vice-Chancellor, JIS University

I would love to be called as a worker working at the same level as all my other colleagues from both teaching and non-teaching fraternities

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by heart and not so much an administrator, he held the mission to set high standards in teaching and research to be of the highest priority. He continues this mission at JIS University and strives to make it the best in India and on an international level.

By trying to love his work, Dr Indranil feels that no amount of work can make him tired. “There will be pressures in life from different quarters, but you must remain calm and control yourself at all times.

In between work, I take breaks to watch a cricket or football match on TV, watch my favourite serial, listen to music, etc. This really helps me remain calm and composed,” he says.

Focusing on Research To continue his mission to improve the quality of research and learning, Dr Indranil introduces having concrete feedback from experts from academia and the industry to improve curricula and syllabi of most of the programmes, thus keeping them updated societally more relevant. “For example, in B.Tech. Programme in Computer Science and Engineering, students can opt for one of three specialisations, which are extremely important in the present-day context. The specialisation is in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, Cyber Security, Embedded Systems, and Robotics,” shares Dr Indranil.

Similarly, the curricula in UG and PG programmes in Earth Science and Remote Sensing have been updated, with students getting more exposure to state-of-the-art tools and technologies. Curricula in Juridical Science and Management Studies have also been similarly updated to incorporate specialised courses like digital marketing, IP issues in cyberspace, etc. “We have started specialised centres like Health Science and Technology, Centre for Data Science, and Centre for Interdisciplinary Sciences, where a strong research programme and various PG-level courses are being offered,” he adds.

In addition, employing faculty members with a robust research background acts like the seeds that are sown today to reap its benefits in the new future, both in quality and quantity of research publications and other recognitions and accolades.

Humility in Leadership Although Dr Indranil has made a remarkable change to JIS University, he doesn’t consider himself a leader. “I would love to be called as a worker working at the same level as all my other colleagues from both teaching and non-teaching fraternities. I feel this is the best way to understand possible flaws in the existing system and

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motivate people around me to take corrective measures as required and evolve a new work culture conducive to the growth of the university,” he explains. In 2015, JIS University was established to fulfil the founder’s dreams, Late Sardar Jodh Iswar Singh.

With a modest infrastructure consisting of just two floors, the first batch of students were inducted in the following year, in 2016. Today, it has become one of the best universities with an incredible academic ambience for science and innovation. Now, with eleven floors, the university takes pride in the state-of-the-art infrastructure and its mission to produce graduates who create a team of good citizens of the country with a solid foundation in human values and ethics embedded in the core of their hearts.

Sparking the Innovative Plug JIS University ignites innovation and creativity among the students in several ways. One such method is introducing

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a concept called SkillX that has been embedded into the curriculum of all the programmes. Under SkillX, a student is asked to choose a topic or problem of his/her choice and pursue study and developmental works on it throughout the study. The objective is to develop a demonstrable prototype or some innovative ideas in the process. Some of the selected projects are showcased in the presence of experts for feedback and suggestions. There is also an Institute Innovation Cell, which is instrumental in conducting various kinds of events all around the year and motivating students for innovative thinking. There is an Entrepreneurship Cell, which can hand-hold the students and help them translate their creative ideas into product prototypes.

Dr Indranil has been in the higher education industry for almost 40 years now and continues to work towards making the education system more relevant and efficient from the inside out

Facing the Pandemic In the present age of the internet and the digital revolution looming over us, it has become more difficult to continuously stay updated. In fact, over the last couple of years, thanks to the pandemic, the world has become an even smaller place, and it has become difficult not to visualise that the hybrid model of education is here to stay.

The most crucial challenge is to engage students effectively during online classes. AT JIS University, they realised that students feel stressed when sitting in front of the computer screen or mobile phones for extended periods, often without breaks. This has ignited a new thought process whereby innovative and interactive modes of instruction delivery have been practised, whereby students always feel connected with the virtual classroom. A more significant challenge, not only at JIS but in almost all professional universities, was the practical aspect of curricula.

Conducting practical classes, like lab experiments and other activities, was challenging to replicate in an online learning setup. This was an impossible task in most streams like chemistry, biotechnology, pharmacy, etc. However, the faculty members of JIS university explored various virtual laboratory platforms and adopted them to teach students remotely. Now, 3 years into the pandemic, they thought it best to develop an in-house virtual laboratory platform that can cater to the needs of the various electronics laboratories.

Change in Discourse Dr Indranil has been in the higher education industry for almost 40 years now and continues to work towards making the education system more relevant and efficient from the inside out. “The first thing I would like to do

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66 Apart from the administrative role he plays as the ViceChancellor of JIS University, Dr Indranil loves to continue his research work in his spare time

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is bring the industry and academia closer together. We often pretend that the two are always working together, but the truth is often otherwise. Our curricula must be designed so that the graduate students become more accepted by the industry,” he shares. He adds that the industry, too, must understand that only general concepts and skills can be taught to the students in an academic system, not the specific things required by them. More industry-oriented internship programs and projects can help in bridging this gap.

The way forward Apart from the administrative role he plays as the Vice-Chancellor of JIS University, Dr Indranil loves to continue his research work in his spare time.

Currently, he conducts research in quantum computing, information security, and VLSI design and testing. He also works with three PhD students and an MS student from IIT Kharagpur.

JIS University dreams of being the preferred destination for students in quest of knowledge. Dr Indranil believes that depending on the research expertise available among the faculty members, Centres of Excellence in various thrust areas shall be set up with funding from Government and other agencies. “We foresee a more vibrant Post-Graduate and Doctoral programme with interdisciplinary and inter-Institute flavours soon,” he says.

Powerful protection designed for PC gamers

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NORTONLIFELOCK.COM Higher Education Digest March 2022

INDUSTRY PERSPECTIVE

Emerging Trends in Skill

Development 68

Anish Srikrishna, CEO, Times Professional Learning

Anish Srikrishna is the Chief Executive Officer of Times Professional Learning, the Edtech Higher-Ed business of the Times of India group. Anish brings over 25 years of experience in leading businesses and shaping large consumer brands. Having started his career with rewarding stints at Hindustan Unilever Ltd., Coca-Cola India and Samsung India, Anish went on to build and lead successful businesses across industry sectors.

With eleven years’ experience in the Indian education and edtech space, Anish firmly believes in building learner focused education businesses that are commercially successful. Anish has led TPL since 2015-16 and the company has seen growth of over 93% CAGR becoming one of the few Edtech companies in India to show a profit. Prior to joining TPL, Anish was VP for Higher Education and Test Prep at Pearson India.

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To keep pace with a rapidly changing work landscape, we must reinvent our approach towards skill development, training, and apprenticeship programmes, in keeping with the emerging trends

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ver the last few years, global trends, such as digitalisation, globalisation, and the changing nature of work, have precipitated a paradigm shift in skill requirements across every sector.

The Indian workforce is not yet equipped to deal with these rapid changes with more than half of aspiring professionals failing to meet the criteria for ‘high employability’. The International Labour Organisation predicts a skill deficit of 29 million by 2030 even as 53 per cent of Indian businesses found themselves unable to hire suitable candidates because of their lack of skills.

For a digital-first economy, this lack of future skills is a matter of great concern. The talent gap extends across different industries with one estimate putting India among the top five countries that face acute skill shortages. These figures reveal that while there are jobs, the emerging workforce lacks the skills that are in demand across industries.

Positioning this data against the 19 per cent unemployment rate among Indian graduates, shows clear

gaps in our higher education, especially when it comes to skill development. Equipping aspiring professionals with these critical skills is necessary not only to reduce the talent and unemployment gap, but also to ensure that our workforce retains its competitive edge. To keep pace with a rapidly changing work landscape, we must reinvent our approach towards skill development, training, and apprenticeship programmes, in keeping with the emerging trends.

Demand for holistic skills Technological disruptions across different sectors have created a high demand for digital expertise along with technical skills. However, the changing work culture, highly competitive economy, and globalisation require a holistic skill set that includes cognitive, social, and emotional skills. Cognitive skills refer to the ability to understand complex ideas, quickly adapt to new developments, apply reason to a situation, and think creatively. A dynamic work environment also requires

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socio-emotional skills to navigate interpersonal relationships and develop leadership potential, while working in a team.

Record FDI inflow to drive employability and skill development As the economy recovers, Foreign Direct Investments (FDI) are at a record high with an inflow of USD 22.53 billion during the second quarter of 2021. It is an impressive 90 per cent year-on-year growth that indicates a rising confidence in India’s economy. With an overwhelming proportion of the funds flowing to the IT industry, it throws the glaring IT skill gap across industries into sharp focus. India will need to boost its digitally skilled workforce by nine times by 2025 to meet emerging demand. The focus will, therefore, shift towards reskilling and upskilling within the industry.

Integration of education and mainstream skills As skill development is key in the NEP 2020 framework, there will be greater integration between higher education and vocational training, to be administered through schools, colleges, and universities. The NEP will further augment this integration with a multidisciplinary approach designed to shift focus towards competency-based learning.

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Focus on skill development of marginalised sections Central government schemes like SANKALP (Skills Acquisition and Knowledge Awareness for Livelihood Promotion) will improve skill training by strengthening the district-based learning ecosystem, standardisation of certifications and ensuring private participation and market relevance. One of its key focus areas has been to improve access to skill training for women and other marginalised sections of society. At the same time, schemes like the National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (NAPS) bring together apprentices, prospective employers, and training providers under one umbrella.

Entrepreneurship schemes, funding to witness a leap As start-ups report record funding in 2021, the focus will shift towards strengthening entrepreneurship schemes further. These can include more funding initiatives and bootcamps that will help budding ventures to scale up. With a higher cash flow in India’s start-up ecosystem, there will be greater demand for skilled people, especially in high-growth industries, such as edtech and fintech.

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Gig economy to drive upskilling The gig economy can create 90 million jobs in the nonfarming economy with over USD 250 billion in earnings in the next few years. However, its full potential is dependent on the availability of a highly skilled workforce, especially in digital and technical realms. To stay competitive, gig workers will go for further upskilling, whether in blue-collar jobs or the IT/ITES industry.

With a growing global demand for a skilled workforce, upskilling initiatives in growth areas like tech and green economy will further pick up the pace

Hybrid learning to further develop skilled personnel in rural India While the government has taken initiatives like SANKALP to further upskill rural India, these efforts will be strengthened with a hybrid learning approach, which will augment conventional teaching methods, providing rural learners with digital educational tools

to improve learning outcomes and bringing them up to par with industry requirements across different sectors.

Prepare skills addressing global demand With the advent of Industry 4.0, the World Economic Forum (WEF) in 2020 predicted that almost one-third of all jobs will see a digital transformation in the next decade. By 2022, it expected 42 per cent of the core skills associated with existing jobs to change. This transformation has been further accelerated by the pandemic with the WEF now calling for an urgent and agile approach towards upskilling. By bringing its emerging workforce in line with industry best practices, India stands to gain an additional global GDP growth of USD 571 million. With a growing global demand for a skilled workforce, upskilling initiatives in growth areas like tech and green economy will further pick up the pace.

Initiation of lifelong learning skills at learning stage With the NEP 2020 laying stress on skill development from the foundational stage, the curricular and pedagogical framework in primary education is seeing a more multifaceted approach. The focus has shifted to developing skills from a very early stage, revolving around the 4Cs - communication, creativity, critical thinking, and character development. This approach is meant to begin teaching students the required skills from an early age for today’s increasingly volatile and complex world.

Fuelling innovations through skilling The pandemic revealed the importance of an innovative approach in countering challenges and staying agile. As the economy recovers, innovation will be key in gaining a competitive edge and staying ahead of the curve. With Industry 4.0 further changing the industry, working landscape and upskilling the emerging workforce will be the key to driving innovation. Given the fast pace of technology and a rapidly changing economy, reskilling and upskilling programs will now become a regular part of career development with more companies now investing in such programmes.

These trends show a growing cognisance towards future-ready skills across various sectors. Even as growing investments drive upskilling initiatives in the private sector, the government’s focus, through policies like Skill India, will ensure a holistic approach in our education framework.

If India hopes to exploit its demographic advantage, we must continue to invest in skill and apprenticeship development to stay agile in the face of evolving industry requirements.

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LEADERS IN EDUCATION

Dr. K. T. V. Reddy

Dean, Faculty of Engineering and Technology, Datta Meghe Institute of Medical Sciences

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A Visionary Leader Setting Example for Others

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egularity, sincerity, punctuality, and hard work are the noble virtues essential for leading a successful personal and professional life. Dr. K. T. V. Reddy, Dean, Faculty of Engineering and Technology (FEAT), Datta Meghe Institute of Medical Sciences (DMIMS), considers them as the building blocks that have guided him to become an academician and a successful leader.

Dr. Reddy comes from a humble background. He did his initial schooling in a small village in Andhra Pradesh near Tirupathi. After graduation, his career path took him towards academics and administration. He spent long hours in the office without giving a single thought towards enhancing his skillsets or earning academic credits to put towards a degree. “In the initial years, I felt that a basic degree is sufficient for career growth. But events of one fine day changed my outlook,” shares Dr. Reddy. Even though deserving, he was given a subordinate post since executive positions required high educational qualifications.

This became a life lesson and a turning point for Dr. Reddy and his career.

He decided to pursue higher academic degrees to add value to his knowledge

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Dr. K. T. V. Reddy Dean, Faculty of Engineering and Technology (FEAT), Datta Meghe Institute of Medical Sciences

As an administrator, I oversee the academic infrastructure, library development, website management, discipline in the campus, budgeting and taking care about requirements of statutes bodies affiliated and approved

Higher Education Digest March 2022

base and advance his career. Dr. Reddy completed his M.Tech and PhD degrees from IIT Bombay. Looking back, Dr. Reddy says, “After acquiring my PhD degree, my seniors became my juniors. It also opened doors to numerous opportunities for me to lead the organization.”

There were no direct influencers or guides who helped his professional growth. Instead, Dr. Reddy acknowledged what was missing in his skillsets and what was needed to be done. He became the driver of his successful career path as a Dean of FEAT at DMIMS.

The Datta Meghe Institute of Medical Sciences is a Deemed University aimed to create a skilled workforce and augment the healthcare delivery system in India

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Datta Meghe Institute of Medical Sciences The Datta Meghe Institute of Medical Sciences is a Deemed University aimed to create a skilled workforce and augment the healthcare delivery system in India. Around 10 multi-disciplinary courses are offered to students at undergraduate, postgraduate and diploma levels.

In terms of encouraging creative thinking and innovation, Dr. Reddy states, “At the time of admission,

we collect information about the students’ interests in cultural, sports and technical knowledge. The students are divided into different creative clubs and encouraged to achieve their goals based on their interests. We have also created faculty members for each club and defined their roles and responsibilities as students. Regular competitions are organized on various activities to bring out the best in students and to encourage cash prizes and merit certificates are distributed in one of the functions.”

In this way, students at DMIMS are offered ample opportunities to bring out their creative side and develop innovative thinking.

Covid-19 and Education In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, educators and administrators faced significant challenges from preparing topics in the digital mode to high-speed internet connectivity, data usage for the students staying in remote locations, and the requirement of a backup power supply.

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The list doesn’t end here. Keeping students engaged and focused on the curriculum for long hours was the most formidable challenge for teachers.

Around the globe, universities, colleges and schools took different measures to overcome the hurdles erected by the pandemic and, most importantly, continue the learning process even if it meant through online platforms.

Dr. Reddy reveals, “In our DMIMS, laptops were provided with free unlimited Wi-Fi connections. The teachers were asked to share the digital form of content through presentations, hand-outs and notes. To keep students attentive, a 60 minutes lecture was cut short to 45 minutes.

Theory lectures were held in the morning, whereas virtual labs were set in the afternoon. Regular feedbacks were also taken for further improvements from time to time.”

Responsibilities of a Dean Dr. Reddy brings vast years of academic and leadership experience to his designation. It benefits FEAT to develop and practice best policies and DMIMS to do the same.

As a Dean of FEAT, Dr. Reddy’s chief duties are to fulfil academic, programmatic, managerial, and fiscal responsibilities for the University.

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Dr. Reddy brings vast years of academic and leadership experience to his designation.

It benefits FEAT to develop and practice best policies and DMIMS to do the same

Giving us a glimpse of his duties and obligations, Dr. Reddy remarks, “As an administrator, I oversee the academic infrastructure, library development, website management, discipline in the campus, budgeting and taking care about requirements of statutes bodies affiliated and approved.” Likewise, as an academician, he takes care of the academic calendar, academic book, academic monitoring, grievance handling, organizing periodic meetings with parents, students and faculty, implementing the best practices based on the inputs from all the stakeholders and maintaining the quality education and placing the students in top MNCs. He also regularly interacts with students and parents ensuring that an overall conducive environment is offered, which is project-team-based and student-centric.

A Day in the Life of a Leader At the DMIMS University, Dr. Reddy’s typical day begins with troubleshooting issues students, faculty members, and administration face. As a leader, his work is not limited to official working hours; instead, it extends until issues are resolved, and goals are achieved for the day.

With leadership positions comes great responsibilities and stressful situations. Proper planning and execution of academics & administrative activities through concerned coordinators daily are Dr. Reddy’s mantras to avoid them.

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If his colleagues or faculty members are stressed, Dr. Reddy guides and encourages them to complete their tasks on time.

Moreover, Dr. Reddy takes out time from his busy schedule to participate in the activities organized by various professional bodies and decipher insights from the newsletters & magazines received periodically by these societies. He stays updated with the happenings in the Council of Ministry of Information Technology, AICTE, and ECI regarding implementing emerging trends in the field of Engineering & Technology. On a personal front, he devotes time to meditating and doing yoga to build strength, awareness, and harmony in both the mind and body.

Aiming Higher “We have a policy that each faculty must publish 8 papers and each student one paper in indexed journals,” asserts Dr. Reddy. Hence, Dr. Reddy and his colleagues at DMIMS presently focus on publishing research articles in peerreviewed national and international journals. They are also drafting new project proposals to be sent to the external funding agencies, formulating MOUs with prospective national and international repute industries and institutions, and collaborating with faculties on student exchange programmes with the world’s best 500 universities.

Dr. Reddy’s long-term vision is to make FEAT one of the best learning centres for research, known for excellence in AIDS. From his contribution as a Dean

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and that of other faculty leaders, the management will be aiming to make DMIMSU one of the top 10 Universities in terms of competency in the world.

High Time to Change Dr. Reddy confides that the teaching and learning systems should be product and team-based. Additionally, expertbased learning is rather the need of the hour. Awarding degrees must have a minimum standard at all levels.

Likewise, the implementation of NEP 2020 in the whole spirit will help the education system adopt talent-based multi-disciplinary approaches.

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LEADERS IN EDUCATION

Dr. Parsanjeet Kumar Pro Vice-Chancellor, Noida International University

Guiding Pupils towards a Brighter Future

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he coronavirus pandemic has created the most extensive disruption in the education system. The closure of schools, colleges, and other learning platforms has substantially affected the global student population. However, looking on the brighter side of this detrimental situation, Dr Parsanjeet Kumar, Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Noida International University (NIU), says, “The Covid-19 pandemic did affect the lives of millions of people but also gave us a chance to assess the pace of our technological advancement and a renewed focus on innovation and technology.”

In the wake of this pandemic, Dr Parsanjeet and his management team quickly sensed the need of focusing on new and innovative teaching and learning methodologies with the help of advanced social interaction platforms such as Google Meet, MS Teams, etc. “We equipped our faculty members with the knowledge of operating the digital platforms effectively by providing proper workshops and training sessions.” Likewise, under Dr Parsanjeet’s leadership, NIU conducted over 50 national and international webinars. The university also set up virtual laboratories to complement lectures and tutorials for the students.

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Dr Parsanjeet Kumar Pro Vice-Chancellor, Noida International University

Our vision is to be recognized as a global educational institution disseminating latest trends of knowledge through cutting-edge technologies and innovative methodologies, thereby producing excellent human resource and intellectually stimulating environment for young scholars and academicians

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Formative Years filled with learning Dr Parsanjeet was goal-driven, self-reliant, creative, and disciplined from an early age. He kept the company of people who had a positive impact on him. After all, the people closest to us can influence us in many ways.

Dr Parsanjeet explains, “It’s important to be selective, especially at the important time in your life when you are building the foundation for your career and making other important life decisions.” When it came to selecting a career path for himself, Dr Parsanjeet chose to be an educationist and fulfil his mission to contribute to society in a meaningful way.

Offering a Great Academic Edge to Achieve Excellence Noida International University (NIU) was established in 2010 to transform India’s educational landscape and

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focus on eradicating long-standing issues related to gender, race, culture, etc. Through its decade long journey and prowess in the education field, NIU has inscribed its name among universities offering worldclass education to domestic and international students.

Dr Parsanjeet shares, “Our vision is to be recognized as a global educational institution disseminating latest trends of knowledge through cutting-edge technologies and innovative methodologies, thereby producing excellent human resource and intellectually stimulating environment for young scholars and academicians.”

Presently, NIU offers over 150 programmes in streams, including Medical, Engineering & Technology, Sciences, Liberal Arts & Humanities, Law, Journalism & Mass Communication, Architecture, Nursing & Health Sciences, Fine Arts, Education and Business Management via 13 schools.

Dr Parsanjeet and his team at NIU conduct multiple seminars and workshops to enhance students’ innovative and creative acumen and assist in understanding career-critical industrial concepts and methodologies

Encouraging Innovative & Creative Thinking If students are encouraged to think outside the box and solve real-life challenges in a simplified manner from the beginning, it tends to sharpen their thinking, build confidence, enhances learning potential, and infuse creativity.

Working on similar grounds, Dr Parsanjeet and his team at NIU conduct multiple seminars and workshops to enhance students’ innovative and creative acumen and assist in understanding careercritical industrial concepts and methodologies. The university has also set up a Student Activity Centre called NUITIANS-The Tatva to bring the students under one roof to create a holistic environment for sharing innovative ideas. Its mission is to encourage students to develop soft skills such as positive attitude, relationship management, and team management.

Responsibilities as a Pro-Vice-Chancellor As the Pro-Vice-Chancellor of NIU, Dr Parsanjeet’s role is to look after all the academic and education affairs, including administration, R&D, and student & staff affairs of the university. Moreover, he ensures that relevant and progressive education is offered to all pupils so that they can explore various job opportunities and build a bright future for themselves.

Dr Parsanjeet believes that a continuous change in the education system is the need of the hour. Hence, to prepare and meet the needs of future advancements, he has devised a few key strategies that will make

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Considering integrity as an essential leadership trait for an individual and the organization, Dr Parsanjeet gives utmost importance to equality, selfawareness, and humility

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NIU a world-class university. His plan is to focus on skills development, emphasize research innovations & incubation, devise a centre of excellence, provide worldclass infrastructure & facilities, and encourage international collaborations among students.

Leadership Perspective Considering integrity as an essential leadership trait for an individual and the organization, Dr Parsanjeet gives utmost importance to equality, self-awareness, and humility. His leadership style involves teamwork. He shares, “I always support my colleagues and subordinates to work selfsufficiently, which leads us to better decision-making.” For Dr Parsanjeet, his colleagues are his strength.

Actively establishing a daily schedule often helps leaders handle stress and remain calm even in times of crisis.

Dr Parsanjeet draws a detailed plan to produce quality and efficient work for his daily work. This helps him to get ahead of stressful situations.

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A forward-thinking leader such as Dr Parsanjeet likes to stay updated with the current trends in the education system. National & International conferences, workshops, and seminars give him the platform to voice his insights and discuss issues with fellow peers and experts.

He also devotes time to reading various educational blogs, influential magazines and journals. From time to time, Dr Parsanjeet likes to explore professional development programs.

A Need to Provide Comprehensive Training to Teachers After working in the same industry for many years, Dr Parsanjeet has gained valuable insights on the lacuna and potential of the education system. He feels that if education administrators focus on building teachers’ capacities to construct and adapt curricula to ‘students’ identified needs and interests, management can also grant teachers greater autonomy to make differentiated

decisions that can individualize and personalize learning.

“Allow teachers to make decisions that empower them and strengthen their relationships with students,” remarks Parsanjeet on wanting to change the current education system.

NIU’s Immediate Plans NIU has been proactively working towards becoming a Centre of Excellence for global exposure for students by creating diverse curriculums and numerous schemes relevant to them financially and creatively.

Hence the management of NIU is working on various support schemes that will benefit their students in a diversified manner.

“Our aim is to establish Noida International University as a pioneer host for all kinds of professional education which could imbibe and develop an individual’s capacities temporal with values and ethics to serve the humankind,” concludes Dr Parsanjeet.

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ACADEMIC VIEW

Future of Work Post COVID-19 86

Parmita Debnath, Global Head – Student Experience and Professional Development, EMBA, S P Jain School of Global Management

Parmita has over 16 years of experience in corporate and academics. She has been associated in the HR domain during her career span, working with different leading organizations including IBM, Damco Logistics, specializing in areas like L&D, Talent Management, High Potential Development and Change Management. She developed and leads a Strategic Capability Development Program, now a 1 credit course called the ECAP for the EMBA Program. She chartered the S P Jain Toastmasters Club in 2017 and is the Founder President of the Club. Parmita is a DBA student at SPJ. She is an MBA in HR and Marketing, from Amity Business School, Noida-India. She also has a bachelor’s degree in Micro Biology followed by 2 Post Graduate Diplomas in Personnel Management and Public Relations.

Higher Education Digest March 2022

The work from home experiment has successfully taught workforce the power of resilience and adaptability; no matter how technology challenges you; the need to sustain and learn stays above

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he famous pandemic has changed the way of work for years now effective 2019, leaving employers and employees ponder about what and how the future of work would be post Covid.

Many questions which come to our mind may include Most jobs have already been affected and how far will this go? Will the organizations move to a hybrid – in office and remote work model permanently after things settle, or no? Would organizations focus on digital transformation versus productivity? Which skills will be in demand? How can employee and employers be ready for the future of changes?

Various surveys and talks are revolving around the post pandemic future of work after examining critical aspects and from many such inferences the below 6 points can be thought over or considered.

1. Need for reskilling Looks like the disruptions would create the need of reskilling post the pandemic. Only in the US alone, by a recent survey conducted by McKinsey Global Institute states that ‘17 million workers will need to change occupations by 2030’; which typically means that their jobs would change completely; triggering the need to reskill workforce. Various organizations are taking

relevant measures to reskill their workforce for fulfilling the need of the hour. As individuals as well we should be analyzing the need of reskilling within our strategic career planning.

2. Hybrid work model including remote working and in person ‘Remote working’ is here to stay. The work from home experiment has successfully taught workforce the power of resilience and adaptability; no matter how technology challenges you; the need to sustain and learn stays above. Now employees think of creating impact over virtual meetings; with no travel oversees or offices; negotiation and conflict management via the online space or medium. There has been an organic acceptance to the ‘work remotely yet effectively’ concept.

Many employers have shifted to the remote work models permanently. Similarly, for employees to be able to work from home at least some days in a week becomes a key expectation in selecting new jobs.

3. Growing Demand of E commerce Usage of e-commerce will grow to ever-reaching heights in the future - post pandemic time, as virtual transactions (including online retail stores; online

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clothing stores; food/ high end restaurant delivery, online grocery, online education, and telemedicine etc. and etc.) is growing lengths. Customers today have a feel of an in store shopping experience within online shopping which is not only time and option convenient; but also delightful and pocket friendly.

Pandemic has indeed cut down business travels to minimum – conferences, business meetings - are all happening online now. The lesser business travels will be compensated for Leisure travels as ‘family and friends get together’ post Covid times would be on top priority to enhance social bonding.

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4. More Adoption of Automation The sense of urgency has been created to invest in and implement new automated systems and services.

Automation is seen as a measure to economic recovery post Covid. Success stories of growth of Warehouse automation and within the manufacturing space or to the increase end to-end supply-chain transparency; automation is proving to be the best.

EY reported recently, that organizations who implemented automation before the crisis began; were the one who were facing less problems and was able to strive through productivity and maintain business growth during and after the pandemic; it also says further certain products like robotic process automation (RPA) software is immensely helpful for organization success.

5. Importance of Workforce data Organizations should have right analytics and technology to leverage on workforce data. Such analytical framework, would be helpful to organization to understand its people better who would be working more remotely now often than before and also to create a healthy organization culture, employee engagement, employee wellbeing and improve efficiency, and productivity and leadership accountability.

6. Organizations to make DEI (Diversity, Equity & Inclusion) a post-pandemic priority No matter how difficult ‘DEI’ implementation may practically sound; it is a notable topic today for consideration for all organizations to maintain healthy workspace. A McKinsey study in 2020 had stated companies which have a diverse workforce are 25% more successful than the lesser ones. Even while navigating through the pandemic this criterion cannot be missed.

Ensuring ‘DEI’ is beyond diversity recruitment; it is ensuring equity and inclusion as well. This pandemic has taught us that we can work together remotely

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Empathy needs to be into the workspace; mental and physical health of employees and helping out in ‘work life balance’ seems important

while being flexible, collaborative and accountable.

Empathy needs to be into the workspace; mental and physical health of employees and helping out in ‘work life balance’ seems important. Companies like Amazon always brings employee first; takes regular feedbacks from them and marks improvements.

Are we prepared for the future workplace post Covid?

One thing that is certain is that ‘adaptability is constant’.

As the new normal changes the nature of work; we, as corporate leaders need to examine work trends impact and implement the necessary technology needed to construct the way forward. Digital transformation is the need of the hour to ensure smooth organizational functioning. Workforce analytics is a must for proper people management. Automation and other required technologies is to be aligned with the organization goals.

Also, organizations should show efforts to build in an emotionally intelligent and resilient workplace, one that is equipped to face the VUCA world and face business challenges.

As individuals it is important for all of us to be able to understand the need of reskilling and upgrading one’s core strengths and doing a SWOT analysis on self and one’s career periodically.

Want to Sell or find Investor for your Business?

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Higher Digital Education First Magazine Digest August 2021 March 2022

LEADERS IN EDUCATION

Dr. R. Balaji

Secretary and Correspondent of SBIOA Educational Trust

Leading SBIOA at all Forefronts

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he Covid-19 pandemic caught us unawares, and the world of education changed overnight with the sudden lockdown imposed all over the country. The dynamic shift from physical classes in school to attending classes on a virtual platform proved challenging.

This shift wasn’t easy to adopt and adapt to. The disruption caused by the pandemic had a substantial effect on the teachers’ abilities to support the education of students. As the challenges rose, different leaders took different approaches to ensure the smooth functioning of their institutions.

As Secretary and Correspondent of SBIOA Educational Trust, Dr R. Balaji made it a point to ensure that no student was left behind and instructed his teachers to develop innovative methods to teach and retain students’ attention. “But it was no easy task, as not all the faculty members were trained to use technology for teaching. They had no prior experience in teaching online,” Dr Balaji shares.

Dr Balaji is a leader at the SBIOA Educational Trust as he has always provided inspiration and vision for the future. He motivates people to reach great heights of performance and success. “Leadership is influence”-A good

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Dr R. Balaji Secretary and Correspondent of SBIOA Educational Trust

Talking and sharing with our trustworthy colleagues and employees helps me to keep my mind calm and helps to handle pressure. I take time to listen to the honest feedback of my friends and accept criticism gracefully

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leader should influence the crowd to believe, act and work with perseverance to achieve success. He demonstrates qualities that others should follow with commitment and passion. He is always sensitive to his employees’ needs, respects their feelings, and listens to their views before making a decision. As an inspirational leader, he feels passionate about the mission and vision of the organisation and makes sure that others feel the same.

Excellent communication is the key to good leadership.

Dr Balaji has organised many seminars and workshops for teachers’ empowerment. With his oratorical skills, he helps people find answers, solve problems, and get inspired, creating a positive morale boost. He makes people feel

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important and appreciated by providing many opportunities to grow personally and professionally. He has always been a resilient leader capable of handling any situation and responding to disruptive changes (Pandemic). Dr Balaji believes that integrity and trust are essential for a good leader. The ability to delegate work is also a good leadership quality which is crucial for maximising productivity and team performance. He says, “The job of a leader is made so much easier when employees want to follow your lead”. He inspires others to see him as a leader by “Leading by example”. He always seeks feedback and accepts both positive and negative criticism with an open mind. He is a self-motivated person who sets an example for others to follow.

his mind, then faces the situation and focuses on what is happening at the moment. Rather than think of the negatives, one can think of the positives to avoid stress and stay calm. “Talking and sharing with our trustworthy colleagues and employees helps me to keep my mind calm and helps to handle pressure. I take time to listen to the honest feedback of my friends and accept criticism gracefully,” he opines.

A good day at work for Dr Balaji is one where he feels great at the job. His typical working day will have mixed feelings and emotions. Dr Balaji says that he is always excited to face the day as he doesn’t know what it has in store for him. But, every day, he starts with a positive attitude believing that the day will be an awesome one and he is going to learn something new on that day. Stress and pressure are part of his daily routine. “It puts our body into fight or flight mode. How we overcome that, there stands our success,” he shares. His early morning walks and prayers put his mind in a receptive and positive outlook. In case of pressure or due to triggering of some issue, he takes a deep breath and a few minutes to calm

Believing in Partnership with parents Parents serve as the first teachers of their kids during the early years. Dr Balajii believes that school activities are great opportunities to bring together students and parents. Through open communication and collaboration, parents and the school can help develop children’s social, emotional, and academic skills.

Aiming to create a productive partnership with parents, Dr Balaji includes parents in all school activities – Annual Day, Sports Day, Mega Exhibitions, Projects, etc. Their support to the child strengthens the bond and makes them understand the school better. Various opportunities are provided to parents to feel the school environment and how their children interact with each other. He also advises parents to monitor the progress of their children.

Further, creating a class Whatsapp group paves the way for effective communication between teachers and parents. Frequent PTA meetings are convened under the guidance of Dr Balaji to address views and facilitate parental participation in school. “Parents are also insisted to be role models for their children. Regular feedback of children’s performance concerning academic, emotional, and social aspects is intimated to the parents,” shares Dr Balaji. He also directs the parents to discipline their children, impart values and hold them accountable for their behaviour, thereby bringing about holistic development.

At SBIOA, seminars on “Effective Parenting” were conducted to give more insight to parents on nurturing children. When parents are involved in their children’s education, the children are more likely to perform better in school. So in schools run by the SBIOA Educational Trust, parents are included and made to effectively nurture young children. A major concern during COVID-19 was to convince the parents that there would be no compromise on the effectiveness of the education provided to their children. A greater challenge was to create a multi-tiered plan of how to serve the students, clear expectations, and consistent communication with the staff and parents for the smooth functioning of online classes. Teamwork and collaboration helped Dr Balaji to sail SBIOA through the challenging period.

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Dr Balaji believes that education begins at home and parents are the first teachers. He had good role models who inculcated important values in him. He realises that honesty and integrity are more important than all material things. Coming from a family with a poor financial background, he could not pursue higher studies due to the financial crunch at home. He was the District rank holder in his set. He later wrote the competitive exams then and got a job in the Postal Department. When his friends studying in college prepared for the Bank Exam, they playfully challenged Dr Balaji, beginning his banking career. He worked his way up the ladder with hard work and sincerity. The tough lessons that life taught him made him what he is today. He is very keen on ensuring that quality education is available to all. Even today, He grants financial support personally and from the trust to the needy and deserving pupils.

It is imperative to look back and thank the people who have helped one throughout his career. Sharing his views on the same, Dr Balaji says, “Many people, such as family members, teachers, friends, co-workers, etc., have given me opportunities to move forward in life. The collective impact of all these people has definitely impacted my life”. He adds that with time he has learned to identify

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the positive qualities in all the people with whom he has been associated. “It can’t be just one person but a list of many who have influenced me at various stages in different levels,” he shares. The family, education, and society play an essential role in the profession. All this together makes an individual.

Education at home and school leave a strong impression on one’s character. People with more positivity will be able to leave a positive impression on others. At the school stage, the teacher will influence each individual with knowledge, approach, and gestures that become a part of one’s character moulding. Positivity alone will not impress. It is the comfortability of an individual who feels great in wearing someone’s shoes. He adds, “The professional influence will be mostly from the family and peers. Parental lifestyle, family system, and needs and wants lay the foundation for choosing one’s career.”

COVID, Challenges, and Leadership The State Bank of India Officers’ Association Educational Trust was promoted by the State Bank of India Officers’ Association in 1978. The Association {SBIOA Chennai Circle} was formed in 1965 and enjoys the reputation of being the Managerial Class Union in the country.

Dr Balaji explores different ways to keep up with the change in educational trends as it is vital for the smooth functioning of the organisation

Mr E.A.G. Moses, the then General Secretary (Chennai Circle), came up with the idea that their association should enter the field of education to cater to the needs of the people, especially the SBI officers who were on transfers frequently. On 30th July 1978, in the 11th General Body Meeting of SBIOA (CC) at Bangalore, Mr E. A. G. Moses confidently proposed starting the Educational Trust. On 23rd December 1978, the Educational Trust was registered. “I am proud to say this was the first trade union-run educational institution.

As each school was established, the trust grew in leaps and bounds,” Dr Balaji shares. As Rome was not built in a day, the trust too reached its stupendous growth after facing all trials and tribulations.

During COVID, teachers, parents, and students with minimal knowledge of how digital education works put immense effort into learning the ropes of technology.

Under Dr Balaji’s leadership, teachers rose up to the occasion and designed a blended learning framework.

The teachers, parents, and students learned the nuances of teaching online. After initial hiccups, they became experts in preparing PPTS, PDF, assignments learning material, online games and quizzes, Google forms, conducting tests and online exams, etc. Pandemic has played havoc among children as their takeaway has been considerably less when compared to regular school. Dr Balaji has instructed the teachers to take the initiative to bridge the gap and ensure that quality education is acquired by the students at SBIOA. Progress and innovation should not subdue the value of traditional values, ethnicity, and culture. The passing out NextGen must remember their roots and heritage and simultaneously touch great heights.

Providing quality education, equal opportunities to all the students, inculcating moral values, and developing a socially conscientious mind to develop responsible citizens for future India.

Dr Balaji also gave opportunities to make the faculty at SBIOA learn online teaching methods by conducting several online workshops and seminars. When educators were threatened by a reduction in salary/part payment of salary, Dr Balaji came forward and gave his full support by providing them with total compensation. As a result, teachers were free from financial stress and wholeheartedly focussed on imparting knowledge to the student community. He also made sure that his Compartment Heads were more equipped to enable teachers to give their best. Publishers also insisted on offering teachers a helping hand by providing E-learning materials and organising webinars to adapt to the new normal.

In the tough times, Dr Balaji motivated his teaching faculty to participate in various online seminars to help them

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Dr Balaji reads journals rather than books as it is more effective and provides a surplus amount of knowledge needed

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overcome the challenges faced during the pandemic.

“Meetings were conducted for parents to make them aware of the techniques involved in online teaching to bridge the relationship between the teachers and parents,” he adds.

Education has evolved, and the pandemic has seen developments in many tangential directions. “I want the teaching community to adopt and develop the latest techniques to provide students with the required 21stcentury skills,” he opines. Dr Balaji wants the schools to educate, illuminate, and stand as pioneers par excellence in the field. According to Dr Balaji, the SBOAns passing out of the school should have experienced holistic education with moral values and entered the real world as confident and responsible citizens of tomorrow.

Creativity is one of the most essential characteristics of an effective organisation and fosters a prosperous and

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healthy workplace environment. It opens up opportunities in achieving goals and inspires its members to be innovative and think out of the box. Dr Balaji ensures that every program or activity of the school pinpoints the creativity of the individuals. Every class has the imprint of these creative students. Mega exhibitions and projects are held every year to kindle students’ creative spark.

All the students at SBIOA are given ample opportunities to participate in various interschool competitions, both online and offline, to showcase their innate talents and creativity. The school website also caters to bringing out the creativity of students. In and around the school, visual inputs help stimulate the creative minds of children. The school also conducts a talent hunt to exhibit talent and creativity in all the classes. SBIOA’s school magazine “Reflections” provides a platform for students to bring out their literary skills and creative skills.

The teaching staff is encouraged by Dr Balaji to adopt creative teaching techniques using a variety of teaching tools such as audio and visual tools, brainstorming, field trips, roleplay, puppet talk, models, quiz and puzzles, smart board, Atal Tinkering Lab Activities, Project-based learning, ICT in all subjects, etc. Under the leadership of Dr Balaji, the school has introduced audio and visual effects in the classroom to make the class lively, thereby kindling the visual imagination of the children. Brainstorming sessions at the school help alert and enhance students’ thinking skills.

Management plays a vital role in upgrading teachers to impart technology in the teaching/education system.

“Educators should be given more workshops and seminars to update themselves on the current situation,” Dr Balaji shares. Suggesting changes in the education system, Dr Balaji adds that more experimental learning, concept-based learning, and hands-on technologies to be inculcated in the

curriculum. Skill-based/multi-disciplinary education to be given importance. Students should be streamlined according to their interest in subjects. Rote learning should be eradicated at all levels in the school. Teachers should change their mindset of not being mark-oriented and emphasise the skills of each individual child. Integrated learning to be highlighted. Value education should be made compulsory.

Students must be taught in-depth about the morals of life, inculcated with humanistic values. Counselling should be given more importance. Technology like AI can become a helping hand to teachers and students. While living in the renaissance of technology, technology and education cannot be kept apart. Schools should embrace technology with an open heart and propagate students to where their future lies.

Being updated on the latest technologies is becoming an increasingly important skill in the technologically advanced world. We need to be up to date with the latest trends in education to offer what is best for staff and the student community. Dr Balaji explores different ways to keep up with the change in educational trends as it is vital for the smooth functioning of the organisation.

With technology bringing loads of information with just one click, one can become updated on recent developments in technology by finding time to browse the web. “Forums play a quintessential role and allow me to interact with inquisitive minds. I also participate in ‘meet-up’ events which create opportunities for people to update themselves and grab the knowledge of the latest technological advancements,” he shares. Digital learning with a proper blending of conventional teaching with new technologies will be more effective for the current situation. According to Dr Balaji, self up-gradation can be reached through teaching a discussion of concepts with various divergent, attending professional development programs create awareness about the current trends and policies introduced in the education system. He reads voraciously and follows articles and blogs that help quench his thirst to know what is in vogue. Dr Balaji reads journals rather than books as it is more effective and provides a surplus amount of knowledge needed.

“When you do good to others, good will come back to you. As a human being, I may have committed mistakes, but not a big one that has affected others,” shares Dr Balaji. He chose a path that was authentic to him. He became flexible, which allowed him to take chances, step out of his comfort zone and chart his own course. He has endeavoured to surround himself with great people and seek new opportunities. He has adapted to the changes needed for the success of an organisation. “Learning from our mistakes in a de-risked, agile environment maximises our ability,” he concludes.

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The Safety Net for India’s EdTech Revolution:

Smart Regulations 98 Anant Begani, Co-Founder, Zell Education

Anant is the Co-founder of Zell Education. With over 10 years of professional experience backing his skills, Anant’s expert insights into the world of accounting & finance have contributed to the success of Zell. While pursuing his Chartered Accountancy and Company Secretary Anant’s vision shifted to help professionals and students learn the skills required in the practical work and ultimately at the sacrifice of his Chartered Accountancy, Zell was started. Under his leadership, Zell has expanded its Products, Operations and B2B sales which has helped the company reach new heights. His role was instrumental in developing the company’s Learning Management System called Nimbus. His leadership has also paved the way for Zell to generate key strategic partnerships across the country.

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EdTechs have revolutionized newer methods of learning and development and ensured that creativity is fostered within students across the nation

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he latest government advisory issued on 23rd December 2021, for EdTechs has stirred up the atmosphere towards the sector and pushed it towards a much needed, regulated approach.

EdTech Companies who were following unscrupulous practices have been cautioned about the way they force payments upon students and parents.

There have been stricter guidelines implemented wherein EdTech companies have to follow particular protocols and norms to carry out their operations in an orderly manner.

On 1st October 2021, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and the Government of India (GoI) mandated that any payments above the authenticated limit of INR 5,000/- would require an additional security measure (OTP). Following its stance, many unscrupulous practices followed by EdTechs have been tracked down by the government and mandated that these EdTechs use fair payment and marketing methods to onboard customers. Students and parents have been asked to

check about its legitimacy and quality. A few of the do’s and don’ts mentioned by the government on its advisory for EdTechs highlight the need for stricter watch on these companies.

Some of the key regulations are – Students and parents are advised to ask for a tax invoice statement for the purchase of educational devices loaded with contents/ app purchase/Pen drive learning. They are advised to verify the quality of the content provided by these EdTech companies and ensure that it is in line with the syllabus and their scope of study and is easily comprehensible by students. They are cautioned from signing up for any loans of which they are not aware. Lastly, they are asked to avoid adding their data like emails, contact numbers, card details, addresses etc. online as the data may be sold or used for later scam attacks.

Quality teaching has been a concern for students across the country. However, EdTechs have revolutionized newer methods of learning and development and ensured that creativity is fostered

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Placements can be a very tempting hook and act as a decision maker for some students while enrolling themselves with an EdTech platform

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within students across the nation. The NEP 2020 also highlights the need for online training to be at the forefront by allowing students to study degree programmes and a watchdog to keep a closer check on helping to build employability in India.

Through its press release on 23rd December 2021, the government has asked EdTechs to put in a slew of measures to ensure grievances faced by students and their parents are addressed by appointing a Grievance officer.

Talking about higher education, placements are a very important part of higher education dynamics.

Many EdTech companies ensure that the students secure a well-paying job that can kick start their career. There is an evident line between displaying actual results along with the journeys of each student vs what a company is capable of, once the student joins them. Placements can be a very tempting hook and act as a decision maker for some students while enrolling themselves with an EdTech platform.

At an industry level, if every player abides by a code of conduct - it will overall improve the perceived industry sentiment. With this advisory, the government has put in a better regulated structure for the industry.

This structure allows honest, fair companies to do their business better while putting a stop to the unfair, false practices conducted by certain businesses. It will be exciting to see how an industry that has grown so much over the years will go from here on now.

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LEADERS IN EDUCATION

Mr. Raunak Jain Managing Director, Tula’s International School

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A Visionary Leader with High Aspirations

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aunak Jain, the Managing Director of Tula’s International School (TIS),defines a leader as someone who inspires, motivates, and sets the bar high for others through their actions irrespective of designation. Be it family members or subordinates, or even the owner of a big organization.Raunak adds, “No matter what your role is, you are a leader if you are working to make sure that your team is feeling motivated and positive. and that’s what I truly believe in.”

Raunak completed his schooling at Brightlands School, Dehradun. He later pursued his graduation & post-graduation degrees from the Royal Holloway University of London and excelled at both. In 2012,Raunak joined Tula’s International School as itsManaging Director.Since then, hehas been striving hardto makeTIS one of the best and most dependable schools, and he aims to achieve it by driving success for each and every student of the school.

Role Models Influencing Career Path Two people have mainly influenced Raunak’s professional life. His biggest source of inspiration comes from his father and mentor,Sunil Kumar Jain, who

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Mr. Raunak Jain Managing Director, Tula’s International School

We believe in offering our students beyond the four walls of classroom, holistic academic excellence through quality education, learning experience, and fostering these in them

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has been an educationisthis entire life andcontinues to motivate and supportRaunak on his leadership journey.

Raunak met his second source of inspiration, the Vice-Chancellor of Banasthali University, Late Aditya Shastri, through his father’s priceless guidance.Shastri was a visionary who wanted to provide a global platform specifically for girls by furnishing world-class education, including Aeronautical Sciences, and that too by making it highly affordable. “Apart from my father,Shastri is the one who I consider as one of the significant influencers in my professional life,” statesRaunak. Through their values and teachings,Raunak is making successful strides as a leader in the education industry.

Tula’s International School In 2012, Rishabh Educational Trust established Tula’s International School (TIS) to impart education through seamless opportunities. TIS is a residential co-educational school that is affiliated with the CBSE Board. The school focuses on turning young students

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TIS organizes frequent educational excursions, trips, and outings to expose students to the vibrant world outside their classrooms

into balanced and analytical individuals and, at the same time, provides them with an atmosphere where education is balanced and rewarding.Raunak says, “We believe in offering our students beyond the four walls of classroom, holistic academic excellence through quality education, learning experience, and fostering these in them.”

During the pandemic, when most educational institutions struggled to cope, TIS was able to attain the transition with the creative and innovative learning approach, incorporating both online and offline activities through its safe and secure online platform. Through its virtual classes, each student was connected with classmates and mentors for truly personalized learning.

TIS conducted webinars with various colleges for higher classes, including the College of California USA, College of Canyons USA, University of Victoria Canada, the University of Ottawa Canada, and the University of IT Andrews Scotland.

Promoting Innovation & Creativity In & Beyond Classrooms Innovation and creativity are fundamental to all academic disciplines and educational activities today.Raunak says, “We offer state-of-the-art facilities, a modern curriculum, and an advanced school mission based around energized and engrossed learning that lets students take ownership

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of their future.” The school delivers an excellent opportunity for students to be inquisitive, develop creativity and sharpen their talents in innovation. Students have access to modern technology in information, design, art & craft, music, 15+Olympic sports, and day-to-day learning.

Besides this, TIS also organizes frequent educational excursions, trips, and outings to expose students to the vibrant world outside their classrooms. These activities keep the students engaged and committed tolearning.

As the Managing Director, Raunak ensures students stay attentive and engaged in their learning process and that various planned projects are progressing at a good pace

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Active Involvement of Parents in Education Successful involvement of parents in education leads to students’ success. TIS understands this and therefore engages each parent in their child’s entire learning and school life.

It conducts regular parent-teacher meetings where each student’s academic and co-curricular progress is discussed on a one-to-one basis. Likewise, seminars, field trips, and schoolbased activities are also organized to get parents involved.

Moreover, teachers and the administrative staff at TIS are always ready to assist or discuss any issues about students’ wellbeing.Raunak says that TIS is a complete family, and its parent community plays a significant role in the joy and success of the school.Parents and other family members are also invited to attend and participate in annual functions and school activities.

107 Staying Ahead of Time with Effective Planning As the Managing Director,Raunak ensures students stay attentive and engaged in their learning process and that various planned projects are progressing at a good pace.

Raunak also likes to meticulously plan his work and assignments ahead of time. At TIS, he conducts daily meetings with his team to discuss the work updates and status of weekly goals. This keeps the team motivated and determined to achieve their goals. Raunak makes certain that essential communications are conducted via emails and in-person meetings on the administrative front.

“Whenever I am in a stressful position, I usually pause to take a step back and allow myself some time to contemplate, prepare and prioritize my work objectives. For me, trying and responding to situations rather than taking stress allows me to manage stressful circumstances considerably better,” sharesRaunak.

Moreover, his practical communication skill acts as a stress buster for others and him.Raunak also takes time from his busy schedule to catch up on the dynamic education trends and news to present what’s best for the students in terms of learning methods. Besides, he communicates with his industry peers on what’s up and coming in the Edtech industry.

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In the coming years, Raunak plans to work on two main goals: Global Co-ed boarding education and infusing academics with career management programs

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As an enthusiastic academic administrator, one change thatRaunak would like to bring to the current education system is to empower the teachers.Raunak feels that if academicians and administrators build teachers’ capacities to formulate and adjust the curriculum to the stipulated requirements and curiousness of scholars, then teachers could be entrusted in creating the type of eminent judgments that can individualize and personalize learning.

Aiming for a Higher Sky In the coming years, Raunak plans to work on two main goals: Global Co-ed boarding education and infusing academics with career management programmes.“In India, the top 10 boarding schools are mostly all-girls or all-boys boarding schools. My plan for Tula’s International School is to take Co-ed boarding education to a global level and make our institution achieve unprecedented heights. Secondly, we are thriving to become an institution where students are not just made to focus on academics but are also guided about their future career prospects, thus maintaining the perfect balance between schooling and career planning,” concludesRaunak.

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Bridging Learning Gaps and Building Conceptual Clarity is the Core of After-School Tutoring Dr Sankar N Krishna, Teacher and VP - Product Development, BYJU’S

Sankar N Krishna is a teacher and VP - Product Development at BYJU’S. Sankar has a PhD in Life Sciences from Northwestern University and came back to India to pursue his passion for teaching. At BYJU’S he teaches Biology and Chemistry for Higher Grades and Science for Grades 6 to 10 on the BYJU’S Learning App. He also leads teams that craft learning experiences, designing curriculum and products across new initiatives at BYJU’S and sister organisations.

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Today, after-school online tutors offer carefully constructed and psychometrically sound tutoring programmes that reinforce concepts during the teaching-learning phase and keep them locked in the students’ minds by designing creative quizzes and tests

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ike most of us, students and parents in India have primarily viewed accessibility and proximity of tuition centres as the key driver of choosing one. However, the pandemic has served as an inflection point, coupled with the phenomenal pace of internet penetration in India, meaning that students can now learn from the best tutors across the country through various edtech platforms right from the comfort of their homes.

The phenomenon of after-school tutoring has become an integral aspect of nurturing a student’s overall academic development. Tuition centres, coaching classes, tutorials — everybody is familiar with some variant of the terminology attached to after-school tutoring.

While it helps students reinforce the concepts introduced to them in their school classroom, tutors also guide students towards bettering their academic performance with the help of their defined expertise in the subjects. In addition, after-school tutoring is particularly effective in improving students’ academic grades and confidence due to being smaller in size than a typical classroom.

Building the bridge between students and learning Studies show that one of the biggest reasons students feel alienated from learning is poor interactions between students and teachers. However, with online after-school tuition, there is more emphasis on a personalised style of education that benefits the student tremendously as they respond better to a teacher tailored to their academic requirements in terms of temperament and tutoring style.

Finding the right tutor, one that can engage and inspire, can make a big difference for the learner. Students and their tutors can work much more closely and help each other understand and solve potential pain points.

Today, after-school online tutors offer carefully constructed and psychometrically sound tutoring programmes that reinforce concepts during the teachinglearning phase and keep them locked in the students’ minds by designing creative quizzes and tests.

Additionally, individual students benefit from smaller class sizes as they can work much more closely and develop stronger relationships than would otherwise be possible in a larger class.

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Going the extra mile to provide students with afterschool academic care, BYJU’S new online tuition offering, BYJU’S Classes, has launched a unique twoteacher feature. With this, students are taught by an expert teacher who uses strong visuals and storytelling to explain topics in-depth to ensure conceptual clarity, while a second teacher solves instant doubts, pays individual attention and makes the sessions interactive and engaging, thus closely simulating the offline classroom environment.

The future of learning is one that allows teachers to use their creative skills to provide opportunities for

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students to learn by incorporating new technologies into their lessons. This new blended method combines classroom and online approaches to education, offering more flexibility to teachers and a richer experience for students—proactive steps like this in the online tutoring segment help in building the bridge between students and learning.

Helping students explore new learning styles The most crucial aspect of after-school tutoring is to ensure students learn new concepts and utilise their time constructively without feeling overburdened or facing

Technology-led offerings and a close studenttutor relationship also help students become more knowledgeable as compared to traditional one-to-many offline tutoring experiences

academic burnout. After-school tutors can help avoid this by using innovative teaching materials and newer learning styles that promote interest amongst students while expanding their mental prowess and providing them with a challenge. With online tutoring, there is the added benefit of using technology and audio-visual techniques to reinforce a concept in a student’s mind, making learning more permanent as students use more than one sense to absorb new information.

Students who attend online tuition classes are in a conducive learning environment as the lessons are often customised to suit their academic pace. They

are also provided with timely quizzes to assess their understanding of the subject matter to gauge their retention of concepts.

One of the most significant advantages of online after-school tutoring is the varied learning styles offered to students. Each student is unique and so is their method of retaining information. In addition, because students work so closely with their tutors, it is easy for them to understand the pace of their students and offer them a way of learning that is best suited to their pace.

Another critical aspect of the teaching-learning process with online after-school tutoring is homework.

While homework and practice sheets are integral to a student’s sustained academic growth, it is one of the most challenging aspects for them to fulfil. Here, a tutor’s help can prove invaluable as they can help keep the students interested and motivated to engage with the subject matter.

Varied learning styles can help students overcome difficulties faced while grasping new concepts. In addition, technology-led offerings and a close studenttutor relationship also help students become more knowledgeable as compared to traditional one-to-many offline tutoring experiences.

An opportunity for tutors The shift to the online mode of communication brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic induced lockdown has been a massive change for both students and teachers.

Over the last few months, teachers have adapted to their changing roles as mentors and communicators.

Teachers have become digitally empowered and have transitioned to the online teaching mode almost overnight; they have genuinely embraced technology as they help their students navigate this pandemic through a virtual medium.

This has led to steady growth in the online tutoring community. Countries like India have a large talent pool of teachers, especially qualified women, who have been largely underemployed. With online-tutoring growing, these tutors now have the opportunity to reach millions of students. Additionally, new tutors bring fresh perspectives that can help students develop greater conceptual clarity — an aspect that constitutes the core of after-school tutoring.

The importance of home-based after-school learning has now come to the forefront and digital learning is seeing increased adoption. Newer dimensions and different and dynamic elements to teaching and learning are helping bridge learning gaps for students.

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LEADERS IN EDUCATION

Prof. Suman Chatterjee Registrar, Sister Nivedita University

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Grooming Pupils to Become Future Industry Leaders

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nown as the youth icon of India, Swami Vivekananda was an advocate of self-education. For him, education was not only a collection of information but something more meaningful; he felt education should be man-making, life-giving, and characterbuilding. Swami Vivekananda’s philosophy and leadership style left an indelible mark on Prof. Suman Chatterjee, Registrar, Sister Nivedita University and Chatterjee on a path dedicated to make a difference.

A journey from a Mathematician to The Registrar Prof Chatterjee completed his schooling at Ramakrishna Mission Vidyapith, Deogarh. His early days were spent with monks of the Mission appreciate and imbibe values of generosity, strength of character and humility.

Later, Prof. Chatterjee went on to graduate from Calcutta University. It was this University, the strong focus on academics along with values imparted by professors, became the key factors behind Prof Chatterjee’s successful career as a mathematician and in later years, a Leader. “Being a mathematician at core, at heart and by profession, I take pride in saying that my calculations, meticulous

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Prof. Suman Chatterjee Registrar, Sister Nivedita University

As a mathematician by heart and profession, I take pride in saying that my calculations, assumptions and hard work have made me what I am today

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observations and assumptions coupled with dedication hard work have made me what I am today,” humbly asserts Prof. Chatterjee.

Sharing his vision for education, Prof Suman reveals, “My attempt is to bring about an amalgamation of both the Industry and Academia for the education sector.” He is fulfilling his vision of bringing about this synergy to the best of his capacity. As the First Registrar of SNU and a thoroughbred academician he is focused preparing his students for a brighter tomorrow.

A Leader Overcoming Challenges Prof. Chatterjee feels that everyone faces pitfalls and challenges at some point or the other in life. People, however, should learn and grow out of them. “The biggest mistake would be to not try anything new because of the fear of making mistakes,” Prof Chatterjee expressed his belief. He, therefore, advises his students to never shy away from making mistakes out of fear but learn to face it head-on.

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Prof. Suman and the management at SNU provide a healthy and value-based environment where students’ overall development is focused

117 With time, Prof. Chatterjee, has also learnt the value and importance of saying “No”, of not giving in to pressure.’. He strongly feels that one must know how to say “No”, even to their superiors. Our decisions should be based on a reasoning rather than fear. During the initial days of his career, it was difficult for Chatterjee to refuse people too, but later, after learning the art, it brought him peace and sorted his professional life for the better.

Prof. Chatterjee has always believed that a leader is someone who creates new leaders and ensures an ambience of comfort for their employees and other stakeholders. He says, “Here at SNU, I try to bring about a environ discussion, brainstorming, communication along with friendship and compassion that promises for the growth of every individual and in turn the organisation.”

Prof. Suman is considered a problem-solver and friendly leader among his peers and students. He motivates his juniors and students to work hard, become good humans, inculcate discipline, respect seniors and take up every challenge with courage and sincerity.

Fulfilling the Roles & Responsibilities “I hold the responsibility of keeping our stakeholders in an encouraging situation and streamlining the functions

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Guided by a strong vision, Sister Nivedita University aspires to provide a transformative impact on society through its inclusiveness and continuous innovation in education that encourages creativity, entrepreneurship, and research

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of the University to run more smoothly,” adds Prof Suman.

To achieve this, Prof. Chatterjee and the management at SNU provide a healthy and value-based environment where students’ overall development is focused upon. Students are taught to become responsible citizens and encouraged to develop a strong sense of professionalism.

SNU has constructed workrooms with high-end facilities and collaborated with several National & International Institutions and organisations for enhancing the real-world cognisance. This helps students and aspirants to comprehend the professional and corporate world better or become successful entrepreneurs, and in turn create several opportunities for the forthcoming generations.

At the University, Prof. Suman’s typical day entails handling the academic and administrative decisions,

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prolonged meetings, discussions, projects, a mug of coffee, vital decisions, and the list. “As a registrar, I believe in being honest to my student. Their smile, satisfaction, and good results take away all the stress and strain,” smilingly adds Prof Suman.

Sister Nivedita University Sister Nivedita University (SNU) at New Town, Kolkata, was established by enacting The Sister Nivedita University Act, 2017. SNU, being unique of its own kind, is built on the path of Sister Nivedita, blessed under the shadow of Swami Vivekananda.

Guided by a strong vision, Sister Nivedita University aspires to provide a transformative impact on society through its inclusiveness and continuous innovation in

education that encourages creativity, entrepreneurship, and research.

Currently, SNU offers educational programs and research in a wide array of subjects, under disciplines like Engineering and Technology, Science, Medicine, Management, Law, Humanities, Language and Literature, Pharmacy, Architecture, Social Sciences, Education, Performing Arts, Sports, Media, Design, etc.

Present & Future Prospects of SNU Shedding light on SNU’s current plans, Prof. Suman reveals, “We are presently working to develop and train our students to become successful entrepreneurs by providing them adequate facilities and support and enabling digitisation of work process.”

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In the coming years, Prof. Suman and the management is aiming to make SNU the most digitally enabled University of International repute, with the best infrastructure and research centres

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In the coming years, Prof. Suman and the management is aiming to make SNU the most digitally enabled University of International repute, with the best infrastructure and research centres. Together, the long-term plan for the management & students is to fulfil the vision and mission of SNU in the best possible way.

A New Approach Needed in Education Prof. Chatterjee senses that a student-oriented approach in the modern educational system is the need of the hour. He further says that change is the only constant, so educators and administrators should embrace new technology and methods of teaching-learning process infused with our ancient values and teachings. This can be made possible via new courses, new placements avenues, and an innovative approach towards student management in keeping pace with the current times.

“Every student is important irrespective of their learning capabilities and intelligence, and everyone deserves our special undivided, undiluted attention. We will hold their hands till the very end of their campus life and lead them to a very promising future,” sums up Prof. Suman.

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Edtech Trends to Watch Out For in 2022 122 Amol Ghemud, Founder & CEO, UpGrowth

Amol Ghemud is the Co-Founder and Optimizer-in-Chief at upGrowth, a Pune-based growth marketing consultancy.

A serial entrepreneur, he uses his past experience as a founder to catalyse business growth for businesses using strategic & datadriven methodologies. With a decade of experience in the field of marketing, he has donned multiple hats, from channel optimization, data analytics and creative brand positioning to growth engineering and sales. He helps companies evolve and adjust to the new digital landscape, and has improved business performance for clients in diverse industries, from consumer tech to healthcare fintech, edtech and e-commerce.

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From rural schools to urban ones, educators are taking a blended approach and combining traditional, tactile tools and methods with online learning and digital properties

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f the buzz and success around Byju’s and Goa-based startup Stoa School is anything to go by, it’s clear that the edtech space is only going to get bigger and more diverse from here on.

Byju’s brought app-based learning to millions, while Stoa challenges the traditional MBA with an accelerated and economical course that gives students the skills they need to succeed in a startup. Both target vastly different learners who are eager to purchase their offerings.

Edtech isn’t going anywhere in the years ahead and is likely to diversify and make use of newer tools and techniques to cater to a learning ecosystem that is in flux. These are some of the trends we see our clients and other edtech companies picking up on for 2022.

Blended Learning From rural schools to urban ones, educators are taking a blended approach and combining traditional, tactile tools and methods with online learning and digital properties. Both these methods have their cons when

used exclusively, so taking a blended approach allows students to take in the benefits of both. Using the best of both these methods is called blended education and it’s likely to see more adoption in the year ahead.

Pratham, a non-profit organization that works in the field of rural education, launched its PraDigi initiative that takes digital tablets with learning materials, videos, lessons and games to rural areas. This gives rural learners an opportunity to experience digital learning in addition to the stand and deliver teacher model.

Digital Textbooks Digital textbooks are likely to become more popular amongst students who have access to them. As learning moves online and remote because of the pressures of the pandemic, digital textbooks serve as an easy, all-in-one tool for learning and research.

They are accessible to students anytime and anywhere, and students can highlight and find what they are looking for with ease. And, they give students the

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practical and experimental, with an increase in on-thefield or non-theoretical education assessments.

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Gamification and VR have become popular ways to engage customers and potential customers for businesses — but it’s also an effective way to get students to learn more and have fun while they are at it

ease of searching for meanings, listening to audio clips and more, while reading.

Evaluation Methods The Indian model of education is still focused on rote learning and the primary method of evaluation is via written examinations. As learning becomes more technology-driven, methods of evaluation are also set to change and move away from writing on reams of paper.

During a written exam, the onus is on the student to learn a theory and replicate what it means, on paper.

Practical knowledge is not put to test. Going ahead, evaluations are likely to become more project-based,

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Gamification and VR Gamification and VR have become popular ways to engage customers and potential customers for businesses — but it’s also an effective way to get students to learn more and have fun while they are at it.

Gamification involves using traditional game elements like points, badges and levels to engage learners during a lesson or session. You may not need to develop a game with characters and levels, but you can add certain gaming features to create a quiz or indicate a student’s progress within a module or chapter.

Gamified models also give educators a chance to assess learn more about their students, by collecting, saving, and analyzing data from users’ actions. Gamification is a great way to make activities engaging, fun and build confidence as students learn.

VR or virtual reality technology puts students in positions where they are able to experience situations and simulations, which in turn helps them absorb materials faster. The application of VR and AR (augmented reality) is expected to surge in the coming years. These technologies can enhance learning across the education spectrum and give students opportunities to experience immersive learning.

Lifelong Professional Learning The past decade has seen online MOOCs explode, for any and every kind of profession. As technology catches up with us, it’s becoming essential for professionals at every stage of their careers to acquire new skills and upgrade existing ones.

Universities at the moment do not upgrade their syllabus at the speed with which the market and technology are moving. Students and professionals, on the other hand, need knowledge that is practical and future-proof. Edtech is the answer, with courses that are relevant to the time and market, which are practical, shorter and economical.

The trend of lifelong learning will continue and gain steam, with more platforms offering sector-specific courses for professionals at all stages. (The popularity of platforms like Coursera, Skillshare, Masterclass and Domestic are proof that people are willing to invest in short specialized courses that impart skills that can help them get ahead at work.)

So whether you are a learner or an educator, these are some of the trends you may see (and want to incorporate) in the new year!

No matter where you decide to go in India, you’ll find something incredible. And right next to that, you’ll find us. Safe and sanitised stays, waiting to host you.

So pack up your bags, dust those boots, come to an OYO near you.

!ncredible

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