Savitribai Phule Pune University Vice-Chancellor, Prof (Dr) Suresh Gosavi, addressed the audience during the inaugural session of the conclave titled 'Charting India’s Global Education Path: A time-bound Roadmap.' Prof Gosavi emphasized that transforming the education system in India is a big task, given that more than 40 percent of the population is seeking quality education. He acknowledged that while a time-bound roadmap is theoretically possible, it requires a situation-based approach and statistical evaluation of the available data.
The event was attended by eminent personalities such as Prof (Dr) Rajan Saxena, former Vice Chancellor at NMIMS and Advisor to FICCI HEI, Dr Ashwin Fernandes, Regional Director of QS and CEO of QS I-Gauge, as well as Ravin Nair, Chief Operating Officer of QS I-Gauge.
During his address, Prof V Kamakoti, Director of IIT Madras, stressed the importance of making education accessible and affordable for all students in India. He advocated for improving the gross enrollment ratio, promoting interdisciplinary education and research, fostering entrepreneurship and innovation, and internationalizing the Indian knowledge system. Prof Kamakoti emphasized the need to ensure education is within reach for every student, especially given the magnitude of the task at hand.
Prof Kamakoti further urged stakeholders within the education system to cultivate a mindset of interdisciplinary education and research among school students. He emphasized the need to promote entrepreneurship and innovation to create more employment opportunities. Additionally, Prof Kamakoti emphasized the role of institutions like IITs and other stakeholders in reaching rural areas and making education accessible and affordable for all students across India.
Fewer than 50,000 international students in India
Prof Dr Saxena drew attention to the fact that India currently attracts fewer than 50,000 international students and stressed the need to enhance the country's institutional reputation at the global level. He proposed investing in faculty competence development, focusing on student-centric approaches, increasing funding for PhD programs, leveraging digital technology and skills, and expanding outreach to the world market as key strategies to address the significant task of improving India's education system in the coming decade.
Dr Ashwin Fernandes highlighted the limited representation of Indian universities in global rankings, noting that only three universities from Maharashtra and one from Pune feature in the latest edition of the QS World University Ranking. He emphasized the importance of regaining Pune's reputation as the 'Oxford of the East' and stressed the need to create a time-bound roadmap for charting India’s global education path. Dr Fernandes called for collective efforts to build India as a global higher education hub, envisioning a future where every student is empowered.
Ravin Nair acknowledged the growing emphasis on innovation, research, experiential and interdisciplinary learning, as well as the increased focus on employability and skills of students. He emphasized that the insightful deliberations during the conclave would provide valuable guidance in addressing the challenges faced by the education sector.
The function was compered by Sejal Samar Jodhawat and Raghav Sharma, adding to the smooth flow of the event.
