Education Insider

RNI No: 114514 KERENG/2012/41957

EXPERT INTERVIEW: V JOTHISH KUMAR, HAVELLS INDIA

Maintain quality in school system

August 2012 l `50

Dr Shashi Tharoor

COUNTERPOINT

Prashant Bhushan

www.educationinsider.net

CAMPUS FOCUS

NMIMS, Mumbai

EXPERT TALK

Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw

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Conflicts vs Education Conflicts are stifling educational missions, keeping millions out of schools. Yet, there is a silver lining in a few war-torn zones

21st – 23rd November 2012

Dubai International Convention & Exhibition Centre Dubai, UAE

Volume 1 Issue 5 | August 2012 Editor Ravi Deecee Associate Editor T N Shaji Deputy News Editor Sanjeev Neelakantan Chief Sub Editor Dipin Damodharan Senior Reporters Lakshmi Narayanan Prashob K P Shani K Sreekanth Ravindran RESPONSE TEAM Coordinating Editor Sumithra Sathyan Special Correspondent Ziad Siddque Reporter Tony William Design & Layout Kailasnath Anil P John

BUSINESS Head - Business M Kumar ADVT SALES Senior Managers Kainakari Shibu Rajasree Varma Anu P M Biju P Alex K S Syam Kumar Managers Febin K Francis Bipin Kumar VS MARKETING Sr Manager Sabu Varghese Mathew Assistant Managers Priya P A Mobin E Mathew Rimshith Jaleel Circulation Athul P M Sone Varghese

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EDITOR’S NOTE

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Education needs a break from conflicts

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ankind has always been encountering conflicts of varied kinds. Battling internal and external conflicts and emerging triumphant out of each hurdle, man makes corrections in the social fabric and gives it a finer character. When it comes to education, history serves as the best teacher, reminding students time and again the futility of conflicts, wars and unrest. However, given the varied hues of social, political and economic tensions in different nooks and crannies of the world, education seems to be on the losing side, especially when the cognitive environment of a person is such that it hinders his internal growth and development.

In this issue, we focus on education in those areas of the world that are globally identified as conflict zones. According to statistics, more than 32 countries have been recognised as conflict zones owing to their location in politically sensitive spots. These countries face constant wars and invasions due to social, political, economic and cultural deadlocks, and due to this, there is a total disarray in the conditions of living, leading to an unprecedented scale of displacement of people. Education in such a scenario may seem like a miniature problem. At a national level, this might not be of immediate concern to us, but as far as the global strides in terms of development is concerned, paying curative attention to the scenarios in these conflictridden regions is of great importance. For, national economies are interlinked and form an interdependent network of the global economy. Even a small crisis at one place can create a devastating impact on the progress of the world.

It is in this light that Education Insider tries to take a look at the education scene in the world’s conflict zones. We believe that global attention should be invited to the inadequacies and handicaps in the education sector in these regions. Through our detailed reports and interviews, we have strived to present a comprehensive picture of the state of education in conflict zones.

Education should be accessible to all, irrespective of caste, creed, race, religion, and social or economic status. We hope that the conflicting parties will realise their follies some day and make way for the rise of education, the basic right of each and every individual.

EDUCATION INSIDER I August 2012

CONTENTS

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COVER STORY

The whipping boys of unrest Conflicts always leads to displacement of a normal life, and education is no exception. About 28 million children of primary school age in 35 conflict-affected countries are out of school. Yet, education, the basic right of a human being, in conflict zones is hanging by the skin of its teeth

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COUNTERPOINT

Prashant Bhushan

Prashant Bhushan, a close associate of social crusader Anna Hazare, says education cannot survive in a system plagued by corruption in any form

American University of Afghanistan gives hope C Michael Smith President, AUAF

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SPECIAL STORY

Sabriye Tenberken

Sabriye Tenberken of Germany is a writer, social changemaker, motivator, educationist and entrepreneur. She gives out light from a life of darkness

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EXPERT TALK

Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw CMD, Biocon

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EXPERT INTERVIEW

V Jothish Kumar

EDUCATION INSIDER I August 2012

CONTENTS

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CAMPUS FOCUS

University of Windsor

The University of Windsor has a student population of 90% Canadians and 10% foreign students. With nine distinct faculties, this university is famous for research programmes in various disciplines

55 46

BRAINWAVE Beena Paul

INDIAN CAMPUS

IFFK organiser says FTII’s standards have declined

NMIMS, Mumbai

EDUPRENEUR

Chhagan Bhujbal

MET, Mumbai

Columns 44 I Dr B Ashok, IAS 64 I Dr T P Sethumadhavan

EDUCATION INSIDER I August 2012

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MAIL BOX

Scan the QR code with your smart phone to reach us online

More information required on International Civil Services I am a regular reader of Education Insider.

Last issue’s cover story on civil services was a comprehensive package. However, you could have provided more information on International Civil services as there are many in our country who aspire to pursue a career with the UN and its subsidiary bodies. You could also have mentioned the number of vacancies that exist under the quota system, which is used by the United Nations to recruit employees from its member countries.

Reshmi Radhakrishnan, Adoor, Kerala

Rajiv Malhotra’s interview relevant It was good to see the interview of renowned Indian-American author, Rajiv Malhotra in a magazine like Education Insider. He had rightly pointed out how the pseudo-secular intellectuals are trying to tamper with the values of the education system.

Ananya, Bengaluru

Inspiring Cover Story The Cover Story in the July edition of Education Insider, titled ‘Civil Services Beckon’, especially the interview with IAS officer Raju Narayana Swamy, was really good. He is an inspiration for students who aspire to become civil servants.

C Arjun, Chennai

TKM College, simply the best I am an alumnus of TKM Engineering College, Kollam, a chemical engineer currently working in the US. I think we all must be proud of the fact that our society has produced great visionaries like Thangal Kunju Musaliyar.

TV Joseph, Nevada, USA

Basic sciences neglected I happened to read the May edition of Education Insider. It was really a good issue.

I hope the magazine reaches maximum number of parents, teachers, managements and students. Today, basic sciences, arts and pedagogical courses are not being given due importance. A specialisation is a must, but it should not be at the cost of basic or principal sciences. Even specialist researchers depend on principal subject findings. Although the number of students seeking admissions in graduate and PG courses under various science streams is encouraging, only a small percentage of the young scholars contribute to research.

The best of pupils get attracted by specialised/super-specialised areas of study just because of the hefty pay packages offered by a given company. In most cases, their attitudes and aptitudes are not honestly evaluated. I hope you can request career gurus to contribute to this cause, analysing why many parents do not consider basic courses as essential in the development of an individual. Parents and teachers should be motivated to encourage students to opt for principal subjects.

C P Unnikrishnan, Cochin, Kerala

E-MAIL YOUR LETTERS TO: editorial@dcmedia.in FAX THEM TO: 0484 4021 145 OR WRITE TO DC MEDIA, DC Books Pvt Ltd, 234/C, Adjacent to YMCA, Chittoor Road, Cochin-35, Kerala, India

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EDUCATION INSIDER I August 2012

NEWS PICKS

First woman to head AU Commission ADDIS ABABA: South African Home Affairs Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma won the tight race for the African Union Commission Presidency, clinching 37 votes against Jean Ping of Gabon. There were loud celebrations inside the hall where some 51 African leaders gathered to cast votes for the next leader of the AU Commission, after a six-month deadlock.

Ban on 8-year plus expat students in Saudi Arabia RIYADH: Saudi Arabia has banned foreign students exceeding eight years from joining government schools from the next academic year. In a circular, the Ministry of Education has informed all public schools in the conservative Gulf Kingdom not to accept expatriate students aged above eight years. However, the ministry sources declined to give explanation for the decision. Nearly eight million expatriates live in Saudi Arabia, accounting for around 30 per cent of the total population of 27 million.

IIM-A alumnus to serve Yale’s B school WASHINGTON: The prestigious Yale School of Management has appointed Indian American professor Anjani Jain as Senior Associate Dean for its full-time MBA programme. Jain, an Indian Institute of ManagementAhmedabad graduate, has served in multiple leadership roles earlier at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. In her new role, Jain will focus on Yale’s flagship full-time MBA programme, assuming the lead responsibility for admissions, career development, and student and academic services.

Dubai’s new initiatives for nurses’ education DUBAI: The Dubai government has launched a new educational initiative, enabling working nurses to pursue higher education without leaving their jobs. The Dubai Health Authority

India’s poor show in QS rankings HONGKONG: Barring the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Bombay, and IIT, Delhi, most Indian institutes and universities have fared poorly in the QS’s latest Asian University rankings.

The two IITs are the only Indian institutes that have improved their overall rankings over last year. While IIT Bombay is up by four notches (from 38 to 34 in 2012), IIT Delhi is up from 37 to 36 this year. QS is one of the world’s leading networks in career and education. While no Indian institute has made it to the top 30 in overall rankings, only four have made it to the top 50 among 300 Asian institutes this year.

EDUCATION INSIDER I August 2012

has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the University of Bradford, UK, to provide nurses an opportunity to obtain a bachelor’s degree within one year. Qadhi Saeed-alMurooshid, Director-General of Dubai Health Authority, has said that the government will help the nurses in career development.

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NEWS PICKS

Girls all the way at IIM-L

LUCKNOW: Indian Institute of Management-Lucknow has witnessed a record increase in the number of girl students during this academic year. The institute has witnessed a record increase in the fairer sex - a total of 144 (35.4 per cent) female students have been inducted this year in the post-graduate programme in management and 23 (50 per cent) in agri-business management. Students from diverse fields like medicine, pharmacy and even food technology are a part of the present batch.

TIPS acquires LA School CHENNAI: Tamil Nadubased The Indian Public School (TIPS), which currently operates a chain of international baccalaureate schools in India with over 5,000 students, has acquired South Hill Academy, Los Angeles, US, for $10 million as part of its strategy to create a truly global network of international schools. TIPS has floated a 100 per cent-owned subsidiary in the US to own and operate TIPS South Hill Academy.

‘Disclose prelims’ marks’

Thai cops to handle classrooms BANGKOK: The Education Ministry of Thailand has decided to depute a few police officers for conducting classes at schools in order to prevent brawls and violence between students. “An initiative like this has proved successful in Taiwan,” Education Minister Suchart Tadathamrongvej informed the press. This decision is in the light of increasing violence among schoolchildren in the past few years.

£75 million donation to Oxford

NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court has directed the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) to disclose the marks obtained by candidates in the 2010 civil services preliminary examination. A Bench of Acting Chief Justice A K Sikri and Justice Rajiv Sahai Endlaw gave the ruling, dismissing UPSC’s appeal against a single judge order to disclose the marks, albeit only of successful candidates in the 2010 preliminary exam.

LONDON: Venture capitalist Michael Moritz has donated more than $116 million to the University of Oxford — an unusually large gift for a UK institution. Fifty seven-yearold Moritz ranks 273rd in the “Forbes 400” list of the richest people in America, with a $1.7 billion net worth. British universities are increasingly relying on private contributions these days.

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EDUCATION INSIDER I August 2012

NEWS PLUS

Row over British tuition fee overhaul LONDON: The British government’s decision to cut direct government funding for universities and introduce a threefold increase in tuition fee has invited the ire of both the students and the academia.

This overhaul will lead to an increase in the annual fee ceiling at government-funded universities from £3,290 to £9,000, starting this September.

Shabana Mahmood, the Labour Party’s shadow minister for higher education, is particularly concerned as this decision would only help unscrupulous private providers, who may derive advantage by offering a low-cost alternative.

With this overhaul, analysts observe that Britain may follow the example of the US, where the entry of for-profit schools into the market saw many students with little prospect of ever graduating ending up in massive debts in return for little.

Another shift came in June when the government announced measures designed to make it easier for smaller schools to qualify for the title of “university,” and for there to be a level playing field among different higher education providers. It will allow students at some private institutions — which can charge more than the £9,000 — access to government-guaranteed loans. These could be for anything from music institutes to for-profit colleges.

The scope and speed of changes have caused considerable anxiety. So when David Willetts, the British minister for higher

education, stepped up to the lectern at the annual conference of the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) for Higher Education in June, he tried his best to be reassuring. The QAA, an independent non-profit organisation in charge of regulating quality at British universities, has been given a new set of responsibilities by the government. Now, all universities who want their students to be eligible for government loans have to satisfy QAA inspectors, placing a burden on an organisation that only four years ago was described by the chair of a House of Commons committee as “a toothless old dog.” More recently, the QAA has also become more rigorous, particularly in inspecting overseas programmes.

Student protests in Sudan over inflation KHARTOUM: Armed with sticks and stones, Sudanese university students staged their largest protest against inflationary trends earlier this month.

According to witnesses, security forces fired tear gas shells to quell violent protests by students of the University of Khartoum.

The students were shouting and throwing stones at government institutions. According to human rights groups, scores of students have been detained ever since protests against high food prices began on the premises of the university. After Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir announced austerity measures, including EDUCATION INSIDER I August 2012

tax hikes and an end to cheap fuel, scattered protests across the country spread to include a cross-section of people around the capital and in other parts of Sudan.

Protesters are calling for an end to Bashir’s 23-year regime. But al-Bashir has dubbed the demonstrations as “small-scale” and denied that it is not comparable to the Arab Spring uprisings in Egypt and elsewhere. He maintained that his popularity is absolute across the nation. He dismissed opposition calls for a popular uprising in the African country, saying only “a burning hot summer” awaits his enemies.

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NEWS PLUS

Bihar to get second Central University NEW DELHI: The Human Resource Development Ministry has decided to set up a Central University in Motihari district of Bihar, apart from the one proposed in Gaya. This is the second time that the Union government has made an exception to the rule. Jammu and Kashmir is the first state to have benefitted from two Central Universities.

According to ministry sources, there would be no additional allocation for Bihar, and the Rs 240-crore allocation meant for establishment of the two Central Universities would have to be divided.

Union Minister for Human Resource Development Kapil Sibal said that the campus in Motihari would be adjacent to an upcoming national highway and its completion would reduce the travel time to and from Patna by two-and-a-half hours.

Observers say that it seems

to be the UPA government’s way of thanking Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for his support to Pranab Mukherjee for Presidency. Kumar and his Janata Dal (United) are backing the former Finance Minister, instead of the BJP-led NDA’s official candidate Purno Sangma. The BJP is an ally in the Nitish Kumar-led government in Bihar.

Kumar hoped that the Centre will also consider the long-pending demand to make Patna University a Central University too.

“I widely welcome the decision of opening two central universities in Bihar,” he said.

The Centre had also agreed to build a Rs 2,000-crore bridge on the Ganga River near Patna, which will be constructed under the Public-Private Partnership mode. Bihar’s backward area grant fund has also been raised from Rs 1,000 crore to Rs 4,000 crore.

500 e-classrooms for KVs NEW DELHI: With the introduction of a pilot project involving creation of 500 e-classrooms across 50 schools, Kendriya Vidyalayas (KVs) will provide an ICT-enabled learning environment. The estimated cost of the 500 e-classrooms would be Rs 10 crore.

KVs already boast of one of the highest student-computer ratio. The Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (KVS) plans to provide tablets to students from Class IX onwards from 2013. By improving its presence from 20 schools in 1962-63 to 1,087 in 2012, KVs are teaching over 1.05 million students across India. KVs have been one of the best performers in the CBSE Board exams. They will now be adding another feather to their cap.

“Although we have one computer for 22 students, the computers are present only in the laboratories. The idea is to use technology in

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classrooms to enhance the learning process.

The e-classroom pilot project will start from August this year — one section from classes III to XII across 50 schools will be equipped with computers, projectors, interactive white boards and internet connectivity,” said Avinash Dikshit, Commissioner, KVS. While the pilot run of e-classrooms is being restricted to bigger schools (with three sections in each class), 700 other schools are being identified where mobile multimedia devices will be used as projectors in classrooms. So far, 28,000 teachers have been equipped with ICT skills by Intel and Oracle. “We are also giving 90% interest-free loans to teachers for purchasing laptops,” said Dikshit.

Teachers across 300 KVs are already being given an electronic comprehensive teaching learning tool or a digital teacher’s diary to help them plan what they will teach.

EDUCATION INSIDER I August 2012

YOUNG ACHIEVERS

High honour for shutterbug

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hotography is a passion for the 17-year-old American girl Brianna Robinson. A senior at Mallard Creek High School in Charlotte, North Carolina, Brianna is one of the 15 students in the country to receive a portfolio gold medal in the 2012 Scholastic Art and Writing Awards. Being fervent about photography, she used to spend a better part of the day with cameras and lenses, giving priority to research in her favourite subject, fashion photography. Brianna has been analysing fashion photography by viewing films and carefully studying various aspects of lighting and angles. That’s how she became a master of photography at the age of 17. Creating her own art for the portfolio photography was a challenge for her, but with a keen mind and dedication, she came up trumps.

Brianna has also received a $10,000 scholarship. Brianna gets her inspiration from her favourite artist Andy Warhol, who had also once received the portfolio gold medal in the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards.

Victorious community leader

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ictor Victor is a victorious young community leader.

The 19-year-old Sudanese-born Dandenong resident, a refugee who arrived in Australia in 2003, has been named the Victorian Young Achiever of the Year for his community and public service. The accolade follows Victor’s naming as the 2012 Greater Dandenong Young Achiever of the Year.

Through his community work, he aims to help young refugees and is developing the Sudanese Australian Youth Action Group.

“It’s a youth initiated group, so we go out and speak to the young people about the issues they are facing,” says Victor. He says refugees are discriminated against, but it is important to remember that ‘we are all human beings’.

A camera can click wonders

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hen Sandeep Maheshwari started to make a living through photography in 2000, his friends and relatives mocked him for being a ‘wedding photographer’. But his addiction to photography took him to greater heights, making him the CEO of Images Bazaar, the world’s largest collection of Indian images. Today, he is the employer of more than 10,400 photographers. The idea for Image Bazaar originated in Sandeep’s mind when he was asked to take photographs for an advertising agency. With more than 10 lakh photographs, videos and illustrations, and 3D imaginary shots, Image Bazaar is the favorite e-shopping centre for advertising agencies and publishing media. It is one of the biggest image sellers, with revenue shooting up at a rate of 4000 per cent over the last four years.

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EDUCATION INSIDER I August 2012

PERSONALITIES George Entwistle

A trainee’s journey to

BBC’s top order Twenty-three years ago, George Entwistle was a promising writer when he had joined the world’s largest broadcaster, the British Broadcasting Corporation, as a trainee journalist. He still has the creative edge of his boyish years. And one look at the chequered career of Entwistle will make you realise that he is indeed the right choice for the BBC’s top post of Director General

By Our Correspondent

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veryone loves to transpose themselves into the position of a journalist and look at various news developments with a probing eye. That’s one reason why people keep a track of well-respected journalists. Here’s an interesting story of a man who had joined the world’s largest broadcaster, the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), as a trainee journalist a little over two decades ago.

Over the years, his craft had helped him join the higher ranks of broadcast journalists, and today, he has been appointed as the next Director General of the BBC. The man being talked about is George Entwistle. Currently, the Director of BBC Vision, Entwistle will succeed BBC’s outgoing Director General Mark Thompson on September 17 this year.

BBC Trust, a panel from the governing body of the BBC, led by Chairman Lord Patten, had selected Entwistle to the channel’s key post. Lord Patten described Entwistle as ‘a creative leader for a creative organisation’. This appointment makes him Britain’s most powerful broadcaster.

After graduating in politics and philosophy from Durham University of the UK, Entwistle had entered the BBC at the age of 27, after a five-year stint as a writer and editor at Haymarket Magazines. Now, at 50, he will be one of the highest paid mediapersons in the world, with a salary of £450,000 (Rs 35.4 million). But his salary would be lower than the outgoing Director since the BBC has resorted to a cost reduction procedure.

The newly-appointed Director General’s prime focus is to spread the BBC’s fame across the world. Being described as

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I’m delighted the Chairman and Trustees think I’m the right person for the job. Mark Thompson will be a tough act to follow. But it’s a privilege to be asked to lead the greatest broadcasting organisation in the world and a privilege to be able to continue to serve our audiences in this new role the ‘loyal soldier’ of the channel, he had served as the Head and Commissioning Editor of TV Current Affairs, Acting Controller of BBC4 before being appointed as the Director of BBC Vision last year. He is also the man behind the channel’s hit programmes ‘Call the Midwife’, ‘Birdsong’, and ‘Frozen Planet’ etc.

“I’m delighted the Chairman and Trustees think I’m the right person for the job. Mark Thompson will be a tough act to follow. But it’s a privilege to be asked to lead the greatest broadcasting organisation in the world and a privilege to be able to continue to serve our audiences in this new role,” Entwistle told the media soon after his appointment.

Everyone in the industry hopes that Entwistle will make and deliver great programmes.

EDUCATION INSIDER I August 2012

Chhagan Bhujbal EDUPRENEUR

Cares for holistic education

Chhagan Bhujbal, the Founder Chairman of Mumbai Educational Trust, wants to involve the youth in social programmes and transform them into complete human beings, making them reach out to the poor

By Sreekanth Ravindran

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ike all educationists who have laid the foundation for the nation’s great future, Founder Chairman of Mumbai Educational Trust (MET), Chhagan Bhujbal, believes that holistic education is the only way ahead to surmount challenges that undermine our country’s prospects.

Chhagan Bhujbal, Founder Chairman, Mumbai Educational Trust

EDUCATION INSIDER I August 2012

Established in 1989, the objective of MET has been to evolve, develop and deliver dynamic learning systems that will equip professionals with conscience and commitment towards excellence.

“Visionary leaders and statesmen have always emphasised on the value of education and meritocracy, in our country. Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru laid the foundation by establishing IITs, Indian Institute of Science, BARC, AIIMS and many such schools of excellence, so as to help build a firm foundation for a knowledge society,” points out Bhujbal, adding that India’s higher educational sector will witness an annual growth that would exceed 25 per cent.

Emphasising the need to improve functional literacy, this mechanical engineer observes that access to education, from the primary to post-graduation levels, appears to be the critical differentiator between the developed and the developing/under-developed areas of the country.

“Education is the movement from darkness to light. At MET, students are being trained to take on the challenge, at

home and abroad, without being unduly burdened by the negativities encountered in performing the task, in the line of duty,” he explains.

Bhujbal shares Mahatma Gandhi’s view that India’s heart lies in its interiors.

With this in mind, MET has set up its second campus in Nashik, in an attempt to deliver excellence to the rural and remote areas. “We, at MET, encourage our students to take up voluntarily services in rural and tribal areas. Their involvement with our SEVA Project, for uplifting the tribals at Waliv and Nandgaon, has undoubtedly brought them closer to the ‘litmus test’ of Gandhiji, who had urged us to help the most downtrodden.

Such programmes will definitely give our students an edge to understand the sensitivities of the underprivileged sections of society,” he adds.

MET League of Colleges Bhujbal Knowledge Centre, Mumbai MET Institute of Management: The institute offers post-graduate programmes with various specialisations, including finance, marketing, human resource management, and international

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EDUPRENEUR Chhagan Bhujbal

business.

Prof Vijay Page, Director General of MET Institute of Management, says, “Perhaps, this is the only business school in the world which has a consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).

“We had hosted three conferences for NGOs, in 2003, 2007 and 2009, to channel them towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals, envisaged by the United Nations. During these conferences, we had proposed that no social programmes would prove successful unless the youth is involved. These proposals were accepted by ECOSOC, which granted us consultative status. Accordingly, every year, our students take up voluntary internships with the United Nations,” explains the professor.

Institute of Management offers a two-year, fulltime Masters in Management Studies (MMS). It is affiliated to the University of Mumbai and approved by the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE). The institute also has three-year, part-time post-graduate programmes with various specialisations.

MET Institute of Mass Media: The institute offers an Advanced Diploma in Mass Media, which is designed to prepare the students for challenges of the real media. The training sharpens and improves students’ ability to handle the uncertainties and pressures of the media world. The emphasis is more on practical training rather than theory and learning by rote. The syllabus has been specially devised after extensive research and discussions with eminent professionals from the industry and invaluable

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feedback from corporations.

MET Asian Management Development Centre: This institute offers eMBA with a unique specialisation in “Digital Business Management”, which encompasses new frontiers of innovative business models, e-commerce, social media management and its effect on futuristic business management. Students are trained in areas such as digital branding, customer relationship management, digital technology and search engine optimisation with the help of latest technologies. eMBA Insurance: In order to shape global insurance professionals, MET has forged a partnership with the Chartered Insurance Institute, London. eMBA-Insurance programme’s technical content has been developed by CII. This, coupled with the management and business modules designed

by MET, will deliver specialised education in an industry that is poised for phenomenal growth. The eMBA-Insurance programme has been recognised by the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority.

MET Institute of Pharmacy: It was established in 1993 with a two-year diploma programme in Pharmacy (D Pharm), recognised by the Directorate of Technical Education. The four-year Bachelor’s programme in Pharmacy (B Pharm), affiliated to Mumbai University, was started in 1994.

This institute has been approved by the Pharmacy Council of India, New Delhi.

MET Institute of Medical Sciences: The Institute conducts government-recognised programmes in Pharmaceutical Business Management and in Technical and Analytical Chemistry - Advanced EDUCATION INSIDER I August 2012

EDUPRENEUR Chhagan Bhujbal Diploma in Pharmaceutical Business Management (ADPBM) and Advanced Diploma in Technical and Analytical Chemistry (ADTAC). The Directorate of Technical Education, Mumbai, approves the institute.

MET Institute of Information Technology: The institute is an authorised study centre of C-DAC, Pune.

The centre conducts courses such as Diploma in Advanced Computing and Diploma in Advanced Computer Arts along with other courses of C-DAC. Apart from these, the trust also runs Institute of Computer Science, Institute of Distance Learning, Institute of Software Development and Research, Institute of Alternate Careers and Institute of International Studies.

MET Rishikul Vidyalaya is a unique school where traditional values are blended with technology in order to provide a holistic and progressive approach to child education. Here, both teachers and parents undergo special training programmes to understand the complexities involved in raising a child and managing their lives.

According to Malika Kotian, school principal, “The vision of MET Rishikul Vidyalaya is to nurture future scientists, to have the heart of an artist and to evolve future artists having the intellect of scientists.”

Knowledge Explorer: Knowledge explorer is the publication division of MET. Through Young Explorer, a children’s magazine with a subscription of more than 20,000 copies across Mumbai, the publication division has gained prominence among the student community.

Young Explorer has been organising several events (workshops, seminars and competitions) amongst different schools in Mumbai, intending to boost the spirits of young participants, and add colour to their otherwise mundane school life.

MET Bhujbal Knowledge City, Nashik: Located at Adgaon, the campus spans over 34 acres of lush green landscapes with more than four lakh square feet of campus floor space. Post-graduate, under-graduate and diploma programmes are offered in several streams, including Management, Engineering, Pharmacy and

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Information Technology.

International Partnerships: MET students undertake extensive research and study on China as an industrial super power in comparison with India. For the last three consecutive years, students of Institute of Management have visited several industries across China. During these excursions, students were asked to focus more on the Chinese Special Economic Zones, apart from knowing more about the industrial hubs of Beijing, Hong Kong and Shanghai.

Through such initiatives, MET hopes to build a stronger bond between Indian and Chinese industries.

The students also undergo a special training in conversational Mandarin so that the language does not become a barrier for effective communication.

MET has also partnered with South Asian Free Media Association (SAFMA). SAFMA, created three years ago, aims to contribute towards a progressive knowledge society across South Asia.

MET has been receiving many international visitors and dignitaries from the United States, China, Mauritius and Pakistan.

Looking ahead

Prof Vijay Page says MET has already entered into an international collaboration with the Chartered Insurance Institute, London. Similarly, Michigan University has also agreed to start courses in Bio-Agri Business Management. “We are also planning to have tie-ups with Tianjin and Nankai Universities of China. Apart from these, many autonomous courses in various disciplines are also on the anvil,” he adds.

What makes MET distinct is the simple fact that the social programmes it has initiated can transform students into complete human beings. In the words of Bhujbal, “We have no doubt that once exposed and sensitised to the sorrow of the poorest of the poor, our students would work life-long, to reach out to them and help build an inclusive society.”

EDUCATION INSIDER I August 2012

VOICES

“We have introduced interest-free education loans with an aim to encourage students to pursue higher studies either in India or abroad without worrying about high cost education fees” Manohar Parrikar, Chief Minister, Goa

“Americans are left with a stark choice on education. We can either maintain our current broken system and see our economic competitiveness continuously declining, or we can embrace reforms to make our educational system work for our students” Forrest Richardson, Executive Director, Six PAC

“In the modern education system, we have paid more attention to language and knowledge than the values of life.

This resulted in the loss of mutual understanding in society. Despite that, there are many mothers who are imparting good samskars to their children. This is why Bharat is still alive” Mohan Bhagwat, RSS Chief

“With the national unemployment rate hovering between eight and 10 percent, colleges and universities are under greater pressure to deliver an education that will lead to jobs” Dr John M Anderson, President, Alfred State College

“The true basis of education is the study of the human mind — infant, adolescent and adult” Aurobindo Ghosh, Indian revolutionary-turned saint

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EDUCATION INSIDER I August 2012

COVER STORY Education in Conflict Zones

The whipping boys of About 28 million children of primary school age in 35 conflict-affected countries are out of school. With 18% of the world’s primary school age population, these countries account for 42% of the world’s out-of-school children. Within the group of poorer developing countries, they account for around one-quarter of the primary school age population but nearly half of the out-of-school population - Pauline Rose, Director of the Education for All Global Monitoring Report Bureau

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NESCO’s latest Education for All (EFA) Global Monitoring Report quotes a woman who fled Sudan’s Darfur region to neighbouring Chad: “We had to leave behind all of our possessions. The only thing we could bring with us is what we have in our heads, what we have been taught… Education is the only thing that cannot be taken from us.”

The flashpoints of the world lay threadbare the collective human fallacy of being a mute spectator to the angst and pain of millions being displaced by fratricidal wars and conflicts.

Today, conflict is keeping nearly 28 million children in 35 conflict-affected countries around the world out of school.

As a result, generations of young people do not have the skills to lift themselves, and their countries, out of poverty, says

UNESCO.

Region-wise community initiatives

Several conflict-stricken communities in Africa have started schools that serve to up to 60,000 students in the African bush. Some improvise with boards nailed to trees, with recent graduates acting as teachers.

“In Afghanistan, communities have created schools in camps and abandoned buildings. Bush schools move around when (people) are displaced. So, the schools pick up whatever they have and move to hide in the bush, so it is a very flexible situation,” says Pauline Rose, Director of the Education for All Global Monitoring Report.

“In Afghanistan, some of the community schools started as girls’ schools that were literally in people’s houses: some women would set them up with girls in the community – they would

The victims •

•

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Thirty-nine million outof-school children live in conflict zones, according to latest data, while the Education for All Global Monitoring Report puts the number at 28 million The country with the most out-of-school children is

•

•

Nigeria (over eight million) Three-hundred kindergartens and schools were damaged in the war on Gaza in 2008-09 Nearly two million primaryage children in Afghanistan have not gone to school, according to a 2010 report

obviously need to hide away from the Taliban at that time.

Then, as they became more widespread, they became more established and started to get external support. Now, they have become part of the formal education system,” says Rose.

In Nepal, NGOs had mediated between armed groups and the government to establish “zones of peace” to ensure the neutrality of school buildings and end the recruitment of children.

In some places, UN peacekeepers have provided protection to help girls stay in school. The UNESCO report says that in parts of Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, blue berets have accompanied women and girls as they go to school or to collect water.

It says some states, including Ethiopia, Mozambique, Sierra Leone and Rwanda, have made great strides in rebuilding their education systems after conflict.

Over the past seven years, postconflict South Sudan has doubled the number of students in school to EDUCATION INSIDER I August 2012

The Mugosi Primary School near the Kahe refugee camp in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. Photo/Marc Hofer/UNESCO)

1.5 million. UNESCO credits the government for what it calls a flexible approach, using semi-permanent classrooms, tents and facilities with only roofs. The country is also using a geographic information system that allows it to pinpoint dense population pockets and determine whether they have adequate school buildings.

“In South Sudan, one of the positive things is that the new government is taking education very seriously,” said Rose. “It is still a very challenging situation. The government is still waiting to see if donors will come in with resources. But donors are nervous because of the continued tensions and so on.”

In the Middle East, violence defines the lives of too many children. In Palestine, over 1,10,000 children are out EDUCATION INSIDER I August 2012

of school, up from 4 000 ten years ago.

“In Iraq, poverty and insecurity deny over half-a-million children the right to go to primary school; their daily lessons are in hunger and loss; graduating to fear and hate,” says the EFA Global Monitoring Report.

Shortage of aid packages

Rose says development aid, including support for education, often goes to conflict countries of importance to the West, such as Afghanistan and Pakistan. Only a small portion of humanitarian aid (two per cent) goes to education. “Development assistance has a vital role to play in conflict-affected countries. It has the potential to break the vicious circle of warfare and low human development in which many countries are trapped, and to support a transition to lasting peace. Several

problems, however, have weakened the effectiveness of the international aid effort,” says Rose.

Mission of empowerment

UNESCO’s mission is to promote education as a fundamental human right, to improve the quality of education and facilitate policy dialogue, knowledge sharing and capacity building.

As the lead agency coordinating the global drive to achieve Education for All, UNESCO works with a wide range of partners to make education a top priority on international, regional and national agendas. Informed by the EFA Global Monitoring Report, it highlights leading educational challenges, promotes better coordination between key stakeholders and facilitates information sharing to strengthen political commitment towards EFA.

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COVER STORY Education in Conflict Zones

A look at today’s conflict zones

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oday, bomb blasts and other forms of terrorist attacks, military standoffs, strife over ethnicity, development and independence are happening at such regular intervals that the mere idea of resuscitating what may be called normal life in conflict-ridden regions

may be several decades and generations away. Iraq and Afghanistan are best examples in terms of the displacement of thousands of people. So, without going into the ongoing bloodbath in these regions, let’s take a quick look at the present day flashpoints and troublespots in other parts of the world. These events are enough to understand the daunting task of the United Nations in rehabilitating the victims of conflict.

• About 23,000 people have died as a result of the Syrian Uprising against President Bashar Hafez al Assad since March 2011. The number of Syrian refugees has swelled to 1,80,000 across the Middle East.

• The dispute over an oil rich region between the Army of Sudan and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North led to a conflict, displacing 200,000 people.

• The South Sudan tribal clashes have displaced between 20,000 and 50,000 people.

• The civil war in South Somalia had displaced 1.4 million people between January 2009 and November 2010.

• The Tuareg rebellion is a war of independence against the Malian government in the Sahara desert region.

• The conflict in Lebanon relates to violent unrest and kidnappings of citizens across Lebanon over the political division between opponents and supporters of the Syrian regime and the Syrian Uprising, which is part of the Arab Spring that started in Tunisia.

Conflicts stunt the growth of nations, pushing them into an unfathomable abyss of abject misery, poverty, illiteracy, hunger and diseases. The above mentioned situations are only the tip of the iceberg, considering that countries that have been affected by conflict in the past have not been taken into account in this data.

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Crippling impact of conflicts

Conflict does not only harm education, but makes it more difficult for NGOs and other actors to improve and provide educational facilities. As Queen Rania Al Abdullah of Jordan says, “The waves of devastation bring development to a grinding halt and often throw it into reverse. With conflict children out of school, the other EFA and MDG targets become almost impossible to reach, while radicalism and violence exceed all expectations.”

Schools and schoolchildren often become direct targets of conflict. One example is the Islamist group Boko Haram in Nigeria. Since the beginning of this year, the Islamist group Boko Haram has burned down at least 12 schools in northern Nigeria, according to a recent report by Human Rights Watch, leaving several thousand children without access to education.

Schools are often targeted as symbols of state authority, especially when insurgents oppose the type of education promoted by governments, as is the case with Boko Haram, whose name means “Western learning is forbidden”.

While education always suffers during long-lasting violent conflict, there is often strong grassroots support for

education. Parents know that their children still need a good education, even during difficult circumstances.

But the fact remains that the education systems in many post-conflict countries still suffer from the devastating impact of conflict. Forty-two per cent of the world’s out-of-school children live in conflict-affected poor countries. And only 79% of young people in poor conflictaffected countries are literate.

The average is 93% in other poor countries.

“When government adopted the Dakar framework for action in 2000, they identified conflict as ‘a major barrier towards attaining education for all’.

Evidence presented in this report suggests that the height of the barrier was underestimated and that insufficient attention has been paid to strategies for removing it,” says the EFA Global Monitoring Report 2011.

Final analysis

“Conflict is as insidious as it is deadly. Not only does it destroy livelihoods today, it destroys tomorrow’s livelihoods by denying children education.

Once back in school, devastating childhood traumas impact their ability to learn and cope with the world. The effects can ripple on for generations,” says Queen Rania.

A young Congolese boy, of the Kahe refugee camp, at the Mugosi Primary School in Kitschoro Town in the northeastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Photo/Marc Hofer/UNESCO EDUCATION INSIDER I August 2012

COVER STORY Education in Conflict Zones

American University of Afghanistan gives hope

As the violence unleashed by the Taliban continues unabated in Afghanistan, the war-torn country is coming to terms with the prospects of the outbreak of another civil war after the US troop withdrawal in 2014. Afghanistan has had the nightmarish experience of a civil war once the Soviet forces had withdrawn from the country after a nine-year war from 1979 to 1988. The latest peace overture of Afghan President Hamid Karzai to Taliban leader Mullah Omar, that comes with the offer of political space to contest for Presidency and with a plea to lay down weapons, should be seen in this light. While the US is spending billions of dollars to train the Afghan Army the art of defence and fighting, their capabilities are under the cloud of doubt. If a civil war breaks out, all developmental efforts, especially in the field of education, will lose momentum, plunging the strife-torn country into yet another long spell of darkness. As of today, apart from local institutions, many Iranian universities and the only not-for-profit, private and independent university, the American University of Afghanistan (AUAF), are trying to improve the education scene in Afghanistan. In an interview with Education Insider, AUAF President C Michael Smith shares details about AUAF’s initiatives

By Sanjeev Neelakantan

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EDUCATION INSIDER I August 2012

COVER STORY Education in Conflict Zones

Our greatest need at AUAF has from the start been securing financial aid to help talented students afford the advantages of a liberal arts education C Michael Smith, President, American University of Afghanistan

How successful has AUAF been in spearheading its educational mission amid fears of conflict and mindless violence?

Since admitting our first students in 2006, we think AUAF has been quite successful in carrying out its mission of educating leaders who will meet the needs of Afghanistan and the region.

We are politically neutral and take great care to protect the safety of our students, faculty, and staff, but we have never felt targeted or specifically threatened.

What’s the general profile of your students, the medium of communication and your mission’s target areas?

We have students from all economic levels and from all provinces in Afghanistan. AUAF offers an all-English curriculum in its degree programmes. Our goal is to serve all Afghan students who want the advantages of a world-class liberal arts education.

What all courses are you offering at AUAF and what has been the response from the Afghan public?

We offer under-graduate degree programmes in business, IT and computer science, and political science and public administration, as well as a master of business administration programme. This fall, we will begin offering a bachelor’s programme in mass communication, and we expect to expand our existing certificate programme in law to a degreegranting programme. In addition, we offer a wide variety of non-degree courses in English, accounting, finance, and various other professional fields. Our enrollment in our degree and non-degree programmes is expanding steadily and we have been very pleased by the positive reception that all our programmes have received.

Do the educational programmes at AUAF entail any promise of employment within or outside Afghanistan?

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Students graduating from AUAF will be wellprepared for employment inside or outside Afghanistan, or for graduate education.

How many students have passed out from AUAF so far and how has this empowerment brought about a difference in their lives?

Our first class of 32 students graduated last spring and our second class of 49 in May of this year. All of them are working fulltime or are pursuing graduate degrees.

We expect to award more than 100 degrees next spring.

Do you have any industry training programmes that can enhance the employability potential of your students?

Through non-degree training offered in our Professional Development Institute, we provide English language courses and other professional training that helps students sharpen the skills they need for advancing in the workplace.

Do you have any collaboration with other universities or student exchange programmes that can help in broadening the knowledge base of Afghan youths?

We do not yet have any formal student exchange programmes, although we are able to connect our students through video conferences with students at universities in Central Asia, the UK, and the US. We operate our law programme in a partnership with the Stanford School of Law, and the Thunderbird School of Global Management is our partner in the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Women Entrepreneurship Programme. And we are in active discussions with other prospective partners.

Is the university being supported by

international agencies and the US administration in any way?

Yes, our primary donor is the US Agency for International Development, which provided the support that made it possible to establish the university. We are also building our new International Center for Afghan Women’s Economic Development with a grant from the US Department of Defense Task Force for Business and Stability Operations.

What were the challenges you had encountered when you began your journey in Afghanistan, and what are the present day challenges?

Our greatest need at AUAF has from the start been securing financial aid to help talented students afford the advantages of a liberal arts education.

Economic barriers to higher education are particularly challenging for female students, so we work very hard to find the private support that will help more young women earn their degrees.

Are you confident that universities like yours can create a knowledge society in conflict zones across the world?

More knowledge and education are vital to the success of any country, but I think this is especially true in conflict zones, where education can play such an important role in recovery efforts and in improving political and economic stability.

EDUCATION INSIDER I August 2012

Education in Conflict Zones COVER STORY

Iraqi Kurdistan: an oasis of hope There’s an old Arabic proverb saying that “the Egyptians write, the Lebanese publish and the Iraqis read”. There was a time when the quality of the Iraqi education and the academic pursuits of Iraqis made them ahead of their counterparts in the Middle East. Those days may never come back. Today, the number of illiterates in Iraq is increasing at an alarming rate, as education has taken a backseat in an atmosphere of hate, violence and suspicion, though international aid organizations are trying to improve the plight of Iraqis

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ver since the American troop pullout from Iraq, the orgy of violence and bloodshed has only intensified in the country. The life of Iraqis continues to be shrouded in fear, despair and hopelessness amid tensions between Sunnis and Shias, Kurds and Arabs, Muslims and Christians, and the growing tide of armed rebellion and terrorism.

This year, more than 250 people lost their lives in terrorist attacks in June alone. In such a fragile atmosphere, dreams of empowerment and progress make no sense. It’s a question of taking risks and chances. Most Iraqis are bereft of even the most elementary right to education, given the frequency of violence in most parts of Iraq, especially the

EDUCATION INSIDER I August 2012

By Our Correspondent central and southern region.

In this dark hour, the autonomous Iraqi Kurdistan is an oasis of hope and security, with over a dozen universities nursing the dreams of those daring to dream of a better tomorrow in a peaceful atmosphere. Today, many youngsters and their families from other parts of Iraq are coming to Kurdistan to break away from an edgy life and make a fresh start.

Established in 2007, the American University of Iraq, Sulaimani (AUIS), is the only not-for-profit private university in Iraq. The university offers under-graduate degree programmes in mechanical engineering, general engineering, English, business administration, international studies, and information technology.

AUIS students also have the option of pursuing a secondary course of study in addition to their degree programme.

AUIS offers a comprehensive, American-style education that allows students to gain the knowledge and skills they need to prepare for their post-graduation, professional and academic objectives.

In his welcome message, AUIS President and Provost Dr Athanasios Moulakis says, “AUIS is unlike any other university in Iraq. At our university, all instruction is in English, opening countless doors for our graduates. We don’t tell students what to study - students choose a major that most interests them.

We have financial aid and scholarships to help students pay for their education.”

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COVER STORY Education in Conflict Zones

‘Iraqi students aspiring to empower themselves’ In an exclusive interview to Education Insider, AUIS President and Provost Dr Athanasios Moulakis gives a clear picture of the rise of education in war-torn Iraq Isn’t encouraging the Iraqi youth to dream of empowerment under the shadow of violence a tough job?

It’s true that many of our current and prospective students have experienced hardships - war, poverty, the loss of loved ones, and the threat and/or actualisation of violence, as you point out. One might expect young people to respond to these realities with dejection and submission of their aspirations to authoritarian control. But the truth is that our students have instead Dr Athanasios Moulakis, President & Provost, decided to empower themselves American University of Iraq, Suleimani through education. They understand higher education as a way to get ahead in life, which is perhaps for citizens of post-conflict It’s true that many of unique countries. But to encourage them, as our current and proyou suggest, is merely to facilitate spective students have their access to something they already want. experienced hardThe economy is in a shambles in ships—war, poverty, Iraq as of today. How do you think the loss of loved ones, AUIS can deliver its goals under and the threat and/or such trying conditions?

AUIS is a not-for-profit actualisation of viouniversity, so we do not depend on lence. One might ex- public funding. When government pect young people to revenues are low, there is less respond to these reali- money to allocate for education. doesn’t affect us. But we do ties with dejection and This charge our students a modest fee, and submission of their some times, this fee is still too steep aspirations to authori- for some families. So, we have to account for university expenditures tarian control. But in other ways, often through the truth is that our donations from private business. students have instead When the economy is down, fewer companies are willing to open their decided to empower pockets. Fortunately, the economy themselves through in the Kurdistan region is doing education relatively well. And more and more international businesses are selecting Kurdistan to expand their operations.

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And because AUIS focusses on developing partnerships with these companies, our graduates are likely in a better position than their peers when it’s time to find a job.

What are the challenges faced by the university?

I would say one of the biggest challenges we face is the low-level of preparation new students bring with them. This, in large part, is not their fault, but rather a consequence of the government’s system of ‘tracking’ students at a very young age into either a science curriculum or an arts curriculum. This way of proceeding means that science students have not studied the arts and humanities and that literary students have not studied mathematics or the physical and natural sciences.

Neither set have studied the social sciences and what they have studied is not rigorous. Even worse, the tracks are not equal. The society places a premium on the applied sciences (engineering, medicine, etc.) and so the literary track is the residual of the two. Too often education is understood as a process by which you put something into a person through lectures and rote memorisation. However, at AUIS, we understand education to be an awakening of the soul, which needs exposure to multiple disciplines and ways of knowing to truly flourish.

But parents and students alike are unfamiliar with this model. We are trying to demonstrate to students that learning can be enjoyable for its own sake, not only because it can get you a certificate. We think if we accomplish this goal, students will be more prepared than their peers to participate in a global community and thrive in an unpredictable future.

EDUCATION INSIDER I August 2012

Education in Conflict Zones COVER STORY

Learning from community service in war-torn Congo People of the Democratic Republic of Congo are still nursing the wounds they had sustained between 1994 and 2003 in what is considered to be the world’s worst conflicts since the World War II. Endowed with rich agricultural, mineral, and hydroelectric resources, DR Congo was caught in a war involving nine African nations and over 20 armed groups. The magnitude of the war in terms of killings and displacements was so colossal that it is often referred to as the ‘African world war’.

Peace eludes the country even today as several rebel groups still operate there. Mostly, the fight is over natural resources. During these times of uncertainty, hope came from international aid organisations and a few social groups that dared to address serious issues plaguing society. Here’s the story of one such forum

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By Our Correspondent

n August 2002, at the height of Congo’s civil war, thirteen Congolese men and women, representing churches, educational institutions, health services, and the government, had gathered for a discussion of the social, economic and political problems facing the country. This meeting sowed the seeds of the Congo Initiative, a non-profit organisation.

By mid-2004 Congo Initiative came into existence with the formation of boards in both Congo and the US. Over the years, the Congo Initiative has established the Christian Bilingual University of Congo (UCBC) and several community centres to nurture, shape, train, equip, develop and transform young men and women into strong leaders of society.

File phot of a displaced Congolese woman carrying a bag of Located in the town of Beni, in non-food items distributed by UNHCR in Dungu. Marc Hofer/UNHCR North Kivu province, and established in 2007, UCBC is an institution difficult, but exciting work.” of higher learning that integrates academics, work and However, conflicts overshadow such developmental service-learning. Courses are taught in both English and activities through the machinations of debauched minds.

French. It offers several degree programmes in applied Rape and sexual violence are always used indiscriminately sciences, communications, economics and theology. Since by all parties contributing to the unrest. Eastern Congo is service-learning is a vital part of the curriculum, all students often described as the most dangerous place in the world participate in community service. for a woman to be in. The UN estimates that about 200,000 Cullen Rodgers-Gates, Director of Operations at Congo women and girls have the victims of rape and sexual Initiative, says: “Our University in eastern DR Congo is violence over the past 15 years. And it’s not just the rebel doing some remarkable things, offering a radically different groups that are perpetrating such violence. Even the Army is educational philosophy than the traditional, static model. involved in such condemnable acts.

We are offering a liberal arts training, grounded in ethics, It’s high time the world community evolved efficient oriented around solving real problems in society and conflict resolution initiatives and launched more productive infused with a mindset of service to one’s community. We monitoring missions to ensure that man is not torn between believe that through higher education, we are training a new generation of socially conscious leaders for DR Congo. It is conflicts.

EDUCATION INSIDER I August 2012

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SPECIAL STORY Innovation Universities

Dull Education Bill?

Innovations at stake With the Universities for Research and Innovation Bill 2012, the government is set to embark on a mission to create new autonomous, ‘innovation universities’, whose primary role would be to accelerate India’s research and development efforts in the emerging areas of science and technology, and focus on the holistic development of new talent pools. But as is the case with any educational scheme, this plan of the government may run into rough weather, with detractors raising a hue and cry over alleged attempts to extend private players a big ticket to commercialisation in the name of innovation. Some naysayers have already predicted that the Bill would prove to be a big flop

By Dipin Damodharan

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rowth and development come from innovation.

The future of a country greatly depends on the ability and foresight of its educated population.

Therefore, any country wishing for all-round progress on the social, economic and political fronts should adopt a balanced educational approach to ensure that its people have the right atmosphere and avenues for development.

Famed for being the world’s vibrant centre of learning during the ancient times with acclaimed universities like Thakshashila and Nalanda, India’s glory in the field of education dissipated with the passage of time. Today, the higher education sector wears a dull look. None of Indian higher education institutions are among the world’s best. The scenario continues to be grim, as

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the government is hobbling even on the primary education front, due to its inability to enforce the Right to Education Act across all institutions. So, is the government making any concrete efforts to improve the higher education scenario?

Last May, the Central government introduced the Universities for Research and Innovation Bill 2012 in Parliament, with an objective to set up 14 world class institutes in the country. The long-term vision behind this Bill is to accelerate research and development in the emerging areas of science and technology through a new cluster of institutes, whose sole purpose would be to foster innovation among young talents. But even before debates on the Bill could begin in both Houses of Parliament, it has drawn the ire of the academic community because of its lack of EDUCATION INSIDER I August 2012

clarity.

The Bill proposes that new universities can be set up either by the Union government or by private bodies, which may be of domestic or foreign origin. The Bill also has a provision to classify some of the existing universities as research and innovation universities. According to the Bill, Indian institutions with 25 years of proven teaching excellence, or foreign institutions with 50 years of proven teaching excellence, or private bodies (registered societies, trusts or companies registered under Section 25 of the Companies Act), falling within the meaning of ‘promoters’, with a proven record in innovations, can set up innovation universities.

But the government itself seems to be caught in a state of confusion and contradiction as far as the project’s focus areas are concerned. For instance, while the Foreign Universities Bill is still hanging fire, the Universities for Research and Innovation Bill proposes to allow foreign universities to set up innovation universities in the country.

Short of innovation for innovation universities?

“They are actually expected to be world class universities. As we were not clear about the concept and its rationale, we ended up with a less controversial generic term – ‘research and innovation universities’ and tried to define what they should be like,” says B G Tilak, Head, Department of Educational Finance, National University of Educational Planning and Administration, New Delhi.

The innovation universities will aspire for redefinition of the knowledge sector through innova-

B G Tilak, Head, Department of Educational Finance, NUEPA

They are actually expected to be world class universities.

As we were not clear about the concept and its rationale, we ended up with a less controversial generic term – ‘research and innovation universities’ tion in design and product research by strengthening the linkages between research institutions and diverse industries.

Innovation universities are supposed to be autonomous in nature all the way, be it faculty hiring, allocation of programmes, degrees, diplomas,

Can India’s innovation universities match the academic excellence of world class universities such as the Harvard?

EDUCATION INSIDER I August 2012

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SPECIAL STORY Innovation Universities

Bill at a glance • • •

•

or any other academic aspect. Once the Research and Innovation Universities Bill becomes an Act, an innovation university can be set up through executive orders. Under the prevailing laws, a university is set up through a legislation in Parliament in the case of Central universities or State Assemblies in the case of state universities. So, academicians like Tilak argue that the new Bill will minimise the role of Parliament.

The Bill proposes that the innovation universities would be governed by a board of governors.

This clause is likely to generate problems since the members of the board (innovators and industry leaders) will be appointed or nominated by a promoter and the board may not have any member from government agencies.

The chancellor of an innovation university would be appointed by a promoter in the case of private universities, and the President of India in the case of public-funded universities. The power to appoint the Vice-Chancellor, of both public-funded and private universities, rests with the board of governors.

Critics of the Bill say it is unfair to vest all powers relating to the innovation universities with a promoter and the board of governors. While the government thinks this Bill will be a turning point in the history of

According to the Bill, Indian institutions with 25 years of proven teaching excellence, or foreign institutions with 50 years of proven teaching excellence, or private bodies (registered societies, trusts or companies registered under Section 25 of the Companies Act), falling within the meaning of ‘promoters’, with a proven record in innovations, can set up innovation universities

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Proposes full autonomy to innovation universities Proposes minimal role of Parliament with regard to legislation Proposes to allow foreign universities to establish innovation universities in India Innovation universities to be governed by a Board of Governors

Indian higher education, the detractors predict it to be a big flop. Academicians are, however, either maintaining a studious silence or being cautious about their reactions. “I do not find any reason to think that the Bill would be a turning point. I feel that there is much need and scope to strengthen existing Central and state universities in such a way that they become universities of high standards. If not all, a good number of universities have the potential. They need to be assured of strong public funding, a high degree of academic autonomy, including freedom to hire high quality faculty from within and outside the country, and depoliticisation. Unfortunately, we are not thinking of the existing nearly 600 universities. A large number of universities, including many Central universities, particularly the new ones, are severely starved of qualified faculty and other critical inputs, including infrastructure and funds,” says Tilak.

No guarantee of quality or innovation

“Except that they will be fully autonomous, there is no clear indication on how they will become world class universities or universities of exceptional quality in terms of research and innovation. The promoter, or the chancellor, or vice-chancellor, and for that matter, even most of the members of the Board of Directors, are not expected to be intellectuals, researchers or academicians. The board members are just expected to be innovators and industry leaders. A small number of Board of Directors would be teachers/staff, who may also be not necessarily intellectuals of high standing.

It is doubtful whether any grand or research vision could be developed in such a set-up,” Tilak adds.

He also points out that it is likely that many of the universities will be private ones, with least accountability. The freedom these universities are guaranteed will result in further growth of private education and even a high degree of commercialisation.

According to Tilak, the innovation universities will never come under the scrutiny of any public body. The existing rules of the UGC (University Grants Commission) or any other public body in higher education will not be applicable to these universities.

EDUCATION INSIDER I August 2012

University of Windsor CAMPUS FOCUS

A beehive of research with personal focus The University of Windsor near Detroit has nine faculties, famous for their research programmes on various disciplines, including automotive, environmental, social justice, health sciences, natural science, and entrepreneurship. The university has only 10% students from other countries, while the majority are Canadians, who enjoy the proximity of an American cultural metropolis

By Sreekanth Ravindran

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ocated on the banks of the Detroit River, the University of Windsor is an internationally-oriented, multidisciplinary institution that actively encourages a broad diversity of students, faculty members and staff.

Established in 1963, this centre for excellence has about 16,000 full-time graduate and under-graduate students.

The university campus enjoys a prime location. It is only a few minutes’ travel from downtown Windsor to Detroit, the automobile capital of the United States of America. Though students live in EDUCATION INSIDER I August 2012

a safe, friendly and diverse Canadian town, they also enjoy the proximity of an American cultural metropolis.

There are many aspects that make the University of Windsor a unique institution. It emphasises on turning its students into global citizens who are committed to life-long learning, original research and personal discovery.

Academic programmes

The University of Windsor has nine faculties, comprising the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, the Faculty of

Education, the Faculty of Engineering, Odette School of Business, the Faculty of Graduate Studies, the Faculty of Human Kinetics, the Faculty of Law, the Faculty of Nursing, and the Faculty of Science. Through its different faculties and departments, the University of Windsor has been able to initiate many research programmes on various disciplines, including automotive, environmental, social justice, health sciences, natural science, and entrepreneurship.

The university offers undergraduate, postgraduate and research programmes,

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CAMPUS FOCUS University of Windsor

apart from several certificate and diploma programmes in many disciplines, starting from different branches of science, engineering to humanities, arts and literature.

Unlike other universities, where pigeonholing is very common, an undergraduate student at the University of Windsor can choose from 120 different majors and minors in subjects that matter most to the future world.

Development of cross-disciplinary interests is given utmost importance throughout the academics. Even while pursuing serious programmes such as Bachelor of Environmental Studies, Bachelor of Forensic Science, or Bachelor of Arts and Science, a student is given the chance to opt for and learn subsidiary subjects like music or fine arts, or any other unrelated discipline.

The university also has wellequipped research facilities for programmes in Biochemistry, Biotechnology, Physics and High Technology, Computer Science and Medical Sciences.

Certificate and diploma programmes at the University of Windsor are nondegree programmes, aimed at attracting working professionals who opt for advanced instructions in a subject area.

The duration of these programmes may vary from a few months to a complete year. The university offers certificate programmes in Business Administration, Labour Studies, Law, Politics, North American Studies, Public Administra-

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tion, Women’s Studies, and Electrical Engineering.

The Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry

The University of Windsor campus hosts the Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, which offers graduate and post-graduate programmes in Medicine.

The programme is a partnership between The University of Western Ontario, the University of Windsor and the London and Windsor hospitals.

Distance education

The University of Windsor offers distance education courses for highly motivated students who are capable of working independently. Students should also possess excellent time management skills and strong written communication skills. Distance courses are available in various subjects, including contemporary culture, arts management, communication studies, history of crime, international politics, genetics, molecular cell biology, cyber ethics, geology, environmental studies, financial accounting and business finance. Interested students can contact the university at flexible@ uwindsor.ca.

Executive and Professional Education

The Centre for Executive and Professional Education at the University of Windsor, complements the University’s philosophy of thinking forward by offering a broad spectrum of programmes.

The institute offers many courses in

business management, finance, different branches of engineering, biosciences and humanities.

Admission process

Though the maximum number of students who gain admissions at the University of Windsor are Canadians, at least ten per cent of students are foreigners, which comprises mainly Asian students. Under-graduate admissions are strictly based on merit in the qualifying examinations. Some courses also require International English Language Testing System (IELTS) scores. Non-Canadian students will have to transfer their credit.

The amount of credit transfer will be decided by the dean of the department concerned.

To pursue a postgraduate programme, an aspirant should have the minimum eligibility of a four-year graduation with a consistent academic track record. An applicant who seeks admission to the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) programme must either have a Master’s degree or a four-year Bachelor’s degree or equivalent (exceptional cases where the applicant has a brilliant academic track record). In short, a student’s superior academic standing is the key to gain admissions at the University of Windsor.

The University of Windsor is a member of the National Conference of Canadian Universities and Colleges, The International Association of Universities, and the Association of the British Commonwealth Universities.

EDUCATION INSIDER I August 2012

CAMPUS FOCUS University of Windsor

‘Emphasis is on practical learning’ In an interview with Education Insider, University Professor and Director of Research Centre for Integrated Microsystems Dr Majid Ahmadi, tells why overseas education is as promising as it was about a decade ago. Excerpts: In the light of an economic slowdown, especially in the developed world, do you think pursuing overseas education for students from Asia is as promising as it used to be about ten years ago?

Yes, it is promising. The difference between the education system in North America and Asia is that the students here, through their undergraduate/graduate education, learn to be more practical and business-minded than their counterparts in Asia. As a result, when they go back to their countries, they are more creative and analytical than their counterparts. They can work under stressful conditions and also have the knowhow to start a new business, apart from generating revenues for their communities.

What are your popular courses?

The majority of students in North America opt for Business, Social Science, Art and Humanities, while Asian students (immigrants or international students) opt for Engineering, Science, Business, and Computer Science. Our Medical School is very popular, despite the stringent admission process.

What academic standards have you set over the years and where do you stand in comparison with the best universities of the world?

Canadian universities, which have professional programmes, are subjected to strict regulations and restrictions by their respective accreditation body. Any slight deviation from the prescribed standards could lead to the closure of that department. For example, when it comes to engineering programmes, 1950 hours of instructions are mandatory. This is applicable to about 35 courses, and universities now can opt to offer between

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40 to 48 courses in their engineering programme.

At the University of Windsor, our under-graduate students take on the average 45 to 46 under-graduate courses.

Graduate programmes also undergo the same level of scrutiny. Every five years, both under-graduate and graduate programmes are reviewed by their respective professional body. The Canadian education system, unlike the United States, is not based on the tier system.

Our universities are classified based on the programmes they offer. For instance, the universities in first category have under-graduate as well as PhD programmes.

In the second category, there are universities that do not have under-graduate schools but have PhD programmes, and the last category includes universities offering under-graduate as well as limited graduate programmes at Master level.

All these universities offer programmes that are accepted globally.

Has the economic slowdown adversely affected the students when it comes to placements?

It does affect job placements. However, this is a temporary situation.

The developed world will move on and undoubtedly, more and more jobs will be created.

What percentage of students do you receive from Asia? What are the prerequisites for gaining admission to your university?

About 10% of our students are international students, the majority coming from Asian countries.

Do you have industry interface programmes? What kind of industry bodies are you associated with?

We do have industry interface programmes at select departments. Our engineering courses have such programmes. Over 50 companies belonging to various industries nationally and internationally have been recruiting our students.

How do you integrate students from non-English speaking countries with your academic system?

We do have an English Language Training Centre for that purpose.

Do you foresee any international partnerships with Asian universities?

The University of Windsor already has some tie-ups with universities of Asia. We are also in the process of expanding our international partnerships with universities across the world.

EDUCATION INSIDER I August 2012

EXPERT TALK Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw

‘Time to move from rote-based learning’ Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw is the Chairman and Managing Director of Biocon. A first generation entrepreneur with more than 36 years of experience in biotechnology and industrial enzymes, she was awarded the Padma Bhushan for her pioneering efforts in biotechnology. In an exclusive interview with Education Insider, she outlines the educational imperatives that can aid India in moving from a rote-based learning system to a more qualitative model based on technology

By Sreekanth Ravindran Do you think the education system in India is inadequate to produce desi versions of Mark Zuckerberg and Sergey Brin, despite availability of excellent avenues for higher education?

Education is fundamentally intertwined with individual and national development and its inadequacy – and often its absence – has kept Indians and India from fulfilling its potential of realising comprehensive economic and social progress. Making primary education a fundamental right is a laudable effort, but mere legislation is of no use – implementation is crucial. A publicprivate co-operative venture towards this end can be initiated to make universal primary education a reality.

It is also important that governments infuse funds into universities and encourage full-scale research. Freeze on full-time employment and poor salaries are leading to a lack of enthusiasm and accountability amongst the teaching staff, which is affecting the quality of education. We must make concerted efforts to stop this rot and capitalise on our strengths if India wants to emerge as a knowledge leader in the near future.

What changes do you recommend for the education system in India?

The government must encourage educational institutions to move away from rote-based learning by investing in computer-aided education. The government must also invest in faculty at the primary as well as higher education levels – good teachers are likely to make the difference between the country’s success and failure. There is a need to increase budgetary outlay for higher education right up to the research level and encourage scientific research programmes in colleges.

What made you take up entrepreneurship at an

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early age and how did you groom yourself for the role?

My journey of building Biocon has been about exploration, experimentation and learning.

Trying out new ideas and overcoming unforeseen challenges are part and parcel of developing a business. I also believe that one benefits from the learning and more importantly, the improvement that follows. During my growing up years, I was inspired by my father, who was a well-known name in the brewing industry, and encouraged by him, I decided to take up brewing as a profession and went to Australia to pursue my Brew Master’s degree from Australia’s Ballarat University. However, when I came back to India, I realised there was no place for a woman brewer in India.

I started looking for alternates when I met my Irish collaborator who had founded a biotech company in Ireland. He invited me to be his business partner and start a biotechnology company in India. I was reluctant at first because I had no business experience nor did I have the investment capital but he persuaded me to give it a try. That is how the idea of Biocon in India germinated. I went to Ireland for six months to learn the business and came back to set up Biocon in Bangalore.

The beginning of any entrepreneurial endeavour is always the most challenging, as we take the first steps on the journey, treading on unfamiliar territory. However, facing these challenges with ingenuity and determination to blaze a trail is an infinitely rewarding experience.

When I started Biocon in 1978, I was a pioneer – not many people in India had heard of biotechnology, leave alone envisaging it as a business. The obstacles I needed to navigate in the first two years of building Biocon were manifold – ranging from infrastructural hurdles to issues EDUCATION INSIDER I August 2012

Never giving up in the face of obstacles, thinking out-ofthe-box and resourcefulness at making the best of what you have are qualities one should strive to develop. Today’s youth are at an enormous advantage than when I began my entrepreneurial journey related to my credibility as a businessperson. I refused to let them intimidate me and decided to chart my own path.

I was trying to sow the seeds of a biotechnology enterprise in India, which was, at that time, an underdeveloped economy, where business was bound by red tape, gagged by sub-optimal infrastructure, and held hostage by a precarious foreign debt situation.

EDUCATION INSIDER I August 2012

With no access to venture capital, money was scarce and high-cost debt-based capital was all I had. What I required to start my business was collateral security, a demonstrated business track record, and a well-understood business model. I had neither of these: I was a 25-year-old entrepreneur, a woman with no business experience, and no collateral to offer. To make matters worse, I was promoting a high-risk, unknown business based on a relatively unknown science. It took me three months to obtain Rs 5-lakh credit line in 1979, which saw me knock on the doors of five banks before one brave banker decided to fund me.

Enzyme extraction and production, the biotechnology with which I started, was a new concept and there was scepticism about the commercial viability of eco-friendly but expensive enzymes to replace cheap chemical processes.

My challenge was to get the market to accept biotechnology and change old practices. Moreover, enzyme manufacturing for industrial application involved sophisticated fermentation, which demanded uninterrupted power supply and precision process control. This was not something I could manage to do in India, given the unreliable power supply situation and the limited resources I had.

However, I went ahead with the idea and succeeded in building a green business model and provided a boost to environmental sustainability by doing away with chemical pollution in the process. I opted for specialty low-volume, high-value enzymes for the food and beverages industry as I felt that this was more doable for a small entrepreneur just starting out in business.

You did your Masters from Australia. Did that help you in finding a firm footing in an industry that was still at a nascent stage back home?

The Brewing & Malting program that I pursued at Ballarat University provided a strong foundation for my future. Not only did it equip me with the right international exposure, but it also helped develop my sense of confidence.

I gained hands-on experience in brewing through a brief training internship at Carlton and United Breweries, Melbourne, which helped me, pursue a brewing career on my return to India. All of this later proved invaluable in my own entrepreneurial endeavour, Biocon.

What is your message to the youth?

My message is simple: Learn to accept the challenges life throws at you and you will emerge wiser and stronger.

The road that lies ahead of you can take twists and turns you never even dreamed of – but at each juncture, you will find opportunities to learn and grow. Take my own example.

I aspired to become a medical doctor, but pursued biology and brewing technology only to become a successful entrepreneur. I have benefited more from this complex life trajectory than I would have if I had been rigid about my goals.

Never giving up in the face of obstacles, thinking outof-the-box and resourcefulness at making the best of what you have are qualities one should strive to develop.

Today’s youth are at an enormous advantage than when I began my entrepreneurial journey. The economy has opened up and opportunities abound for those with the zeal to succeed. Make use of these opportunities as they present themselves.

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INSIDER VIEW Guest Column Dr B Ashok IAS

Demystifying some myths about civil service Has the Indian civil services ever faced a quality deficit among aspirants?

Unlike the armed forces, the civil services have been attracting qualified candidates from diverse backgrounds. In fact, it has always attracted a candidate profile far exceeding its need

B

etween 1994-5 and 2009, the mainstream media had written off the civil service as a career option. With the new-found confidence of the liberalised economy, the management gurus wrote openly that the future of civil service is in oblivion.

They had declared that Administration was out, and Management was in. They had repeated that the civil service, with modest salaries and disturbing corruption, was no longer a career choice for the best minds from the best known colleges. It was averred that elite candidates had lost interest.

It was during the economic crisis of 2009, when the market slumped, that the need for competent and honest managers, who could breathe life into a failing market, was acknowledged once again. Today, if India is, by and large, aloof from the grim picture in world business, it is because of a sagacious and far sighted IAS officer called RV Reddy, who steered clear of risky financial projects, which many stake holders were pushing in the years prior to the crisis.

While he was continuously accused of choking the potential for more rapid growth through the Reserve Bank’s financial conservatism, Dr Reddy’s policies as Reserve Bank’s Governor paid off in the final count. Many people are not aware that the first draft of the Right to Information Act was drafted in the LBSNAA, Mussoorie, the premier Civil Service Training School of the country.

The reality has been that the civil service, unlike the armed forces, had never found a lack of qualified candidates. It has always attracted a candidate profile far exceeding its

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need. Just imagine the numbers: of the two-and-a-half lakh graduates, most of them holding higher degrees, competing for slots of 100-odd posts in the IAS, 35-40% recruits have professional qualifications in engineering disciplines, mostly in the highest percentile of graduate achievement. Five per cent are medical/dental/agriculture/ veterinary graduates, and three or four are management graduates. In social sciences and humanities also, graduates tend to have first class degrees with high marks and overall achievement. In 2008, the first rank holder had left a PhD from Harvard Medical School to take up the IAS. The fact is that the recruitment catchment area has now spread wide out.

While the top ten urban colleges (Like St Stephens, St Xavier’s, Presidency, Loyola etc.) swept all the top slots in the seventies, they do not figure, except as stray exceptions, in the top lists any more. This has occurred since the urban job scene has exploded with a whole host of creative professions, which need lesser period of gestation, early high salaries and visibility. Whole sets of jobs in the management of airlines, and media services were just not there in the pre-liberalised phase. They require generally good graduation marks, language skills and ability. Intellectual

achievement of sufficient depth is given a go by in some of these management professions. It is business acumen and smartness that takes precedence over depth.

Compare this with the requirement of the IAS and other services. After graduation, it requires at least two years of concentrated study to go through the 18-month exam cycle and still one could be back at square one. The study

EDUCATION INSIDER I August 2012

material is voluminous and requires ten to fifteen hours per day of hard work for the best part of the year. Communication skills need to be amongst the best. One needs to be alive to the world at large and know what matters and need an analytical mind on the issue at hand. The fact is that joining most other entry level jobs is relatively easy. The top colleges have also lost out in their academic edge in comparison to both rural institutions, which have come up well particularly in the south of the country, where most states are promoting coaching centres especially for the underprivileged students.

If one looks at the fortunes of a state like Tamil Nadu, which used to have an average share of the early 70s batches, this point becomes clearer. Tamil Nadu has got a more-than-normal share of IAS and other service selections in the last 15 years. In 2009, it had the largest number of candidates in the foundation batch in Mussoorie, with UP trailing second.

Tamil Nadu’s farsighted (some thought it was short sighted at that time) leaders started establishing private and mixed sector engineering colleges, arts colleges and medical colleges in the eighties

EDUCATION INSIDER I August 2012

and nineties. Many of them died out, but those who survived the competition produced a surplus of qualified professional graduates who were very inspired to go further. Similarly, Tamil Nadu has always operated a sizeable quantum of reservations in the services under the state for underprivileged candidates. In 1994, the same happened with the civil services, and Tamil Nadu’s explosion on private sector education resulted in more competent graduates, and their edge in the reserved categories worked in their favour. The benefits due to the OBC reservations are largely taken by Tamil Nadu and Karnataka in comparison to the states which have larger numbers of OBC candidates but poorer graduation opportunities.

A second myth which was perpetrated was that candidates are shying away from the civil services since meritocracy has ended and that most civil servants are indeed corrupt and chamchas of buccaneering politicians.

There is an element of truth that the environment of the civil services has become murkier. Corruption, especially in the higher services, is beyond acceptable norms. Collusion with casteist and communal elements, which are unfortunately there in our polity, is also deplorable. The civil service now also works with a highly decentralised power structure, where the polity, especially at the grassroots level, has discovered its feet.

Political leaders are not fully dependent on the officers for advice. They get inputs from media, civil society players and other educated politicians as well. This image of the uneducated and inexperienced politician is on its way out. If we survey our Parliament and most legislatures, one will be surprised at the depth of academic and professional experience we have in them.

It is true that some issues of criminality etc. do remain, but one must not forget that considering the general literacy level and educational attainment of the voters, they do manage to send a number of highly erudite people in as

their representatives.

What needs to be corrected is the myth that the private sector employment is a bed of roses with everything being assessed objectively and done with the best objectives. Youngsters believe that politicians and seniors may ask them to do the impossible and if they do not comply, they may be harassed etc. In fact, the civil service is the only area where you have maximum shelter for a dissenting voice. No officer who rationally pleaded his or her case for the right thing has ultimately lost out in the services. One can be chased a little, transferred or put in the dog house (a euphemism for an insignificant posting).

But a competent officer always bounces back. Competence is at such demand that the system cannot ignore one for long.

Every upright and dynamic officer in any state has always got quite a few ministers asking for his/her services than them looking around for future appointments.

A third myth I thought of correcting is this idea that many aspirants get into their minds for their own detriment to use the civil services as a launch pad for an alternate career. This has been propelled by some highly visible officers who have marketed them in civil society or media very well. A few have successfully made it in politics, media etc. In this process, they have at least at times tried to describe their colleagues as wanting and possibly corrupt etc. The reality is that what makes the nation tick is the vast army of unnamed officers who work diligently without a name to establish or ambitions to cater. They do not run after awards, or waste time getting journalists to cover even their minor exploits. They live honest ordinary lives and do what is right and required of them. If one’s ambition is visibility and power, then it is better to avoid joining the civil services. Army may be better in terms of raw power and authority, and politics is a still better option.

Civil service is an area of dedicated, diligent, low profile activity sustained over longer periods since the nation’s makers found merit in having bedrock of such services to hold the federal polity upright. If one tinkers it with too much personal ambition, the services and the individual may find it mutually uncomfortable. Unnecessary competition and unethical practices might result in the services and destroy the design purpose.

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CAMPUS FOCUS NMIMS, Mumbai

Matches quality of top B Schools on all counts A few years ago, one private B School, in its quest to rediscover itself, had kicked off a campaign titled ‘Think beyond IIMs’. There’s enough room for such bravado in India’s professional education sector today. Aspirants of management studies should acknowledge that there are at least a dozen B Schools in India which are on par with IIMs when it comes to quality of teaching, industry interface and placement opportunities

By Sreekanth Ravindran

N

arsee Monji Institute of Management Studies (NMIMS) has traversed a long way since its founding about three decades ago.

An ordinary management school during the initial years, it has transformed itself into one of India’s top-class private universities offering various courses in multiple disciplines.

As of today, this coveted university hosts Mukesh Patel School of Technology, Management and Engineering, Shobhaben Pratapbhai Patel School of Pharmacy, Anil Surendra Modi School of Commerce, Sarla Anil Modi School of Economics, and Balwant Sheth School of Architecture and School of Distance Learning, apart from the prestigious School of Business Management (SBM).

Amrish Patel, the Chancellor of the university remarks, “NMIMS provides its students an exciting environment in which the faculty, students and staff work together to create a better atmosphere and smoother operations for better delivery of learning.”

NMIMS has adopted several initiatives to update their programmes,

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modernise curriculum development, intensify international linkages, strengthen placements, and focus on student’s holistic development to meet the market requirements without compromising on the quality of education.

School of Business Management (SBM)

SBM, being the flagship institute of the university, is a unique B School in many respects. Its MBA programme has various specialisations, including Capital Markets, Banking, Marketing, Human Resources Management, Pharmaceuticals Management, Actuarial Science, and Family Business and Entrepreneurship Management.

All academic matters, including the curriculum, students’ learning and development, and faculty selection, are decided by the Dean in consultation with the Heads of Departments and senior faculty members. All areas of specialisations have a Board of Studies, comprising members both from the industry and the academia. The objectives of these boards are to

review the curriculum and syllabus, suggest new courses, textbooks, and other measures to meet the everchanging demands of students, industries and other stakeholders.

SBM has been identified as one of the top ten B Schools by various surveys conducted by different national magazines and associations. For the academic batch of 2011-12, SBM had received about 41,000 applications against 289 seats. The number of applicants is drastically high as compared to other non-IIM premier B Schools, including XLRI Jamshedpur, MDI Gurgaon and SPJIMR. The institute has executive programmes for working professionals as well. It also offers a PhD programme in management-related topics. Aspirants seeking admission to these programmes must appear for NMAT (NMIMS’s Management Aptitude Test), followed by group discussions and interview.

EDUCATION INSIDER I August 2012

Mukesh Patel School of Technology, Management and Engineering (MPSTME)

The institute has under-graduate, post-graduate and doctoral programmes in engineering and management.

MPSTME offers Bachelor of Technology in computer science, applied sciences, telecommunications and information technology. Its five-year MBA (Technology) programme is quite unique as a student is awarded both BTech and MBA degrees.

MPSTME’s Masters in Computer Applications (MCA), MTech and doctorate programmes in engineering have been very well received by the industry. The engineering and technology management programmes are held both at its Mumbai and Shirpur campuses.

Shobhaben Pratapbhai Patel School of Pharmacy The institute, which offers under-

graduate, post-graduate and doctorate programmes in pharmacy and related topics, has a world-class infrastructure.

All courses on pharmacy are reviewed regularly in consultation with the Board of Studies, which comprises members of the pharma Industry, scientists and top academicians across the country.

This institute offers a four-year B Pharm and a six-year B Pharm plus M Pharm, apart from a five-year MBA in Pharma Technology. Much like MPSTME’s MBA programme, an MBA (Pharma Tech) student is awarded both MBA and B Pharm degrees. It also has BSc and MSc programmes in microbiology and applied pharmaceutical sciences.

Balwant Sheth School of Architecture

This institute, founded by the NMIMS management a year ago, focusses on various aspects of

architectural education, research and practice. The four-year B Arch programme emphasises on changing ethos, tools, techniques and contemporary design expressions in the field of architecture.

School of Distance Learning (SDL)

NMIMS’s School of Distance Learning intends to prepare its students to meet the demands of the knowledge economy. All 14 distance learning programmes of NMIMS University have been approved by both the UGC and the AICTE. SDL’s diploma programmes cover various disciplines, including Business Management, Marketing Management, Financial Management, Human Resources Management, International Trade Management, Banking and Supply Chain Management.

Two-year post graduate programmes are available in almost all branches of management.

‘No other school offers specialisations like us’ In an interview with Education Insider, SBM Dean Dr Debashis Sanyal tells why his institute is among the best management schools in the country What makes Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies special when we compare it with other reputed management institutes?

No other management institute has responded to the need of the industry as NMIMS School of Business Management has done. In addition to our core management programme, NMIMS offers students the option to do MBA in focussed areas such as Actuarial Science, Banking Management, Capital Market, Human Resource Management, and Pharma Management, which are in great demand. The School also offers MBA programme in Entrepreneurship and Family Business and also in Social Entrepreneurship. No other management School in India offers such variety of specialisations.

Management students face highly challenging situations once they move EDUCATION INSIDER I August 2012

into boardrooms. How does NMIMS mould its students to tackle problems of the real world?

The students of NMIMS are groomed to take up challenging careers. To enable them to do so, NMIMS has put in place a pedagogy which incorporates role play, simulation, and discussion of case studies. Such case studies are analytical and challenging. Mock board room sessions are held to enable students to get groomed for higher corporate roles in life.

Is there any special emphasis on cultivation of entrepreneurial skills among students?

In Trimester VI for MBA, we have an elective, Entrepreneurship and New Venture Development. NMIMS SBM also has a two-year full time programme in MBA Entrepreneurship and Family Business.

Dr Debashis Sanyal, Dean, School of Business Management, NMIMS

What are the specialisations offered

by NMIMS? How do you make the curriculum interesting, practical and of contemporary relevance?

Students do have the option of selecting from a selective list of eight areas - Business Environment and Strategy, Communication, Economics, Finance, Human Resources and Behavioural Sciences, Information Systems, Marketing, Operations and Decision Sciences. On the basis of their

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CAMPUS FOCUS NMIMS, Mumbai

selection of courses, students are placed in either MBA General Management or MBA with Concentration in any one particular area. NMIMS is one of the very few institutes which allows students to do an MBA programme in a focus area like MBA Banking and MBA HR. To make the curriculum interesting, practical and of contemporary relevance, NMIMS SBM conducts the following activities: • Soft Skill training: This is provided in a workshop mode from trimester I to V. The training is a mix of role plays, activities, games, interactions, video recording, video replay for feedback, outbound programs, and micro growth labs. This is handled by an experienced faculty of Soft Skills and OB – HR area.

• Outbound Training (OBT): Outbound Training Method enables learning and experiencing challenges in an unfamiliar terrain.

Creative activities, nature trails, and interactive exercises are woven together to enhance team building, inculcate leadership and delegation abilities and help them learn about the latent facets of one’s own personality. The Outbound Training Programme works on the principles of experiential learning, and challenges one to take risks and operate out of one’s comfort zone, thereby providing enough data for self as well as group development and leadership.

• Simulation Games: They are

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•

•

•

introduced for experiential learning of the concepts, i.e. it focuses on cross-function decision-making in a competitive environment.’

We Care Civic Engagement: This internship is a compulsory part of the MBA programme. The internship is designed to enable MBA students to examine the ground realities and engage their creative energy to address some of the social issues like education, gender discrimination, energy conservation, and poverty. The exposure facilitates in developing managerial and entrepreneurial solutions to deal with social issues.

Students are placed for three weeks in a year in socially oriented public/private sector organisations identified by the Center for Sustainability Management and Social Entrepreneurship, NMIMS. Personal Communication: The Personal Communication course incorporates components of oral communication like listening, assertiveness, giving and receiving feedback and business presentations.

Workshop methodology is followed.

Role plays, games, interactive lectures and personal assessment exercises are used.

Industry Visits: Students visit various companies to get a perspective/glimpse of the actual work situation, to understand how theory is put into practice, observe how operations are done, thus

gaining firsthand knowledge of the operative systems and thereby bridging the gap between theory and practice.

• Guest Lectures: Speakers from the industry/alumni are called to deliver guest lectures to full-time students.

It is mandatory for each student to attend at least three sessions in each trimester.

• Value Added Compulsory Workshops/Activities: They are an integral part of the curriculum and are essential to qualify for MBA Degree.

Does the institute promote research activities?

At SBM, utmost significance is attached to research activities; a fact borne out by its quality PhD Programne, which attracts not only those seeking a career in academics, but also stalwarts from the industry.

Tell us about the placement services offered by the institute?

For any business School of repute, a dynamic and proactive Placement Cell is a must. Towards this end, the Placement Cell at NMIMS, SBM, is headed by professionals whose commitment is matched by their understanding of the changing business scenario. Its purpose is to make sure the students’ skill sets are in consonance with industry requirements, and groom them to a level of assured employability. The positions of eminence held by SBM alumni today amply illustrate the Placement Cell’s ability to generate a cadre of exemplary executives.

At a time when management institutes are dime a dozen, what are the parameters that you would suggest to the students to make an educated choice?

Students should evaluate the programme and the institute they would like to take admission in. The institute should be of repute and should have long standing history to impart quality education. The school should have adequate number of full-time faculty, who not only provide class room teaching, but also act as mentors. The location of an institute is very crucial.

If the institute is in a corporate hub, it would help the students by providing an opportunity to interact with industry captains throughout the year.

EDUCATION INSIDER I August 2012

COUNTERPOINT Prashant Bhushan

‘Cut out corruption and clean up the system’ Prashant Bhushan is a well-known Supreme Court lawyer and an activist associated with social crusader Anna Hazare’s movement against corruption. Like his father, he has been fighting public interest cases for a long time. He believes the judiciary is still the common man’s best recourse for justice. He is famous for his intense statements against judgments impacting the masses. In an interview with Education Insider, he shares his views on education and gives updates on Anna’s movement.

Excerpts:

By Sumithra Sathyan In an overpoliticised state like Kerala, how can we have an effective educational system?

I do not think that education is merely a process of matter. It has its own valuable, effective and committable sides. It should be effective, vibrant, and practicable. In an overpoliticised state or nation, an effective education system cannot grow, as there would be some form of corruption in each and every sector. Such a scenario would block vibrant thinking and transparent communication, which are the main pillars of a civilised society.

How can we eradicate this evil from our education system?

I always believe in actions, not in speech. We are leading a life of too many adjustments today.

Our day-to-day life is too close to corruption.

Nowadays, we are reading about the Telecom Spectrum scandal. It is a case concerning lakhs of crores of rupees. Our ruling politicians and others have some role in it. Only with the total eradication of corruption we can resuscitate our education system. For such a thing to happen, we have to create mass awareness in our society.

The Anna movement against corruption is approaching its second phase. Do you think the movement will be successful in minimising corruption?

Yes, why not? I think only the Anna movement can do something. I am also an active participant in his movement. Once the Lokpal Bill becomes

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a law, I think some of the corrupt practices in politics will come to a grinding halt. To give a fillip to the second phase of Anna’s movement against corruption, we have started a national level starvation movement, led by Anna from Delhi. I am sure those who are fighting for eradication of corruption from our society will join this starvation movement. It is a movement against corruption, not against politicians. It is based on the theory of construction, not destruction.

What kind of an education system is India in need of?

Education will always be above our conventional thoughts. The dynamics keep changing. It works within a system, but at the same time, it breaks the system if it is going haywire or on the wrong side.

It should be constructive, but not distractive. It should have the three Vs—Vibrancy, Values, and Victory. People should ensure that our education system follows these three Vs. No one should work outside such a system. Everyone has to participate in the system actively and make meaningful contributions. Be brave to make the system lively.

Do you think such a system is workable?

I think this system is emerging in our country. All of us want meaningful changes, a departure from corruption and malpractices.

When it comes to societal change, everyone has to be a part of it. We all should be brave and positive.

EDUCATION INSIDER I August 2012

VC SPEAKS Dr K R Viswambharan

‘Improve access to education’ Dr K R Viswambharan was the Vice-Chancellor of the Kerala Agricultural University, Thrissur. He had retired early this year.

Formerly a member of the Planning Commission’s Expert Group on Agricultural Transfer of Technology and Knowledge System, and the District Collector of Alappuzha, he shares with Education Insider his views on the multifarious role of education

Vision on education

Since the right to education is a constitutional right, the government should ensure its enforcement across all institutions in the country. Every child should have the capacity to pursue higher education, though admissions in institutions should be made on the basis of merit. If access to education is improved in the right measure, it can revolutionise our education sector and bring about a positive impact in each human being’s life and thought process.

Bridging the rich-poor gap

Since we are an integral part of society, we should at least make consistent, united efforts to create awareness of the dangers of widening rich-poor gap. A simple person can attain prosperity and position in life through hard work, but one shouldn’t forget his/her roots.

Foreign universities’ entry Contribution to the education sector

During my five-year tenure as Vice-Chancellor, Kerala Agricultural University occupied the top ranking among all state agricultural universities in the country. Reaching out to the farmers has been our prime concern. Therefore, our research and extension were focussed on farmers’ needs. I have always emphasised upon the need for imparting quality education.

The entry of foreign universities will increase competitiveness, but it will also help us set even higher standards and provide us an interactive platform and a level-playing field with the best in the world.

Setting benchmarks

Quality should be the main plank of universities.

They should ensure punctuality of an academic calendar, have a planned curriculum that can match the best in the world, and be supported by a meritorious faculty.

Role of university

The role of the University in general is to impart quality higher education and develop responsible citizens. The learning modules and extracurricular activities should be aimed at inculcating values of life among students.

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Prepared by Shani K

EDUCATION INSIDER I August 2012

MAKE YOUR CHOICE How to join?

What is Mechatronics?

Mechatronics is one of the most important branches of engineering.

It is a combination of mechanical, electronic, computer, software, control, and systems design engineering. Numerous applications of Mechatronics are being explored in robotics, making it more efficient with lesser cost of manufacturing and operation.

Contents of study

Scope

A multidisciplinary field of engineering, Mechatronics is a combination of mechanical, electronic, computer, software, control, and systems design engineering

Speech and hearing science is a study about the disordered functioning of the auditory system, speech mechanism, and language processing.

Areas of studies

Speech and hearing science includes the disciplines of human anatomy, physiology, psychology, linguistics, medicine, and education.

Scope

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Mechatronics graduates have immense job opportunities in a wide spectrum of industries, including robotics, aerospace, chemical, defence and automotive and manufacturing. It provides ample employment opportunities, from shipping to biomedical nanotechnology.

speech and hearing science. For specialisation, one has to complete the Bachelor’s with good grade.

Where to study in India?

• • • •

Speech and hearing course produces speech therapists and audiologists.

You can make a good career by treating fluency disorders in children and hearing issues among the aged.

•

How to join?

• •

Higher secondary education, with physics and biology as subsidiaries, is the criteria for a Bachelor’s in

Where to study in India?

In Mechatronics, the main subjects include precision engineering, control theory, computer science, Mathematics, sensor technology to design enhanced or ‘smart’ products, and processes and systems.

Be a master of Mechatronics

What is speech and hearing science?

Both Bachelor and Master’s courses are offered in Mechatronics at established universities. Interested candidates can join the Bachelor’s programme after completing their higher secondary education in the science stream. For Master’s, they need to complete their Bachelor’s in any of the engineering streams.

Dr S R Chandrasekhar Institute of Speech and Hearing, Bengaluru J M Institute of Speech & Hearing, Patna Chandra Bhushan Singh Memorial Speech and Hearing Institute, Delhi Dr M V Shetty College of Speech & Hearing, Mangalore J S S Institute Of Speech & Hearing, Mysore

• • • • •

Sardar Patel University, Gujarat Acharya Polytechnic Institute, Karnataka Nettoor Technical Training Foundation, Kerala G H Patel College of Engineering and Technology, Gujarat Anna University, Tamil Nadu

Study abroad • • • •

National University of Singapore Virginia Tech University, USA London South Bank University, UK University of Sheffield, UK

Listen, assess, aid the impaired Nowadays, there are millions of people who have speech and hearing impairments.

Help them communicate and connect with the world

Study abroad •

•

University of Wisconsin, Madison, USA College of Health Sciences, UK Purdue University, West Lafayette, USA University of Arizona, USA

EDUCATION INSIDER I August 2012

Beena paul BRAINWAVE

FTII functions

like a polytechnic A film’s success depends much on the craft of an editor. If the editing is shoddy, there’s no reason why the audience would stay glued to the screen.

Acclaimed film editor Beena Paul says it is important to have a better sense of the history of cinema, or else, it is difficult to understand its evolution. She shot to fame by winning the national award for editing in the English film ‘Mitr, My Friend’. She holds the post of Organiser of the International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK). In an interview with Education Insider, she tells why women are still not being accepted in the male-dominated film industry and how the Film and Television Institute of India’s standards have come down On why editing attracts few career women

FTII used to produce the best technicians for the film industry. But now, the institute is like a polytechnic. It would seem as if the institute has been created only to support Bollywood films. It is shocking

We cannot squarely blame women for not aspiring to be film editors. If you look at the history of cinema in India and our culture, you will realise that people either have the habit of underestimating women who took part in dance programmes and drama, or look at them with a lustful eye.

The present day scenario in the film industry is no different. Outside the film community, issues of morality and respectful living are often raked up in the case of a woman’s career endeavours. People have the tendency to look upon women working in film related industries in a negative way.

In such a situation, how can women come forward? Besides, as compared to other places, Kerala has very few institutes to train women aspirants in film editing.

We can’t compare ourselves with the progressive European society, where a lot of women pursue a career in film editing.

On the status of Film and Television Institute of India, Pune

I am a product of the Film and Television Institute of India. During my days at institute, it was the best institution in the country. It used to produce the best technicians for the film industry. But now, the institute is like a polytechnic. I am totally disappointed with the present day

functioning of the institute. It would seem as if the institute has been created only to support Bollywood films. It is shocking.

On her job as the organiser of IFFK

I never thought I would become the organiser of the International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK). It just came on my way. Now, I have been associating with it for more than 10 years. It’s a matter of great pleasure and joy to organise IFFK. I am really enjoying it. I have never bothered about controversies regarding film screenings. I really wonder why film personalities attach too much importance to awards and create controversies. The best award, according to me, is when the audience applauds after the screening of a movie. Selection of movies for IFFK is done on the basis of subjects. If I like some movies, it does not necessarily mean that you may like those movies. So it is unfair to create controversies. Each one has different tastes. It is quite natural.

Advice to budding editors

Editors should consider their hands as editing machines. Creativity should come from their heart. Nobody can teach you about cinema and editing. Learn from the way a movie is edited. Keep watching movies. Film is the art of a director. An editor should have the ability to understand the mind of the director.

As told to EI Bureau

EDUCATION INSIDER I August 2012

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WORDS OF WISDOM Dr Shashi Tharoor

‘Maintain quality in school system’ Dr Shashi Tharoor is perhaps the youngest Under-Secretary-General appointed in the history of the United Nations. A highly skilled diplomat, he got his PhD from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University at an early age of 22. A successful author, erstwhile United Nations peacekeeper, refugee worker, human rights activist, former Indian Minister of State for External Affairs and an elected member of Indian Parliament, Dr Shashi Tharoor is a man of versatility. In an interaction with Education Insider, Dr Tharoor shares his views on education

By T N Shaji What is your idea on education?

Education should be about creating well-formed minds, rather than well-filled ones. It should be able to mould complete human beings.

How do you compare India’s higher education system with Western countries?

I believe we have a long way to go. Though our school systems are generally rigorous, we slacken at college and graduate levels and our higher education standards rarely match those of the West.

Your undergraduate and honours degrees are in history.

So, how do you define the term ‘history’?

According to my understanding, history is anything that has happened before our time.

Where does India stand now, particularly in the primary education sector?

Our situation is uneven – some islands of excellence in a sea of mediocrity and inadequacy.

Do you think education is accessible to all, irrespective of economic standards in India? If no, what should the government do to make a comprehensive education platform for all?

The Right to Education (RTE) Act has gone a long way towards ensuring accessibility of education, irrespective of income levels. However, access is not the same as excellence and a lot of children in our government schools drop out before the eighth standard. To prevent this, the government needs to focus on sustaining levels of quality in the school system.

Do you think the bombardment of new generation courses is confusing our students so much that they fail to identify their own talents and choose to go with the flow?

I don’t know enough about the new courses to answer this question. But there is no doubt that developing one’s

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own talent is essential, if the educational process is to have value.

Do you have any regret in joining power politics?

No regret, but at the same time, it hasn’t been easy. I think it is still the best means to make a difference in our democracy.

A lot of debate is going on regarding the existential crisis of the humanities subjects. What is your take on this issue?

The study of the humanities is essential to creating, developing and maintaining a flourishing civilisation. We should not sacrifice the study of history, literature and the arts at the altar of computer science and technology.

Arts, Humanities, Creative Writing etc. are areas with vast opportunities today. There are many young writers and artists in our country who belong to the new generation. Yet, students seem to be reluctant to take up these subjects for higher studies. What could be the reason for this contradiction?

This is because of the notion prevailing in society. The erroneous perception is that such subjects are not joboriented! But remember the sole purpose of education is not creation of jobs.

You are a successful author. Do you think it is viable to be a full-time writer?

It is difficult to manage a decent livelihood as a full-time writer in any society, particularly ours! But a handful has managed it, from R K Narayan to Chetan Bhagat, so it is not impossible also.

As an active user of social media networking sites, do you think our young generation has an addiction to them?

I think our younger generation is using social media more than ever before, and this is a vital means of interactive communication for them. Any user can get “addicted” – this is not a problem of the younger lot alone!

EDUCATION INSIDER I August 2012

The Right to Education (RTE) Act has gone a long way towards ensuring accessibility of education, irrespective of income levels.

However, access is not the same as excellence and a lot of children in our government schools drop out before the eighth standard

Born in London in 1956 to Lily and Chandran Tharoor, both Keralites, Dr Shashi Tharoor was educated in India and the United States, completing a PhD in 1978 at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University, where he received the Robert B Stewart Prize for Best Student.

Dr Tharoor was also awarded an honorary D.Litt. by the University of Puget Sound and a Doctorate Honoris Causa in History by University of Bucharest.

As a successful author, United Nations peacekeeper, refugee worker, human rights activist, former Indian Minister of State for External Affairs and an elected member of Indian Parliament, Dr Shashi Tharoor is a man of versatility.

He was the official candidate of India for the succession to UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan in 2006, and came a close second (to Ban Ki-Moon) out of seven contenders in the race. At UN, he had handled key responsibilities in peacekeeping after the Cold War and served as a senior advisor to the Secretary-General, before taking on the role of the UN Under-Secretary-General for Communications and Public Information. Dr Tharoor left the UN in 2007.

Dr Tharoor has penned twelve books, hundreds of articles, newspaper columns and book reviews in a wide range of publications, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, International Herald

EDUCATION INSIDER I August 2012

Tribune, Time, Newsweek and The Times of India. For two years, he had served as a Contributing Editor and occasional columnist for Newsweek International.

In 1998, Dr Tharoor was named a “Global Leader of Tomorrow” by the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. He is the recipient of several awards, including a Commonwealth Writers’ Prize, the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman, the Pride of India Award from the Zakir Husain Memorial Foundation, and the Hakim Khan Sur Award for National Integration.

Dr Tharoor has also served on the Board of Overseers of the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, the board of trustees of the Aspen Institute, and the advisory boards of the Indo-American Arts Council, the American India Foundation, the World Policy Journal, the Virtue Foundation and the human rights organisation Breakthrough. He was appointed as an International Advisor to the International Committee of the Red Cross in Geneva for the 2008-2011 period. He was also a Fellow of the New York Institute of the Humanities and the Patron of Dubai Modern School.

He is a well-known speaker on India’s recent transformation and future prospects, globalisation, freedom of the press, human rights, literacy, Indian culture, and India’s present and potential influence in world politics.

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EXPERT INTERVIEW V Jothish Kumar

Reform teaching, training methods To meet the high demand for engineering and management professionals, corporates across the board have been regularly recruiting new graduates to give new direction to their vision and innovative pursuits. But, of late, the poor quality and output of majority of students have been forcing the corporates wary of mass recruitments.

With spoon-fed theoretical knowledge and lack of practical skills, a fresh graduate is not able to contribute much to the growth of an organisation. So it is high time for professional schools to change the mode of teaching and training in order to produce a better and brighter stock of innovators, says V Jothish Kumar, Senior Vice-President (Sales and Marketing), HAVELLS India Limited. In an interview with Education Insider, Jyothish, a management expert, makes a few suggestions to improve the quality of the professional educational system and make students industry-ready. Excerpts:

By Lakshmi Narayanan What are the qualities that organisations expect from an engineering/management graduate?

Recruiting organisations expect a lot from the shortlisted candidates, but they have been failing to find suitable workforce. This kind of a situation emanates from the institutions’ standard practice of preparing an engineering or management student for an interview, rather than the job itself.

Today, there is heavy competition across all sectors, and the rate of attrition is high. There is no assurance of job security. That term has been replaced with employment security or employability. Institutions have to improve the employability potential of students.

Industries are expecting certain abilities from fresh graduates. Communication, commitment and creativity are the three major things that an industry requires from candidates. We want people who can devise better ways for anything and everything.

Are you satisfied with the performance of students from Indian campuses?

Many students appearing in the campus recruitment interviews are definitely smart and intelligent. But they lack commitment. They want to make quick money. Such an attitude would spoil professionalism. On top of that, none

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EDUCATION INSIDER I August 2012

are industry-ready. Each company provides pre-job training to make them employable and fit for the job. In most cases, candidates are unfamiliar with practical knowledge.

This is not the problem of students alone; the fact is that the teaching faculty is also not updated. Therefore, the faculty of a professional institute should have industry-related experience at the first place. Educational institutions need to focus more on faculty training rather than accumulating hi-tech infrastructures. All institutions should have both industrybased faculty as well as academic-based faculty.

What are your suggestions to improve the quality of the professional education system?

Change should begin with the teaching faculty. Teaching is the best profession in the world. Teachers know how to mould future leaders. But as of today, in India, we have a constipated learning and teaching system. Teachers are not updating themselves. Teachers have to spend at least 30-40% of their time in updating of knowledge, much in tandem with the changing trends of the industry. Only then can we upgrade the quality of our students. In foreign countries, professors spend 40% of their time on research works. We should implement the Western system of ‘Choosing the Professor’ to provide students an opportunity to choose the best professor for his study purposes.

This system will compel the entire faculty to update knowledge. At the same time, we also need to update the syllabus in accordance with the needs of the industries.

Does HAVELLS provide pre-job training for new recruits? Do you think such training is inevitable?

HAVELLS provides three-month training for selected candidates at its potential centres. I think every industry gives such pre-job training nowadays. It has become an inevitable part of campus recruitment. It is also proving to be an expensive and unproductive task for companies because, say, out of 100 selected candidates, a company absorbs only 20-30 of them during the final selection process.

The rest of them drop out after training.

Do you think the industry interaction programmes of professional institutes are effective?

Students need to focus on subjective studies and application studies. In India, we accord more importance to theoretical EDUCATION INSIDER I August 2012

studies. In a year, 90% of academic days is filled with theoretical studies, while the rest 10% is for practical studies. This system has to be changed. The daily activities of a student must be industry-oriented. Students must familiarise themselves with the latest case studies involving domestic and foreign MNCs. The present system of industry interaction at the end of the course is not at all satisfactory.

Should we exemplify foreign institutes to motivate their Indian counterparts to upgrade the quality of education?

Borrowing the best ideas from foreign universities and applying them in Indian conditions can bring about a notable change in the education sector.

We can learn a lot from their way of utilising technology in education and also emulate their approach towards education and a given profession. Be it honesty, consideration for others, product knowledge, teaching-learning methodologies, or any specific attribute of a professional, all these can be effectively incorporated in the Indian education system.

What is your suggestion to the youngsters taking up marketing and management?

First of all, they have to understand a simple thing, that whatever you invest in yourself will ultimately bring dividends to you only. So, you have to be sincere to yourself. Don’t indulge in malpractices, and always try to be perfect. Don’t think marketing as a profession that can bring you quick bucks.

Tell us something about the recruitment activities of HAVELLS India Limited?

HAVELLS is very active in campus recruitment. We have an efficient committee to look after the campus recruitment process. They analyse the quality and performance of a college before getting into the recruitment process.

We need candidates who have done both BTech and MBA because we have engineering as well as marketing projects.

So, we always look for the best suited person. Selected candidates go through various levels of test, including group discussion and personal interview, before the final selection. We also look for BTechs with excellent performance in electrical and mechanical. HAVELLS’ recruitment record shows that we mostly get good quality candidates from Hyderabad, Delhi and Pune.

We should implement the Western system of ‘Choosing the Professor’ to provide students an opportunity to choose the best professor for his study purposes.

This system will compel the entire faculty to update knowledge

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SPECIAL STORY Sabriye Tenberken

Giving light from a life of darkness At the age of 12, Sabriye Tenberken of Germany lost her eyesight due to a degenerative retinal disease. This visually challenged woman went on to become a successful writer, social changemaker, motivator, educationist, entrepreneur, and mountaineer. Today, she runs a unique organisation in Kerala that is the first of its kind in the world working towards developing the social entrepreneurial skills of visually challenged people. She gives hope to all those disabled and poverty-stricken people who are languishing in a world of abandonment and ostracisation

By Lakshmi Narayanan “Everything has its wonders, even darkness and silence, and I learn whatever state I may be in, therein to be content.�

Helen Keller

O

nly the rarest of rare human beings have the ability and heart to go into the inner recesses of mind and soul and generate a trailblazing source of altruist energy to lead a life for precious others who have been disabled by a twisted fate, suffocating circumstances, and the company of indifferent people. Sabriye Tenberken knows how to create a colourful canvas of life for the less fortunate ones, despite being blind herself.

Her contributions to society can put to shame all able-bodied men who turn a Nelson’s eye to the

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sufferings of others.

A successful writer, social changemaker, educationist, motivator, entrepreneur, and mountaineer, Sabriye was born into a German family near Bonn. During her childhood, she had developed a degenerative retinal disease that was gradually making her blind. Knowing her situation, her parents had taken her to many places across the world so that she could store some colourful memories in her mind before going totally blind.

In 1982, at the age of 12, when she had lost complete eyesight, her parents sent her to a boarding school for the blind, where she had learnt horse riding, swimming, and Braille. Most importantly, while there, she had discovered the inner power to accept her disability with positivity.

After schooling, Sabriye had pursued Central EDUCATION INSIDER I August 2012

Asian Studies at Bonn University. She learnt Mongolian and modern Chinese, before taking up modern and classical Tibetan in combination with sociology and philosophy.

Endeavours in Tibet

As part of her specialisation in Tibetology, Sabriye had visited Tibet, where she soon gathered knowledge about the miserable life of the visually challenged people there in terms of societal treatment, education and employment. She was so obsessed with the idea of bringing about a meaningful change in the lives of these people that she had discontinued her studies for active participation in educational initiatives exclusively meant for them. She soon developed her own style of teaching and learning. In 1992, she had developed a Tibetan Braille Script, which later became the official writing system for the blind in Tibet.

At the age of 26, Sabriye made a strong base in Tibet and founded an organisation for visually challenged people, Centre for the Blind in Lhasa.

The centre started with five children. But because of lack of funds, owing to disbelief among prospective agencies that a blind woman could not spearhead such a mission, the project could not take off. That didn’t break Sabriye’s mental resolve. In 2002, she had established Braille Without Borders with help from Paul Kronenberg, an architect from Holland who went on to become her life partner.

“Education can bring about great changes in life. It can help a person in overcoming disabilities and mustering the courage to face various challenges of life. Blindness does not restrict a person from dreaming about success in life. It’s a great opportunity to learn about your potential, and we focus on developing the mental faculties and abilities of people faced with vision impairment or any other kind of disability. Braille without Borders trains them to be courageous to face every challenge of life. That is why Braille without Borders still continues to be the best centre for education of the blind,” Sabriye tells Education Insider.

Sabriye was not satisfied with the mere idea of providing education to the visually challenged.

She thought it was her duty to make blind students self-employable and self-reliant. That’s how she had initiated an employment project through Braille without Borders. The organisation trained students in medical massage, animal husbandry, cheesemaking, and farming. Until then, Tibetans were not familiar with milk products. The novelty of her initiative made the project popular.

Over the years, Sabriye has created her own distinct space in the world of education. She has trained many students across the world. In fact, 80 per cent of them are trying their hand in the world of entrepreneurship today. Accolades have poured in from all quarters, and her resounding success soon paved the way for the establishment of her own skill and entrepreneurship development venture, an EDUCATION INSIDER I August 2012

An accomplished human being Sabriye is the first successful blind mountaineer to scale Mount Everest.

She is also the author of three books - My Path Leads to Tibet, Tashis Neue Welt, and Das Siebte Jahr (The Seventh Year). My Path Leads to Tibet has been published in 12 foreign languages. In 2008, the Chinese government had accepted Sabriye as one of the 15 most influential overseas experts in China over the past 30 years. In 2011, Kanthari International received the INCITE Excellence Award in Social Entrepreneurship. endeavour that brought her to God’s own country.

Institute for entrepreneurship development

In 2007, Sabriye and Paul descended in Thiruvananthapuram, enchanted by the beauty, climate, and friendly attitude of the people of Kerala. They then established a unique institute under the aegis of Braille without Borders, the International Institute for Social Entrepreneurs (IISE), which was later renamed Kanthari International.

IISE trained people to overcome challenges such as vision impairment, disability, poverty, discrimination, and exploitation, and helped them in setting up their own social projects. Over an 11-month period, IISE developed the skills of participants in management, communication, leadership, fund-raising, budgeting, book-keeping, marketing and computer usage.

“Apart from being a social worker, I wanted to be an active part of the change being brought

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SPECIAL STORY Sabriye Tenberken

There were so many hurdles before me. Some people merely looked at me as a blind woman.

But I overcame all those discouragements.

Kanthari International is unique in every way. It is the first entrepreneurship institute in the world to train visually challenged people and help them achieve their life goals

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about in society. There were so many hurdles before me. Some people merely looked at me as a blind woman. But I overcame all those discouragements. IISE had helped us work on the concept of Kanthari International, which is unique in every way. It is the first entrepreneurship institute in the world to train visually challenged people and help them achieve their life goals. As of now, hundreds of visually challenged people are being trained at Kanthari International by experienced catalysts from various parts of the world. We have students from India, many African countries, the UK, and the US,” says Sabriye.

The objective behind Kanthari International

Located on the banks of Vellayani Lake, the only freshwater lake in Thiruvananthapuram, Kanthari International is spread over 12.5 acres. It has a big campus, a hostel, a library, an auditorium and training facilities. The word ‘Kanthari’ means a variety of chilly in Malayalam. It is very spicy. The name of Sabriye’s venture only drives home the point that though its students may seem calm by nature, their immense potential to contribute to society can catch anyone’s undivided attention.

Kanthari International trains its students in accordance with their tastes and

talents. The aspirants are classified as ‘Red Kantharis’. They are trained in communication, public speech, social marketing etc. The ‘Green Kantharis’ are the initiators. These creative people are trained in innovation, project management, presentation and legal matters. ‘Ivory vKantharis’ are the social entrepreneurs.

They are trained in business administration, business management, finance administration, marketing etc. ‘Yellow Kantharis’ are the inventors, known for their vision and technical skills. They get trained in production processes and environmental awareness etc. ‘Purple Kantharis’ are the artists. They are good at creativity, thoughts, speech, and writing.

“After the successful completion of the courses at Kanthari International, students enter the world of entrepreneurship. Some of our past students have started day care centres for children and social media centres, while others have got into animal husbandry and farming etc. It may sound like a small thing, but it’s a great achievement for us, because we brought them back to life. To gain admission at Kanthari International, one must have high ambitions and the courage to take on challenges,” says Sabriye.

Taking serious note of Kanthari International’s success, many entrepreneurial experts from across the world are approaching Sabriye for being a part of the mission as catalysts. Even local NGOs and the Kerala government have evinced interest in Kanthari International’s activities.

Participants from across industries are taking part in free classes and lectures on entrepreneurial development at Kanthari International.

“It is a great experience to train the visually challenged. We can also learn a lot from them. I am so excited to be a part of Kanthari International,” says Patric, a catalyst of Kanthari International from Uganda.

EDUCATION INSIDER I August 2012

Firoz Babu Thairinil MANAGEMENT LESSONS

‘Polish your skill set before an interview’ Your preparation for a job interview can become much easier once you know what the interview panel is looking for. Your intellect can never compensate for personality deficiencies. Let’s see what a management expert has to say about preparation for job interviews

By Tony William

“

You don’t have the privilege of two or three hours to impress the interview board. I tell you, the moment you enter and approach the interview board, you are assessed.

At that very moment, your fate is decided,” said Firoz Babu Thairinil, management expert and CEO of Westford Management School.

Speaking at an orientation workshop for management students in Kochi, Thairinil said a job interview concerning a technical job could be different. “But when it comes to management jobs, this is the truth. I was part of the interview panel of several banks. A candidate should have confidence, a good attitude, and excellent communication and presentation skills,” he said.

These pre-requisites for a management professional are increasingly becoming relevant in the job market today, considering the fact that a sizeable section of Indian youths lack proper communication skills.

So, what makes Thairinil an expert on interviews other than the fact that he was part of interview panels at banks? A senior banker for quite a few years, he had given up his job to become a management trainer, a dream he had nurtured ever since his academic days.

There was a time when job providers only looked for the perfect candidate in terms of intellect. But the dynamics have changed now, Thairinil said, adding that in this age of the computers, the complexities of a work station are taken care of by technology, while the manual tasks are to be efficiently carried out by a new breed of innovators.

Thairinil said there are deficiencies in the current education system. India still follows the conventional way of learning. It is as dangerous as learning driving in a classroom without any practical classes. Your management qualities cannot be tested on paper. Likewise, your MBA certificate alone can’t fetch you a job.

“Don’t dream of a bright career in marketing if you haven’t even sold a single pen in your entire life,” warned Thairinil.

Once you fix your target, start preparing accordingly. Learning is a gradual process. But once you are out with your Masters, you must be a professional. Knowledge is powerful only when you are able to apply it in real life, said Thairinil. “Most of the students lack goals today. For example, I had met students who wanted to do MBA in marketing after completion of their civil engineering. There is no problem in doing so. But if you wanted an MBA in marketing, you could have opted for a subject associated with it. Why waste four valuable years?

EDUCATION INSIDER I August 2012

This is why I say preparation is important. Or else, you could end up wasting many years which could have been crucial to your career.”

“The National Association of Software and Services Companies’ survey on employable graduates in India states that only 25% have employable skills. The villain is nothing but the lack of job-ready skills. Graduates from India are competitive when compared with the Western countries. But we lack the right presentation, communication, attitude and confidence,” he said.

“My message to management students is that they should fix a target and start developing accordingly. Skill development is a very crucial thing to emerge victorious in an interview. Professional development holds the key. You should see the world as your domain,” he said before signing off.

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GREENER PASTURES GUEST COLUMN Dr T P Sethumadhavan

Get a grip on the emerging career trends The recent budget proposal to remove sectoral restriction on venture capital funds (VCFs) will create more employment opportunities in engineering, IT, biotechnology, pharma, livestock, hospitality and food processing sectors

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s per section 10(23FB) of the Income Tax Act, 1961, SEBI registered VCFs are eligible to invest in firms engaged in only nine business activities. They include nanotechnology; information technology relating to hardware and software development; seed research and development; biotechnology; research and development of new chemical entities in the pharmaceutical sector; production of bio fuels, building and operating composite hotel-cumconvention centre with a seating capacity of more than 3000; development, operation and maintenance of any infrastructure facility; and dairy or poultry industry.

Cloud computing will generate some 14 million new jobs worldwide by 2015, and India alone will create over two million, predicts a study conducted

by International Data Corporation.

Pointing out to a strong linkage between cloud computing, innovation and entrepreneurship, the study said most companies look at migration to cloud computing as a way to free up existing resources and work on more innovative projects.

Freeing up budget allows organisations to shift some of their legacy work to cloud computing and invest such freed budget in IT innovation that supports business innovation and in turn, create new jobs. There is a common misconception that cloud computing is a job eliminator, but it will be a job creator. The study predicts the generation of over two million jobs each in the communication, media, manufacturing and banking sectors.

The Indian software industry continues to add jobs at a faster pace,

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despite the threat of a slowdown. The industry is estimated to generate around 2,30,000 jobs additionally by 2013.

For the coming fiscal, the industry has already made about 100,000 job offers on campus. Around five to six per cent of the workforces employed by Indian companies are locals. Indian talent was being hired by all companies, and even by industries outside of technology. Over the last 20 years, the Indian IT industry has grown from $100 million to $100 billion, recording a phenomenal growth.Engineering services, automobile, education, healthcare, pharmaceuticals and FMCG will witness robust hiring and salary hikes in the range of 10-15%, depending on the management level. Economic uncertainties in the European economies will force those operating in sectors such as banking-related IT hiring and retail, to play the hiring and hikes game with caution.

International Health & Safety Recruitment Specialists, Allen & York, takes a look at the expanding industries that are welcoming many new health and safety professionals by 2013. They predicted increase in job opportunities for the health and safety practitioner within the risk and safety, chemical and renewable energy sectors.

Growing health and safety presence with the Oil & Gas industry is leading to an increase in risk and safety professionals. The significance of risk, safety and health in the chemical industry has been a progressively vital issue in achieving productivity and an edge in the competitive world.

Potential sectors

Usually, the economic status of a country is rated on the basis of the GDP,

the rate of inflation and other economic matrices. But the country’s economic status and placement situation can also be judged by the placement scenes at the premier educational institutions. The placement situation in the country is very bright. All private players and PSUs are eagerly recruiting skilled and talented

professionals for augmenting production.

During the pre- recession period, campus recruitment was around 65 per cent in IT and ITeS sectors. But during recession, it had come down to 25 per cent, and now, it has started moving up again. Current figures show that the country’s campus recruitment is around 40 per cent.

Some of the potential areas of employment are banking, financial EDUCATION INSIDER I August 2012

services, insurance, education, training, consultancy, healthcare, hospitality, tourism, travel, IT, ITeS, real estate, construction, trade, transport, manufacturing, energy, automotives, FMCG, engineering, procurement, retail industry, and agribusiness.

Research studies done by different HR services research agencies like MAFOI, NASSCOM, ASSOCHAM, CRISIL, Deutsche Bank and Hewitt revealed that the Indian career market will exhibit quantum jump, and by 2020, there will be spectacular changes in key sectors like energy, infrastructure, pharmaceuticals, project engineering, telecom, IT, ITeS, engineering services, banking, financial services, insurance, healthcare, agribusiness, biotechnology, manufacturing, hospitality, trade, tourism and transport. The potential sectors are:

Energy (Oil, Gas, Coal & Power)

India has acquired the status of having the fifth largest power generation capacity in the world. Oil and gas

aggressively revising their HR policies.

Infrastructure

Infrastructure was one of the sectors least affected during the recession.

A total investment of $450 billion is expected to reach the country by 201213. Ports, highways, airports and other amenities are the basic drive behind this growth.

Project engineering

Global engineering services’ outsourcing market will reach US$150215 billion by 2020. Of this, India’s share will increase from 12% to 25-30% by 2020. The engineering sector will become the biggest sector after IT and ITeS in the country.

Pharmaceuticals

By 2015, the Indian pharmaceutical industry will reach a turnover of $20 billion. There is a very good potential for the generic drug market in the country. The Indian pharma industry employs quality manpower and excels from low cost of production, world class technology and research.

Retail industry

India is the fifth largest retail industry in the world. By 2012-2013, turnover will reach $573 billion from US$405 billion (2010-11). Increase in the standard of living creates a wide spectrum of opportunities in the retail industry. FDI inflows and subsequent developments in the retail industry will create a demand for more manpower from Tier-I and Tier-II cities.

Telecom

India is the third largest country in the telecom sector globally, after China and the US. The country’s mobile subscriber base will be around five per cent of the world market by 201314. Rural penetration, coupled with 3G technology and competition, will facilitate better career prospects in this sector.

Banking, Finance and Insurance

requirement will be expected to increase from 186.54 million tonnes during 201011 to 253.58 million tonnes by the end of 2012. Expected investment within the next five years will be around Rs 7.5 lakh crore.

There is a huge demand for skilled workers in the Oil and Gas industry.

Since stiff competition is occurring between private and PSU units, PSUs are EDUCATION INSIDER I August 2012

While public sector banks are trying to open overseas markets, the private sector is active in the domestic segment.

Some of the potential areas are asset management, broking, investment and insurance. All public and private sector banks require skilled professionals in the areas of finance, banking, marketing and HRD management.

Education, Training and Consultancy

As a sequel to globalisation, the global village concept is acquiring momentum in the country. Education, training and consultancy are some of the key sectors that can drive more employment in the country. These sectors are expected to create 97,000 jobs during 2010-2011. Educational consultancy services are gaining more importance in the country. In the post-recession period, companies are keener to recruit talented professionals in the financial sector.

Moreover, the Bill to permit foreign educational institutions to start campuses in India is in the final phase.

Hospitality and Travel

This is one of the fastest growing segments in the world. The country recorded a four per cent reduction in turnover in hospitality and travel during 2009. But during 2005-10, this sector had exhibited 13% growth. Five star hotels and real estate business further augment growth in these sectors. India has a higher rate of career prospects at +39%, while Brazil has +38%, Australia +22% and Singapore +20%.

Twelve fastest growing jobs projected up to 2018 by the US Bureau for Labor Statistics are biomedical engineers, network systems and data communication analysts, financial examiners, medical scientists except epidemiologists, physician assistants, biochemists and biophysicists, veterinarians, athletic trainers, computer software engineers, applications, system software, food technologists and environmental engineers.

The US Bureau for Labor Statistics has projected varying rates of employment in the American engineering sector. Here’s a break-up of the projected rates: engineers-11%, aerospace engineers-10%, agricultural engineers-12%, biomedical engineers-72%, chemical engineers-2%, civil engineers-24%, environmental engineers-31%, industrial engineershealth and safety-14%, marine engineers-14%, mining and geological engineers-15%, nuclear engineers-11%, petroleum engineers-18%, and for other engineers-7%.

(Dr T P Sethumadhavan is working as Academic Consultant & Officer on Special Duty at the Directorate of Entrepreneurship, Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University)

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STUDY DESTINATION Scotland

Experience the novelty of teaching The picturesque land of kilts, bagpipes, cakes, and the mythical Loch Ness Monster is one of the most sought after study destinations in the world. Scottish institutions offer some of the world’s best professional, vocational and research programmes

By Our Correspondent

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ver heard of the Loch Ness Monster? Well, a search for this mythical monster wouldn’t yield any results, but it surely will entice you to the picturesque and mesmerising land of kilts, bagpipes, and cakes. There’s more information that will leave you astounded if you are a student still searching for an excellent foreign study destination to pursue higher education.

With a population of about five million, this land of diverse culture, attracts more than 30,000 international students from over 180 countries every year. So, what makes Scottish education so special? Scottish institutions are known for their novel ways of teaching and serious approach towards education. They teach students how to think rather than what to think.

And once they learn how to think, the experienced teaching faculty instills confidence among them to give concrete shape to their ideas and execute them with finesse.

Scotland offers a mix of excellent study programmes and good part-time work opportunities in various spectrums, especially in the science and technology sector, and what’s more to ask for when they come with excellent perks.

Why Scottish universities?

Scottish universities offer a high quality learning system that has been developed over the past six centuries.

They are globally respected for innovative practices. Aided by modern library, laboratory, 24X7 Wi-Fi and sports facilities matching international standards, Scottish institutions have some of the world’s best research programmes.

For those who fear that the academic fee would be exorbitant, here’s some good news: under Scotland’s Saltire Scholarships Scheme, 200 awards are available to postgraduate students from Canada, China, India, the US and other

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countries.

Eligibility criteria

A good grade at the higher secondary level is the basic criteria for admission to a Scottish graduation programme.

A qualification in English as a foreign language (EFL) is also required. Students can take a preentry course in EFL or a foundation programme to meet the entry criteria.

Students need to submit the following things at the time of application: • A photocopy of certificate(s) along with transcript(s) • A copy of a certified translation in English, if necessary • Students must comply with the UK Border Agency Regulations in order to clear the visa procedure

Study trends

Scottish education welcomes international students to various professional and vocational programmes, including business, technology, and science and engineering, among other disciplines. Forensic science, applied biosciences with forensics, nursing, management, international business, naval architecture etc. are among the popular courses.

Students from across the world also come to Scotland for internships and work placement opportunities.

Earn while you learn

The education system of Scotland provides students an opportunity to earn while learning. Students can work up to 20 hours per week during the course of a term and full time during vacations.

Important facts •

Scotland’s educational hub includes

•

•

15 renowned universities, six specialist higher education institutes, and 41 further education colleges More academic papers and certifications per head of population are produced in Scotland than in any other country in the world Scotland’s education system is based on the models of USA, Canada and China

Best universities in Scotland • • • • •

University of St Andrews University of Glasgow University of Aberdeen University of Edinburgh University of Strathclyde

EDUCATION INSIDER I August 2012

GEAR IIS FOCUS

Developing inborn talents of children Bengaluru-based GEAR Innovative International School is quite different from institutions which depend on the conventional ways of teaching.The slogan of the institute is ‘a school beyond walls’

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odern day children are turning into prodigies in their own ways. They are gradually moving away from the obvious to the unprecedented ways of experimentation with their playtime. Their toys, bicycles and comics have been replaced by latest gadgets, playstations, serious reading and creative writing endeavours, and other brain-teasing activities. So, there’s no wonder that more and more children are showing early signs of maturity and steady development of intellect. For instance, a class VIII student is a promising writer who has already got his book published, while a class IX student is the proud inventor of a mechanical module.

What gives them the edge?

The secret lies in the hidden talents of a child. But tapping the natural talent isn’t as easy as it sounds. Either the parents or the teachers have to engage themselves with children in some fun activities and exercises to gauge their inherent talent and weaknesses. This is

Bureau an area where some schools have gained the trust of parents just because of their proven expertise in identifying and nurturing the hidden talents of children.

This kind of pedagogy is different from institutions that are steeped in a bland academic and ranking system.

Bengaluru-based GEAR Innovative International School is quite different from institutions which depend on the conventional ways of teaching. “Our slogan is ‘a school beyond walls’,” says M Srinivasan, Founder Chairman of GEAR International School. Most schools have the tendency of erecting a barrier by handing students a list of do’s and don’ts, which very often restrains them from developing their creative skills and forces them to concentrate on mere accumulation of bookish knowledge. The ‘beyond-the-walls’ concept enables students to think beyond their curriculum. It pushes unsullied brains to imagine, visualise, and think of practical solutions. “This is known as ‘first-in-

M Srinivasan, Founder Chairman, GEAR IlS

the-brain-then-practice-with-the-hands approach’,” says Srinivasan.

GEAR Innovative International School has developed an immaculate system, adopting innovative means of teaching to groom pupils in tandem with their penchant for a subject or an activity. It pays special attention to the

FOCUS GEAR IIS

At GEAR Innovative International School, learning is encouraged and not enforced

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development of every student by integrating skill development exercises with the academic syllabus. This is what makes GEAR Innovative International School unique and distinct from the other schools. “The vision is to build our children’s future by meeting the educational needs of today through the traditional wisdom of yesterday and the technology of tomorrow,” says Srinivasan.

A child is born with multiple talents, but if they are not given due care for further development, there is a likelihood of him never knowing his own strengths once he grows up. “Learning is invisible. The invisible structures help accentuate the learning process,” says Srinivasan. Thus, it is the mode of education that leads a student to a better future. GEAR Innovative International School has adopted a three-phase capsule to groom students with inbuilt talents, enabling them to focus on the advanced levels of creativity. At the beginner’s level, all students are given a number of creative tasks in areas as diverse as music, literature, dance, science and mathematics. These exercises are given as much importance as regular academic subjects. During this phase, trained

teachers observe every child closely to identify each one’s area of interest.

In the second phase, those who excel in a particular subject are supported in their creative endeavours. In this phase, parents are also asked to take active interest in their wards’ activities.

In the third and final phase, students are indulged, encouraged and promoted to higher levels of output in their chosen fields. This phase culminates in the mastery of a certain skill. “We often fail to understand the talents of pupils. Parents are constantly worried whether their child can imbibe much knowledge at a tender age. Contrary to their perception, we have been successful in imparting valuable lessons on multiple subjects. The pupils have adapted themselves to the new teaching methodology in a positive and productive way. We have a class IX student who is awaiting a patent for a mechanical module he has invented. We also have a class VIII student who has written a book and got it published. Our students have been participating in different national level programmes,” says Srinivasan.

The school relies on the Montessori Method, a child-centred educational initiative emphasising on their natural development at emotional, spiritual, psychological and physical levels. Under this method, children are given the freedom to learn on their own through fun-filled activities.

“It is our endeavour to provide innovative, functional and state-of-the-art facilities in a salubrious surrounding far away from the milling crowd, yet, very close to all important locations.

With professional expertise in dynamic curriculum, boarding/day boarding schools, latest information technology tools, in-service training for creative and innovative teachers, extraordinary educational strategy based on values, and individualised academic excellence, GEAR Innovative International School provides an answer to the crisis of mistaking information for wisdom, examination for education, and marks or grades for learning,” says Srinivasan.

Utilising this concept of individualised learning and differentiated curriculum through multilevel content, students are developed in a holistic manner. The school provides leadership training to its faculty and educationists, who are interested in the distinctive “School Beyond Walls” curriculum and innovative programmes. It is an ongoing process. The school also has a resource team of outstanding educators and professionals.

At GEAR Innovative International School, learning is encouraged and not enforced. Questions are never branded as silly or considered to be a waste of time. Every idea or dream is treated with respect. “GEAR Innovative International School is more than a school. It is a family.

Everyone here is trying to achieve their goals and dreams. Learning is the joy we discover on the way,” says Srinivasan.

EDUCATION INSIDER I August 2012

IICPT FOCUS

Turning to promoters of post-harvest technology Indian Institute of Crop Processing Technology is a national institution for research, education and training in the area of post-harvest processing of crops of wetlands and storm-prone regions

By Ziad P S

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ood is undoubtedly a vital element for both humans and animals. One can’t survive without food. That’s precisely why agriculture continues to be the most essential part of a country’s social and economic system. Sustaining a model of consistent growth is a tough ask in agriculture these days. That’s where organisations like the Indian Institute of Crop Processing Technology (IICPT) help the country in building and maintaining a robust system of productivity.

Before getting into the core activities of IICPT, let’s see why such organisations are the only recourse to self-sufficiency. The growing problem of global food shortage has caused prices to double in recent years, and while scientists are still debating on better ways and means to tackle the problem of climate change, one of the main factors causing low agricultural productivity, the increasing burden of a burgeoning population and water scarcity are only making matters worse.

The International Commission on Sustainable Agriculture and Climate Change has warned international leaders, farmers and food companies that if the problem is not accorded top priority, unsustainable storage and inadequate agricultural production methods would land the whole world in a critical condition by 2050.

This emphasises the need for an impeccable mechanism of preserving food and allied agricultural products in order to prevent the world from succumbing to the threat of starvation. India, wellknown as an agriculture country with 75 per cent cultivable lands, is the largest exporter of Basmati rice. However, farmers often lose their produce either due to the lack of a proper preservation technology or storage for longer tenures in the face of low demand.

Developed countries may be ahead of EDUCATION INSIDER I August 2012

India in terms of post-harvest technology. But India is catching up, with help from IICPT, formerly Paddy Processing Research Centre (PPRC), a pioneer research and development institute under the Central Ministry of Food Processing Industries.

IICPT is located in Thanjavur, the ancient capital of the Chola Kingdom, and the granary of Tamil Nadu. “Our vision is to serve as a national institution for research, education and training in the area of post-harvest processing of crops of wetlands and storm-prone regions... and to undertake basic, applied and adoptive research in the post-production sector of cyclone- or storm-prone areas and wetlands, including plantation, spices and other important crops,” says IICPT Director Dr K Alagusundaram.

The origin of IICPT can be traced to 1967, when it was started as the R&D laboratory of Thanjavur Co-operative Marketing Federation at Tiruvarur, Tamil Nadu, under the leadership and guidance of late Dr V Subrahmanyan, an eminent scientist and founder Director of the Central Food Technological Research Institute, Mysore. “The mandate of the institute at its inception was to seek solutions for preserving high moisture paddy because the paddy harvest season in Southern India coincided with the tail end of the South West Monsoon,” says Alagusundaram.

The institute was later upgraded as a national laboratory (PPRC) in 1972. At the time of upgradation, the mandates of the institute were also changed, and scientists of the institute started to focus on identification of technologies for post-harvest procession and preservation of paddy. The institute was moved to its current location at Thanjavur in 1984.

The Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MFPI) strengthened and upgraded PPRC as a national institute in February 2008, calling it IICPT.

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FOCUS IICPT

‘Honing students’ skills, tapping emerging trends’ Dr K Alagusundaram, the present Director of IICPT has rich experience in the areas of agricultural process engineering, food storage, and food technologies. He has developed various numerical simulation models for predicting heat and mass transfer during storage and drying of food grains and oilseeds. He has visited many countries as part of his study on post-harvest systems. His Master’s and Doctoral degrees are from the Bio-systems Engineering Department, University of Manitoba, Canada. Excerpts from an interview:

What is the significance of crop/food technology in this technically driven era, as most students are longing for engineering and management programmes rather than conventional streams?

As we all know, food is essential for all living beings.

But food shortage is a menace haunting the world today.

Countries are not producing enough foods to feed their population. Sometimes, produced crops are not preserved properly due to the lack of knowledge, resulting in total loss of stock piles. Because of this, it is imperative to develop technologies for preservation of the post-harvest produces for a better future. Since food technology is all about preserving foods and allied products, there are

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Dr K Alagusundaram, Director, IICPT

ample opportunities in this segment across the world.

In India alone, there are innumerable vacancies in the diverse industries of this segment for qualified manpower.

It is a process, of preserving and maintaining eatables and all related articles for future use, which needs research and study. Today, the benefit of this system has led to the commercialisation of this technology in the wide spectrum. We are here to hone students’ skills and tap the emerging trends in the food industry. Food technology could compete with other engineering streams in the years to come.

What are the courses IICPT is offering at present?

As part of creating manpower for the food processing sector, we started offering BTech, MTech and PhD programmes in food process engineering since the 200910 academic year. All academic programmes in IICPT are affiliated with Tamil Nadu Agricultural University.

Besides, we are conducting short-term certificate courses for farmers, entrepreneurs and industrial personnel. We have charted out several activities for the growth of the post-harvest technology.

What is the uniqueness of IICPT? IICPT is a pioneer institute under Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MFPI). The vision and foresight of the Government of India was instrumental in the creation of a new institute for research and development and education on processing. We propose to conduct several seminars and workshops at many places around the country. We seek the possibilities of conducting mutually beneficial research projects on post-harvest technology and making value addition through our mandatory crops, scientist and student exchanges, and scientific information flow between the partner institutes, resulting in a beneficial outcome to the stakeholders. IICPT has already entered into a memorandum of understanding with several national and international institutions, which enables coordination of joint research, lectures, training, development of mutually beneficial academic programmes, courses, and distance learning facilities, and exchange of students for study and research.

EDUCATION INSIDER I August 2012

IBMT FOCUS

‘Catering to the needs of an emerging economy’ The primary motto of IBMT has been to deliver an industryoriented curriculum.

The main objective of its programmes is to improve students’ skills in problem solving, team building, and communications Bureau

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he Institute of Business Management and Technology (IBMT), Bengaluru, is an innovation-centric institution driven by the five Cs - Convergence, Connectivity, Collaboration, Creativity and Communication, the driving forces of the new age economy. Information is the key ingredient of emerging businesses, stimulating greater integration of all knowledge and work processes. The ICT revolution is drastically reshaping global society and pushing the world towards a knowledge-based economy. It is no longer possible for any business to ignore information-based virtual value chains.

Therefore, in order to grasp the intricacies of new businesses in the digital economy, the future managers must develop capabilities to integrate multiple skills, evolving knowledge systems and emergent technologies.

The workplace requires its employees to use computers, understand how they interface with other technologies, think

EDUCATION INSIDER I August 2012

critically, solve problems, communicate effectively, apply technology to task, and work in teams.

Taken together, these advances in technology and knowledge generation will radically transform the very nature of how we grow our economy and how we compete. Growth, jobs, and the competitive edge will go to those nations, those regions, those communities, those companies, and those individuals that can most quickly and most effectively generate, capture, manage, and apply knowledge. In this kind of knowledge economy, people are at the heart of the process. Following an inter-disciplinary approach that integrates technology and business, the programmes of study at IBMT have been designed with a clear focus on knowledge models.

IBMT’s mission is to nurture creative pupils with enhanced managerial and technical skills, making them contribute to the creation, application and extension of knowledge for the benefit of society.

Creative education

At the dawn of the Cyber Age, technology has emerged as the most powerful force driving global transformation as well as providing tools that make profound changes possible. The most profound impact is felt in complex business organisations and business processes. Convergence of technologies is changing the way

Dr Anil Rawat, Director, IBMT, Bengaluru

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FOCUS IBMT we live. Knowledge explosion is forcing the emergent business organisations to become borderless complex adaptive systems. In order to comprehend the emerging complexity and select intelligent pathways, one requires not only the knowledge of technology but also a holistic perception through unity of thought, vision and action.

Hence the challenge of education in the new business environment is to develop new cognitive skills to manage complex organisations.

Unique pedagogy

Since its inception, the primary motto of IBMT has been to deliver an industry-oriented curriculum. Therefore, it maintains very intense interaction with the industry. In order to capture new developments and changing demands of the industry in the curriculum, the institute provides a separate package of value addition that equips all students in latest managerial skills. The main objective of its programmes is to improve students’ skills in problem solving, team building, and communications. In addition, students participate in the international network of practice firms, and thus acquire global economic knowledge. Students use technology as applied in business, including the use of the Internet for global transactions and communications. The programme engages students in hands-on applications with tangible results.

Each participant is expected to have a mentor who serves as a guide for corporate interaction.

In order to provide global experience to all its students, IBMT has become a member of a global network of 116 business schools.

It has the able assistance of international faculties from France, Austria, Finland, Scotland, the UK etc 72

Top placement provider

This is the age of human capital. In a quickly changing world, talented human capital will be a prime ingredient of business success. The truly successful managers and leaders of the next century will be characterised not by how they can access information, but by how they can access the most relevant information and differentiate it from the exponentially multiplying masses of nonrelevant information. One of the biggest challenges for business

Courses @ IBMT MBA MIB MFA PGDM leaders of the 21st century will be to comprehend the ongoing evolutionary process of global business practices.

These are epoch-making times for education and research, training and human resource development, as they have to cater to the needs of a new mind extension era. Education at IBMT is intended to facilitate unbounded exploration of ideas. In order to facilitate this process, the institute draws upon various streams of thought and integrates these in the educational process. With the synergy of new technology, knowledge and tools, the institute has evolved an integrated educational process to train young managers for the new economy.

With such comprehensive training, all its students have been able to find excellent placements. As a result, the institute is now rated as one of the top three placement providers in Bangalore.

The institute offers highly valued courses - MBA, MIB, MFA and PGDM. It has a strong industry interface with extra emphasis on applied learning and hands-on training.

Global connectivity

In order to provide global experience to all its students, IBMT has become a member of a global network of 116 business schools. It has the able assistance of international faculties from France, Austria, Finland, Scotland, the UK etc.

EDUCATION INSIDER I August 2012

TechnoPoint FOCUS

Sharpening skills in technical writing Founded in 2003, TechnoPoint is Bengaluru’s first technical writing training centre and India’s first centre to initiate classroom training for instructional design. Apart from providing effective training, it provides documentation services to corporates as well as students Bureau

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echnical writing is a highly specialised form of communication used in technology-driven fields such as computer hardware and software, engineering, chemistry, aerospace, robotics, finance, consumer electronics, and biotechnology etc. This is a popular vocation in India today, but there are not many institutes in the country to groom technical writers.

TechnoPoint, a technical writing training centre based in Bengaluru, is at the forefront of innovation in this field.

“As long as technology and innovation are there, the demand for a technical writer will remain high,” says Anita Sadashiv, Director of TechnoPoint.

So, what’s the nature of the job of a technical writer?

Technical writers should develop a sound knowledge and understanding of a product or its technical aspect before penning about its benefits, multiple use or availability. A good technical writer needs strong language skills since he has to familiarise himself with the conventions of modern technical communications.

Besides simplification of technical jargons and precise presentation of useful information in a clear and easy to understand manner, a technical writer has to keep in mind the needs of a certain target audience. Most of all, the writing should be concise, helping the reader grasp the meaning of a write-up quickly.

“We have been leading the technical writing fraternity in India by offering high-end training and documentation services,” says Anita.

TechnoPoint was founded in August 2003 as a training centre imparting quality training for aspiring and qualified technical writers, helping them enhance their skills. Since then, it has come a long way in serving students and clients. TechnoPoint is the first technical writing training centre in Bengaluru, and the first in India to initiate classroom training for instructional design. “We primarily cater to two audiences: students who want to learn and find a job in technical writing and instructional design; and corporates who are looking for technical writers, instructional designers, or corporate trainers. More than 1,200 students have successfully completed our technical writing and instructional designing courses. We have placing them in reputed companies like Infosys, SAP Labs, TCS, Integra Microsystems, Lucent Technologies, and Wipro, among others,” says Anita.

EDUCATION INSIDER I August 2012

Anita Sadashiv, Director, TechnoPoint, Bengaluru

The training modules at TechnoPoint are structured in such a way that every student finds it easy to move ahead with the guidance of expert trainers. “The average salary of a fresh technical writer ranges between Rs 15,000 and 20,000, while candidates with some past writing experience can earn 18,000-25,000 per month,” says Anita.

TechnoPoint also provides extensive technical writing and instructional design training to the in-house teams of many MNCs so that they can work more efficiently. “Our programmes are expertly modelled to suit the market demands,” adds Anita.

Students are awarded Participation Course Certificate or Certificate of Recognition on completion of the course. Anita, a technical writer and trainer with more than a decade of experience in this domain, had been a journalist with leading publications for over five years before shifting to technical writing. Since then, she has been managing TechnoPoint and providing effective training and documentation services to corporates as well as students.

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FOCUS IZEE B School

‘Industry exposure right from beginning’

IZEE Business School, Bengaluru, encourages its students to integrate work with studies.

It provides students a chance to work in the corporate world from the first semester itself.

The institute gives its students an edge through innovational teaching methodology and exposure to real time experience in learning

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By Ziad P S

ZEE Business School is a promising institution, delivering a new crop of professionals who are not only good at their chosen area of specialisations, but also capable of giving industries a head start in workflow innovations.

Before going into the details of this institution, let’s get a ringside view of India’s management education system.

There is no dearth of management schools in India, but the majority of them either do not know how to give their students a professional edge or lack proper personality, communication, and skill development programmes. Perhaps, that’s the reason why most management graduates end up with clerical jobs or

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equally low positions in the corporate world. And the ones who manage to get senior positions are very few and far between, leading to a shortfall in supply of hands-on professionals against an ever-rising demand.

Industry experts say that these days, only a handful B Schools are able to produce industry-ready professionals.

If a company commits the mistake of recruiting a raw student with no skills or subject expertise, it may have to spend a lot of money on his training and that too may not assure of cultivation of the required skills.

In the face of such circumstances, the industry can only hope that the new

wave of management institutions will understand the corporate dilemma over recruitments and produce a better line-up of qualified industry-ready professionals.

The objective of the new schools should be to train students in a simulated business environment, helping them learn the challenges of an economy that is still rediscovering itself in very many ways.

Among the new wave of institutions, there are a few that have already proved their credentials in terms of quality of teaching and generation of skilled professionals. Among them is the Bengaluru-based IZEE Group of Institutions. IZEE has already made a distinct mark for itself by providing qualitative

EDUCATION INSIDER I August 2012

professionals to diverse industries. IZEE Business School offers PGPM+MBA, BBM, BCA and BCom programmes.

Before the establishment of IZEE Business School, founders of this institution had been industry consultants for a long time, supplying quality professionals to various companies. “The demand for skilled professionals has always been high, while the availability of trained manpower has been comparatively low. However, the founders of this institution were successful in providing qualitative professionals to various industries in their previous avatar as consultants. This growing demand motivated them to establish a business management school, and that’s how IZEE Business School came into existence,” says Prof V Sherin Bovas, the institute’s Director.

“Almost all industries are demanding more and more trained graduates in order to keep their neck above water in a highly competitive market. But these days, the graduates are not as competent as the industry wants them to be. In such a scenario, students have to be trained through special modules, to ensure that they are industry-ready in every manner. It would be an expensive and time-consuming exercise, but it’s the need of the hour. So, we, at IZEE, are promoting a learning system that is beyond the curricula. It is ‘a life beyond curricula’,” adds Prof Bovas.

From the very first semester, IZEE sends students to various industries for internships and training. It has entered into tie-ups with a number of corporates across the spectrum. This practice is very much in sync with the industry demands. Our students are getting paid as well. At IZEE, students are always encouraged to integrate work with their studies. At the end of the day, these graduates will be qualified products as per the industrial norms.

IZEE acts as an incubator where students are groomed with essential managerial skills, required to enhance their employability potential. IZEE Business School differs from other B schools in terms of actionbased learning. “We are committed to an approach of business education that goes beyond case studies.

Students are taught how to apply theoretical knowledge in a working environment,” says Bovas.

“IZEE endeavours to ensure that our students surpass the competition and make better accomplishments than students belonging to other institutions.

To provide professional edge to our programmes, students are given a chance to interact with highly qualified senior management professionals from India and abroad, who bring real life experiences and case studies of the corporate world to the classroom,” adds Prof Bovas.

At IZEE, students have an easy access to the faculty members and the director. “I am always ready to help the students. They can share any of their dilemmas, problems, or concerns with me. Students also learn to maintain self-discipline and develop maturity through such interactions,” says Prof Bovas.

IZEE Group of Institutions is promoted by IZEE Education Trust. It is driven by a single-minded atEDUCATION INSIDER I August 2012

Prof V Sherin Bovas, Director, IZEE Business School, Bengaluru

tention to impart quality education. A professionally managed institution, IZEE is a multi-disciplinary, multi-faceted oasis of knowledge creation and sharing.

It inspires students to innovate, research, experiment, and excel in all aspects of life for professional as well as personal growth.

Affiliated to the University of Mysore and Bangalore University, IZEE Business School commenced operations in 2009. Apart from university curriculum, national and international industrial visits, corporate interaction, guest lectures at regular intervals, continuous assessment and competency mapping by industry experts, and international leadership development programmes are the key activities of the institute. The classrooms are equipped with modern technologies and the campus is Wi-Fi-enabled.

IZEE has been recognised as one of the preferred recruitment partners by some of the world’s leading organisations. “Our services have been appreciated by our clients. IZEE has also won several awards and citations from various clients,” says Prof Bovas.

The institute is located near the facilities of leading technological giants Like Infosys, HCL, Biocon and HP. “We, at IZEE, promise to churn out employable human resources who can adapt themselves to the dynamics of the corporate culture through an innovative teaching methodology and exposure to real time experiential learning,” adds Prof Bovas, who has 17 years of industry experience.

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FOCUS BCSM

‘Helping poor youths carve out good careers’ Affiliated to Bharathidasan University, Bharat College of Science and Management (BCSM) is offering career-oriented science and management education EI Bureau

W

ith a vision to provide careeroriented science and management education to the youth from the rural and backward regions, late N Ganesan started Bharat College of Science and Management (BCSM) in Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu, in 2000.

“We strive to impart quality careeroriented education to all those who are studying here. Our efforts are directed towards preparing the students for market challenges. ‘Be a job provider, not a job-seeker’, was the slogan and advice of our founder secretary, Ganesan,” says his widow and BCSM’s current Secretary Punitha Ganesan.

Affiliated to Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirapalli, BCSM has been functioning since the academic year 20002001 as a self - financing college run

by K Nadimuthu Memorial Educational Trust and sanctioned by the Tamil Nadu government. “It is to promote patriotism among our students that the college has been named Bharath College of Science and Management,” says Punitha.

“Besides, to bring down the gap between school education and college education, a bridge course was introduced for the new comers admitted in undergraduate programmes. We also provided special coaching in Mathematics for nonMathematics students. Such programmes could be carried out only because of the contributions and efforts of the faculty of various departments,” says Punitha.

The institute also has research programmes in Biotechnology, Food Service Management and Dietetics, Fashion Technology, Hotel Management and Tourism, and Commerce. “This academic year, we have also started coaching classes for students aspiring for the civil services,” says the BCSM secretary.

Infrastructure • •

Courses offered

The college offers 13 undergraduate, nine postgraduate, one diploma and two MPhil programmes in the new and emerging disciplines, such as Hotel Management, Computer Science, Nutrition Dietetics, Bio Technology, Fashion Technology, Visual Communication, and in the conventional disciplines of Business Administration, Commerce, English Literature, Physics and Mathematics.

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•

•

The institution is spread over about five lakh square feet.

The department of Hotel Management has a laboratory to train students in regional, national and international cuisines, cooking ranges, and other equipment along with 21 base training kitchens, 12 advance training kitchens and a quantity training kitchen.

The department of Visual Communication has a photography studio (with dark room), a digital animation studio (web designing), a professional video-cum-audio studio and a mini review theatre.

The laboratory of Nutrition and Dietetics has been modernised with

a centralised gas line for 20 cooking ranges and new age appliances.

• The Department of Biotechnology has a laboratory which has modern equipment such as PCR thermal cycle, C-24 centrifuge, Spectronic-20 and Gel documentation. The department trains its students in microbiological, immunological and electrophoretic techniques.

• The institute also has a wellequipped Computer Science laboratory with centralised air-condition facility, two Xeon servers, 100 HCL P IV , 50 HP dual core systems, highly enhanced structure cabling, internet facility and licensed software.

• The Department of Fashion Technology has modernised power sewing machines, TUKATECH Software Design, a wet processing laboratory and a modernised Textile Testing laboratory. It imparts practical training to students in drafting pattern, marker making, cutting plan execution, testing of textile materials, fabric manufacturing process, sample co-ordination, fabric dyeing, garment-style creation, printing technique, design Development, and studio design works.

“We are in regular touch with various industries, which provide training to our students. Big corporates come to the campus every year to recruit our students,” says Punitha.

EDUCATION INSIDER I August 2012

EX QUIZ ME

1. US President Barack Obama represents which of the following American states?

a) California b) Illinois

c) Virginia d) Indiana 2. Who among the following Indian origin immigrants has become the Governor of Louisiana province of the US in 2007?

a) Swraj Paul b) Lakshmi Mittal

c) Vikram Pandit d) Bobby Jindal 3. Geeta Chandran is well-known as a

a) Bharatanatyam dancer

c) Film director

b) Carnatic vocalist d) Exponent of violin

4. Who among the following was the first Finance Minister of India?

a) K M Cariappa b) Sardar Patel

c) Maulana Azad d) R K Shanmukham Chetty 5. The first person to conduct heart transplantation in India is

a) Dr PKK Ayyangar b) Dr R Valiathan

c) Dr P Venugopal d) Dr R Kesavan Nair 6. Who among the following was the first lady Governor of an Indian state? a) Padmaja Naidu b) Sarojini Naidu

c) Sucheta Kripalani d) Tarakeshwari Sinha

Answers

7. Who among the following was the first lady Prime Minister in the world? a) Golda Meir b) Indira Gandhi c) Mary Eugenia Charles d) Sirimavo Bandaranaike 8. The first Indian woman to scale Mount Everest was a) Arati Saha b) Asha Agarwal c) Bachendri Pal d) Reita Fariya 9. The first Indian woman to swim across the English Channel was

a) PK Banerji b) Arati Saha

c) V Merchant d) Mihir Sen 10. Chandigarh was designed by a) Le Corbusier c) Christopher Warren

1) Illinois, 2) Bobby Jindal, 3) Bharatanatyam dancer, 4) Shanmukham Chetty, 5) Dr P Venugopal, 6) Sarojini Naidu, 7) Sirimavo Bandaranaike, 8)Bachendri Pal, 9)Arati Saha, 10) Le Corbusier

Questions

b) Edward Lutyens d) Michelangelo

Win exciting prizes

Mail your answers at educationinsideronline @gmail.com 1. A Dutch dancer, courtesan 2. A French writer known for and accused spy executed by a his world-famous novel The firing squad in France.

Three Musketeers.

3. A fascist dictator, he was executed towards the end of the World War II?

Monthly winners to get one year free subscription of Education Insider magazine and mega winner (once in six months) to get an exciting prize. Mega winner will be selected from those who furnish maximum number of correct answers in six months EDUCATION INSIDER I August 2012

Winner of last quiz Akhil R Nair

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MOTIVATION PURSUIT OF PASSION

A Persian tale of Bollywood and Gandhiji Vida Abdaly, an intelligent student from the Islamic Republic of Iran, finds herself at home in India. She says this country is an ideal place for pursuing higher education

By T N Shaji

I

ran is a country which has a charm of its own.

Culturally, Iran is the birthplace of the world’s best Persian poets and Sufi philosophers. Economically, it is the backbone of the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) as well as the globe’s aorta of oil supplies. India being one of the world’s largest consumers of oil, we owe a lot to Iran.

But here, we are talking of a young Iranian’s relationship with the national capital. Vida Abdaly, a native of Tehran, who is currently pursuing her PhD in law at the Delhi University, finds herself captivated

by Delhi, especially the gastronomic delights of this erstwhile seat of Mughals.

Vida’s first brush with Delhi took place five years ago, when she had come to pursue a degree in law at the Delhi University. It was a brief relationship,

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as she had to return home after completing her graduation. But within no time, she was back in India again to pursue higher studies. She had enrolled herself at Indian Law Institute to do her Masters. Now, after having registered for the PhD programme, she has a heart-warming tale to tell about her Indian years.

When she had come to India for the first time, her knowledge of the country was limited to two things — Bollywood and Gandhiji. Obviously, she knew little about the education system in India, except that all great politicians in India have studied law. Her education at the Delhi University during the graduation years turned out to be a life-changing experience for her. “I had great professors who were not only great teachers and mentors, but also great human beings,” recollects Vida.

“My best academic life and memories belong to the Delhi University and its beautiful campus. After completing my graduation, I joined the Indian Law Institute, a premier legal research institution in India, to pursue my LLM. I completed my LLM with dual specialisation (Corporate Law and IPR) in May 2012 with first division and a distinctive dissertation paper,” she says.

Asked about her experience in India on the whole and the conflicts she had faced, Vida says that she does not feel like a foreigner anymore in India. “India is my second home. I will always cherish my memories of this country and its people.

And of course, I will encourage knowledge seekers to come to India for education. It is a country which will teach you not only academics, but also a dignified and balanced way of life,” she smiles.

She also does not forget to raise her concern about the lack of proper public hygiene facilities in India, which she finds to be one of the most critical issues she has faced. “There are many things I love about this incredible land and I can write pages on aspects ranging from diversity of culture, language, colour, beauty of the people, nature and so on. And not to forget, the Indian dosa, which I now cannot live without,” says Vida.

EDUCATION INSIDER I August 2012