Higher Education Digest - Must Watch International Universities in South East Asia by Connecta Innovation

ASIA PACIFIC EDITION

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JUNE 2019

Higher Education Digest June 2019

Connecta

June 2019

Vol - 1 Issue - 1

International Universities in South East Asia (APAC Edition) Chief Editor

Dr. Manoj Varghese

Managing Editor Rose Mary

Consultant Editors

Dr. Johny Andrews Jessica Williams Masha R

Jessica Jo Stanly Lui Emma James

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Art and Design Jay Sandy

Sales & Marketing Rachel Roy Caroline Williams

Anna George Elizabeth James

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Higher Education Digest March 2019

CHIEF EDITOR’S NOTE

All That Glitters Is Not Gold!

eing a student in 2019 is not easy. But being a student pursuing higher education is twice more trying, thanks to the unrelenting pressure of choosing a career, the constantly changing tech, and the diverse industry. The fact that education is now a business in no more hush hush. Rather, students now look at education hustlers who have soul. Students need to have the have the proper know-how to choose the best educational investment whose ROI will enable them for years to come. Some obvious aspects that students take while contemplating on which university to pick are the legacy of the university, the elite status of the founders, the diverse courses that the institution offers, the fee structure, the infrastructural facilities, and whether one’s friends go to the same institution. However, the list doesn’t and shouldn’t end there. It must extend to factors such as participating in a potential university’s student portals and getting one’s queries cleared, understanding the studentteacher ratio in classrooms, the tech the lecturers use, the blended teaching methodologies, and the industry collaborations that the university fosters. The internet also does its bit by showcasing Course Matching Tools that, for example, enable students vying to enrol themselves in the US, UK and Australia to check their compatibility with

different courses. For international students this dilemma is still knotty, thanks to the cultural shocks, the food and lifestyle differences and the time zone changes. Therefore, a choosing a university becomes an issue that takes all of one’s energy. The fact that there are numerous substandard universities that try to get off as A-listers does nothing to help the situation. For instance, a certain South American country’s education inspectors were horrified at a so-called top-notch university’s brazenness at tricking its students. On the outside, the university appeared to be a gleaming, glass-fronted 7-story tower. Inside, however, students were surprised to find the stairs only reached the fourth floor. Drone photos revealed that the top three floors were just a façade supported by metal struts. This incident has not only cast an unflattering spotlight on the country’s booming private university industry, it also raises widespread speculations on the already rampant issues of sub-standard education and profiteering. Our inaugural issue of Higher Education DigestAsia Pacific Edition, “Top 25 Must Watch International Universities in South East Asia” showcase some real apical Universities in the south-eastern part of Asia. We hope that the stories these universities tell will instil the real meaning and passion of imparting education and will help students take an informed decision.

Dr. Manoj Varghese

Higher Education Digest June 2019

ADVISORY BOARD

Dr. Ajay Shukla, Ph.D, MBA, BE. Co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer at Higher Education UAE

Dr. Kuldeep Nagi, Ph.D, MBA, BSc. Program Director of Ph.D, Recipient of Fulbright Fellowship Award & Dan Evans Award for Excellence and Writer columnist.

Dr.Varughese K.John, PhD, MBA, MPhil, MCom, LLB. Researcher and Data Analyst in Social Science

6 Mr. Sreedhar Bevara, MBA, B.Com Senior General Manager: Panasonic Middle East & Africa, Thought Leader, Speaker & Author of ‘Moment of Signal’ (Amazon’s International Bestseller)

Mr. Amulya Sah, PGD PM & IR, PG Diploma in PM&IR (XISS Ranchi) Senior Director HR. Head HR group Samsung R&D Institute India,Transformative HR Leader, Change agent, Digitization facilitator, Engagement architect, Trainer and Diversity champion.

Major General (Rtd.) Dr. Sunil Chandra, VSM (Vishishta Seva Medal), Ph.D, M. Phil, MA, M.Ed, PGBDA Ex-M D Army Welfare Education Society, ExCOO GEMS Education - India, Ex- Addl Dir Gen - Army Education, Mentor - Adventure-Pulse

Asst. Prof. Dr.Suramya Mathai, Ph.D,M.Ed,MA,BA. Teachers Training Expert, Writer, Author, Speaker & Social Worker

Higher Education Digest June 2019

MANAGING EDITOR’S NOTE

We move a mountain by first moving the small stones

N 8

ew beginnings demand hard work, dedication and patience, much like grinding at college for three years, at the end of which you toss up your mortarboards to the skies and sign up with your dream company. We at the Higher Education Digest-Asia Pacific Edition are advocates of quality education. We have spent quite a bit of time grinding at our desk and scheduling meetings that run way past 8:00 PM to constantly bring news and relevant articles that mirror the current education dynamics. We strive to help people reach out to those universities/colleges that they think are out of their league. We make it easy for them to have an in depth understanding of how these universities/ colleges run, who their industry collaborators are and how they welcome international students. In our inaugural issue of Higher Education Digest-Asia Pacific Edition, we decided to feature some of the top international universities in South East Asia. Along with that, we also feature a couple of authors who are subject matter experts in their respective fields. Their pearls of wisdom will surely give you something to ponder upon. Our authors talk about matters ranging from the importance of

revamping the educational domain to the beatitude and necessity of travelling. Since our authors come with a multitude of high-profile credentials, rest assured the write-ups will, without doubt, expand your horizon. Through the next few pages, you will meet two spirited educators who wouldn’t let obstacles stand in their way of enlightening and connecting young children with the world of education. We are also happy to share with you the story of a student, a young Indian woman, who realized her dream of visiting her favourite country in the whole world. In this issue, we also share with you a list of “25 Must Watch International Universities in South East Asia”. The list is in no way comprehensive, but it sure does highlight a few universities that is in a class all by itself. The universities that we have featured not only live up to their names, but also continue to polish and shine their reputation through various initiatives. It was indeed a pleasure working on this issue, and we hope that you, our cherished reader, also find it equally informative and delightful.

Rose Mary

Higher Education Digest June 2019

56 Higher Education Digest June 2019

ASSUMPTION UNIVERSITY THE

APOSTLE

TOMORROW’S EDUCATION

CONTENTS 36 - 41

46 - 51

56 - 60

ESMOD KUALA LUMPUR

INSEAD

STIHPADA

Weaving Glitter into Young Fashionistas’ Dreams

Connecting Minds, Businesses and Education Around the Globe

Suiting Up The Beau Ideal Of The Legal Industry

Higher Education Digest June 2019

MENTOR’S MANTRA

ED SHEROES

YOUNG ACHIEVERS

42 - 44

52 - 55

30 - 35

68 - 75

Next Generation Workforce: How To Acquire Knowledge Through Experience In Changing Economy

How Can You Teach Children What You Know When They are Already Living in the Future?

Four Races, Two Inspired Educators, One Classroom - The Story of How a Village in Hanoi Hosted Four Continents

The Dry Valleys: Mars on Earth?

Leo Mrsic, Assistant Professor, Vice Dean for Research and Development, Algebra University College, Zagreb, Croatia, Europe

Ayesha Banu, Director, Recruitment & Admission International, Eladder4U

INDUSTRY PERSPECTIVE

18 62

18 - 20 How the Asian Economy Is Affecting The Higher Education Sector Raj Luhar, CEO, Falcon Launch LLC

62 - 65 Are Todays Graduates’ Employable To “Fit In” To Face the Working Corporate Environment? Shanthi Rajan, Teacher, OB and Strategic HRM, University of Bolton’s campuses in Ras Al Khaimah (UAE) and Vietnam

78 - 80 Will Technological Innovation Drive Away Jobs? Karunjit Kumar Dhir, Co-Founder and Head of Global Business Operations, SCIKEY

Higher Education Digest June 2019

ndustrial Revolution 4.0 is already here, and the question remains, are we ready? An era where the boundaries between hardware, software, and biology are blurred by advanced technologies sounds utopian, but again, are we ready for it? It is impressive to see Asia at the forefront of this revolution. While progress is still slow in the education sector, the potential that exists within it for technology is clear. Globally, 5% of GDP is being spent on education and those in the know are already predicting that investment in edtech will reach $250 billion by 2020. However, as rosy as it seems, there is still the issue of rampant unemployment throughout the continent. The fear of tech replacing jobs only amplifies this dismal issue. According to Statistics Indonesia, among the 7 million unemployed, there appeared a large number of vocational school graduates. The fact that vocational school graduates comprise 11.3% of the unemployed, as against 8% of high school graduates and 12% of university or college graduates, the remainder having only a junior high or elementary education, shows a glaring mismatch between labour-market demand and the skills available. The situation is no different in Malaysia, either. Salaries for Malaysia’s fresh graduates are on the decline, mainly due to insufficient high-skilled jobs. A fresh graduate with a diploma earned a real salary of MY 1,376 (USD 337) in 2018, a drop from MYR 1,458 (USD 357) in 2010. Meanwhile, a masters’ degree holder earned a real salary of MYR 2,707 (USD 663) in 2018, also a decline from MY 2,923 in 2010. It should be clear by now that skill mismatch is at the top of list for reasons why our graduates are unemployed or are unable to land their dream job.

The need of the hour is an educational institution that can take the lead in redefining the current educational standards. Simply revising the curriculum just won’t cut it anymore. What graduates now require is re-visioning the entire curriculum. Education systems should focus on preparing human resources that are resilient, enduring, and continuously trainable, anchored on a mindset of entrepreneurship, innovativeness, creativity and sustainability. The inaugural edition of the Higher Education DigestAsia Pacific Edition delights in the success of universities that have been focusing on finding more effective and innovative solutions to prepare a new generation of learners to adapt and manage new technologies for better education and labour market outcomes, instead of worrying about when and how AI and robotics will take away jobs. With the help of our advisory panel consisting of senior academicians and practicing industry professionals, we have come up with a list of “25 Must Watch International Universities in South East Asia”. We sincerely hope that our efforts in showcasing these prime universities will help young aspiring graduates, business leaders, curriculum providers, and other stakeholders in their respective educational journeys.

Higher Education Digest June 2019

Institute Name Asia-Pacific International University

Thailand

Assumption University

Thailand

Chulalongkorn University

Thailand

Curtin University

Malaysia

The One Academyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ESMOD Kuala Lumpur

Malaysia

Hong Kong University of Science and Technology

Country

INSEAD International University - National University of Ho Chi Minh City

Hong Kong Singapore Vietnam

LASALLE College of the Arts

Singapore

Mahidol University

Thailand

Monash University

Malaysia

Nanyang Technological University

Singapore

National University of Singapore

Singapore

Higher Education Digest June 2019

Institute Name

Country

RMIT University

Vietnam

SP Jain School of Global Management

Singapore

Stamford International University

Thailand

STIHPADA

Indonesia

Sunway University

Malaysia

The National University of Malaysia

Malaysia

Universitas Indonesia

Indonesia

Universiti Malaya

Malaysia

University of the Philippines

Philippines

Universitas Padjadjaran (UNPAD)

Indonesia

Universiti Putra Malaysia

Malaysia

Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM)

Malaysia

Higher Education Digest June 2019

INDUSTRY PERSPECTIVE

How the Asian Economy Is Affecting The Higher Education Sector Raj Luhar CEO Falcon Launch LLC

Raj Luhar is a former senior-level United States Government official with wide ranging policy and managerial experience. He has held positions at The White House and the United States Department of Energy. Raj is also a Member of the MIT Technology Review Committee.

Higher Education Digest June 2019

n the collective dialogue regarding higher education, it is not unheard of how the centre of gravity is shifting towards the East. There is no denying that over the past few decades, the past half-decade rather, Asia has gone through a massive transformation. The exceptional economic growth has led to some of the most significant social and demographic changes, as well as an institutional reform, which have driven Asian countries to become stable than before. Asia Pacificâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s share of the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s GDP jumped from 15% to 27% between 1970 and 2012. The middle classes of these areas are expected to increase to a whopping 3.2 billion people by 2030. This growth happens to be a significant moment for the facilities and institutions of the region to inquire about their role keeping in mind the broader picture of globalization. They can now play an essential part in defining 21stcentury education. For most, it means distance or online learning. Asia happens to have more than 70 open universities. One in ten degree-level students in China is learning online. Chinese government facilitates and supports the professors at the top

It is predicted that by 2020, China alone would account for 30% of the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s university graduates between the ages of 25 and 34.

universities to hone and polish their teaching skills and develop their teaching material for online publication. All of this is to benefit the lower-ranked Chinese students. Most of the students who gain higher education, do it to strengthen their economic and social standing. It includes everything from acquiring a degree to get a good job or adding education to their resume to get a good wage. Over time, more and more people are seeking ways to gain more knowledge as it is seen as an investment. Similar to all investments, people want to achieve excellent results in return for their financial investment. Education is also an industry where people work for a salary; laboratories require equipment not to mention finances for construction and maintenance of numerous infrastructure projects. All of this makes the education industry vulnerable to more significant economic trends, and at the same time, it is valuable for people who work in this industry.

Higher Education Digest June 2019

Economic Growth and Higher Education

Asian institutes are not only upgrading themselves but becoming partners and peers for the universities in the other parts of the world.

The Asian higher education sector has witnessed several substantial shifts. Therefore, universities make sure that they provide relevant education and find ways to research so they can contribute effectively and efficiently. The changing dynamics of the world economy are reflected in the landscape of Asian higher education, mainly when the economic growth in the various rapidly developing Asian economies is interconnected with advanced skills, knowledge production and rising demand for higher education. It is predicted that by 2020, China alone would account for 30% of the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s university graduates between the ages of 25 and 34. The third largest economy of Asia, India is estimated to add about 300 million to its workforce in the coming twenty years which is the equivalent of the entire population of the United States. A large number of Asian faculty who have the top position in their countries get their PhDs from European Universities or the U.S. Many post-secondary students plan to continue their education overseas most probably in the United States or Australia. Open Doors 2014 statistic point towards the surge in mobility out of Asia as well as into it. Asian students, especially from China, India and South Korea comprise 64% of the total international student body in the U.S.

Striving To Match Global Standards The overall growth of international academic mobility has led the Asian governments to join the

Higher Education Digest June 2019

global bandwagon for talent and knowledge. Asian institutes are not only upgrading themselves but becoming partners and peers for the universities in the other parts of the world. Despite the boom of worldclass Asian institutions, Asian countries are still attracted to U.S. and European researchbased universities. The faculty and professional accomplishments of institutions based on Westernbased merit. This system also places the non-western systems at a disadvantage particularly the Asian countries were English is not a standard or dominant language.

Asian Academic Excellence As Asian countries move forward to adopt new developments in their systems and even beyond that, we witness a new Asian higher education model surfacing. We are seeing a system that borrows selectively from Western education practices while drawing upon its deep-rooted academic traditions. Asian countries are now going through a transformative phase and a large number of private institutions are coming online. These do not fall under a government body. The Asian education system also suffers from poor infrastructure issues, and the current facilities might not be in line with their goals for attracting bright students from over the world or even retention or education of their students. Then there are the challenges of harmonization and regionalization. Gradually, with time, these issues will be addressed to truly change the face of higher education in Asia in the coming future.

Higher Education Digest June 2019

ASSUMPTION By Rose Mary

E V O

RY O ST

OR Y Higher Education Digest June 2019

MUST WATCH INTERNATIONAL

UNIVERSITIES IN SOUTH EAST ASIA

UNIVERSITY 23

Higher Education Digest June 2019

t is the year 2019, and we still grapple with what the purpose of education is. We see talented yet unsuccessful people and unrewarded geniuses. In all, we have a world full of educated derelicts. It is time that one understands that the goal of education is not to increase the amount of knowledge but to create the possibilities for a child to invent and discover, to create men who are capable of doing new things. Education is not just about going to school and getting a degree. It’s about widening your knowledge and absorbing the truth about life. The Brothers of St. Gabriel, a worldwide Catholic religious order, founded in France in 1705 by St. Louis Marie De Montfort, is devoted to education and philanthropic activities. They understand that education is not just a bunch of degrees stacked to the side of your name. Real education enhances the dignity of a human being, increases their self-respect and makes life in harmony with all existence. Since 1901, the congregation has been operating many educational institutions in Thailand.

Assumption University is an international community of scholars, enlivened by Christian inspiration, engaged in the pursuit of truth and knowledge, serving the human society, especially through the creative use of interdisciplinary approaches and cybertechnology.

Higher Education Digest June 2019

The Birth of ABAC Assumption Commercial College was one such educational institution that was established in 1969. In 1972, with the approval of the Ministry of Education, it was officially established as Assumption Business Administration College or ABAC. In May 1975, it was accredited by the Ministry of University Affairs. In 1990, it was granted new status as “Assumption University” by the Ministry of University Affairs. Today, Assumption University is an international community of scholars, enlivened by Christian inspiration, engaged in the pursuit of truth and knowledge, serving the human society, especially through the creative use of interdisciplinary approaches and cybertechnology. The university has 4 campuses in different locations in and around Bangkok cityHuamak near Rajamangala Stadium, City Campus located at Central World Plaza in downtown Bangkok, Suvarnabhumi areas of Samut Prakan Province, and ACC School of Commerce (Sathorn Campus), Thailand.

The university is currently led by Rev. Bro. Bancha Saenghiran, F.S.G., Ph.D, who is also the President. With globalization and an increased demand for multi-lingual communications experts, the University’s Faculty of Arts encourages specialization in business English, Chinese, Japanese and French language programs; the Faculties of Law and Risk Management also contribute to the international education of its business students. The growing demand for Information Technology, has inspired the university to develop and foster the expansion of its highly respected Faculty of Science & Technology and Faculty of Engineering.

Courses Offered Currently, the university offers 70 programs of which 38 are Bachelor’s Degree Programmes, 19 are Master’s Degree Program and 19 Doctoral degree programs. It is notable that the university offers 27 Bachelor’s, Master’s and Doctoral degree programs in information technology/Engineering fields alone. A range of additional undergraduate degree programs serves to round out the university’s appeal in the fields of Nursing Science, Communication Arts, Biotechnology, law and Architecture. In the area of postgraduate studies, advanced studies are also offered in the fields of Counselling Psychology, Philosophy, Education, Religion, Tourism Management, English Language Teaching, Biotechnology and International Business Law. In addition, the university has also other institutions and research centres like PAN AM International Flight Academy, Tsinghua – ABAC AEC Research Institute, Institute for Research and Academic Services (IRAS) and Confucius Institute. Assumption University has several joint degree programs that allow students to study partially at the university and then to complete their degrees at a western university. The degree, awarded by the western university, is thus obtained at a substantially lower cost than having studied at the overseas university full-time.

Joint Degree Programs The university currently has 9 Postgraduate joint degree programs and 1 Bachelor’s degree program and is exploring others. Assumption University has recently endorsed additional joint degree programs with colleges in India, especially in the areas of Information Technology and business. These agreements permit Indian students to study partially at their home institution and then come to Assumption to complete their degrees.

Higher Education Digest June 2019

Assumption University provides an international learning environment with nearly 3,000 of its 20,000 fulltime students coming from more than 90 nations around the world and international instructors bring with them a wealth of multicultural experience and education from more than 30 different countries.

Higher Education Digest June 2019

Assumption University is accredited by OHEC (Office of Higher Education Commission), Thailand and ONESQA (Office for National Education Standards and Quality Assessment). The University is also recognized by The Association of Christian Universities and Colleges in Asia (ACUCA), The Association of Southeast Asian Institution of Higher Learning (ASAIHL) and The International Federation of Catholic Universities (IFCU).

Fruitful International Connections Assumption University is known as the First International University of Thailand with both a large international student body as well as an international faculty. Students from more than 55 nations around the world attend Assumption University because of its academic excellence and the fact that English is the medium of instruction. It is the only University in Thailand where all courses (except law) are taught in English by a faculty that is approximately 50% non-Thai.

Assumption University provides an international learning environment with nearly 3,000 of its 20,000 full-time students coming from more than 90 nations around the world and international instructors bring with them a wealth of multi-cultural experience and education from more than 30 different countries. The University has a growing number of partnerships with institutions from the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia. With relationships involving faculty exchange, visiting professors, student exchange and joint degree programs, Assumption University also offers enhanced educational opportunities, which add to the international experience of the students. The coat of arms of the Brothers of St. Gabriel, which is the universityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s logo, is shown and engraved on many places but the biggest and noticeable one is on the wall at a stairway in the Hall of Fame. It depicts four signs with meaningful content: the ship in the sea symbolizing the sea of life with

difficulties that we have to struggle through; the DS Cross which represents Divinity and Science; A.M. and the white lilies to remind students to love their institution as their Alma Mater and be as pure in their thoughts, words and mind as the white lilies; and the star and the boat which symbolizes spiritual hope. The four symbols are framed by a shield under which is AU’s motto “LABOR OMNIA VINCIT”, which, as the Latin proverb says, “Work conquers all things.

Welcoming Freshers Through AU FYEP Every year, Assumption University holds an AU FYE program that prepare and support the freshmen to their new chapter in the university. The main purpose of AU FYEP is to develop students’ awareness in five areas i.e. academic and intellectual competence, interpersonal relationship, identity and integrated philosophy of life, career and life-style, and personal health and wellness through various initiative activities which will help them successfully live and learn during the first year of university life at Assumption University. AU FYE program objectives: • To assist first- year students to make a successful transition from high school to the university. • To provide essential knowledge and skills for studying and living in Assumption University. • To develop students’ awareness in five areas namely academic and intellectual competence, interpersonal relationship, identity and integrated philosophy of life, career and lifestyle, and personal health and wellness. • To establish a strong connection between freshmen and seniors; and to become active members of Assumption University community.

Every year, Assumption University holds an AU FYE program that prepare and support the freshmen to their new chapter in the university. AU FYEP develops students’ awareness in five areas through various initiative activities which will help them successfully live and learn during the first year of university life at Assumption University.

Higher Education Digest June 2019

The Assumption University library was established around the year 1972 with just 2 classrooms on the 2nd floor of the St. Philips and Bernard building. Today, Assumption University has 3 libraries: The Central Library, “Cathedral of Learning Library”, located at Assumption University, Suvarnabhumi Campus, “St. Gabriel’s Library” Library, and “Law Library” Library located at Assumption University SUMMARY Huamark Campus.

Helping Choose the Best Career Assumption University has an inhouse Career Development Centre (CDC) that provides students (and recent graduates) with advice, information and on-campus services regarding full-time and part-time employment, career planning and development. Services and activities of the CDC include Job Placement, Career Resources and Company introductions. Career Week is a popular on-campus recruitment event organized every semester, providing opportunities for graduating students to meet with the recruitment officers of over 100 leading local and multinational companies and personally apply for job offerings. Career Week usually takes place in the week following mid-term exams.

Higher Education Digest June 2019

Assumption University is known as the First International University of Thailand with both a large international student body as well as an international faculty. Students from more than 55 nations around the world attend Assumption university because of its academic excellence .

The CDC hosts events like Alumni Advisor Meetings, where the students get a chance to meet alumnae and get first-hand advice on career goals and direction, Company field trips, and other jobrelated activities.

Individual Counselling and Testing are available through the CDC with job searches tailored to individual student interests. In addition, the CDC provides aptitude testing to help students understand how their abilities and interests can best be matched with suitable careers. The CDC also hosts events like Alumni Advisor Meetings, where the students get a chance to meet alumnae (who occupy key management and technological positions in industry, government, banking and multinational conglomerates) and get first-hand advice on career goals and direction, Company field trips, and other job-related activities.

The Alma Mater of Prodigies Given the steps that the university has taken to ensure that the students are shaped into versatile individuals, it is no wonder that Assumption University is considered the leading private University in Thailand. Moving forward, the university intends to keep setting milestones and help students realize their true potential.

Higher Education Digest June 2019

ED SHEROES

Four Races Two Inspired Educators One Classroom The Story of How a Village in Hanoi Hosted Four Continents

Higher Education Digest June 2019

anâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s unquenchable thirst for knowledge has driven him to build bridges that connect people from different parts of the world. Ever since he first learnt to communicate, he has been on the path to learn, adapt and evolve. The world as we see today has been the result of this drive for knowledge. Knowledge like air should be available to everyone, and like air, it shouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be denied to anyone. No matter the country, the language and race, knowledge empowers and enables us to be the citizens of the World.

Higher Education Digest June 2019

Meet Ha Nga

Ha Nga is a spirited educator hailing from Vietnam who believes in the power of knowledge sharing. She lives in a village about 40 kilometres to the west of Hanoi. As an educationalist she was constantly looking at ways to help her students think and learn. Like most countries around the world, Vietnamese students too struggle with English. However, Nga firmly believed that language should not be a barrier to true learning. â&#x20AC;&#x153;My students did not get the right opportunity to get familiar with the English language. Also, as we live far away from Hanoi, a tourist destination, the students do not often get Mrsic aLeo chance to mingle with foreigners. Learning English words from a book does not constitute understanding a language, one needs to practice speaking it too. I knew my children had the fire inside them to learn new things and I wanted to help them. I spent quite a lot of my time searching for a solution that can connect the children with the world. After much research I happened upon Microsoft Education and its application in teaching and learningâ&#x20AC;? says Ha Nga.

Microsoft Educators Community Once Nga understood how MEC (Microsoft Educators Community) works. Things started picking up speed. She soon became a member of MEC and connected with many educators worldwide. Thanks to this platform, the students and educators alike had great opportunities of meeting a number of friends from various countries. As a result of this initiation, Ngaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s students have become more confident in not only speaking the English language, but also in starting conversation with strangers. This ability of theirs will massively help them in networking and maintaining a plethora of valuable relationships in the future.

Higher Education Digest June 2019

Although Vietnamese students struggle with English, Nga firmly believes that language should not be a barrier to true learning

Kristin Has An Idea Nga and her students are marvelled at the seamlessness of MEC. Just like maps that show air traffic with multi-hued arrows brilliantly bouncing from country to country, MEC connects educators and students from across the world. Encouraged by MEC’s past success, Kristin, one of Nga’s closest friends based in USA, started thinking ‘why not connect classrooms from 4 countries across continents?’. “We wanted to organize a special and memorable event. We wanted to create a virtual boiling pot of knowledge sharing and information exchange.” Thus, on 27 March 2019, the ladies got to work. They spent many hours researching, connecting and sending texts, emails, and calls to prepare for this extraordinary meeting.

One of the hurdles that they had to cross was the time difference. “The most challenging task was to arrange the time between Vietnam and the USA because we are 11 hours difference. One class would be morning and the other would be evening. We also had to delay our meeting because many schools in Africa closed for spring break. There were so many educators hoping to join, but they were alone without students”. Finally, the duo connected with two other participants and made a squad working towards one goal. The participants were: Kristin from The USA (North America), Ha Nga from Vietnam (Asia), Wycliffe Omukhulu from Kenya (Africa) and Alenka Taslak from Croatia (Europe).

Higher Education Digest June 2019

Ha Nga

ZOOMing Through Continents

The next dilemma was the tech platform that all the classrooms would use to connect. After much deliberation, the organizers decided on ZOOM. “ZOOM is an amazing tool to connect in big group. We could share the screen, record the meeting and adjust the speaker’s turn easily.” Nga and Kristin knew that if even the minutest of the details was not well planned, the whole thing could go south. So, they came up with a plan that required the classes to wait for their respective turn instead of all speaking at once. Kristin decided to name the classes 1-4, so that it was easy for children to understand when their turn came up. They knew that the excited children would obviously ask about the geographical location of the others, and that language would be a constraint. So, the organisers printed symbols depicting YES/NO for easier communication.

Higher Education Digest June 2019

The Classroom

Kristin Edwards

Finally, after one and a half month of planning, the screens placed in the four classrooms lit up on 6 May 2019. Kristin was in charge of the tech aspects of the meeting and suffice to say she fulfilled her role to the hilt. Thanking the WWW Gods for a glitch-less internet connection, Kristen soon got to work. She efficiently, unmuted those classrooms whose turn it was to speak and muted the others. At the end of the conference, the students communicated freely in English, their inhibitions long gone. It would be an understatement to say that the eyes of the educators and students from the four classrooms were shining. But none were happier than Nga and Kristin who have already started planning their next global classroom event. Nga and Kristin have proved that if you are motivated enough, language and distance is no barrier for knowledge sharing. They set an example and showed us that four countries from four continents, with four different cultures speaking four native languages can be brought together by two inspired educators under One Classroom.

Higher Education Digest June 2019

Weaving Glitter into Young Fashionistas’ Dreams 36

he Devil wears Prada is, without doubt, a much-celebrated fashion movie. It brings Paris into our living rooms. Although one might be compelled to detest Miranda Priestly for mocking Andrea Sachs for not understanding the brass tacks of fashion, we can later understand why Miranda cannot stand people who disrespects fashion. Her famous monologue on Andrea’s cerulean sweater sums it up—“…that blue represents millions of dollars and countless jobs and so it’s sort of comical how you think that you’ve made a choice that exempts you from the fashion industry when, in fact, you’re wearing the sweater that was selected for you by the people in this room. From a pile of ‘stuff’.”

Higher Education Digest June 2019

MUST WATCH INTERNATIONAL

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Higher Education Digest June 2019

ESMOD graduation fashion show

What Miranda meant to say was that no matter how far you think you have distanced from fashion you are really not that far. Fashion is an irreplaceable factor in the evolution of culture and lifestyle. One person who understood that fashion is universal, long before Miranda, was Alexis Guerre-Lavigne.

The Visionary Behind ESMOD Alexis Guerre-Lavigne was a French tailor and innovator who invented the couture mannequin and the supple measuring tape. In 1841, Lavigne created ESMOD, the first fashion school in the world; accessible to all and specialised in clothing design. Lavigne was also the master tailor in the royal court of Empress Eugenie, wife of Napoleon III. In 1847, Lavigne invented the soft metric measuring tape and took ESMOD internationally by publishing his cutting methods manual in German and English. The manual contained principles of pattern drafting and illustrations catered for various body types and postures, and later became a learning requirement in fashion schools of that era. Lavigne went beyond his textbook publications and invented vital tools for the fashion industry, among which were the draping mannequin, rulers, set squares and more.

ESMOD Today Fast forward to 2019, the visionary’s establishment, ESMOD, celebrates its 178th anniversary with a network of 20 schools in 13 countries around the world. The year 2012 saw The One Academy’s ESMOD Kuala Lumpur open its gates to young aspiring fashion designers of Malaysia. The institute offers education that tops international standards, thus ensuring that all its graduates have a fair chance at standing at the creative industry’s frontline. ESMOD aces in providing industrydriven syllabuses with practical-coaching approach.

Higher Education Digest June 2019

It bodes well for the students of ESMOD Kuala Lumpur that the institute is the only Paris fashion design school in Malaysia, as Graduates of ESMOD Kuala Lumpur will be able to pursue their degree and master’s programmes in other ESMOD schools around the world.

Winners with their proud creations

Efficient Teaching–Learning Practices At ESMOD Kuala Lumpur, the classrooms are engineered in such a way that enables students to absorb and immerse themselves in an efficacious setting while interacting effectively with lecturers. Students learn fundamental skills from the best industry-driven lecturers, such as how to combine ideas and techniques with elements of design, colours, patterns and more. ESMOD Kuala Lumpur has fully embraced the teaching ideas, content, methods and materials of ESMOD Paris and has also brought in French lecturers and resources to compliment the teachings of ESMOD Paris. The institute’s teaching staff are comprised of actively practicing professionals in the fashion industry. Only top-notched professionals are invited to conduct the lectures, thus enabling students to be exposed to the contemporary practices of the real-world fashion industry. All teaching staff are approved by ESMOD International to maintain a high standard of academic quality. During lectures, the comfortable classrooms encourage students to exchange and brainstorm ideas and opinions. In fashion design, all ideas are valuable as tastes are eclectic and fads are ever-changing. ESMOD Kuala Lumpur sees that the classes are kept small and focussed in order for lecturers to communicate better with the students. The lower lecturer–student ratio allows for more effective immersion and practice.

Higher Education Digest June 2019

40 For a career in fashion, textbook knowledge can teach only so much. Hence, ESMOD Kuala Lumpur assure the students a multitude of opportunities to interact with industry professionals.

Higher Education Digest June 2019

The Big Berg The Berg Fashion Library is a unique online portal of ESMOD Kuala Lumpur that offers fully cross-searchable access to an expanding range of Berg content collections including the Berg Encyclopaedia of World Dress and Fashion online, e-books, reference works, images, and much more. Students and scholars in disciplines as diverse as anthropology, art history, history, sociology, geography, folklore, museum studies, theatre, and cultural studies as well as fashion and textiles can find the Berg Fashion Library a treasury of fascinating insights into people and cultures all over the world. For a career in fashion, textbook knowledge can teach only so much. Hence, ESMOD Kuala Lumpur assure the students a multitude of opportunities to interact with industry professionals. The young fashion minds are exposed to international seminars and sessions, visits to fashion houses, and intercontinental fashion scenes via events that are arranged annually. The students are provided internship openings with several companies thanks to the instituteâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fruitful industrial collaborations.

ESMOD Kuala Lumpur provides a fully equipped Pattern Making room for students to train hands-on pattern drafting and sewing techniques with high quality industrial electronic machines and the famous imported ESMOD draping mannequin. The state-of-the-art machinery facilitates the students’ hands-on training and also allows them to apply and execute their ideas and fashion theories.

What Gives ESMOD Kuala Lumpur Its Edge?

young designers must present their collections along with visual merchandise to a panel of national and international fashion professionals.

ESMOD Kuala Lumpur’s students learn patternmaking concurrently with fashion designing. In this aspect, ESMOD Kuala Lumpur has an edge over its peers as most fashion design schools only teach either the creative aspect of fashion designing or the skill-based tailoring. However, students of ESMOD Kuala Lumpur learn how to do both— to design their full personal collection and to produce their own patterns, thereby increasing the graduate’s employability in the industry. At the end of their education at ESMOD Kuala Lumpur, the young designers must present their collections along with visual merchandise to a panel of national and international fashion professionals. Being able to present and communicate personal ideas and concepts in English is an important component of the course as a whole and is an indispensable skill within the fashion industry. This is, therefore, a crucial element of the course thus contributing towards the final degree classification. The conclusion of the third year is celebrated before graduation in the form of a fashion show which takes place in the most creative venue of Kuala Lumpur. Along with the general public, press representatives and national and international panels will be invited to the show. The best collections are rewarded with prizes and guests from the industry often take the advantage of recruiting new talent. The event gives graduates the opportunity to network and often students find themselves being signed off to exclusive studios.

The Vade Mecum of Fashion Industry ESMOD Kuala Lumpur missions to nurture young fashion talents in Malaysia with the help of international fashion experts so that the students can stay true to their dream of being renowned fashion designers. Glancing at the institute’s history and past success, it is safe to say that not only will ESMOD Kuala Lumpur produce incredible graduates that can ace the complex fashion industry requirements, but also the institute will continue to be a beacon of innovation and genius for the fashion industry.

Higher Education Digest June 2019

MENTORâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S MANTRA

Next Generation Workforce: How To Acquire Knowledge Through

Experience In Changing Economy Leo Mrsic Assistant Professor, Vice Dean for Research and Development Algebra University College, Zagreb, Croatia, Europe

Hailing from Zagreb, Leo Mrsic brings to the table over 20 years of team leadership experience as he has been involved in launching three start-up initiatives. Co-author and contributor on several books, scientific and professional papers, he is also a Member of the Croatian Society of Court Experts (HDSVIP), Member of the Board of the Editor in the Global Journal of Technology and Optimization (GJTO), Member of the International Board of Advisors at the International Journal of Energy Optimization and Engineering (IJEOE), and Reviewer with Mathematical Problems in Engineering.

Higher Education Digest June 2019

More than ever before, education is enforced by the desire to prove that the academic community can be concrete and competitive when it comes to business

n a digital world, students become active in labour market much earlier than ever before. They become aware of their market value sooner than their mentors, and the current global labour market is making borders and physical space almost irrelevant. Education and science are under pressure to focus on applied knowledge, where students can easily compare themselves with global colleagues, making their education achievements challenged and verified faster than ever. Technology transfer centers are growing in small forms moving from traditional science to the private and public sectors. In this process, it provides an influx of good ideas, high-quality people and a wide range of digital and business competencies, creating a fertile environment for developing business-technology projects that their partners can take when they reach a sufficient level of maturity and continue their development within their systems. Participating in that process, centers are based on a partnership that adds value to several unique educational, market but also policy advantages. It is expected from the government to apply only proven technologies, while the industry is severely involved in projects that are likely to make profit. The problem with this is the breakthrough–to have proven technology and profitable business models, someone needs to develop, test, and invest in them. That’s why higher education is taking bigger role as

“third party” in those processes, someone who would link it all up. The industry and the public sector can come up with good ideas while high quality educators can create more favourable environment for the development of technology projects. Together with students, they can reach a sufficient level of maturity for selected ideas and continue to improve them in economy. More than ever before, education is enforced by the desire to prove that the academic community can be concrete and competitive when it comes to business. Another motivator is the fact that the industry can provide far more opportunities for the education system but that it needs more quality partners to listen to and are able to understand their needs. Next generation workforce is benefiting from link between the two worlds that today is realized to the satisfaction of all. We can name this cooperation as “valueadding partnership”, which means that during the projects, industry and policy partner teams will be able to fully control the technology and the projects can be tailored to the needs and development of the company. Many private sector companies and many public sector institutions are not easy to innovate, it is often expensive to independently develop the technological solutions they need to be competitive in their business. Many of them simply lack enough expert human and financial resources to launch their own research and

Higher Education Digest June 2019

Leo Mrsic

More than ever before, education is enforced by the desire to prove that the academic community can be concrete and competitive when it comes to business.

Higher Education Digest June 2019

development departments or have no confidence that the academic community can produce solutions within deadlines and according to the criteria of today’s market. Here we higher education can step in as a sandbox that can outsourced easier than to build it alone. In addition to today’s remarkable potential for continuous talent-feeds, it is important to point out that today’s labour market looks at each project through the prism of applicability and creation of society or business value (“applied science” or science that can be applied), so there are business-humantechnological problems with which today’s society are faced every day. By following need for round-up service where students of all ages and expertise can acquire, test, share and prove knowledge, that for a partner results in new ideas to improve their business or policy and later to end up as a project on all of them was working together. Higher education role is to give their partners insight into technology capabilities, present them through prototyping those technologies that can be useful for their business, turn their attention to the skills that it would be good for their teams to gain and enable their partners to be more easily present in the community. Digital age introduces a whole range of topics where high-quality opportunities can be demonstrated. Having great start-up projects is equity for every society and industry, no surprise Higher Education Digest is great combination of both worlds, creating guidance for next generation workforce seeking for knowledge in world of change.

Higher Education Digest June 2019

Connecting Minds, Businesses and Education Around the Globe

he journey to success is never easy. Even those who makes it look easy has faced a couple of obstacles that have hindered them. Determination, hard work and dedication certainly plays a major role, but so does choosing a university. Your university plays a major role in shaping out the professional that you are. There are a multitude of universities out there, so how do you chose the right one? A select university will have a sterling faculty, good teacherstudent ratio and foster fruitful and commendable industry and educational collaborations. If one were to sum up the above sentence in one word, it would be INSEAD. With campuses in Europe (France), Asia (Singapore) and Middle East (Abu Dhabi), and alliances with top institutions, INSEADâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s business education and research spans around the globe. INSEAD houses 154 renowned faculty members from 40 countries and inspires 1400 students in its degree and PhD programmes. In

Higher Education Digest June 2019

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Higher Education Digest June 2019

addition, more than 11,000 executives participate in INSEAD’s executive education programmes each year. There is no other argument, but to say that INSEAD is one of the world’s leading and largest graduate business schools.

INSEAD stands firm on 5 values: Diversity as a source of learning and enrichment INSEAD frees itself from any dominant culture or prevalent dogma. INSEAD is open to, and respectful of, other views. Learning through exchange of ideas and experiences is one of the best ways to learn, and INSEAD is a true example. Independence as a governance principle The university believes in intellectual freedom and is autonomous in its financial, institutional and academic planning and decision-making process. Rigour and relevance in teaching and research INSEAD encourages diversity in research and teaching methods with no single school of thought or methodology predominating; what matters is rigor and impact on management as an academic discipline, on business practice, and in the classroom. Closeness to the international business community INSEAD partners with the international business community to explore and disseminate management knowledge. The university believe in the role of business as a force for improving people’s lives. Entrepreneurial spirit INSEAD fosters entrepreneurship and is willing to experiment and innovate. The university is ready to take risks and manage the results of its actions. It is due to these 5 values that INSEAD so firmly upholds that the university, in the span of five decades, developed from an entrepreneurial

Higher Education Digest June 2019

venture to an internationally regarded institution.

Inception and Growth In 1957, The Paris Chamber of Commerce agreed to establish a European business school, and INSEAD saw light for the first time. Since then, the university has been setting milestones and has never once looked back. However, it was in 1999 that INSEAD decide to further its frontiers and took the bold step to differentiate itself from other business schools. INSEAD opened a campus in Asia and became the first business school to have two full-fledged campuses with permanent faculty—one in Europe, the other in Asia. The vision in setting up the Asia Campus was for INSEAD to “create a bridge between Asia and the rest of the world.” The campus was inaugurated by Lee Kuan Yew, famously known as the founder of modern Singapore, in 2000. Within a few years, the school acknowledged the pressing need to expand the young campus. In 2005, the second phase of campus development began and INSEAD expanded its presence in Asia. In 2010-11, with great pride, the school celebrated the 10th anniversary of the Asia Campus. In 2015, INSEAD opened the doors to the million dollar Leadership Development Centre, a six-story, 10,000 square metre building that addresses the accelerating demand for management and leadership education in Asia. The Centre allows INSEAD to build its world-class faculty to 70 in Singapore and significantly increases the number of students, executives, top scholars and practitioners on the Asia Campus.

Customised Programmes It is essential to mention that besides the undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral programs that the INSEAD offers, the institute also has more than 40 years of experience in delivering Customised

INSEAD opened a campus in Asia and became the first business school to have two full-fledged campuses with permanent faculty

Programmes for some of the world’s largest companies. The fusion of INSEAD’s world renowned, globally diverse faculty, thought leadership, organisation-specific content and partnership approach, make an INSEAD Customised Programme a unique learning experience. The university’s expert faculty team will partner with the organization to design programmes tailored to the organization’s objectives, building the specific skill sets that the client needs to drive them to success. The result is an integrated solution that allows the client organisation to cascade the learning from top executives to middle management, facilitating harmonised transformation across geographical regions and business functions in a very short period of time.

The Tanoto Library The Tanoto Library at Asia Campus supports INSEAD members in their research and curriculum activities. To a limited extent, the library also supports alumni, Executive Education participants and affiliate researchers in their research activities. The collections, both physical and digital, cover all aspects of business and management, as well as related areas such as economics, politics, behavioural sciences, information technology, sciences and law. Apart from the industry tie-ups, INSEAD harbours interuniversity relationships that are conducive to the respective university’s’ students. Three of these rewarding relationships are

Higher Education Digest June 2019

In this smaller, connected world, it is critical that leaders view the world as a whole, and think and act both locally and globally. This has been part of the INSEAD culture for over 55 years.

Higher Education Digest June 2019

the INSEAD-Wharton Alliance, Partnership with Tsinghua University, and INSEAD-Sorbonne Université Partnership. Taking a look at the steps that INSEAD has taken to establish its presence in the world, it is only empirical to say that INSEAD brings together people, cultures and ideas to develop responsible leaders who transform business and society.

Propitious Alumni Network INSEAD takes great pride in its alumni. The INSEAD alumni network is robust, diverse and globally connected. With more than 58,000 Alumni distributed across 176 countries with 163 nationalities, INSEAD’s alumni are citizens of the world, understanding how to balance local and global perspectives, and have “experienced the world as it ought to be”. This aspect of the INSEAD culture is very powerful and valuable in the 21st Century. In this smaller, connected world, it is critical that leaders view the world as a whole, and think and act both locally and globally. This has been part of the INSEAD culture for over 55 years. Currently there are 49 National Alumni Associations (NAA) representing 52 countries across the world. The purpose of the NAA is to support its members throughout the world with a comprehensive and wide range of professional and social activities to nourish the network and to promote INSEAD. INSEAD encourages its students to create a variety of sectorspecific clubs, including consulting, private equity, consumer & luxury goods, healthcare, energy, entrepreneurship and Social Impact. These opportunities enable one to efficiently target and network with groups of motivated students. Career treks enable students to meet with established and emerging business leaders in their offices and attend networking events. It is most of the time about discovering an industry or a company, and to ask questions about how it works and what your company is all about. These usually take the form of discussions on careers in specific industries or functions, or on issues such as women in business. Three to four speakers are generally invited to share their experience with the participants. The Employer Engagement Specialists can facilitate connections between company representatives and members of the student clubs, thus paving way for recruitment and being signed off by prospective employers.

The INSEAD Advantage INSEAD’s goal is to develop value-driven business leaders with a global mind-set, and the university’s personalised and comprehensive career services yield outstanding results. Similarly, the university’s global alumni network offers reach and depth beyond any other top business school. Needless to say, INSEAD’s multi-campus format, unmatched diversity and proven academic excellence contribute to the university’s success.

Higher Education Digest June 2019

MENTORâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S MANTRA

How Can You Teach Children What You Know When They are Already Living in the Future? Ayesha Banu Director, Recruitment & Admission International Eladder4U

A result oriented professional with BBA in HR and Masters in Computer Information Systems, Ayesha is currently pursuing her PhD in business administration specialization in Human Resource Leadership. She brings with her over 20 years of experience in managing modern HR Management & Systems and maintaining harmony between industry and workforce. She has enjoyed working for clients in India, Middle East, and the USA. She is now focused on the modern education sector and is busy connecting students with their dream

Higher Education Digest June 2019

sia is the fastest growing economic region in the World and countries like India, China, Japan, South Korea, and Indonesia are currently the top five economies in Asia. Education in every sense is one of the fundamental factors of development and large growth sector in the economy. Education raises people’s productivity and creativity in the market, promotes entrepreneurship, and furthers technological advances. It plays a very crucial role in securing economic and social progress and improving income distribution. For instance, education is distributed into different sectors like Travel and Tourism, Hospitality and Hotel Management, Medicine and Hospitals, Technology, Housing, Engineering & Construction and many more.

Education Forms the Groundwork for Progress There is a direct correlation between a country’s economy and the proportion of its educated workers. Knowledge distribution should be proportionate so that educated workers, who have ample practical knowledge can efficiently carry out tasks that requires literacy and critical thinking. Therefore, many countries allocate and provide funds for primary and secondary education to improve economic performance and boost the employment sector. The education sector in India has been in high demand thanks to the country’s colossal population. But India suffers every year since thousands of fresh graduates go

without jobs and even if they are offered a job, it is not to the right salary and the position does not match the qualification. No doubt India has it’s far share of global educators and scholars, but an occasional reality check can do all of us some good. India’s standard and quality of education has got a still long way to go, and this could be one major reason why students contemplate finishing their education abroad. Once they finish their education, they are quickly whisked away by the corporate giants. Soon, we find that all our best think tanks are settled abroad. Indeed, this brain drain issue has been discussed several times before, but what changes have really been implemented?

Reshuffle the Education System to Create Learnt Individuals The Indian education system does not prepare students for practicality. Even during internships, they are not exposed to the nitty-gritties of a business environment. As someone who have done her education both in India and abroad, I personally know how education and jobs go hand in hand. Exposure is everything, and it all starts right from our school days. Frankly speaking, the time for doing away with the age-old practices has crossed a long time back. A revision of course materials and text books will not cut it anymore. Technology has been taking the world by storm, and we still have students as young as 6 years old carrying heavy bags to schools. When information and knowledge can be made accessible by just a touch, are

To change the outlook of our educational sector, we need the teachers and professors to change first

Higher Education Digest June 2019

54 Ayesha Banu

these heavy bags necessary? More importantly, has the teaching community kept itself abreast of the dynamic technology domain? Do they know what the employment sector needs today? To change the outlook of our educational sector, we need the teachers and professors to change first. Think out of the four walls of the classrooms and encourage questions from the students. Imparting information is more important than completing the syllabus. For those students that decide to complete their education in India, they are faced with the dilemma of choosing a job that does not align with their educational qualifications. An obvious reason for this disparity is that the graduates are not well versed in soft skills, which they can do nothing about unless their mentors and teachers take an active role. However, fingers also point towards the changing governments that does not do much for sectors apart from medicine and engineering. For instance, Agriculture and Life Science is still neglected, and so students either rush to land any and every job that they can get their hands on after doing courses related to agriculture. They then end up being grumpy individuals who could not fulfil their passion.

Excelling the F2F Interview in 8 Minutes At the same time for those who can afford to follow their dreams, soft skills become a roadblock. In my role as an HR executive in the industry for over 20 years, I can safely say that no one in my experience have satisfactorily answered the question â&#x20AC;&#x153;Say Something About Yourselfâ&#x20AC;? during interviews.

Higher Education Digest June 2019

Graduates should learn to sell themselves to the employers in the 8 minutes that they get during the interview. That is where your personality shines. How you create a rapport with them will decide your future, not your CV. In order to do so, prep yourself with the necessary soft skills. Learn what the employer is looking for. Make use of all the social media sites and understand what the company and the company leaders are looking for in a prospective employee.

The Importance of Business Etiquette Training

Think out of the four walls of the classrooms and encourage questions from the students. Imparting information is more important than completing the syllabus

For effective utilization of human resources, companies need to invest in au fait business etiquette training sessions. Young blood has a lot of new energy that they bring in to the organization, and sometimes this can clash with what the existing employees have. Just as the freshers need to be shaped to suit the company atmosphere, existing employees also need to be reminded about the current atmosphere and refresh on their BET. This also means familiarizing the employees, phase by phase, with the current technology trends. It is important that the employer invests in training efforts on each one of them to learn new innovative techniques on writing skills, telephonic ethics, business communication, customer relation, body language, and tone and manners. Workshops are a perfect setting for a give and take of information between generations. One outdated culture that companies follow is asking employees to spend a better part of their life at the office and get disgruntled when the employees decide to change jobs. Work-Life balance is of paramount importance. From my experience I have seen employers filter candidates based on their age, finishing school, their native place, whether they have previously worked with a corporate royalty, their affinity for sports and their hobbies. When in reality, they should focus on their own annual budget, the position that the prospective candidate will be filling in, the values and morals the candidate will be bringing to the table, their capability to critically think and find out of box solutions, the candidateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s leadership qualities, his/her technical affinity, and how receptive they are to the changing environment.

Keep calm and make your presence known As a parting note, I would like to iterate that one should follow their passion and stay true to yourself. Do not grab any job that comes your way. You might struggle for some time, but in the long run you will thank yourself for holding out. Prepare yourself for the right opportunity and make contacts and keep networking. Constantly touch up on your communication and people skills and prove your mettle. Blow away the employers with your passion and charisma and watch your career graph hit the skies. I would also like to stress that the aim of education is to impart knowledge and help your fellow human beings, not make money. If you are more fortunate that others, do not build your walls higher, instead lengthen your dining table.

Higher Education Digest June 2019

STIHPADA Suiting Up The Beau Ideal Of The Legal Industry 56

arvey Specter of Suits, an American legal drama television series, has been the poster boy for all things Law. But, unlike what the gentleman portrays, a legal career is not all flamboyant and glamorous. It takes hard work and hours of relentless slogging to clear the boards. However, to create a name for yourself, textbook knowledge is not enough. To be a legal Einstein, one needs good mentors who can teach beyond books and classrooms; and who better than STIHPADA to provide high-caliber mentors and distinguished teachers.

The Visionary Behind STIHPADA Prof. H. Abu Daud Busroh, SH, understood the need for quality and affordable legal higher education for all levels of society and established the Sumpah Pemuda School of Law in 1994. The institute also goes by the name Sekolah Tinggi Ilmu Hukum Sumpah Pemuda aka STIHPADA. Prof. H. Abu Daud Busroh, a professor of law and a renowned advocate in the Palembang City of Indonesia, had a crystal-

Higher Education Digest June 2019

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Higher Education Digest June 2019

clear vision for the institute at the time of its inception. STIHPADA aims to become a center of excellence in the field of law by applying the values of Pancasila, which is the ideology of the Indonesian nation. What sets STIHPADA different from its peers is that it emphasizes more on law practice education than legal theory. This is a defining factor for the institute as there are not many law schools in Indonesia that emphasize legal practice education. STIHPADA is proud to be one of the private law schools that cares about the development of legal practitioners.

Hand In Hand With IR 4.0 STIHPADA understands that the legal domain is undergoing rapid change and hence, the students need to be prepped for the industrial revolution 4.0.. To this extend, STIHPADA continues to build facilities and information systems that are relevant to the current industrial changes. Academic services use information systems and several courses use E-learning systems. The classrooms make use of the Student Centre Learning (SCL) system that focuses on solving the latest legal cases. Similarly, the Dean ensures that the course materials submitted are not only relevant and up to date, but also reference current and pertinent legal cases. Besides, to prepare its graduates, STIHPADA has in place internship programs with related legal institutions such as courts, advocate organizations, prosecutorsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; offices and law offices. These steps are in addition to the stellar infrastructure facilities like moot court room and legal practitioners such as advocates, judges, prosecutors, police, arbitrators and mediators for lecturers.

Dr. Firman Freaddy Busroh, SH, M.Hum Chairman of the Board Trustees STIHPADA

Higher Education Digest June 2019

A Melting Bowl Of Legal Practices Moreover, STIHPADA also invites legal experts from across the country and the world to provide their insights. STIHPADA also cherishes fruitful collaborations with several foreign universities. All these measures ensure that the students are not only sound in legal coursework, but also know how to perform in the industry. A clear testimony to this is that STIHPADA students are often recruited by law offices even before they finish their studies. Till date, STIHPADA has witnessed the graduation of 4375 alumni who have set milestones after milestones in their careers in the legal profession in various capacities such as advocates, judges, prosecutors and members of the house of representatives. Almost 90% of STIHPADA alumni are accepted to work at law offices. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We know this because we have an effective Alumni Tracking System. Some of the STIHPADA graduates are lecturers on campus and become Advocates in Polis Abdi Hukum Law Office. Polis Abdi Hukum Law Office is a law office owned by STIHPADA that currently has 30 Advocates and 15 paralegals who are STIHPADA alumni,â&#x20AC;? says Dr. Firman Freaddy Busroh, SH, M.Hum, Chairman of the Board Trustees, STIHPADA.

Sekolah Tinggi Ilmu Hukum Sumpah Pemuda (STIHPADA) campus in all its glory

Higher Education Digest June 2019

Frequent study tours provide ample exposure to STIHPADA students

Entrepreneurial Encouragement Meanwhile, nearly 75% of STIHPADA graduates become advocates and establish their own law offices, thus proving that STIHPADA is also an incubation center for entrepreneurs. STIHPADA has a free social media website that is dedicated to the young entrepreneurs so that they can promote their start-ups on campus. Some such student initiatives include legal clinics, choirs, music bands and theatre performances. Although STIHPADA has a team of experts as faculty, they are not free from supervision. At the end of each semester, a monitoring and evaluation process is carried out on the learning process, and one of the methods used is tracking by distributing questionnaires. The students are given questionnaires to assess the quality of the lecturers. These questionnaires will then be used as a consideration for the lecturers’ careers.

Igniting Minds Through Incentives Like once mentioned before, a career in law equals rigorous training and coursework that can prove to be exhausting to students and some, if not most, might lose focus. To help those students step back into the game, every student who excels in the academic field is given an award, in the form of tuition fee relief, other prize money

Higher Education Digest June 2019

and oftentimes scholarships to continue post graduate legal education. STIHPADA does not believe in learning for the sake of learning. Only those who have a passion for law can make it to the top. Hence, to fuel the fire and passion in students, the institute has in place Digital Library Café, Moot Court Room, Legal Laboratory Room, Computer Laboratory room and a legal clinic room. Furthermore, the campus has free Wi-Fi in every campus corner and lounge rooms. One might be prompted to ask, ‘but how much good does all these privileges do?’. To that, the STIHPADA students answer by winning the fencing sport gold medal at the ASEAN University Games in Singapore in 2016 and the first winner of the moot court and the constitutional debate champion in 2017. Thus, proving that the institute is headed in the right direction. STIHPADA as an institute has been doing justice to its students and the society by producing graduates with incomparable legal practice skills. This is because ever since a student steps into STIHPADA, they are warmly welcomed and embraced by exceptional industry personals. Moving forward, the institute plans on expanding their present campus location and open branches across the world.

Higher Education Digest June 2019

INDUSTRY PERSPECTIVE

Are Todays Graduates’ Employable To “Fit In” To Face the Working Corporate Environment? Shanthi Rajan Teacher, OB and Strategic HRM University of Bolton’s campuses in Ras Al Khaimah (UAE) and Vietnam

Higher Education Digest June 2019

Shanthi is a visiting faculty at Middlesex University and University of Stirling in UAE. She holds a Masterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s in Strategic Human Resource Management from the University of Wollongong and is now pursuing research in the fields of OB and Emotional Intelligence in workplace. She translates her 17 years of Corporate experience into classroom knowledge through her teaching and communication skills. She uses the edifice of emotional-intelligence-based education system as the core concept in classroom teaching. She is a good team player with her colleagues and her students - an emotional intelligence approach that reflects in her disposition in workplace and beyond. She is currently pursuing her Ph.D in this field

wenty first century workplace emphasizes on job aspirants having essential technical (academic skills), as well as workplace behavioral competencies (soft skills). These includes collaboration, goal congruence, adaptation to the team environment, perseverance toward team objectives and most importantly oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s attitude and willingness to shift from the probabilistic nature of emotions to a deterministic one. All for one purpose. Success of an individual in terms of career advancement and retention in an organization largely depends not only on possessing technical awareness, abilities and skills but also on the ways in which they are used. And more so, the mode of delivery of these skills is essentially to enhance the teamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s motivation and objective congruence.

High expectations over graduate skills and employability remain one of the core elements of a wider education debate

63 Since the beginning of the Industrial revolution when people started working together towards a set objective, there has always been a glaring void between deployment of skills and employment. Furthermore, researches done in this field have been able to address certain facets of the problems but not provided a comprehensive all-encompassing solution. This becomes even more complicated due to macro and micro aspects like transferability skills, subject skills and other attitudinal and psychological drivers. In a highly resource-crunched economy needless to mention that these transferable skills have become highly significant and are pre-requisites to be able to contribute toward team building and to also sustain the team to achieve goal congruence. Subject skills are

Higher Education Digest June 2019

definitely a requisite but additionally these days transferable skills have achieved a higher significance from a workplace perspective. While subject skills are pertinent to a specific job, transferable skills are an individualâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s personal abilities that doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t just pertain to a specific job but can be used within any profession. In other words, the employee demonstrates readiness to any job within an organization, thus adapting with ease to an organizationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s specific roles as well. Employers are yearning to hire job aspirants who they think would have acquired workplace competencies along with their academic skills. On the other hand, job aspirants think that they have essential academic skills to perform well at work if hired. More often than less, a job aspirant would never think of the requirements of workplace competencies that an employer would be thinking of as essential. Employers perceive this disparity as the most significant challenge to hiring the right talent. There has been a paradigm shift in what used to be a linear career path in an organization depending on the number of years an employee would have put in. As career progression begins, social skills and competencies take the center stage and the technical skills are relegated behind or are seen as less significant and this applies to all disciplines. Research conducted by Harvard University, The Carnegie Foundation and the Stanford Research Institute for The Protocol School of Washington reveals that while

Higher Education Digest June 2019

Shanthi Rajan

As career progression begins, social skills and competencies take the center stage and the technical skills are relegated behind or are seen as less significant

15% of the weightage in hiring relate to knowledge and technical skills 85% of the job success relate to an employee’s ‘peopleskills at the workplace (and beyond). The recent HR trends in Sri Lanka states that failure to enhance employability skills of the younger generation may result in negative consequences and, therefore, suggests preparing employee graduates with essential skills. Likewise, in India, employability is high for engineering and business students due to dearth of soft skills and employability enhancement is a challenge for Indian students. Of late, due to the shift in labor market and education policy there has been a growing concern and pressure on educational institutions in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as well to relook at their employability skills offered as part of the curriculum in order to produce employable graduates. Research validates the seminal work by American Society for Training and Development (ASTD) and Secretary’s Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills (SCANS), which are used as benchmarks to identify employability skills. ASTD and SCANS have highlighted workplace competencies focusing on basic skills, thinking skills and personal qualities that are pre-requisite transferable skills that graduates need to have in order to make them employable. Higher Education (HE) sector according to SCANS play a phenomenal role in

transition to knowledge-based economies, however, there are growing concerns of the graduate suitability in terms of their employability skills and lack of essential foundation and or workplace competencies resulting in poor performance, productivity etc. These high expectations over graduate skills and employability remain one of the core elements of a wider education debate. UAE’s Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific research released a report in September 2012 stating the importance of issuing a national qualifications framework (NQA-QSFC) asserting the importance of improving the skills level and productivity in order to develop and maintain a system that focuses on individual’s learning, and progression, thereby leading to a “skilled and knowledgeable workforce”. Assessing employability skills as part of the hiring process is becoming the norm in UAE organizations and the industry’s demand on the importance of improving the skills of graduates has raised the bar of incorporating necessary graduate attributes as part of the academic curriculum. Research need to be strengthened to ascertain various industry requirements pertaining to essential employability skills that makes job aspirants employable and more so stress on the importance of incorporating employability skills as part of the academic curriculum. This academic-industry interface will contribute to the HR concerns of hiring trends and staff retention now and in the future.

Higher Education Digest June 2019

YOUNG ACHIEVERS

The Dry Valleys:

Mars on

Earth? Higher Education Digest June 2019

Higher Education Digest June 2019

lam books are a gateway to a teen’s glittery world. The questions that a typical Slam book poses have remained the same throughout the years, but it’s the responses that pack all the fun. Most of us have got different answers for the same questions as we grow. Especially when it comes to the question “Favourite Place To Travel To”. Of all the countries in the world, it is rare to find a kid pick Antarctica, and stick with it through the years. Rajasweta Datta has always dreamt of paying the icy landscape a visit and watch Polar Bears. A few episodes of her favourite channels, Nat Geo and Discovery, taught her that Polar bears do not habitat the Antarctica. But that did not deter her; in fact, it made her even more curious. After completing her Master’s in Technology in Remote Sensing she worked as a Junior Research Fellow at the Indian Institute of Remote sensing, Indian Space Research Organization, Dehradun for a year. It was during this stint with ISRO that she received the scholarship from the Ministry of Business, Innovation & Entrepreneurship in New Zealand.

Winter is Coming When Sweta landed in New Zealand in June 2016, it was not without nervous butterflies fluttering crazy. But she knew that something magical was just around the corner. Channelling her inner Dory, she just kept swimming, or in her case, getting her new life in New Zealand to order. She soon experienced that magical moment of realizing her dreams. She was asked to join the research team that was set course to the 5th largest continent of the world, Antarctica. The trip was part of her doctorate course at Department of Geography in University of Canterbury, New Zealand. Sweta was working for the DryVer research group that consisted of scientists from different parts of world and from different universities and research organizations working together in understanding the ecosystem and climate of a specific region of Antarctica called the Mc Murdo Dry Valleys.

The Dry Valleys The Dry Valleys are the largest span of ice-free region in Antarctica and is considered as one of the driest places on earth with scanty precipitation of less than 50mm/yr. Though the valley is dry, during summer they generate

Higher Education Digest June 2019

Rajasweta Datta

ephemeral streams that are formed due to glacial melt. The life form there is mostly microbial in nature, there are also some heterotrophic life forms which survive on this seasonal stream during the summer period. Dry Valleys are unique as they are the closest twin to Marsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ecosystem on earth and lot of scientists work on these areas for understanding lifeforms developed in extreme climates and used as test sites for Mars bound equipment. They are located in southern Victoria land and consist of 3 major ice-free valleys. Taylor, Wright and Victoria. The valleys that Sweta was to visit was the Wright valley, which hosts the longest river in Antarctica called Onyx.

Preparations in Top Gear Sweta was to visit the continent during the austral summer (Beginning of October to end of March). Preparations for the 26day trip started 3 months before. The research equipment needed to be cleaned properly as they could carry microbial or smaller insect and plant species from New Zealand to Antarctica, which might act as a biohazard to the continentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s unique ecosystem. She, along with her group, were to collect special gears from Antarctic New Zealand Centre in Christchurch for wearing in Antarctica, which included special sets of outfits called ECW (Extreme Climate Wear). They had to wear

the ECWs while travelling through Antarctica, as it could help a person survive extreme conditions. Sweta learnt that New Zealand and USA work together for Antarctic travel as both the countries research bases are located within half an hour walking distance from each other. Mc Murdo station of USA is the largest base in Antarctica and is size of a small town, the Scott base owned by New Zealand in Christchurch is a smaller base located on the south tip of Ross island.

The Boomerang Dilemma The flight that took Sweta was charted for the 3rd day of the month of January 2017. But the thing about travelling to extreme places

Higher Education Digest June 2019

Dry Valleys are unique as they are the closest twin to Marsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ecosystem on earth and so scientists use the valleys as test sites for Mars bound equipment

is that the weather is not only predictable, they can be nasty as well. Occasionally, flights bound to Antarctica fly halfway and return back to Christchurch, thanks to the temperament weather of the Ross sea region. These return flights are called Boomerangs. Sweta was apprehensive of these boomerangs, but she had more pressing concerns. Although Sweta was ecstatic for the trip and she gruelled long and hard for her research and defeated deadlines, as the moment of truth came closer, she panicked. She had zero camping skills and neither had she ever trekked nor was the outdoorsy type. Days flew by with a whirlwind of preparatory activities, but she had no clue how she was to endure the hardships of the trip. The young explorer received a lot of support from her peers and guides, but she would soon learn that nothing can truly prepare one for a visit to the Antarctica.

The D-Day Third of January dawned bright and clear and Sweta reached the base only to be informed that the bad weather had cancelled her flight, the C-17 Globe Master. After two more unsuccessful tries, she could board her plane only on the 6th of January. This time it the Hercules C-130 that was waiting for her. The US Airforce flight took off from the Christchurch base with experts from the US Air Force and the US Army and a team of researchers and scientist from the USA and New Zealand. The Hercules is a smaller plane in comparison to the C-17 Globe Master, and

Higher Education Digest June 2019

a much noisier one too. The passengers had to plug in their ears to cancel out the noise. This was in addition to the rugged sitting arrangement with no cabin or luggage space. Sweta felt like she was a US army soldier flying over a war zone in a Hollywood movie. However, she was not one to complain, as unlike a commercial flight, the passengers could visit the cockpit and peer down on the icy landscape of the Antarctica. Sweta took in all the broken polynyas (open water with ice) and the gradual transition of the broken sea ice to solid land covered in thick ice and white surface.

Land Ahoy! In 7 hours, they touched down safely, albeit a bumpy one, on the Phoenix airfield airstrip on Antarcticaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Ross ice shelf, the continentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s largest ice shelf. Marking history for herself, she set foot on the icy continent and was greeted by the coldest wind that she had ever experienced. The white expanse was a shock for her eyes. She had expected it to be icy white, but to feel it first-hand was a revelation. She saw Mt. Erebus, the second-highest volcano in Antarctica from the air strip. The passengers were ushered onto a vehicle specially designed for travelling in the ice and land surface and provides a safe transport at the junction of floating ice and solid land surface. The team had to carry their own VHF receiver at all times for communication. Sweta also witnessed an ice-breaker ship, special ships that cut through the thick ice and move into the sea carrying goods, in action.

Home Away from Home Their base, Scott base, was a small base and the interior was similar to a big back packer, with all amenities from common sitting area and bunk beds. The team could also enjoy a large dining hall with amazing food options three times a day and also regular snacks for tea. The base also had a sauna, something that is a necessity rather than a luxury in a place like Antarctica, a bar, and a souvenir store. In fact, Sweta had to occasionally look out the window to remind her that she is in fact on Antarctica.

Higher Education Digest June 2019

The team was often visited by penguins and seals. Some of the more inquisitive ones came closer to the people. The team spent the first day exploring the Scott base and preparing their respective gears, arranging food supplies, hoisting up tents and sleeping bag. Everyone had to arrange their amenities for transport to the valleys before their departure through helicopter.

Training and Camping Sweta spent her first two days training with a group of 1st time visitors to Antarctica. The newbies were taken to Ross ice shelf, which is practically a place between nowhere on thick ice. They were taught to make tents, arrange sleeping bags, cut ice with axe and make igloos,

administer emergency survival techniques, use survival kits, dispose their litter, cook food, use hydrated food, covert ice to drinkable water, and use toilets, which were practically buckets in tents. The team was instructed to carry urine bottles at all times, and when the bottles were filled, they had to dump them in larger cannisters, which were moved back to Scott base with other litter. The whole idea was to have as much less impact on the environment as possible. To avoid contaminating the pristine land, the team was asked to wipe their food bowls with baby wipes, as washing the bowls with water was a strict No. In case water had to be used, what little water was used to rinse the pans before cooking had to be collected so that it can be taken back to the base and properly disposed off. As for the leftover food, one neednâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t bother about storing it away in the refrigerator, as the whole continent was one big icy refrigerator. On the third day she, along with two others were taken to Brownworth camp using a helicopter in Wright valley. The rest of the research group was working on Vanda camp and members were moved from one camp to another through helicopter. Sweta was stationed at Brownworth camp at all times.

Higher Education Digest June 2019

Boomerangs are those flights that are bound to Antarctica but fly halfway and return back to Christchurch due to the temperament weather of the Ross sea region

Armed with information, Sweta was excited to go camping for the first time in her life. She was aware that the dry climate caused severe dehydration, and so she kept herself hydrated at all times and wore heavy multilayer clothes at all times. Sweta’s camp site was quite far from the area where she had to work on. The team had to carry heavy equipment including a battery of 8 kgs through the 6 km rugged terrain. The site she was working at was the source of the longest river of Antarctica, Lake Brownworth. She had to go down the streams to measure the stream flow caused due to glacial melt.

Missing Death by A Fibre Despite the special gears and equipment her legs gradually seeped into the sand and fell twice while trying to move. If it wasn’t for the waterproof wader, the cold water would have caused hypothermia and subsequently death. Sweta had to set up a meteorological tower. The tower had lot of instruments mounted on it which were connected to a logger, sort of like a smaller microprocessor that logs the data form the instruments. The wire connected to the logger was very fine and attaching them to the logger was a hard job considering all the heavy gloves that she was wearing. So, she had to remove the protective gloves and attach all the wire to the logger using a small screwdriver. Sweta learnt a scarily funny

thing during this process; extreme cold burns your body. During that 5 minutes Sweta’s gloveless fingers turned stiff and burnt. She had to take intermittent breaks and slip her fingers back into the gloves, warm them and then go back to handling the fine wires.

Rebound to New Zealand Finally, after a period of 3 weeks, Sweta returned home on a C 17 globe master. A giant compared to the Hercules and more spacious. Enroute New Zealand, Sweta saw the night sky after days. Even though the professionals at the Antarctica base were professionals who ensured their safety and protection, she was itching to go back to civilization. Resting her head on the window pane, Sweta closed her eyes and marvelled at what she had experienced the past few weeks. She learnt firsthand that Antarctica is as dangerous as it is beautiful and if you don’t treat her with respect you get to pay the price. Even the tiniest sort of negligence can be life threatening. She also caught a glimpse of how wonderful and scary Nature really is. She felt grateful that Nature is benevolent enough to nurture humankind, and wondered that if we aren’t careful, we just might experience her wrath. Looking at the stamp in her passport, Sweta smiled and congratulates the little girl who did not budge from her dream of visiting the Antarctica despite criticisms. Rajasweta Datta is living proof that no dream is too big and no dreamer too small.

Higher Education Digest June 2019

INDUSTRY PERSPECTIVE

Will Technological Innovation Drive Away Jobs? Karunjit Kumar Dhir Co-Founder and Head of Global Business Operations SCIKEY

Karunjit Kumar Dhir is an accomplished & transformative business leader who brings about 2 decades of diverse global industry experience in Start-Up & emerging growth operations in a technology set-up. Co-Founder of SCIKEY (a Venture of SRKAY Consulting Group), an AI & MindMatch powered Talent Commerce platform, He is passionate about creating multi-million businesses and has been a key force behind the rapid global expansion of multiple enterprises. While taking short breaks between setting milestones in his career, he can be seen reading about new-age start-ups & impact investments. He also likes to indulge in experimental cooking once in a while & strongly believes in spending quality time with his family. He holds a Masterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s in Business Administration, a Post-Graduation in Planning & Entrepreneurship and a Bachelorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Degree in Computer Applications.

Higher Education Digest June 2019

his seems to be one of the hot topics of discussion at most of the business conferences, meet-ups or events today. It gets even more intense if you add some of the trending technology buzz words like Robotics, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning etc; to it. The schools, universities & academic institutions at large have all started introducing special courses around cloud-computing, IoT (Internet of things), Big Data and Analytics; considering the future of jobs (or WORK) is going to be very different than it is today. However, before we conclude if the technological innovation will drive jobs away; let’s start with thinking about the answers to some of these simple questions – • Did moving from the cart era to steam engines drive away jobs? (Or created more new jobs?) • What happened to the jobs with the invention of diesel engines, motor cars & aeroplanes? • How did the invention of electric bulb, electric iron, washing machines, computers and then smart phones; affect the job market? I believe most of us have witnessed how one or more of these technological inventions(or innovations) impacted the job markets and hence we should be able to take a reasonable guess on what would happen to the jobs when we move from the current era to the next level of technological innovation that is supposedly taking us closer to the world of self-driving cars, drones, robot assisted surgeries, AI(Artificial Intelligence) powered Talent & Hiring Automation platforms, totally digital banking & payments or even crypto; as the new norm. As per its definition on Wikipedia, Industry 4.0 is a name given to the current trend of automation and data

exchange in manufacturing technologies. It includes cyberphysical systems, the Internet of things, cloud computing and cognitive computing. Industry 4.0 is commonly referred to as the fourth industrial revolution. Hence, the more we delve into this; the better we would be able to appreciate how does each wave of technological innovation impact the job scenario in various markets and the world at large. Though, superficially it may seem to be driving the jobs away; however the reality is much different as while it does make some of the jobs redundant or ways of doing certain things or achieving certain level of productivity obsolete; the technological innovation usually creates a lot many new jobs and more importantly the demand for newer skills-sets in the job markets to operate better & more sophisticated machines that usually bring a lot more automation and much higher levels of productivity that are not possible to achieve otherwise. It is this change in the demand for various new skills required for coping up with the technological innovation that disturbs the current equilibrium in the job markets and creates a need for the employees to quickly unlearn the old ways of working, learn the new skill-sets to cope with this change and also makes the employers analyse & evaluate the impact of adopting to the new technology in the short as well as long-term from a cost(investment in this new technology) vs ROI(Return on Investment) perspective to set the future course of direction for the organisation. This is the phase when the maximum discussions & participation happens including that from the statutory & regulatory bodies, agencies and the government to estimate the impact of such change and the best possible ways & policies to deal with it.

It is the change in the demand for various new skills required for coping up with the technological innovation that disturbs the current equilibrium in the job markets

Higher Education Digest June 2019

Encourage entrepreneurship & job creation. Educate people on the future of “gig economy” & enable them to adopt to this newer way of making an income

Higher Education Digest June 2019

As the world moves towards rapid technology adoption and machines evolve and acquire more advanced performance capabilities that exceed human capabilities, the adoption of automation will pick up. However, that in no way means that it will drive jobs away. The technical feasibility to explore technology does not automatically translate into the deployment of all technological innovations in the industry or at the workplace and the subsequent loss of jobs. Technical feasibility to adopt any technological innovation is only the first step. Once the technical feasibility is established the next most important aspect to be analysed is the cost of adopting such technological innovations in a day to day job by substituting the cost of the manual labour. If the cost of adopting the technology is significantly higher than the cost of manual labour; it may not be a best case for the business to pursue. Next critical factor to be evaluated is to determine the optimal level of automation thereby striking the best balance between the human contribution (or touch), productivity gains, economies of scale & scope, quality of produce and automation of basic routine tasks. Therefore, it is not as straight forward as it appears to be. The impact to the world of work that these technological innovations bring, do come with significant challenges to policy makers, enterprises as well as the workers and hence will call for a lot more innovative solutions as well before we can think of adopting any such innovation. Some of the ways whereby adopting to these technological innovations can be more conducive are – • By helping the educational systems as well as the ways of learning new skills evolve and get more aligned towards the needs of the future. • Increase public-private partnership and private sector collaboration with

the academia at large, including but not limiting to incentivising the private sector for their contribution to creating “human capital”; just like for creating any other form of capital. • Stimulating investments & participation towards upliftment of the required infrastructure to support these new ways of learning as well as working. For example – making the internet available to masses. • Help the working population affected by this technological innovation to upskill & transition smoothly into the new jobs that get created • Encourage entrepreneurship & job creation. Educate people on the future of “gig economy” & enable them to adopt to this newer way of making an income. According to a survey, at least 40% of the working population in America will be making a living only out of these “gigs” (and not a so-called full-time job). If it can be done in America, it can be tried & adopted to in the other parts of the world too. So, what must we all be really prepared for? I believe, the answer is to be prepared for “a lot of continuous change”; in the sense that it may not be these same jobs that exist today but there will be a lot of new jobs that shall surface. The skills required by one to be successful in these “jobs of future” would be much different in context as well as scope; than the skills in demand today; and therefore there will be an acute need to get re-skilled and up-skilled for most of the working population, at a fast pace. This might create a hollow in the job market from time to time; making some of the current jobs & skills redundant; forcing the affected to quickly embrace & learn the new demands of the employers and the “future of work” but it may certainly not be the extreme case Technological Innovations Driving the Jobs Away.

Higher Education Digest June 2019