With the Covid-19 pandemic having a significant impact on education in India and the developing world, questions have been raised on its viability in a post-pandemic world, one that concerns emerging countries that don't have the same resources as the advanced markets.
In an interview with the Free Press Journal, Professor Varsha Jain from MICA Ahmedabad talks about her new book Re-imagining Educational Futures in Developing Countries: Lessons from Global Health Crises, which deals with the challenges and precarity of higher education post-pandemic, explicitly focusing on higher education in emerging countries. The book calls for the need to reimagine, re-evaluate and reposition the higher education system: exploring the challenges experienced by students, staff, administrators, and other stakeholders. Re-imagining Educational Futures in Developing Countries has been co-edited by Emmanuel Mogagi, Felix Maringe, and Robert Hinson. Excerpts from the interview:
1. Tell us a bit about the book Re-imagining Educational Futures in Developing Countries: Lessons from Global Health Crises.
The book was written keeping in mind the transition post-Covid. In the developed nations, the transition post-pandemic was smooth compared to the developing nations as we faced more challenges. The book takes into account the stakeholders in the sector, which includes students, faculty members, recruiters, etc, who faced the brunt of the crisis and might witness more such health crises in the future. The book aimed to look at how one can fix the educational challenges in developing nations.
The philosophy, that we have relayed through the book is that when we have to find out solutions to a critical situation like this we come together collectively. Our book is also solution-driven and deals with the organisational and technical aspects of education post-pandemic. We go into how tech was adapted by the students and organisations, how learning was affected while taking care of one's well being. The educational workforce's well being during the peak of the pandemic was taken into account through the book.
Higher education's future now includes exchange of culture and there's a need to collaborate with different stakeholders because the sector is not restricted to geographical locations now. Essentially, we are heading towards the online culture which can help us reach out to different parts of the country, and collaborate with students, faculty to have a seamless learning experience.
2. What are the major disparities between developing and developed world in the field of education post-pandemic?
Developing countries have more constraints when it comes to resources, infrastructure and much more and that was visible throughout the pandemic. Since our goal is to provide a meaningful experience to our students, the book also delves into addressing those challenges that the developing world faces in a major way.
Varsha Jain, Professor of Integrated Marketing Communication at MICA
3. What are some of the things that the developing world can learn from the developed world to deal with the educational crisis post Covid?
There's a lot to learn from the developing world. If you see in the developed nation they set up their academic expectations at the forefront, which includes their objectives, mode of delivery, and much more. There are no grey areas and things are more transparent in these countries which is something we can learn. Students, in this day and age especially post the pandemic, need more clarity on what they want to do in the future.
Integrated learning is another important aspect that comes in here. During my time in the US, I understood while working with my colleagues that they are able to network and connect with their industries more efficiently which we are not able to do due to reluctance in sharing knowledge amongst each other.
Another point is the development of humanities and other interdisciplinary programmes. We need to invite people from various disciplines and practice integrated learning. In countries like the UK, US, Music and Advertising are also incorporated into academics, providing a unique perspective.
4. Has the developing world adapted to better resources to deal with education since Covid?
Yes definitely, we are better prepared now compared to earlier. The learning ecosystem has developed wherein people are comfortable to come together which wouldn’t have happened without the pandemic. India as a country, despite the pandemic, has worked on multiple innovations with restricted resources.
5. How can countries come together to collectively deal with the loss of education in the past two years and prevent the same in future?
Yes, better solutions can be highlighted by individuals from various countries to deal with the situation post pandemic. We can also share the resources, experience the learning environment, and much more through collaborations with different countries. I have been part of multiple forums and sessions online during the pandemic, wherein people across the world discussed ideas, opportunities, and more.
6. AI and tech which have been used significantly used during the pandemic are things that worry certain academicians in the developing world due to its capabilities. How would you address that?
There are chapters on adoption of Artificial Intelligence and technology in the book which address these problems. For one we have to understand that AI will enable the development of our learning ecosystem and it's already showing the result in marketing and other disciplines. So faculty has to be better prepared and co-create knowledge which can be enabled by AI.
So instead of getting scared of AI, I think the better way is to learn about the technology, understand it and use the same for a better experience which can help the students.
7. How can the future generation benefit from your book in dealing with such scenarios?
The book is perfectly timed in my opinion and it made us realize the importance of creating a learning ecosystem and knowledge base, instead of being skeptical of AI or tech as a whole.
