Making their mark
Lesserknown universities have placed in the firstever QS India rankings. This means that you now have more options to choose from and institutes have a larger platform too
For the first time, global higher-education think-tank Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) has released separate rankings for Indian universities. Released last month, the rankings aim to offer a detailed analysis of the relative performance of Indian universities, within an Indian context.
“India is a rapidly expanding higher-education market. It is also a different ecosystem, so we wanted to highlight the performance of universities in this country of approximately 600 million people under the age of 25,” says Jack Moran, higher education trends analyst at QS.
The parameters used for this ranking are similar to those used for judging universities in other BRICS [Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa] nations. It has parameters like number of international students, staff with a PHD and employer reputation, which are not considered or given a lot of weightage in world rankings.
“The list features universities that you will not easily spot in the international rankings. This will give students more options to choose from,” says Moran.
The India rankings show that universities here have good standing with employers, Moran adds, but need to foster better associations with global institutes.
While the IITS predictably top the list (Iit-bombay is #1; Iitcially #3; Iisc-bangalore #2), institutes in prominent positions also include the Hyderabad University (#7), Alagappa University in Tamil Nadu (#20) and Savitribai Phule Pune University (#19). The Institute of Chemical Technology-mumbai is #1 for research impact.
“The rankings could help bring lesser-known Indian universities onto the world stage and eventually perhaps even into the world rankings,” says Ashok Wadia, principal of Mumbai’s Jai Hind College and a peer team member and assessor at the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC), which is an autonomous organisation that assesses and accredits higher education institutions in India.
The QS rankings are also reflecting change on the ground, particularly since the rolling out of the central government’s higher-education mission, the Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan or RUSA, in 2013.
Grants from the government are helping universities, espemadras those in non-metro areas develop and perform better in NAAC accreditation and international rankings.
“Under the scheme, funds are being granted to the best universities, and also to the ones that have not been able to perform well in the NAAC accreditation cycles, but have a clear plan for how they plan to do better,” says Hemlata Bagla, principal at KC College, Churchgate. “These funds are helping universities develop curricula, facilitate research and improve faculty, thus boosting overall performance.”
ON THE LIST
Bagla says the national rankings also show how India’s universities are striving to fit better into the global education scenario.
“We see a lot of potential in the University of Hyderabad, for instance. It recently launched an integrated Masters programme across streams,” says Moran. “You enrol straight after Class 12, get a Masters degree after five years; it’s effective and well-designed.”
Kavayitri Bahinabai Chaudhari North Maharashtra University, Jalgaon, is ranked between 57 and 60 (some universities are ranked in groups, on the list) in the rankings.
“We have world-class instruments such as a field emission scanning electron microscope in our research labs,” says vicechancellor PP Patil.
“We keep upgrading our science labs and recruiting teachers who are Phds. While we may not be recognised in world rankings, being put high in the India rankings can help us get better students, motivate us to perform better in international rankings,” adds Patil.
IMPROVING HIGHER EDUCATION
With more than one out of three students in the world today living in a BRICS country, a major challenge is not just continuing to attract better students but also enhancing quality of education through establishing centres of excellence.
Since the beginning of BRICS, India has played a significant and dynamic role; it assigns high status to the BRICS forum for endorsing global economic growth, peace and stability. Collaboration on the economic front is one of the focus areas of India’s policy towards BRICS countries. Over the years, India has developed multilateral and strategic relations with all member countries.
In its efforts to improve higher education, India has launched a 25-year plan Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan, an initiative to improve access, equity and quality in tertiary education by establishing new institutions and expanding enrolment in existing ones, as well as upgrading infrastructure and creating state higher education councils. The primary goal of India is to enrol 10 million more students in the next five years. Federal public universities and national research universities have been established in Russia to optimise resources available in each region and strengthen links between universities, the economy and society.
WORKING TOGETHER
BRICS countries have formed a new model for shared benefits cooperation amongst the evolving and developing economies. Since the mechanism was established in 2006, it has helped improved the picture of developing countries in front of International Monetary Fund and the World Bank in the recent years. The forum has helped member countries coordinate approaches in tackling the challenges confronting the global economy. In the last 10 years, the BRICS alliance has increasingly become an important destination for foreign students with Russia currently hosting the largest contingent of 174,000 students, 99,000 in China, 70,000 in South Africa, 31,000 in India and 14,000 in Brazil .
There are also numerous ideas in progress to create a BRICS Network University, an initiative that will allow universities in the group to jointly develop and teach courses and allow the common gratitude of qualifications and the transmission of credits between contributing institutions. BRICS is also making use of Unescobacked regional conventions on recognition of degrees and other academic qualifications in higher education.
While there is no doubt that BRICS have made progress in higher education, there are still many obstacles to their ambition to achieve world-class status. The BRICS countries will need to focus sharply on the quality and equity of education in the quest for academic excellence in higher education.
So far, many South African students are lagging behind in numeracy and literary skills, while India’s success in expanding access to education risks are being undermined by inadequate education infrastructure and poor teaching. The BRICS countries are also confronted with deepening disparities in the quality of schooling at all levels, especially between rural and urban areas.
To conclude, BRICS countries have the potency to meaningfully increase the profile of education in intergovernmental forums such as the United Nations, the G20 and regional meetings – and hence catalyse superior political and financial support for education. Recently, political leaders involved with BRICS confirmed that the development programme beyond 2020 should safeguard reasonable, comprehensive and excellence education and lifetime learning for all.
The author is chief marketing officer and codirector of CEDP Skill Institute, Mumbai