Business – Page 5 – Canada India Education Council

225 B-schools, 52 engineering colleges close in two years

December 9, 2012December 11, 2012Canada India Education Council (CIEC)

Source: The Times of India via PwC – EdLive

In the early part of the last decade, hundreds of new institutes came up and thousands of aspirants queued up to join them. A decade later, the picture is one of stark contrast in technical professional colleges. Since 2011, 225 B-schools and over 50 engineering colleges across India have closed down. Many more colleges have trimmed programmes, branches of engineering or streams in the management course.

Similarly, the Master of Business Administration programme was once the most sought after. Now, for the first time, the overall growth of MBA education is negative in the books of the AICTE. In 2011-12, 146 new B-schools came up and 124 that were already running closed down. This year so far, 101 management colleges have closed down, while only 82 have started. Similar is the story with the Master of Computer Application (MCA) course—84 colleges stopped offering the programme this year; only 27 started MCA courses. As a result, the AICTE has decided to allow colleges to offer a five-year dual degree programme and also permit graduates of science, BSc (computer science) and BSc (information technology) to jump to the second year of the MCA course. Yet, the small positive growth in the sector is from the engineering colleges where new institutes are coming up faster than closures taking place, largely in Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Punjab and Rajasthan.

S S Mantha, AICTE Chairman, said, “This is a turning phase for the professional education sector. Colleges in remote India and institutes of poor quality are not getting students. And for colleges, there is just one key to attracting students: institutes need to be top-of-the-line colleges. There is no pay-off in running a bad college.” “The problem is also linked to the slowdown,” said IIM-Ahmedabad Director Samir Barua and added, “The job market has been tight for a couple of years. Earlier, many would give up a job to get an MBA and then re-enter the job market after pumping up their CV. They are hesitant to take such a risk now. The pressure is being felt and applications for MBA are falling. But undergraduate programmes such as engineering will not feel the same tension as everyone wants their first college degree.”

Why Canada is Failing to Lure Indian Students

December 5, 2012May 3, 2013Canada India Education Council (CIEC)

By Kam Rathee

TORONTO: With Canada not being the favourite destination for Indian students going for higher education abroad, Ottawa needs to take some immediate steps to tap this lucrative market for its educational institutions.

Speaking as Vice-‐Chairman of the Canada-‐India Education Council, I would mention the five points that need to be considered for promoting Canada as a destination for Indian students.

On top of the list is the need to improve “Brand Canada” in India. Among the top four or five countries that attract most of Indian students, Canada has always been the weakest brand after the US, UK and Australia.

Now since in the case of the UK, there are problems related to immigration and fees issues and in the case of Australia Indian students have security issues, I think Canada has a golden opportunity to market itself as an educational destination in India. Though the numbers of Indian students coming to Canada has increased over the last two to three years, it still has a long way to go.

Secondly, fees for foreign students are very high in this country. In fact, Canada charges three times more fees from foreign students than local students for imparting the same education and handing out the same diplomas and degrees. In 2010, there were 218,000 foreign students in Canada of which 17,530 came from India – 4,640 as university students and 10,560 as post-‐secondary students. Most of them come from Indian middle class families and find it difficult to meet their expenses. A reduction in fees to two times that charged from local students will induce more Indian students to come to Canada. In fact, educational institutions can make more money if they increase their intake.

Thirdly, Canada’s federal government needs to play a more active role. In Canada, education is a provincial matter with no significant federal role in it. But foreign students pumped more than $ 8 billion into the Canadian economy in 2010 and supported 86,000 jobs. Despite this, for some strange reasons, education is still not seen as an economic activity – an export commodity and a business enterprise for which foreign students pay three times more than local students. The federal government needs to get involved with the provinces and treat education as a business, with relevant support given to this sector from tax and other perspectives in mind. Education, being a trade, should be subject to free trade agreements, particularly the one that is being negotiated with India.

Fourthly, Canada needs to make education employment and profession oriented so that the fruits of it are clear to those seeking to come here. Canada is turning into a service economy and losing its place as a major manufacturing player. Foreign students coming to Canada are forced to leave as they cannot use their education for a career or employment here. Though this is changing on account of the two-‐ year post graduation work visas being available, it is still tough to secure employment for foreign students notwithstanding the fact that they have obtained a Canadian degree or diploma. There needs to be a program under which the institution enrolling students from India should have an obligation to assist them in getting meaningful employment on completion of their education.

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December 5, 2012Canada India Education Council (CIEC)

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Ontario Set to be Top Student Destination

December 5, 2012Canada India Education Council (CIEC)

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Central varsities looking at PPP model to raise funds

October 17, 2012November 26, 2012Canada India Education Council (CIEC)

Source: The Indian Express via PwC – EdLive

The 40-odd central universities are mulling novel fund-raising mechanisms such as bringing in public-private partnerships (PPP) for infrastructure creation and permitting more supernumerary seats for foreign students. At a meeting of vice-chancellors of central varsities held in August, it was decided that they should tap external sources for financial support besides the UGC grants. The vice-chancellor of Central University of Himachal Pradesh has been deputed to draft possible options for PPP. Vice- Chancellors raised the issue of existing restrictions on offering of supernumerary seats for foreign students — an issue that the HRD ministry and the UGC have agreed to re-examine.

Meanwhile, the UGC has been asked to finalise norm-based grants for operating (non-plan) expenditure of universities with the right incentives for central universities to mobilise resources. Norm-based funding process for central universities is likely to be adopted from the next academic session, 2013-14. In order to enhance the overall brand value of central universities, the UGC will assist them in establishing niche areas of excellence. To ensure the centrality of research at universities, 40-50 research parks will be set-up across the country and the vice-chancellor of Hyderabad University will coordinate these efforts. Following the Yale model of connecting research to public utilities is on the cards with vice-chancellors of the Central University of Jharkhand and University of Delhi working on it.

Public-private partnership catalyzes educational excellence

October 16, 2012November 26, 2012Canada India Education Council (CIEC)

www.indiaeducationdiary.in, Chennai, March 2011

As per the 11th educational budgetary plan, Government of India is working on improving the education sector by increasing the allocation by 19 percent of the gross budgetary support. A conference was held on “Education for Sustainable Development” organized by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII).

Dr Purandeswari, Honorable Minister of State of the Human Resources Development, Government of India, addressed the audience at the conference. She stated that the education system should respond to the changing needs of the stakeholders and focus on quality of education and the faculty, in addition to infrastructure and curriculum. She urged the state governments to increase funding to the Universities and also enact the Right to Education Act to ensure a holistic development in the education sector.

The Minister mentioned that it is crucial for the private sector to join hands with the Government to provide on-the-job experience for students to develop their vocational skills and employability.

Mr Arun Maira, Member of Planning Commission, Government of India emphasized on three key elements to make education relevant to current scenario which include “innovation in delivery, new methods of learning and job-oriented education.” He stated that it is critical for the education system to align with the emerging economic trends and employment potential.

Mr S Gopalakrishnan, Chairman of CII Southern Region and Managing Director of Infosys Technologies Ltd, stated that “education should be an enabler of sustainable development and aim at developing people with right attitudes, skills and knowledge.” He also mentioned that technology delivery systems should be used in education systems, which would pave a way to open learning platforms reaching a large section of people.

Mr C R Swaminathan, Conference Chairman & Chief Executive of PSG Industrial Institute stated that realigning education to promote awareness, attitudes and skills, changes in the work systems and the use of technology will lead to sustainable development.

In her welcome address, Ms Nandini Rangaswamy, Chairperson of CII Tamil Nadu & Managing Director of Chandra Group emphasized the need to strengthen skills training capabilities to meet the ever growing demand for skilled labor. Furthermore, she added that this could only be achieved through partnerships involving academia, industry and government.

The vote of thanks was proposed by Mr N K Ranganath, Vice Chairman of CII Tamil Nadu & Managing Director of Grundfos Pumps India Pvt Ltd.

Higher education drives economic growth

October 16, 2012November 26, 2012Canada India Education Council (CIEC)

Source: www.dnaindia.com, Mumbai, March 2011

The second annual convention for Higher Education Forum (HEF) was held at ITM Business School, Kharghar. Two technical sessions were organized in partnership with DNA for educationists to share their thoughts and understanding on the topic “Towards Excellence in Higher Education”. A common consensus was reached that excellence mattered more to people who are in the process of learning rather than the learned ones.

The first session was based on panel discussions from a corporate perspective while the other was more inclined towards building excellence in institutions.

Dr. A K Sengupta, founder and convener of HEF, addressed the audience by stating that “Higher education is the catalyst for bringing about economic change and thereby its transition from efficiency to effectiveness and finally to excellence would bring about startling results”.

Among the speakers were Dr Anial Kakodkar, former chairman of Atomic Energy Commission & chairman of the High Power Committee for Reforms of Higher and Professional Education in the state of Maharashtra; Mr. Ashank Desai, founding director of Mastek; and Dr. PV Ramanna, chairman of ITM Group of Institutions.

Most of the speakers at the convention emphasized on bringing about excellence within faculty and institutions, based on the whooping financial figure of $7.5 billion released by USA earned purely from Indian students.

Mr Caputo mentioned that “A good faculty coupled with proper access to education that’s affordable eventually instilling a sense of accountability and enables students to measure their cognitive gains will be the driving force for acquiring excellence in higher education. In USA, average graduates reel under debts in the process of studies thereby prompting them to seek alternative options instead of opting for higher studies”.

According to Mr. Kakodkar, it is crucial for students to gain industrial experience as corporation and education go hand in hand. He mentioned that “higher education needs to be a proper amalgamation of the best of teacher, pleasure in research work, spirit of innovation and practical experience”.

The corporate speakers for the occasion included Mr Rajeev Dubey, President (HR) Mahindra & Mahindra; Dr Uma Ganesh, CEO, Global Talent Track; Mr P A Krishnan, EVP & Head, Emerging Markets; and Dr. Ganesh Natarajan, Global CEO, Zensar Technologies.

Mr. Dubey addressed the group by stating that “Leadership quality governed by trust and openness to emphatically listen and create a win-win situation while striving to make profits is an integral part to achieve excellence”.

To put it in a nutshell, success of higher education depends upon the process of thinking, doing and being. Effective team work along with trust will pave way to educational excellence.

Envisioning Equity in Global Development Agenda

October 16, 2012November 26, 2012Canada India Education Council (CIEC)

Ms. Sheena Joseph in conversation with Prof. P R Ramanujam

The Pan Commonwealth Forum (PCF) brings together more than 70 countries and about 1000 participants to address the key issues relating to access and equity in education through application of open and distance learning.

This article addresses the key facts of the 6th PCF event (PCF6) and its significance for IGNOU.

Vision:
“PFC6 envisioned an immediate possibility of combining the experiences of the developed and the developing worlds in providing equal opportunities with the global agenda of development implying equitable distribution of benefits through innovative open distance learning methods and programs.”

Mission:
“To give an opportunity for practitioners, researchers, planners and policy makers in the field of open education and development to share their experiences in shaping the future policies of open learning with a view to achieving Millennium Development Goals by 2015 as committed by the UN.”

Significance of the four themes in current global scenario:
According to Prof. Ramanujam, Social justice should only answer the highly complex and contradictory picture of tremendous prosperity vs. extreme poverty. Democratizing education and skill set development would empower people leading to community development.

Empowerment, Equality, Liberty and Fraternity are the four themes which go hand in hand with mutual respect, dignity and social justice for every person.

Key Functions of PCF Committees:
Prof. Ramanujam believes that expertise and guidance provided by several international committee members on strategic planning and implementation of the events are keys to success of PCF ever year. The diversified local committees play a significant role in integrating, evaluating, selecting abstracts & papers and reviewing the conference progress. Moreover, they provided expert advice to the PCF6 secretariat on performing complex tasks on a daily basis. Their combined effort helped carry forward the simultaneous pre conference events and the grand finale in Cochin.

Significance of PCF6 for IGNOU:
IGNOU (Indira Gandhi National Open University) and COL (Common Wealth of Learning, Canada) jointly organized PCF6. This event coincided with the Silver Jubilee Celebrations of IGNOU that concludes on November 19, 2010. Several pre‐conference workshops were conducted by Commonwealth of Learning, IGNOU and many other institutions which commenced on November 18, 2010.

According to Prof. P R Ramanujam:

India as an emerging power should significantly focus of education. PCF6 will gain more importance in the wake of three major bills to be passed by the Indian Parliament on The National Council for Education and Research, Educational Tribunal Bill, and the Foreign Universities Bill.

In today’s world, PCF6 can offer considerable insights on reforming the educational agenda at all levels after passing the Right to Education Act.

A successful year of NIIT’s Innovation in Education

October 16, 2012November 26, 2012Canada India Education Council (CIEC)

Not‐for‐profit organization NIIT was established with a vision of bringing about innovation in higher education and learning in emerging areas of the knowledge society.

The second annual lecture was hosted by Dr. Karan Singh, Chairperson, NIIT University (NU) and Honorable MP at the NIIT University campus. Dr. Gurcharan Das, Acclaimed Author, Playwright and Former CEO, Procter & Gamble India, addressed the audience on “The Importance of Being Humane”.

Mr. Rajendra S Pawar, Founder, NIIT University and Chairman, NIIT Limited, and Dr. Rajeev Shorey, President, NIIT University, were among the eminent guests present on the occasion.

Since its inception, NIIT has developed as an institute of excellence, which provides exceptional education based on ‘Four Core Principles’ that make learning industry‐linked,

Dr. Das referred to his latest book “The Difficulty of Being Good” and addressed the importance of encompassing India’s age‐old moral and ethical values within the modern education system. He stated that education plays a significant role in nurturing individuals who would make Modern India’s future bright with their responsible leadership qualities.

Mr. Pawar stated that India will gain pre‐ eminence owing to the undertaking of holistic and seamless educational approaches relevant to the current levels of innovation and research. He added that NU takes pride in nurturing thoughtful leaders of the future. Dr. Shorey appreciated the effort taken by NU in remodeling higher education. All the guests appreciated Mr. Pawar and Dr Singh for their vision and guidance in making NU a success story. They also appreciated the support of other stakeholders involved in establishing NIIT as an institute of excellence.

Located in the foothills of Aravali in Neemrana, Rajasthan, the 100‐acre fully residential green campus is equipped with state‐of‐the‐art technology facilitating a continuous process of learning.

Some of the programs offered by NIIT are: B. Tech in Computer Science and Engineering, Information and Communication Technology, Biotechnology and Electronic and Communication Engineering; M. Tech in Bioinformatics, Educational Technology, Embedded Systems and Pervasive Systems; and PhD in all the above disciplines.