Higher Education Digest – May 2022 – India Edition – Must-Watch Universities in India

INDIA EDITION

MUST-WATCH UNIVERSITIES IN INDIA 2022

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UNIVERSITIES IN INDIA

FEATURING INSIDE DAYANANDA SAGAR UNIVERSITY MALLA REDDY UNIVERSITY MANDSAUR UNIVERSITY NORTH EAST CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY RV UNIVERSITY SHRI VAISHNAV VIDYAPEETH VISHWAVIDYALAYA UNIVERSITY OF ENGINEERING AND MANAGEMENT, JAIPUR

Higher Education Digest May 2022

May 2022

Vol - 4 Issue - 7

Must Watch Universities in India – 2022 (India Edition) Head of Advisory Board Dr. Manoj Varghese, Ph.D

Managing Editor Sarath Shyam

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MANAGING EDITOR’S NOTE

Back to the Basics

niversities in India have returned to preCOVID conditions now. Though a section of the academic community had predicted the mass extinction of colleges and universities, we saw physical classrooms gaining 100% attendance, especially in disciplines such as engineering, art, music, and the physical sciences, which needed to have contact with the tools of their craft. On the other hand, universities abroad have put their attention back on getting international students on campus, making the global higher education market competitive again. Though a little late, Indian universities have realized the importance of showing their A-game to make their presence felt in the international higher education landscape. This year’s QS Asia University Rankings listed 117 Indian Universities with 10 new entrants. While getting into the list

of top 100 global universities remains a challenge for most universities in India, the willingness to participate in international rankings is a positive sign. Three Indian institutes that made it to the top 200 list of the QS World University Rankings 2022 were the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IITB) (Rank 117), Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IITD) (Rank 185), and the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) (Rank 186). At present, India has 1026 universities. Among them, just over 400 universities are in the private sector. In this issue, we feature ’10 Must Watch Universities in India – 2022’ that innovate on many dimensions, find ways to freeze or lower costs and dedicate themselves to being a student- and employercentric. We hope our efforts will help students across the country to make informed decisions on their high education journey. Enjoy Reading.

Sarath Shyam

Higher Education Digest May 2022

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

Dr. Varughese K.John, PhD, MBA, MPhil, MCom, LLB. Former Program Director, MS in Management Program, GSATM - AU

Mr. Dean E. Hoke, M.S, B.A Co-Founder of Edu Alliance, LTD, UAE and Managing Partner of Edu Alliance Group, USA

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

Mamta Thakur

Major General (Rtd.) Dr. Sunil Chandra, VSM (Vishishta Seva Medal), Ph.D, M. Phil, MA, M.Ed, PGBDA

Former CEO ( ASEAN), Arc Skills

Ex-M D Army Welfare Education Society, ExCOO GEMS Education - India, Ex- Addl Dir Gen - Army Education, Mentor - Adventure-Pulse

Dr. Venus M. Alboruto, PhD, Master Teacher, Researcher, Innovator, Trainer.

Higher Education Digest May 2022

Shanthi Rajan (MSHRM, FHEA, AMCILT) Director, Institution Development, University of Stirling, RAK Campus, UAE.

Dr. Kuldeep Nagi, Ph.D, MBA, BSc.

Dr. Hans A. Andrews Ed.D.

Distinguished Fellow in Community College Leadership, Olney Central College, Illinois,USA

Former Program Director of Ph.D, Recipient of Fulbright Fellowship Award & Dan Evans Award for Excellence and Writer columnist.

Dr. Khyati Shetty

Ph.D (Marketing)., SFHEA (UK), MBA (Marketing), PGHRM, BA (Marketing & Economics)

Mr. Sreedhar Bevara, MBA, B.Com CEO at BMR Innovations, Ex Senior General Manager at Panasonic, LG, The Hindu, TATA, Author: Moment of Signal & The Roaring Lambs, Motivational Speaker & Leadership Consultant.

Dr. Manoj Varghese, Ph.D

Senior Director - Global Partnerships, Advisory & Consulting - Connecta®, Head of Advisory Board Higher Education Digest® & K12 Digest®, Adjunct Faculty - Assumption University, Former CIO - Athena Education, Former Global Director Technology GEMS Education

Higher Education Digest May 2022

CONTENTS

UNIVERSITIES IN INDIA - 2022

DAYANANDA SAGAR UNIVERSITY

Inspiring Young Minds to Become Innovators, Entrepreneurs, & Leaders of Tomorrow

MALLA REDDY UNIVERSITY Making the Youth of Today Future-Ready

MANDSAUR UNIVERSITY Creating Leaders of Change

Higher Education Digest May 2022

NORTH EAST CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY Providing a Wholesome Learning Environment to Students

RV UNIVERSITY Pioneering the concept of true Liberal Education in India

SHRI VAISHNAV VIDYAPEETH VISHWAVIDYALAYA Creating an Inclusive System of Education

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UNIVERSITY OF ENGINEERING AND MANAGEMENT, JAIPUR

Transforming Today’s Students into Tomorrow’s Globally Competent Leaders

Higher Education Digest May 2022

CONTENTS

MUST-WATCH DESIGN COLLEGE OF THE YEAR

INSTITUTE OF DESIGN, JK LAKSHMIPAT UNIVERSITY Reinventing Design Education in India

10 COMPANY SPOTLIGHT

WI NETWORK

World’s First Digital Incubator and World’s Largest Open Innovation Network Pravin Rajpal, Founder and Director, World InnovatioNext Network Pvt. Ltd.

Higher Education Digest May 2022

MENTOR’S MANTRA

ACADEMIC VIEW

E-LEARNING IN BUSINESS SCHOOL: BOON OR BANE

Prof. (Dr.) Tapan Kumar Nayak, Dean Academics, Jaipuria School of Business, Ghaziabad

ADDRESSING AND BRIDGING FOUNDATIONAL LEARNING IN POSTPANDEMIC INDIA

Alka Kapur, Principal, Modern Public School Shalimar Bagh

PUBLIC POLICY: A LUCRATIVE CAREER OPTION IN UPCOMING YEARS

Anirudh Tagat, Faculty Public Policy, Meghnad Desai Academy of Economics (MDAE)

IN TODAY’S WORLD, WHY IS COMPUTER PROGRAMMING BECOMING INCREASINGLY IMPORTANT FOR STUDENTS?

Dr. P. Prasant, Dy. Dean (I&A) & Assistant Professor, Khalsa College Charitable Society

Higher Education Digest May 2022

CONTENTS

INDUSTRY PERSPECTIVE

HOW INDIA IS ADOPTING THE NEED FOR CAREER COUNSELLING AND GUIDANCE

Charushilla Narula Bajpai, Founder & Key Mentor, UniversityConnection.in

Higher Education Digest May 2022

NEW TRENDS IN THE EDTECH ECOSYSTEM

Akanksha Chaturvedi, Founder and CEO, Eduauraa Technologies

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THE IMPORTANCE OF FACULTY DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS FOR TECH SKILLS IN CONTEMPORARY TIMES

Oindrila Talapatra, Marketing Communications Manager, Edunet Foundation

116

HOW TO WRITE AN IMPACTFUL STATEMENT OF PURPOSE

Priya Gidwani, Recruitment Advisor, University of Essex

7 13

Higher Higher Education Education Digest Digest May 2022 October 2020

MENTOR’S MANTRA

E-Learning in Business School: Boon or Bane Prof. (Dr.) Tapan Kumar Nayak, Dean Academics, Jaipuria School of Business, Ghaziabad

n the recent unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic, the emergence of online learning system has taken the centre stage and become the new normal for whole education system of the universe. Online Learning has opened new opportunities in the teaching-learning process and has also fostered creativity in B-Schools. There are many distinguishing benefits of the E-learning process; though it also has some common

disadvantages. Below are few unique benefits and challenges of the e-learning system: Benefits of Online Education Flexibility (Anytime Anywhere learning process): Online learning has empowered students and learners to take class from anywhere and anytime (if permitted) at their convenience. This adds to learning opportunities for the working corporate

Online learning is a digital asset and can be utilized by more students at the same time without any incremental input cost. Additionally, learners save a lot of time and money in travel too

Higher Education Digest May 2022

Prof. (Dr.) Tapan Kumar Nayak, an avid reader, researcher and academician in the field of Economics and currently working as Director (Officiating) and Dean-Academics at Jaipuria School of Business, Indirapuram, Ghaziabad, has more than 19 years of teaching and research experience in the field of Economics. Prior to this, he has been working as Professor & DeanAcademics at IMS Ghaziabad since 2007. He has been working at IMS Ghaziabad in various positions, such as Professor of Economics, Programme Chairperson-PGDM, Director-in-Charge and Dean-Academics since 2007.

Higher Education Digest May 2022

professionals and many other segments of society as a whole. Cost Effective: Online learning is a digital asset and can be utilized by more students at the same time without any incremental input cost. Additionally, learners save a lot of time and money in travel too. Ease of access: Online education facilitates the students to take down notes by taking screenshots, convert them to a document and download it. Unlike in traditional classrooms teaching where, after teacher has finished teaching, the content is erased from the board. Wider choice of subjects and courses: Through online education, students can form their own combination of

Higher Education Digest May 2022

subjects, regardless of the minimum percentage required for taking up a specific subject. Wider Reach: Online learning is just a click away as it can be accessed with the help of a computer/laptop and an internet connection. It’s particularly useful in remote areas where school or college infrastructure is inadequate. Immediate Assessment: Online learning uses various software to conduct online quizzes and other assessment of students. This also aids in giving personalized assessment and feedback of learning on a real-time basis to both teachers and students. This is a vital advantage of online learning.

Online education has created a ‘Digital Divide’ where the rich have access to all and the poor are deprived of learning as approximately 65% of India lives in villages and majority of our population fall below middle class

Challenges of E-Learning process: Lack of in-person interaction: A primary disadvantage of online learning is the absence of in-person interaction. If courses are taught purely online, there is a lesser possibility of creating a healthy relationship with the teacher and classmates. This will lead to negative impact in team-building and social skills. Neither regularity nor discipline: Online learning requires a higher intensity of self-direction and motivation from learners and there is limited social/ peer pressure or support. Students and learners with discipline and focus on their learning requirements get better results and are able to gain more mileage from e-learning. Challenges in Technology: Online education has created a ‘Digital Divide’ where the rich have access to

all and the poor are deprived of learning as approximately 65% of India lives in villages and majority of our population fall below middle class. Health Issues: This has appeared as the most perilous challenge for the learners. Long duration of e-learning has resulted in the cases of eye-strain, backache and several other health effects on the learners since online learning requires the use of computers or other screens for many hours. Lacking human touch and sympathy, online learning has led to the issues of depression and mental health. In light of these pros and cons, the most prudent approach for teachers and learners shall be a form of hybrid learning that blends the benefits of online and physical learning in a way that optimizes learning experience and outcomes.

Higher Education Digest May 2022

JKLU offers global design education in a wide range of programmes that follow a transformative curriculum with emphasis on learning with inputs from business, technology, and entrepreneurship.

Higher Education Digest May 2022

M U S T- WAT C H

DESIGN COLLEGE OF THE YEAR 2022

INSTITUTE OF DESIGN, JK LAKSHMIPAT UNIVERSITY REINVENTING DESIGN EDUCATION IN INDIA

ver the last few years, the design education space in India is gradually witnessing exponential growth. Design Education is being touted as a fundamental element of national prosperity and is viewed as a critical component of innovation strategy. Today’s youth are on the path of exploring an alternate career that drives innovation, and design is quickly emerging as the right recourse. Besides, design as a profession has evolved from a merely form-giving activity to a holistic problem-solving philosophy. Thus, the concept of cookie-cutter education does not serve our youth today, and we need to employ better design education programs. Fulfilling the educational reforms that design requires is JK Lakshmipat University, located in Jaipur, a design school aligned with innovation. It is the concept of utilizing holistic problem-solving capabilities through the design and selection of programs that attract students to become a part of this college and not just the facilities JKLU offers.

Higher Education Digest May 2022

ABOUT

A BALASUBRAMANIAM, DIRECTOR, INSTITUTE OF DESIGN, JK LAKSHMIPAT UNIVERSITY A Balasubramaniam is the Director of the Institute of Design, JK Lakshmipat University, Jaipur. He is the founder of January Design, a consultancy that works predominantly with marginal crafts, grass-root innovations and the MSME sectors of the industry. He is an early graduate of NID, Ahmedabad, India. He has headed the Fair-trade division of Oxfam, Great Britain in India; co-ordinated setting up PRIDE, a design excellence division at NSIC, developed products with artisans in Kashmir,

Nagaland, Assam, UP and Punjab, led a design team for bamboo design projects in the North East for UNDP, been a consultant to NIIT and has worked with grass-root innovators with the National Innovation Foundation. He has taught design and been a jury member in major design institutes in the country. Some of which are NID, NIFT, School of Planning & Architecture, New Delhi, IICD, Jaipur, KSID, Kollam, Pearl Academy and IILM Gurgaon. He has been a member of the academic board for Industrial Design at Pearl Academy, SPA New Delhi, and Nirma University. Besides his blog, DESIGN THOUGHTS, he regularly writes on India-centric design issues in the Economic Times, Businessworld and other design publications.

Higher Education Digest May 2022

21 JKLU Institute of Design is represented by young students from 22 states of India who broaden the horizon of learning through their unique ideas, perspectives, and cultural identity.

The JK Lakshmipat University was just recently awarded Grade A by NAAC in its first review cycle. Supported by the 125 years old legacy of contributions to nation-building by the JK Organisation, JKLU was built on the idea that Don Norman, famous American researcher, professor, and author, proposes – Design education has to move away from the schools of art and architecture and move into the schools of science and technology. JKLU already had an Institute of Engineering & Technology and an Institute of Management. The Institute of Design was set up as the third pillar of this triad. Offering a Comprehensive Suite of Cutting-edge Programs Incepted in 2018, the college commenced its journey with three very unique programs: Product Design, Interaction Design, and Interdisciplinary Design. This year JKLU has added another exclusive program, Integrated Communication Design. The institution also extends a unique modular M Des program of two years in Product Design and Interaction Design, with modular exits. “All these programs are uniquely placed and truly future-ready. We have not included the widespread ones like Fashion Design and Interior Design, as they do not fit our ethos.

Higher Education Digest May 2022

Each program has input in critical thinking and communication. All the design programs have inputs from Technology and Management as well,” reveals A Balasubramaniam, Director of the Institute of Design, JK Lakshmipat University. Moreover, JKLU has forged strong industry and academic collaborations to help students acquire enhanced capabilities and skills. The college is an Institutional member of ADI (Association of Designers of India) and has collaborated with ADI in launching events like the ‘Design Guru Day’ and Signature session series. “We have academic collaborations with IICD, Jaipur. We have an MoU with Edinburgh Napier University for an international student and faculty exchange program,” adds A Balasubramaniam. Design Thinking Yields Creative Solutions Encouraging the flow of creativity, innovation and intelligence amongst its students, JKLU offers studio-based classes. The

Higher Education Digest May 2022

At JKLU, while you gain ample academic stimulation through resources like advanced labs, studios, and makerspace; access to a well-appointed fitness centre, hostel and mess facilities, sports and recreational activities make your learning and living experiences enriching and wholesome.

faculty members mentor students at all levels to work on unique problem areas that need innovative solutions. “Students are encouraged to go the whole nine yards, visualizing new solutions to wicked problems and prototyping tangible results. Our Makerspace on campus is a tinkering lab that helps students explore new materials and traditional ones like wood, bamboo, wire, and aluminium sheets, which hone their creative skills,” informs A Balasubramaniam. Sculpting Geniuses Students joining this institute are prepared for a career in design. While acquiring and fitting into a regular desk job might be an easy task, JKLU better prepares its students with their management courses like Entrepreneurship, Proposal making, portfolio building, communication, and so on that help them transform into successful entrepreneurs. JKLU is one of the few institutes in Jaipur that has an Atal Incubation Centre that incubates start-ups. This allows students to establish a business of their own. JKLU believes that faculty plays a core role in helping students realize their true potential. In keeping with these beliefs, JKLU’s core group of internal faculty

Higher Education Digest May 2022

JKLU aims to make a shift from conventional design education towards a more future-ready and transformative way of learning.

faculty trained in premium institutes of design, and stateof-the-art facilities that match the best in the business are some of the reasons that lead students to join JKLU.

members are drawn from premium Design institutions like NID Ahmedabad and IIT Bombay. The visiting faculties come from academia like NID and industries like Paytm, Oracle, Samsung, Intuit, and Byju’s. The institute possesses an excellent student-faculty ratio with one-onone faculty mentoring, besides having a panel of senior principal designers from NID as Professors of Practice. They have a wealth of experience to share and help mentor the young faculty and students. This is yet again one of the college’s USPs. Giving Students a Boost Up JKLU helps promote student leadership and participation, stimulate creativity, and have a fun-filled college experience through the 16 clubs the institute has to offer, like Music club, Literary clubs, Art clubs and Quizzers. Uplifting deserving students through scholarships, JKLU offers up to 100 per cent scholarships to students who fit specific criteria. Students with excellent academic performance in Class X and Class XII and rank-holders in NID_DAT or the UCEED exams are considered. In addition, scholarships are upgraded for exceptional talent displayed in portfolio and interview rounds and/or extraordinary performance in co-curricular activities. The scholarship offered by JKLU is applicable for the duration of the program, subject to maintaining the required CGPA. “We give special scholarships to girl students in tech, students from the defence families, and students from the northeast regions,” adds A Balasubramaniam. So, in essence, robust programs,

Higher Education Digest May 2022

Emerging as Winners through the Pandemic Being a recently established college that continually strives to stay ahead of evolving technologies, trends and events, JKLU was aware that design education would have to reinvent itself with the onset of the pandemic. “Teaching design online was a challenge as it is meant to be a hands-on, minds-on program. We got into lockdown in the seventh month of the launch, and we had to change the pedagogy and be truthful to the syllabus. We continued online for almost two years, and by now, we have had more experience teaching online than offline. As a result, like elsewhere in the world, we have understood the benefits and limitations of hybrid teaching. We have honed our remote-mentoring process. This has given us more confidence in handling tough situations,” reveals A Balasubramaniam on the challenges addressed during the onslaught of the Coronavirus pandemic. The faculty at JKLU are well-equipped to impart hybrid teaching, and their collective experience in remote learning and teaching is being documented for posterity. In the post-pandemic world, access to global faculty has become more accessible, and the college intends to leverage this opportunity to get international faculty onto some of its programs. A Balasubramaniam signs off, “We are just beginning and have a long way to go. New facilities are being procured for the students. Additional faculty is in the process of being recruited. These include renowned names of senior faculty and young designers who are new to teaching. We will be launching a fellowship program too.”

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Higher Education Digest May 2022

Higher Education Digest November 2021

ACADEMIC VIEW

Addressing and Bridging Foundational Learning in Post-Pandemic India 26

Alka Kapur, Principal, Modern Public School Shalimar Bagh

Alka Kapur, (CBSE & State Awardee) Principal, Modern Public School, Shalimar Bagh, Delhi is an empowering leader, a zealous educationist with rich academic and administrative experience offering an illustrious career of 32 years in educational research. As the Principal of the school, she has taken the school to great heights through open attitude for learning and love for children. Twenty years of her sedulous selfless service as the Principal of the school has accorded the school a priceless status in Forbes India Marquee Edition, The Great Indian Schools.

Higher Education Digest May 2022

The digital divide in Indian education needs to be looked at carefully. We know that the pandemic exposed and exacerbated this divide

he Covid-19 pandemic impacted education globally in a big way. According to UNICEF figures, schools for more than 168 million children around the world remained closed for more than a year even. The figures are bleak in India too. According to a study, more than 25 crore Indian children were affected by the pandemic-induced lockdown in India. Now, we should understand that these estimates mostly talk about children from urban poor and rural backgrounds who either had no access to classes during that period or were forced to drop-out of school because of financial problems. They do not discuss about children from these backgrounds who were supposed to start their school in nursery or pre-primary classes. There are very few studies that have focused on the impact of the pandemic on foundational learning. Foundational learning basically can be defined as the base of all learning by which children learn to read and write. There are two arms of foundational learning – foundational literacy and foundational numeracy. The former deals with basic comprehension of letters, words and sentences while the latter deals with basic understanding of numbers. Without this base cemented properly and efficiently, the whole tower of education will fall flat, and therefore the importance of foundational learning cannot be underestimated. With national-level data showing that the enrolment at the

pre-primary level had been minimal in the pandemic years starting from 2020 till the end of 2021, it is fair to assume that a ‘foundational learning gap’ has been created in the period. So, how can we address and bridge this foundational learning gap? Firstly, there needs to be a comprehensive and well-executed state-wise study of pre-primary enrolments. We are not only talking about quantitative data, but also qualitative data. Mere numbers will not give us the true picture; case studies and interviews need to be conducted with all parties (like children, their parents, teachers, headmasters, etc.) involved so that a clearer picture of the situation can emerge. Secondly, the digital divide in Indian education needs to be looked at carefully. We know that the pandemic exposed and exacerbated this divide. While the middle class and upper middle class children, with better access to internet and ICT (Information and Communications Technology) attended online classes and got promoted to the next level, the lower middle class and poorer children had to miss out on learning. There should be a nationallevel policy that guarantees access to basic internet infrastructure for all school-going children. This is indeed an urgent requirement because the pandemic opened our eyes to the fact that the internet is indeed the future. Without it, it would be difficult to survive let alone thrive in a post-pandemic world.

Higher Education Digest May 2022

Thirdly, there should be a revamping of pre-primary syllabus. We know that the Ministry of Education had launched the NIPUN Bharat Mission which emphasises on foundational learning and makes it a priority. It aims to achieve 100% basic literacy and numeracy for all grade-three level children by 2027. While the initiative is laudatory, we know that the pre-primary syllabus has not been revamped to keep up with modern times. We cannot keep using old methods and expect new and improved results. There needs to be a constitution of a specialised committee that can look at the current syllabus, teaching methods employed, student outcomes, etc. This committee can then suggest changes in the

Higher Education Digest May 2022

syllabus and material, in order to get better results. The focus here should be on inculcating basic literacy and numeracy skills using the most cost-effective methods. This needs to be emphasised because we know that most schools in rural areas do not have the best infrastructure or amenities. Yes, education budgets can very-well be revised by the ministry and more funds can be pumped into sorting that out, but it can take a long time. This is why we have to think about solutions that can be easily worked out for the present scenario. Finally, there should be a proper monitoring in place to monitor nursery and pre-primary education. We put up rules and guidelines in place all the time, but there

We put up rules and guidelines in place all the time, but there is never a proper review of how these are being followed or executed

is never a proper review of how these are being followed or executed. This is the need of the hour especially considering that the pandemic has completely undone whatever progress had been made in the field, and many schools and teachers have to start from scratch. Monitoring does not only mean looking at how progress is being made; it is also helping the schools deal with challenges effectively. For this purpose, the government can tie up with non-governmental organisations (NGOs), call in education consultants and experts from both India and abroad and devise new strategies accordingly. India can also learn from other countries and take notes. Since many countries in the world, especially those in Asia, Africa and some parts of South America had been affected differently by the pandemic, they might have dealt with it in different ways as well. India can examine the data from these countries in terms of education, and see whether there are overlaps in major learning challenges and the techniques used to tide over them. An in-depth SWOT analysis can be done too so that India can come up with its own solutions by borrowing from some experiences of its counterparts. It should be underlined that education, especially, in India is an area where stakeholder partnerships need to be applied the most. If civil society organisations that work for the betterment of society along with corporates tie up with the government to bridge the existing gap in foundational learning, then the results will be better and much faster. Stakeholders need to understand that such a change may not happen overnight; but without at least trying to better foundational learning processes, the whole education system may crumble. This is especially relevant at a time where skills are not given much importance and the whole class is basically promoted to the next level without an assessment of the necessary skills. This ‘full promotion’ happens mostly at the preprimary and primary levels, which sets a dangerous precedent.

Higher Education Digest May 2022

COMPANY SPOTLIGHT

WI Network 30

World’s First Digital Incubator and World’s Largest Open Innovation Network

n recent years, we have seen exponential growth in the Edtech industry. With the pandemic speeding up the process, more students are opting for online courses and moving towards a hybrid form of learning. Thanks to technology and innovation, we are stepping into the future today, playing a significant role in education categories serving primary education, higher education, and corporate training. The global education technology market is constantly experiencing a digital revolution with the emergence of artificial intelligence and digitalization. Key growth drivers are growth in gamification, adoption of smart tools, enhancement in connectivity Infrastructure, smartphone penetration, and 5G networks. World Innovation Network or WI Network is already a market leader in providing cloud-based open innovation and startup suite to Higher Education Institutions. We are the pioneers of the world’s first digital incubator on smartphones and developers of the world’s largest open innovation network on the cloud platform. Our open innovation network on cloud connects higher education institutions with most innovative companies, research institutions, corporate

Higher Education Digest May 2022

World Innovation Network or WI Network is already a market leader in providing cloudbased open innovation and startup suite to Higher Education Institutions

Pravin Rajpal

Pravin Rajpal is the founder and director of World InnovatioNext Network Pvt. Ltd. He is ranked number 1 thought leader by Thinkers 360 of USA in open innovation and Edtech. He has set up 25 InnovatioNext centres in leading academic institutions. He is the award-winning author, innovation coach to Fortune 500 companies and international speaker. pravinrajpal@winetwork.net

Higher Education Digest May 2022

accelerators, corporate venture companies, technologies, technology providers, research institutions, government, innovation parks, co-innovation centres, technology transfer offices, commercialization centres, design labs, investors, markets, academic institutions, start-ups and innovators for faster, impactful and WIN-WIN growth. Closed innovation is yesterday’s idea and a passé. World’s most innovative universities are shifting to open innovation for speed, skills, scale and impact. WI Network’s global award-winning solutions enable higher education institutions to build large-scale innovation/entrepreneurship capacity in the fastest, simplest and cost-efficient manner to comply with NISP, NEP, and ARIIA. This is a major breakthrough for HEIs struggling to develop innovation/entrepreneurship enabling infrastructure, large-scale innovation capacity, culture and through traditional ways. A humble Beginning “Our journey has been most exciting. We are the innovation consultants to Fortune 500 companies like Samsung, Dell, Amdocs, JCB, CLAAS, and top Indian companies like TATA Motors, Ultratech, Hindalco, Aditya Birla Fashion & Retail, ITC, Birla Acrylic, and many more organizations,” shares Mr. Pravin Rajpal, the Founder & Director of World Innovation Network Pvt. Ltd. “We developed India’s first Innovation framework

Higher Education Digest May 2022

WI Network is the innovation consultants to Fortune 500 companies like Samsung, Dell, Amdocs, JCB, CLAAS, and top Indian companies like TATA Motors, Ultratech, Hindalco, Aditya Birla Fashion & Retail, ITC, Birla Acrylic, and many more organizations

and assessment tools for CII and promoted the culture of open innovation in Indian companies,” he adds. “At that time, we realized that Indian companies and Indian academic institutions were operating in silos completely disconnected from each other. Whereas the companies and educational institutions in the world’s most innovative countries like the USA, Germany, Japan, Switzerland, Finland, and South Korea were connected and practicing co-innovation. In 2016 the company decided to form World Innovation Network Private Limited to develop Edtech solutions and connect the Indian academia with the Global corporate sector for a WIN-WIN growth. Our industry linked innovation and start-up suite has met with an overwhelming response and is trusted by India’s leading universities today.” Says Pravin Going International Most recently, the performance of WI Network has been excellent, especially after partnering with Global Innovation Institute of USA (GInI) to market solutions in the USA and 40 other countries where they have their presence. For the first time, India is exporting innovation and startup tools to the most innovative countries globally,

and WI Networks is growing at a breakneck pace in the process. Through our industry linked innovation and start-up suite, academia is achieving skills, scale and speed. “start-ups must develop collaborative models with larger companies. No start-up or a company can have all the competencies needed today to succeed. It is about providing larger companies with the missing piece and synergizing for WIN-WIN growth,” Mr. Pravin says. Our Cutting-edge Tools and Open Innovation Platform The WI Network provides the most comprehensive tools for Innovations and Startups. This 3D Idea Generators, Guided Mind Maps and World Innovation Network (WIN) cloud platform i. The Idea generation tools are essentially a set of twelve 3D Idea Generators based on gamification methodology. These 3D Idea generators are made on Rubik’s cube to develop cognitive flexibility, creativity, and cross-pollination of ideas. The students play and generate breakthrough and novel ideas for innovations and startups. ii. The Startup development tools are a set of 100 guided mind maps that provide step-by-step guidance to

Higher Education Digest May 2022

convert evolutionary ideas into revolutionary startups. Guided mind maps help the students in every step of their startup journey from the start. It helps them build and grow through a structured method that allows even an ordinary student to transform incremental ideas into monumental business models. The guided mind maps already have the central idea, main ideas, and sub-ideas, which students can easily expand in their innovation journey. A wide array of guided mind maps helps students in problem resolution, design innovations, developing POC, MVP, smart products, technology applications, competitive analysis, business models, go-to-market strategies, and fund-raising strategies. These guided mind maps provide breakthrough ideas and enable the founders to build better products, reach more customers, and easily raise funds from the wide industry spectrum. iii. World Innovation Network (WIN) is an online Industry-academia cloud platform that connects the innovation/startup needs of thousands of companies globally with academic institutions for co-innovation. WIN is the world’s largest open innovation platform and marketplace, connecting innovation seekers with innovation providers for WIN-WIN growth. The WIN platform has over 250 channels and 5400 linkages to technologies, technology providers, Open innovation challenges, MNC Accelerators, Corporate Venture Companies, and Open Innovation Platforms of Indian companies. WIN platform connects the academic institutions with thousands of right companies online for co-innovation, research, grants, funding, job opportunities, and scaleup. The world’s growing number of organizations are

Higher Education Digest May 2022

adopting open innovation and aggressively scouting for innovations/startups in academia. Global Corporate Accelerators and Corporate Venture Companies can end the major challenge of funding for the academia, totally dependent on traditional VCs. WIN platform opens a whole new world of collaboration opportunities for academic institutions to boost their startups. iv. “Our corporate innovation assessment framework and tools are used by many companies for innovationdriven growth. The framework will help the academic institutes in undertaking corporate consultancy projects, EDP & MDP. Our startup assessment tools enable the startups to assess the power of their business idea and make desired improvements for success,” Mr. Pravin shares. v. WI Network also provides a set of 50 Premium pro presentations for training, developing successful startups, pitch decks, marketing strategies, and innovation projects. The company’s industry-linked tools help create breakthrough innovations and startups with the least intervention from faculty. “We stand far ahead of the crowd and competition because of world’s largest open innovation network developed by us. While other platforms may only help in building startups, we provide support from building startups to scaling up startups at a fast speed. 95% of startups fail at the scale-up stage,” says Mr. Pravin. WI Network ends the major challenges of the HEIs, which include industry mentorship, prototyping support, many early-stage funding options from corporate accelerators, and many expansion stage funding options from corporate venturing companies.

WI Network’s cuttingedge tools and World Innovation Network (WIN) cloud platform motivates students to take up Innovation and startup projects and provides lucrative rewards to students for resolving corporate challenges

Ensuring Success and Big Impact with Collaboration WI Network’s cutting-edge tools and World Innovation Network (WIN) cloud platform motivates students to take up Innovation and startup projects and provides lucrative rewards to students for resolving corporate challenges. WIN cloud platform offers breakthrough ideas to the entrepreneurs and opens a whole new world of global opportunities for their startup success. It enables the entrepreneurs in creating a much better product-market-fit by understanding top companies’ innovation and startup needs in diverse sectors. WIN cloud platform also helps startups to develop POCs/ Prototypes/MVPs at great speed with mentoring and technical support from thousands of corporate accelerators. WIN platform helps start-ups in earlystage, seed-stage, and expansion stage funding from thousands of corporate accelerators, co-innovation centres, research institutions and corporate venturing companies for faster scale-up. Additionally, WIN platform also helps in globalizing startups with the help of many Corporate Venture Companies (CVCs) on the network. By striking up corporate partnerships on WIN platform, universities have more resources to undertake research, and they’re able to diversify their research areas in unprecedented manner. The universities can easily partner with many emerging technologies and technology providers from all parts of the world for faster commercialization. As government funds tighten in post pandemic times, universities must mobilize billions of dollars set aside by thousands of MNCs on WIN platform. The biggest advantage of WIN platform comes when many students start getting good jobs in most innovative companies. Companies—who don’t have the time themselves to incubate ideas—are looking for students who have fresh ideas and the pulse on emerging markets. The industry mentoring helps in student training, skills development, and also for job placement. Customers and Testimonials Some of WI Network’s customers include the most innovative institutions like Birla Institute of Technology, Lovely Professional University, VIT, MIT-WPU, TERI, RNTU AIC, Sharda University, Mody University, Sage University, GNOIT, SCMC, ASM, Thapar Business School, Kirloskar Institute of Advanced Management Studies, TATA Motors Academy, Aditya Birla Science and Technology Centre, and many more leading institutions for achieving tangible outcomes.

Higher Education Digest May 2022

“We created 20 patents within three months of installing the Innovation and Startup suite. Guided mind maps really helped our startup school,” says Manish Saini, Head of Start-ups, Lovely Professional University. “We filed 170 Patents within 3 years of using our institution’s WIN platform and other tools. WIN tools have made innovation very easy for all our students,” says Dr. Sanjay Lakade, Head R & R&D, PCCOE. “Our students were able to create 50 successful startups using the WIN platform and smart tools within a year. The platform provided them futuristic ideas,” shares Dr. Sanjay Chordiya, Founder & Chairman, Suryadatta Education Foundation. “There is a marked increase in breakthrough ideas for innovation and entrepreneurship after using the WIN Edtech platform,” Dr. Milind Pande, Pro-ViceChancellor, MIT WPU, shares.

Higher Education Digest May 2022

WI Network not only ends all the present challenges of HEIs, but offers them world-class tools to boost their income from IPs, patents, royalty, licensing and technology transfer

37 Opportunities for Academia and the Road Ahead WI Network has partnered with the Global Innovation Institute of USA (GInI) for marketing the company’s solutions in the USA and Global Markets. NNPC, the largest petroleum company in Nigeria, has already subscribed to its platform. “We are in the final stages of discussions with DST South Africa, who wants to provide our industry-linked Edtech to 45 higher education institutions in their country,” shares Mr. Pravin. A company in Qatar has also expressed interest in collaborating with WI Network to provide solutions to the academic institutions in Saudi Arabia and the Middle East. “We have great interest coming up from many institutions in Australia and Europe. By the end of 2022, we will have a good presence in the global markets,” Mr. Pravin adds. Educational institutions are undergoing a big change because of the National Innovation and Startup Policy (NISP), New Education Policy (NEP), and ARIIA. These mandatory policies require academia

to develop innovation/entrepreneurship enabling infrastructure. Creating a productive innovation/startup ecosystem in the HEIs through traditional methods is a big challenge and entails marathon efforts, cost, and time. HEIs must resolve these significant challenges with the help of digital technologies, which can only give tangible outcomes at speed and scale. WI Network not only ends all the present challenges of HEIs, but offers them world-class tools to boost their income from IPs, patents, royalty, licensing and technology transfer. “Millions of students in India have ideas but no incubation facilities. For 38.5 million students who enter higher education institutions in India every year, there are only 520 incubators in the academic institutions. There is a huge gap. HEIs must empower their students and faculty with digital incubators and world’s largest open innovation network developed by WI Network to transform into the most innovative world-class institutions,” Mr. Pravin concludes.

Higher Education Digest May 2022

UNIVERSITIES IN INDIA - 2022

he higher education system in India has grown in a remarkable way to become one of the largest systems of its kind in the world. Coupled by spreading urbanization and rising income levels, the demand for higher

education is likely to touch new pinnacles of growth. In this issue, we have identified ‘10 Much-Watch Universities in India – 2021’ that have successfully brought efficiency in the current education system to support our growing economy, to be recognized and commended by all.

Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham

Dayananda Sagar University

Website: https://amrita.edu/

Website: https://www.dsu.edu.in/

Location: Ettimadai, Tamil Nadu

Location: Bengaluru, Karnataka

Year of Establishment: 1994

Year of Establishment: 2014

How to Apply: https://amrita.edu/admissions/

Higher Education Digest May 2022

How to Apply: https://www.dsu.edu.in/admission

JK Lakshmipat University Website: https://www.jklu.edu.in/ Location: Mahapura, Rajasthan Year of Establishment: 2011 How to Apply: https://www.jklu.edu.in/

admissions/

Malla Reddy University Website: https://www.mallareddyuniversity.ac.in/ Location: Hyderabad, Telangana Year of Establishment: 2020 How to Apply: https://www.mallareddyuniversity.

ac.in/admissions

Mandsaur University

North East Christian University

Website: http://www.meu.edu.in/

Website: https://necu.ac.in/

Location: Daulatpura, Madhya Pradesh

Location: Dimapur, Nagaland

Year of Establishment: 2015

Year of Establishment: 2010

How to Apply: https://www.meu.edu.in/

helpdesk/

How to Apply: https://necu.ac.in/Home/

AddProcess

Higher Education Digest May 2022

O.P. Jindal Global University

RV University

Website: https://jgu.edu.in/

Website: https://rvu.edu.in/

Location: Sonipat, Haryana

Location: Bengaluru, Karnataka

Year of Establishment: 2009

Year of Establishment: 2021

How to Apply: https://admissions.jgu.edu.in/

How to Apply: https://admissions.rvu.edu.in/

Shri Vaishnav Vidyapeeth Vishwavidyalaya

University of Engineering and Management, Jaipur

lp/2022.html

Website: https://svvv.edu.in/ Location: Indore, Madhya Pradesh Year of Establishment: 2015 How to Apply: https://svvvadmission.

mastersofterp.in/

Higher Education Digest May 2022

Website: https://uem.edu.in/uem-jaipur/ Location: Jaipur, Rajasthan Year of Establishment: 2011 How to Apply: https://uem.edu.in/uem-jaipur/

admissions/

33 41

Higher Higher Education Education Digest Digest May 2022 October 2021

UNIVERSITIES IN INDIA - 2022

DAYANANDA SAGAR UNIVERSITY

INSPIRING YOUNG MINDS TO BECOME INNOVATORS, ENTREPRENEURS, & LEADERS OF TOMORROW

tarting its first academic year in 2015, Dayananda Sagar University (DSU) is a State Private University established under Karnataka Act No. 20 of 2013. This young university is a proud member of the Dayananda Sagar Institutions’ family, founded by Late Sri Dayananda Sagar in the early sixties. Today, DSU is taking the torch of this rich legacy by offering a new canvas to the young global citizens to transform their creative abilities to conquer the world. Driven by Vision, Led by Mission, & Backed by Core Values DSU’s vision is to become a centre of excellence in education, research & training, innovation & entrepreneurship, and produce citizens with exceptional leadership qualities to serve national and global needs. “Our mission is to achieve our objectives in an environment that enhances creativity, innovation and scholarly pursuits while adhering to our vision,” shares Dr. K.N.B Murthy, Vice-Chancellor of DSU. To achieve its vision and walk on its mission, DSU is backed by a robust set of core values, i.e. fairness, leadership, integrity & transparency, and pursuit of excellence.

Higher Education Digest May 2022

Founded by Late Sri Dayananda Sagar in the early sixties (with just four students), Dayananda Sagar Institutions have morphed into global education power house, spread over five campuses, catering to the education needs of over 17,000 students.

Higher Education Digest May 2022

ABOUT

DR. K.N.B MURTHY VICE-CHANCELLOR, DAYANANDA SAGAR UNIVERSITY Dr. K.N.Balasubramanya Murthy (popularly known as KNB) is currently serving as the Vice-Chancellor of Dayananda Sagar University (DSU), Bengaluru, which he joined on April 01, 2020. He holds a Bachelors degree in Electrical Power Engineering from Malnad College of Engineering, then affiliated to University of Mysore (1980), a Masters degree in Electrical Engineering from Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore (1986) and PhD in Computer Science and Engineering from Indian Institute

of Technology - Madras, Chennai (1996). He visited New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, the USA as a research specialist in Parallel Computing in August 1998 and January 1999. Dr. Murthy has authored one book and more than 100 research papers in conferences and journals of repute. In addition, he has filed a few patents and worked on several sponsored projects funded by government agencies and industries. He has an overall experience of over four decades in teaching, training, research, administration and industry. He is the recipient of the “CM Nagaraj Memorial Award - 2018 for immense contributions to higher education sector” instituted by East West Group of Institutions.

Higher Education Digest May 2022

What makes DSU a Single Stop Destination for Education? Diverse Student Population: DSU offers a multicultural environment to students from different states of India, such as Gujarat, Arunachal Pradesh, and Kashmir, as well as international students, thereby promoting its strength through diversity. Different Courses for Different Passions: DSU provides a variety of programs to students at the graduate, post-graduate and research levels in engineering, medicine, nursing, physiotherapy, biological sciences, commerce, law, journalism, management programs (Business Administration, Computer Applications and Executive MBA), arts, design and humanities. High-Calibre Teaching Staff: To teach a diverse student population, DSU has appointed an expert team of faculty members from diverse backgrounds, such as researchers and academicians with industry experience. Likewise, visiting and adjunct faculty expertise in niche areas bring in their own expertise. Best-in-class Facilities: DSU provides a challenging academic environment with well-equipped lecture theatres, laboratories, excellent libraries, and computer networking facilities on its campus. It also has exceptional infrastructure for students who possess a passion for sports and games. The hostel facilities,

Dayananda Sagar University offers courses in Engineering, Computer Applications, Sciences, Arts and Management in the Bachelors, Masters and Ph.D levels.

Higher Education Digest May 2022

encompassing cultural and recreational needs, cater to local and international students. Prestigious Recognitions: Over the years, DSU has received notable recognitions—University Grants Commission (UGC) New Delhi, All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), Pharmacy Council of India (PCI), Indian Nursing Council (INC), and Medical Council of India (MCI) under National Medical Commission (NMC). Scholarships: Financially stressed students and meritorious students are awarded scholarships in accordance with DSU’s norms. Strong Alumni Network: The campus life of DSU students doesn’t end even after passing out of the university. An exclusive alumni association mentored by one of DSU’s faculty keeps the previous batches connected to the university’s campus. As per convenience, alumni students plan and visit DSU to relive, reconnect, and refresh their past memories and build new ones with their peers and teachers. Adopting Competency-centered Learning Approach Instead of taking the traditional knowledge-based approach, DSU has identified and implemented the

Higher Education Digest May 2022

Research, Innovation and Incubation (spread over 25,000 sft of industry quality labs) form the core of DSU.

competency-centred system wherein learning is personalized to focus on the competency gaps of students. These aptitudes can be related to theorizing, articulation, problem-solving or hands-on working at the lower level or ‘Abstract Thinking’, ‘Critical Thinking’, ‘Creative Thinking’, ‘Systems Thinking’ and ‘Clarity of Vision’ at the higher level. “DSU strongly hopes that its students perceive and enthusiastically embrace competency-centred learning to perform their best on any platform and justify the responsibility placed on them to shape the future of the nation and the world,” asserts Dr. K.N.B Murthy. Likewise, DSU has an innovative pedagogy which is kept fun-based to encourage student engagement. It includes problem-solving activities providing opportunities to think differently and work independently with students, accommodating and accepting multiple perspectives and diverse opinions, and creating an element of curiosity and searching for answers collaboratively, especially for some open-ended questions. Nurturing Industry-Academic Collaborations Over the years, DSU has formed successful collaborations with top-notch industries and institutes of repute and research organizations for placement and internships.

Higher Education Digest May 2022

Collaboration such as these benefits universities by having opportunities to work on relevant technologies and challenging problems and offer a work-ready talent with specialist knowledge and practical training to the industries. Some of DSU’s international industry collaborators have set up specialized labs at its campus. To name a few— VMWARE IT Academy (leader in cloud infrastructure & business mobility), Autodesk Centre of competence for virtual design, IBM software lab for emerging technologies, NVIDIA - Boston Innovation Lab (DSU is named as GPU education centre), GE Advanced Healthcare Simulation lab, Dassault Systems—Aerospace Engineering Lab, and IBM Centre of Excellence. Moreover, the Bangalore-based university is also working towards faculty exchange and student exchange programs with its partner universities.

Transforming the Entrepreneurial Dream through DERBI Since its inception, research, innovation, and incubation have been vital components of DSU’s vision. As a result, Dayananda Sagar Entrepreneurship Research & Business Incubator (DERBI) Foundation, a Technology Business Incubator spread over 25,000 sft of industry quality labs, has been set up to incubate technology ventures.

Higher Education Digest May 2022

Impressively, DERBI is one of the top incubation centres in India that provides a special emphasis on mentoring and scaling early-stage tech ventures. Commenting on DEBRI’s progressive strides, Dr. K.N.B Murthy says, “We provide a platform to learn, network to grow, and guidance to empower young entrepreneurs through DERBI.” Additionally, DSU houses an AIC-DSU campus which is approved by NITI Aayog. The labs at this innovation campus, the ecosystem, and the AIC-DSU Foundation are open to all students, innovators, working professionals, and the community. Individuals and groups with disruptive ideas are welcome to join this great movement to accelerate India’s transformation into a manufacturing hub and create a knowledge economy. Training Centre Maximizing Placement Opportunities At DSU, a well-established and centralized placement and training division called the Centre of Innovation and Leadership (CIL) is established under the banner of DSI. The main aim of CIL is to impart innovative softskill training programs to enable individuals to become champion leaders in their endeavours and to sustain a high level of performance at the individual and the organizational level. More importantly, students receive

Leveraging the DSI legacy of five decades, Dayananda Sagar University has a well-established and centralized placement and training division - Centre of Innovation and Leadership (CIL). 100% placement assistance from eminent academicians, coaches, mentors, and thinkers with hands-on experience in the corporate world as part of CIL. DSU’s Vice-Chancellor, Dr. K.N.B Murthy, proudly reveals, “Last year, highest salary package was Rs.27.0 Lakhs with a few students getting international offers; about 35 to 45% of eligible students received offers above 10.0 Lakhs, and 25 to 30 % acquired packages in the range of 5.0 to 10.0 Lakhs and rest below 5.0 Lakhs.” Preparing Students for the Fourth Industrial Revolution The advent of the fourth industrial revolution (4IR) is transforming the traditional education system by implementing strategic approaches in learning to increase creativity and innovation among students. Therefore, to prepare students for the 4IR and develop the skills needed for future work, DSU has introduced cutting-edge

programs offering enhanced computer science technology in AI/ML, Cybersecurity, and Data Science. “We also have multidisciplinary courses available for our students, enabling a holistic education for them,” shares Dr. K.N.B Murthy. For instance, an engineering student can opt for a subject from humanities. It, therefore, provides an opportunity for students to build diverse perspectives from different disciplines to better understand a theme or a subject. “When students go out in the real world, a science student needs humanity while a humanities student needs science,” he further elaborated. In addition, DSU is offering a major and minor degree and initiating the concept of ABC—Academic Bank of Credits. Battling the Pandemic Challenges At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the senior management team of DSU identified good assessment tools with audio-visual ability that could detect the kinesthetics of students. Moreover, online classes and remote learning were adopted as learning mediums. Faculty members were also given training on using digital platforms to conduct classes and deliver lectures. Examinations were carried out as per DSU’s published schedule, which was advantageous for its students. “Few of our faculty-led by our engineering dean focused on the social impact by generating funding for economically challenged students,” adds DSU’s Vice-Chancellor, Dr. K.N.B Murthy.

Higher Education Digest May 2022

INDUSTRY PERSPECTIVE

How India is Adopting the Need for Career

Counselling and Guidance 50

Charushilla Narula Bajpai, Founder & Key Mentor, UniversityConnection.in

Charushilla Narula is a high-impact education professional with an experience of over a decade of working with school and college students. She’s designed a seamless milestone process to mentor young adults that not only leads them to their dream universities but also prepares them for life. Her students have been selected at some of the best universities of the world – LSE, Columbia, NYU, Georgia Tech, UCB, UCLA, Boston, Durham, Kings, Geneva School of Diplomacy and many more. Moreover, empowering students with more than 45 million dollars in scholarships in less than 3 years, Charushilla believes that the story of her life is intertwined with the journey of her students that continues to be shaped through parenting (good or bad), social media and their inner calling.

Higher Education Digest May 2022

In a world where staying focussed amid so many distractions has become an uphill task for adults, students are no strangers to it

ndia is shining. India is rising. India is becoming #atmanirbhar. What do these phrases mean without the youth of the country receiving the right inputs with regards to their lives, careers and dreams? Just like we need engineers and teachers and politicians (perhaps ;) we need guidance counsellors steering the youth forward. Today, students will tell you that they want to make an appearance on Shark Tank, or be the youngest to hold a particular yoga pose or simply reach the highest level on a video game – will this dictate what they do in life? May be. Students love to dream and it is the role of a career planner to put foundations under those dreams. For there is nothing worse than not being able to live your potential. So in essence, empowering career choices is important for the mental and physical wellbeing of the youth, the nation. In most scenarios, career decisions are life decisions. “The way a person lives life and the way he/she earns a

living is crucial to their joy and happiness… The work a person does is an expression of their entire being.” Says the spiritual teacher Thich Nhat Hanh. In a world where staying focussed amid so many distractions has become an uphill task for adults, students are no strangers to it! These young minds need role models to listen to and emulate. That’s why while training the counsellors on how to guide students towards profile building and getting into the colleges of their dreams, mindfulness in career counselling is one of the most important aspects to touch base on. Students don’t just need information, that’s available on the internet rather they need someone who can process that information and present it to them, for them, with awareness. The role of a career and college guidance counsellor is no less than of Spiderman! Crazy comparison, but well while he saves the day by spinning webs around bad people, she knows how to meander through the webs of young minds digging out what truly should be focused on.

Higher Education Digest May 2022

Location-specific college fairs be it online or physical witnessed a great extent of participation of the students from across the country

Higher Education Digest May 2022

As a welcome move, the Delhi government recently introduced ‘Youth for Education’ initiative; after “Desh ke Mentors” where a career mentor within the age group of 18 to 35 years would be assigned to two to five students for a few months. What a novel way to bring in givers of the community under one platform! Additionally, post the New Education Policy (NEP), the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) collaborated with UNICEF to initiate the creation of a unique portal career guidance and counselling. It’s a lofty project that assimilates more than 560 careers under one platform, creating access for more than 21 million adolescents spread across 13 state governments. The fact that the portal will be available in regional languages, boasts of 1200 scholarships and will come with a school counsellor dashboard, truly shows that India is adopting the need for career counselling and guidance. Location-specific college fairs be it online or physical witnessed a great extent of participation of the students from across the country. Post schooling is the time when the students have to take and make important decisions, which often has a huge impact on their careers and future. It is vital that at this pivotal point of their careers, they receive guidance the most. However, most of the students are deprived of proper guidance at this crucial point, especially in tier 2 & 3 cities. Location-specific college fairs helps expand the focus towards smaller cities and towns, India and the youth of India will become self-reliant or #atmanirbhar. The goal of building brighter future lies in our hands, as we either provide them the stimulation needed or expose them to fairs, counselling and more such events that kickstart the metamorphosis! And I truly believe that we have miles to go before we sleep, discovering and rediscovering ‘the self’ at every passing milestone.

Apply Knowledge. Improve Life!

VIT-AP

LAW

UNIVERSITY

HOOL O F

VIT- AP

VSL

Aspiring for a Global Legal Profession VIT-AP School of Law (VSL) An upcoming Global Law School in AP Admission open for 2022-23

BA, LL.B(Hons) and BBA, LL.B (Hons) About VIT- AP School of Law

Key Features

Legal education plays a signiﬁcant role in building the

Fully Flexible Credit System (FFCS)

Focuses on skill based legal education and

nation. VIT AP School of Law, VIT University with its vision

Outcome Based Learning

to impart quality legal education and equip the young

Faculty of International repute

Student Centric approach to education

minds with knowledge of law. Pursuing your legal career at

Curriculum based on applied learning and

VIT-AP School of Law (VSL), one of India's leading

Technology embedded teaching

academic institutions, is taking a path to innovative studies.

Moot Court Sessions

VSL oﬀers an impressive curriculum that ranges wide and

Regular seminars, workshops and guest lectures for training

is determined to prepare students towards a global legal

and enhanced learning in contemporary areas

profession and assures that the graduates are practice

Internships

Legal Aid Clinic Sessions

Innovative teaching pedogogies

business leanings and prepare graduates for taking up

Research Based Learning

leadership roles in business positions with a sound legal

Fully equipped Law Library with

background. This is achieved by the strong and rigorous

ready for today's world. VSL courses are blended with

online legal databases & Computer Lab

practice sessions that are provided to the students right

Multi-disciplinary courses with electives

State of the art accommodation facilities for boys and girls

University Buses for Day Scholars

Honors specialization in various subjects.

Intermediate / +2 in any group

VSLAT Score (Group Discussion and Personal Interview)

2021 CLAT / LSAT Score

As per BCI norms

/vitap.university

from the ﬁrst semester.

Apply for Admissions :

Eligibility Criteria :

www.vitap.ac.in

Director - Admissions VIT-AP University Near Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh -522 237 Website : www.vitap.ac.in Email : admission@vitap.ac.in Phone : 0863 2370444 / 7901091283 Hyderabad Admin. Oﬃce :4th Floor, Bansal Pride Building Near YSR Statue,Madhapur, HYDERABAD – 500 081 Phone : 040-29559555 / 7901311658

/vitap.university

vit-ap

Higher Education Digest

@VITAPuniversity May 2022

VITAP

UNIVERSITIES IN INDIA - 2022

MALLA REDDY UNIVERSITY MAKING THE YOUTH OF TODAY FUTURE-READY 54

he availability of Quality Education is a key goal as emerging workforces are looking to equip themselves to meet the increasing demands of a 21st-century economy. This mammoth-sized task requires a collaboration of the industry and institutions that promote a smooth internal as well as external student workplace readiness. Internal readiness includes equipping the students with hands-on experience, knowledge, attitude, language skills and other competencies that can be leveraged to fulfill day-to-day job tasks. While external readiness includes grooming and teaching of etiquettes to suit the workplace requirements. However, most institutions peppered across India are still equipped with conventional tools and continue to swear by the rote learning technique as opposed to encouraging meaningful learning and prioritizing skill development. Addressing this difficult conundrum while ensuring continual quality improvement across the entire learning process is Malla Reddy University, the first greenfield university in the state of Telangana. The university offers a comprehensive suite of courses such as B.Tech/B.Tech (Hons), B.Sc. (Hons) Agriculture, B.Sc. Allied Health Sciences, BPT/MPT, B.Sc. Digital forensics, BBA/ BBA (Hons)/ MBA, B.Com/B.Com (Hons), M.Tech/M.

Higher Education Digest May 2022

MRUH has a perspective plan to grow into a ‘Center of Excellence‘ through new initiatives by creating world class infrastructure, expanding international collaborations, developing innovative programs

Higher Education Digest May 2022

Shri Ch. Malla Reddy, Founder Chairman

Higher Education Digest May 2022

Sc. and PhD Programs. Additionally, the university offers some of the latest programs such as machine learning, data sciences, artificial intelligence, cyber security, and so on. The institute boasts of its flexibility to seamlessly incorporate close to real-time updates occurring across the various fields of advancing technologies. This helps in maintaining meaningful and systematic student engagement that translates to better outcomes. “Our curriculum is the most updated one with industry experts on our board of studies. Our assessment is learning-oriented and our main focus is to instill confidence and gain insights from what they have learned as part of the curriculum subjects,” reveals Dr. Vustikayala Sivakumar Reddy, Vice-Chancellor, Malla Reddy University. The curriculum has been designed to encourage out-of-the-box thinking in tandem with the need to conduct critical analysis on a particular subject to make better-informed decisions. This approach has students not just prepare themselves

The University has provision of access to Global Information, Open Education Resources (OERs), and Learning Management Systems (LMS) through Digital Initiatives

Higher Education Digest May 2022

ABOUT

DR. VUSTIKAYALA SIVAKUMAR REDDY VICE-CHANCELLOR, MALLA REDDY UNIVERSITY Dr. Vustikayala Sivakumar Reddy possesses over two decades of experience at various levels of Academic and Administrative Positions. Holding 21 years of industry-rich expertise, he began his career as an Academic Associate, JNT College of Engineering, Hyderabad. He then progressed to work as an Assistant Professor and Professor at the Sreenidhi

Institute of Science and Technology, Hyderabad. He dedicated over a decade of his life to his students as a Principal & Professor in Malla Reddy College of Engineering and Technology before stepping into the post of Vice-Chancellor at Malla Reddy University. He holds a bouquet of degrees to his name such as B.Tech, M.Tech, Ph.D (IIT-KGP), MIEEE, FIETE, MISTE, and MCSI. Computer Networks and Communications, Video Processing, Multimedia System Design, Operating Systems, TCP/IP Networks & Protocols, System Architecture and Advanced Microprocessors are some of his research interests.

Higher Education Digest May 2022

59 The philosophy of the University is to support the best elements of competition, instruction and recreation by providing the opportunity for all students to participate and excel in a team setting

to meet the examination requirements but also nurture the ability to apply the same knowledge and skill gained across different aspects of life. Bridging the Gap Between Industries and Institutions Despite being a recent market entrant, Malla Reddy University with its team of expert faculty members has been consistently working in the industry and institute collaboration space. One of the university’s recent collaborations is with Cambridge English Assessment and Press where the students were equipped with B2 EmpowerCambridge learning management system to promote after school/college learning. Additionally, the collaboration with Sterling University can be utilized for higher education and participating in the semester abroad programs. “Our tie-up with Cambridge English Assessment and Press enriches our learner experiences in terms of second language learning. This boosts after class learning or beyond the class learning over CLMS,” explains Dr. Vustikayala. Malla Reddy University, a flagship institute of the Malla Reddy Group, was brought to life with the vision to create a breakthrough in the field of higher education that is on

Higher Education Digest May 2022

par with the international standards of teaching and research. The research is fostered across the respective departments through collaborations with the funding agencies and institutions across the country and globe. For instance, the School of Agriculture has received funding to conduct a seminar on the use of technology in agriculture. All these collaborations enable students to flourish in the new range of career choices made by them. “Innovative International collaborations that enrich our curriculum coupled with updated state-of-art technology, enabling student learning

Higher Education Digest May 2022

Malla Reddy University campus spread over 100 acres of land with built-up space covering academic, administrative and amenities block with ‘State of Art Infrastructural Facility‘.

environment that foster employability and futurereadiness makes this University noble and unique,” opines Dr. Vustikayala. He goes on to tell us that the university is perfectly positioned to hone a myriad of talents within the students through their hands-on experience methodology, case studies, task repetition, and familiarizing the task and its schema. Tech fests and participation in national and international level activities boost the creative learning and innovation of the students. Apart from this, teachers act as catalysts that motivate and bring out the creative quotient from their students. “Malla Reddy University

has faculty whose duty is to scaffold the students with a positive learning culture and create an environment with self-directed learning with enabling technologies that permit effective and enriching student-teacher interaction which promotes learning and skill acquisition. This is how the university managed the component of teaching and learning during the pandemic,” says Dr. Vustikayala. The Post-Covid Era Phase While universities grapple to continue to stay relevant during these trying times, Malla Reddy University is

Higher Education Digest May 2022

62 already gearing itself up for the changes in the post covid era. The university plans on extending its psychosocial support to the learners. This will help create better learning spaces and motivate them to achieve their long-term and short-term goals through motivation and abled guidance. In addition to this, it will ensure that the students will be furnished with the required academic soft skills, untapped latent learning materials, and academic support to battle any unforeseen situations that may distract student learning. “The university offers a student-friendly environment to the learners and learning-oriented spaces are created to ensure that students understand that their learning and progress matter to their teachers,” elucidates Dr. Vustikayala. Making significant contributions to the education domain, yet another promising initiative taken up by Malla Reddy University is its merit-based scholarships that they extend to a broad spectrum of students. Students hailing from diverse learning backgrounds ranging from rural to metro can avail the Rupees Five Crore scholarships that the institution has put in place. This effort is made to ensure that the University is accessible and inclusive to all, irrespective of any language, culture, region, or race.

Higher Education Digest May 2022

Gaining Due Recognition Malla Reddy University is a successful and reputed name in the field of higher education for five decades. It holds one of the highest annual placements records. Dr. Vustikayala adds, “Malla Reddy promotes creative entrepreneurship in collaboration with the National nodal agencies such as Skill India and so on. Apart from this, students participate in incubation camps that are held from time to time at NITs and IITs. Talks with successful student entrepreneurs and other eminent entrepreneurs whose startups have successfully evolved are organized.” Having touched the lives of a vast number of students and bringing about a radical change in the education domain, Malla Reddy University envisions expanding its horizons. The university has already mapped out its future plans and is enthralled by the progress it aims to make. As the university is progressing to the third year with its first batch of students, the main focus is industry readiness, internships overseas education, and placements. Dr. Vustikayala ends on a positive note, “Currently, the university is focusing on strengthening its pedagogy to meet the current needs of the students to match the industry standards.”

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UNIVERSITIES IN INDIA - 2022

MANDSAUR UNIVERSITY CREATING LEADERS OF CHANGE 64

ocated in Mandsaur, Madhya Pradesh, Mandsaur University (MU) was established with a mission to emerge as a leading center of academic excellence involving research and consultancy while adopting innovative strategies of industrial integration to create the value-driven, responsible, and future-ready professionals, entrepreneurs, and innovators. In 2015, MU was conferred the university status under the MP Act No. 17 of 2015 of Madhya Pradesh Niji Vishwavidyalaya. “At Mandsaur University, we are trying to perform the multiple roles of creating new knowledge, acquiring new capabilities, and producing an intelligent human resource pool for the promotion of economic growth, cultural development, social cohesion, and equity,” says Dr. Bharat Singh Rawat, ViceChancellor, MU. Expert Staff delivering High-Quality Education MU has a well-qualified team of faculty members having vast experience both in academia and industry alike. These faculty members are involved in teaching and training the budding engineers, technocrats, and professionals in diverse disciplines like Engineering, Pharmacy, Management, Commerce,

Higher Education Digest May 2022

Mandsaur University education leads to an increase in earning capacity, a broader range of opportunities and a more rewarding career.

Higher Education Digest May 2022

Dr. Bharat Singh Rawat, Vice-Chancellor

Higher Education Digest May 2022

Computer Applications, Pharmacy, Agriculture, Life Sciences, Ayush Education, Fashion Design, Tourism & Hospitality, and Physical Education, Journalism & Mass Communication. Out of these, students can opt for courses as per their preference at diploma, graduate, post-graduate, and Ph. D levels. Dr. Rawat further adds, “Apart from strengthening the teaching-learning process, research and extension program, special focus on value-based education, sports, extracurricular and other similar activities, to foster global competencies among the students, is our priority.” Why Choose Education at Mandsaur University? MU is not just a university but a community that values cultural diversity and respect for religion, age, gender, and socio-economic status. The university continuously upgrades its academic offerings and services to meet the evolving demands of the global workforce and ensure that the industry standards are met. All the programs offered by MU undergo constant review by accrediting bodies and are enhanced by the valuable insights from industrial partnerships and memberships with local and global organizations. Moreover, MU has a tie-up with Moscow State University under a semester exchange/free tuition fee program where its students are provided global exposure and limitless opportunities. Additionally, there are AWS Accredited Programs in B.Tech(CSE), BCA & MCA degree courses. MU also takes pride in providing multi-disciplinary education encompassing 25 years of rich experience, expert faculty members, 100 labs in different disciplines, a diverse student population, 100% placements, and high-end campus facilities. These attributes not only make MU unique but also the go-to University in India. Accreditation & MoUs MU is a UGC-recognized university along with accreditations from Tifaccore in Green Pharmacy, ICAR, and Pharmacy Council of India (PCI), MP Private University. It has also formed partnerships with CISCO Networking Academy and Amazon AWS Academy. In addition, MU has signed several industrial MoUs with renowned companies to bridge the gap between academia and industry needs, thereby improving students’ employability skills. Multi Commodity Exchange of India Ltd, Sanra Organics Pvt. Ltd, Zealous Web, and Gramophone Transforming Agriculture are a part of this collaboration.

Higher Education Digest May 2022

Mandsaur University gives an advantage and opportunities for personal growth by exposing us to a rich cultural and social milieu.

Scholarships & Placement Programmes MU offers the unique opportunity to acquire an excellent, multi-disciplinary education at a lower cost by giving students access to various scholarships. These include meritorious scholarships, alumni scholarships, lateral entry admission scholarships, and national & state level scholarships. Moving ahead, placement time at MU is not a mere annual ritual; it is rather considered a time for showcasing the very best talent of the university to the industrial world. Therefore, the training & placement department is in continuous touch with several organizations in IT and the core industries of engineering, pharmacy, management, fashion, and tourism for setting campus interviews at the university. The department also makes continuous efforts to identify the current needs of the industries and trains students accordingly. Even during the pandemic, 143 students of MU were placed with 48 companies. Wipro, TCS, BYJU’s, Infosys, and Gateway Group were some of the major recruiters. This is indeed a huge feat accomplished by students of MU, and their results speak louder for themselves. Owing to these triumphs, MU was recognized as one of the top Universities in placements by Competition Success Review. It was also honored with Education Excellence Award for Excellence in Placement (Agriculture) by Zee News MPCG. Excelling during Pre-& Post-Pandemic Times MU adopted ERP powered online learning platform with hitech infrastructure during the pandemic. Faculty members

Higher Education Digest May 2022

Mandsaur University allow students to meet and interact with people from different social, cultural and financial backgrounds.

prepared video lessons and shared them with students at timely intervals through appropriate channels. Important topics were given via Google Classroom, and troubleshooting was also done. Similarly, online exams were conducted, and results were declared on time. Post-pandemic, MU plans to reform new education policies in various subjects and keep on delivering quality education to its students. Preparing Students with Industry 4.0 Dr. Rawat and his team have formed an independent body of ‘Academic-Industry Forum,’ which applies

skill India syllabus with practical knowledge. Students are also tutored on the latest advanced technologies such as IoT, robotics, and drone technology, serving with GIS & remote sensing and blockchain technology. Remarkably, these initiatives are well aligned with MU’s tagline that says, ‘Making Future Ready,’ “In the coming years, our goal is to become India’s premier university in driving the digital frontier, enable education for jobs in industry and promote research in niche areas. We are committed to holistic development of our students and strive to make a difference to society and community. And we will make it happen,” reveals Dr. Rawat.

Higher Education Digest May 2022

ACADEMIC VIEW

Public Policy: A Lucrative Career Option in Upcoming Years 70

Anirudh Tagat, Faculty Public Policy, Meghnad Desai Academy of Economics (MDAE)

Anirudh Tagat is an Adjunct Faculty, Behavioural Economics. Ph.D. Economics, IITB-Monash Research Academy. MSc Economics, University of Warwick. He teaches Behavioural Economics as part of the Academy’s PGP Economics program. He also designs course curriculum for courses in Public Policy as part of MDAE’s online courses platform.

Higher Education Digest May 2022

A public policy professional uses data, market trends, surveys, and polls to advise stakeholders, lawmakers, and other individuals in making strategic policies

ver the past few years, public policy has become a sought-after career among young Indians. Especially in a developing and democratic country like India, the youth seek greater participation in creating sustainable and effective policies to recover from global pressing issues such as climate change, with one eye on enabling growth. To do so, professionals need to be equipped with an indepth understanding of public policy. Increasingly in India as well as in other countries, the government is becoming more open to new talent, concepts, and designs from outside the ranks of the bureaucratic establishment. This has given rise to the demand for public policy professionals. For economics or finance professionals with specialization in public policy, the opportunities are endless. Furthermore, a career in public policy opens work opportunities in various national and international organizations across domains, in both public and private sectors. Below is a list of potential career opportunities that public policy professions have:

to advise stakeholders, lawmakers, and other individuals in making strategic policies. It helps the government, as well as private organizations, understand the current and potential economic trends, thereby helping them set a future course of action. Greater demand for research by organizations across the spectrum has also increased the job opportunities for researchers with expertise in public policy.

Development and Research Specialists One of the core essentials in policymaking is research. Therefore, most national and international organizations have a dedicated team of researchers. A public policy professional uses data, market trends, surveys, and polls

Public Policy Experts in Government Sector In the public sector, policymaking is a crucial department for almost every vertical, including public administration, political science, law management, international relations, geography, economics, science,

Public Policy Faculty With the increasing demand for public policy professionals, there is also a proliferation of public policy courses integrated into existing programs or taught as specialized postgraduate programs as well. This has created a multi-fold demand for professors and lecturers in universities across the country. In India, leading management institutes have started imparting public policy specialization to students pursuing graduate and postgraduate degrees. This has, in turn, increased positions for public policy experts as lecturers at Indian public and private universities.

Higher Education Digest May 2022

environmental laws as well as social welfare. The state and central government offer a plethora of job opportunities for public policy professionals in different fields. As per a recent survey, there will be a 17% rise in vacancies for social and community service managers with expertise in policy making. Public Administrators in the Public Sector For most professionals in the public sector, certification in public policy enables a better understanding of policy making. This also facilitates forging sustainable and humane policies that benefit both people and the administration. Therefore, having expertise in public policy gives professionals an added benefit when working in the public sector.

For most professionals in the public sector, certification in public policy enables a better understanding of policy making

Policy Experts in the Corporate Sector Gradually, more organizations have started focusing on developing policies that align with the company’s triple bottom line (social, environmental, and financial impact). This has given rise to the demand for policy analysts, public policy managers, and public affairs managers in the private sector as well. A policy analyst reviews, evaluates, and monitors policies and legislation to ascertain their benefits, shortcomings, and potential consequences for stakeholders. By collaborating with various stakeholders, a policy analyst ensures that holistic perspectives on specific policies are considered before their design and implementation. Final Word Public policy is no longer solely the domain of the government - research and practice in this area are used across a diverse set of stakeholders (nonprofits, think tanks, research institutes, and private corporations). This gives numerous opportunities for those trained for policymaking in administration, management, and research. Post Graduation with public policy elective opens new avenues for employment in dynamic fields such as education, healthcare, administration, management, corporate, and national and international institutions. A rigorous qualification in public policy includes training in economics, data analytics, and political science. For those seeking a career in policy-making, a Post Graduation with Public Policy Major will open a plethora of opportunities in different domains in the public and the private sector.

Higher Education Digest May 2022

Want to find Investor for your Startup? 73

Higher Education Digest May 2022

UNIVERSITIES IN INDIA - 2022

NORTH EAST CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY PROVIDING A WHOLESOME LEARNING ENVIRONMENT TO STUDENTS 74

here is atleast one Central University in each North Eastern state with Medical, Agricultural, and Engineering colleges. But many North Eastern students who can afford high tuition fees prefer to study in the metro cities of India. As a result, a large amount of capital is spent on student fees and stay for higher education outside home states and the North-Eastern region. The introduction of multiple Universities offering quality education, multi-disciplinary approach, entrepreneurship courses& training programs, and diverse curricula became a prerequisite. “The establishment of North East Christian University (NECU) partly fulfills this need of higher education institutions in the North Eastern Region,” asserts Dr. Darlando Thanmi Khathing, ViceChancellor,North East Christian University(NECU). NECU was officially established through the North East Christian University Act 2012, passed by the Nagaland State Legislative Assembly in 2013, and duly notified in the Nagaland State Gazette on June 5, 2013.Since then, the Dimapur-based University has been on a mission to provide wholesome, global education in perspective, upright in character, and praxis in its approach.

Higher Education Digest May 2022

NECU aspires to be among the best universities in the world in the next coming year through a series of strategically crafted moves, precisely calibrated action plans and an unwavering commitment to the pursuit of excellence.

Higher Education Digest May 2022

Dr. Darlando Thanmi Khathing, Vice-Chancellor, North East Christian University (NECU).

Higher Education Digest May 2022

77 Diversity in Academic Programmes Beginning its first academic session in August 2018, NECU offers courses and training programs on a wide range of subjects for its undergrad, post-graduate, and research students. As a Liberal Arts University, all undergrad students have to take several subjects in the first and second semesters: Foundation Course, Religious Studies, English – Basic and Advance Writing, History of Science, Mass Communication – Introductory Speech, North East Indian Heritage in a Global Context, Economics, Political Science, Sociology, and Counselling. Additionally, each student needs to complete three weeks of community service and several weeks of internship every semester. NECU offers post-graduate degrees in English, Political Science, International Relations, and Management. Besides these, the University opened its Ph.D. program in 2019 initially with International Relations and Political Sciences. Later on, English and Management were added.In 2021, a UG Honours program was started in English, Political Science, International Relations, Management, Psychology, and Computer Science.

NECU is a research intensive university with an outstanding reputation for its learning environments across a broad range of disciplines.

Higher Education Digest May 2022

The training of students is not limited to the classroom. NECU’s flexible and innovative online and blended learning programs are compliant with international standards for quality education and professional aptitude. Students can inculcate various skills like critical and innovative thinking, technological adaptability, and multicultural traits through them. Scholarships, Mentorships, & Training Programmes The students of NECU are offered different types of scholarships— above 80% of fresh entrants get full tuition waiver, over 100 half-tuition earmarked for Nominees of member Associations of CBCNEI, merit, sport, economically challenged special grants, and other means of support. At NECU, a ‘Student Mentorship’ program is created for all the UG and PG students, where each pupil is designated a faculty member of the university as a ‘mentor.’ Additionally, a Grievance Cell and a Women Cell have also been formed. Recognition forearning credits from study/ activity as per equivalence assessment is given by the University.

Higher Education Digest May 2022

NECU is a liberal arts University and the course content and syllabus are structured to develop Language skills, Academic survival (critical, creative, and analytical thinking) skills, Academic Integrity and focus on overall Personality Development.

In addition to the conventional degree programs, NECU offers short-term (6 & 2 months) certificate training programs on different subjects. To name a few, Church and NGO management,organizational management, financial management & legal awareness, leadership empowerment, and enterprise management. To date, 264 students have joined from India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, Myanmar, Nepal, Singapore, and Taiwan. This is not all. NECU also conducts various seminars, webinars, 5-days hands-on training workshops, and symposiums in collaboration with other universities and colleges around the globe. Students get an opportunity to gain industry knowledge, interact with other students, build confidence, and sharpen their skillsets.Some of its collaborators include TESOL (Asia Centre (ACT), Thailand), PrCB (Personnel Certifying Body), and Baptist Churches. National & International Recognitions Since its foundation, NECU has garnered several national & international recognition.NECU is recognized by UGC as a Private University. It is also a member of the PHDCCI, New Delhi (established 1905). In 2018, NECU was recognized by the Quality Council of India as a Personnel Certifying Body

(PrCB) for Traditional Community Healthcare Providers (TCHPs). It was accredited by the National Accreditation Board of Certification Bodies in 2020. Under the category of TCHPs, NECU is the first and only organization in India to receive this honor. This year, NECU was recognized by the Clinical Development Services Association of the Translational Health Science and Technology Institute, DBT, India,as a Certifying Body for Clinical Professionals under the Good Clinical Practice Professionals Certification Scheme. This area deals with the evaluation and certifying of clinical practitioners. Online Learning during Pandemic NECU adopted the online learning platform at the time of the COVID-19 pandemic. In July 2020, a ‘2-DayFaculty Training Programme on Online Education’ was organized by NECU in collaboration with the Christian Institute of Management, Chennai. The training was attended by all the faculty members of the University. This proved highly beneficial to the staff, who learned how to effectively conduct online classes and keep the students engaged. Most of the classes were conducted via Google Meet. All the staff members and management of NECU worked relentlessly towards completing the entire curriculum

Higher Education Digest May 2022

80 and providing continuous learning and online education to their students. All exams were held on time and as per schedule. Results were declared online. Missionary Work amidst Pandemic During the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, many underprivileged local people who tested positive but remained asymptomatic had no adequate quarantine facilities. They were living in small one-two rooms shared with other family members. Such conditions increased the susceptibility of other members to acquiring the COVID infection. NECU took notice and decided to take the necessary initiatives to overcome it. Soon, the University converted its Boy’s Hostel into a free quarantine facility for these COVID-19 positive, asymptomatic patients where they could recuperate better. Free healthy meals were provided to them. Likewise, around 200 people living near Dimapur Railway Station were also offered a wholesome meal for almost a month. Soaps and shampoos were also provided to the food recipients.A Girls’ orphanage in the city was also provided with regular evening meals.

Higher Education Digest May 2022

The Year 2022 Looks Promising In 2022, NECU plans to start courses in Nursing and Paramedical Sciences in July. For this, a rented building is being prepared for the mandatory visit and recommendation of the State Nursing Council before approaching the Indian Nursing Council. The Dimapurbased University has also opened a Centre for Advanced Religious Studies (CARS). Under its umbrella, Ph.D. and MA in Religious Studies will be offered from this academic year. NECU has signed an MOU with St. Stephen’s College, Delhi for its students to avail of the specialised courses in Diplomacy and International Relations. This is in keeping with the thrust on International Relations owing to its strategic location in the North East. NECU is also collaborating with the ICC (NER) to conduct regular seminars and workshops related to the Act East Policy of the Government of India. Dr. Darlando says that the entire team of NECU will continue to work toward fulfilling the University’s vision to become a distinctive Christian University integrating faith and knowledge in a strong and transformative manner and strengthening communities in the coming years.

Higher Education Digest May 2022

INDUSTRY PERSPECTIVE

New Trends in the

Edtech Ecosystem 82

Akanksha Chaturvedi, Founder and CEO, Eduauraa Technologies

Akanksha Chaturvedi is the Founder & CEO of Eduauraa – an ed-tech venture that has disrupted the market through high-quality affordable education. As an alumnus of UCL and Columbia University, where she majored in Urban Planning & Business, Akanksha realized that one of the central pillars in a country’s development is Education. A visionary in her own right with a social enterprising approach, Akanksha is bringing about the socio-economic change in the Education system.

Higher Education Digest May 2022

AI can be channelized to interpret the interests of each student and predict their behaviour, consequently offering not just the necessary content for learning but also offering it in a format that’s most conducive for learning

he disruption caused by the pandemic in the last two years has immensely contributed to the expansion of education technology. For school students, edtech apps are particularly valuable for those who don’t have in-person support available to them. From primary to higher education and competitive exams, the digital transformation in the education sector has accelerated immeasurably. With a shift towards online and cloud-based delivery platforms, online education is all set to register another leg of expansion by further adopting innovative technologies and developing new approaches. 2022 is crucial for the edtech sector as the year will witness the consolidation of the industry with more innovations. AI-Enabled Adaptive Learning AI is helping harness a more personalized and interactive learning experience. With adaptive learning,

personalizing modules and specializations are made possible. In the future, as technology is upgrading, it is shaping a hyper-personalized learning experience addressing a student’s problem area. AI can be channelized to interpret the interests of each student and predict their behaviour, consequently offering not just the necessary content for learning but also offering it in a format that’s most conducive for learning. Blockchain The buzz around blockchain is only growing strong. Using blockchain, edtech platforms can connect learners with relevant resources, in a decentralized and secure way. In the future, the trend will turn into a transparent education ecosystem. With smart contract capabilities, courses and lessons can be programmed, automatically delivered, and progress measured in real-time. This new mode will also regulate costs as it eliminates many manual tasks.

Higher Education Digest May 2022

Virtual Reality & Augmented Reality Keeping a learner’s attention and concentration on a subject is a major challenge in the online mode of education. Hence, introducing students to more application-based learning helps them retain information better. VR technology is immensely stimulating, allowing students to understand and study better. As edtech tools like video conferencing software become more versatile and incorporate aspects of VR and AR, it will become easier to bring learning experiences to life. Further, involving students in the learning experience makes study time more immersive. Further, integrating VR, AR, XR in daily learning can also help transform traditional case studies.

As edtech tools like video conferencing software become more versatile and incorporate aspects of VR and AR, it will become easier to bring learning experiences to life

Higher Education Digest May 2022

Robotics Robotics is gaining wide acceptance in K-12 education. Although robotic education is still in the early stages, there’s plenty of room for it to grow and reach more students across the country. Students in K12 schools will graduate into a workforce that’s widely integrated with robotics in every function. Even if these children choose a career other than coding or other careers in mainstream robotics, integrating robotics in function and as modules will prepare them with skills such as analytical thinking, programming, collaborative thinking, innovation, and more. It can be easily incorporated into STEAM education, which is becoming more popular in schools worldwide. Further, educational robotics is envisioned to provide students with an in-class learning environment, and after school for robotics competitions. Gamification Gamification has been creeping into classrooms for years already, with hackathons and virtual games becoming a mainstay. In the future, however, gamification could offer new ways for students to learn. Gamification can help keep students stay engaged throughout their learning experiences. When it comes to online programs, the lack of personal touch and the busy lives of a student may get in the way of students’ learning. With the global education gamification market expected to grow at a rate of 29% between 2021 and 2027, it’s bound to be one of the biggest edtech trends to look out for in the years ahead. We will see a steady growth of online education in terms of new programs, pedagogies, and increased student enrolments and engagement.

Higher Education Digest October 2021

Higher Education Digest May 2022

UNIVERSITIES IN INDIA - 2022

RV UNIVERSITY PIONEERING THE CONCEPT OF TRUE LIBERAL EDUCATION IN INDIA 86

engaluru-based RV University is a State Private University founded on a vision to impart the fast-emerging area of liberal education on par with global standards. RV University is an initiative of RV Educational Institutions (RVEI), governed by Rashtreeya Sikshana Samithi Trust (RSST), which is regarded among very few value-based and quality-oriented educational groups in India. Since its inception, RVEI has made purposeful strides in the educational industry. To date, it has successfully established 20 institutions from kindergarten to post-graduation. Through them, RVEI offers affordable and quality education to people from all sections of society with access to all spheres of knowledge, including arts, humanities, basic sciences, technology & management, teacher education, health sciences, and legal studies. Today, over 20000 students are seeking education from this group of institutions. Unleashing the power of Liberal Education UGC approved, RV University offers a diverse range of interdisciplinary courses to students at undergraduate, postgraduate, and Ph.D. levels. It houses five different schools with specially curated programs in the following disciplines: 1. School of Liberal Arts and Science: The study model at the School of Liberal Arts and Science in RV University is perfectly aligned to the all-encompassing spirit of the Indian civilization, with

Higher Education Digest May 2022

RV University enables people from all sections of society to access affordable and quality education in all spheres of knowledge including Arts, Humanities, Basic Sciences, Technology & Management.

Higher Education Digest May 2022

Prof. (Dr.) Y.S.R.Murthy, Vice Chancellor

88 cherished European renaissance worldviews of ‘humanism, individualism, secularism, scepticism, classicism, and well-roundedness’. In addition, with a research-based and modern curriculum, young learners emerge as problem solvers in society. 2. School of Design and Innovation: Here, students are taught to identify significant contemporary problems, inculcate critical thinking, and develop innovative solutions through collaborative team efforts. Students can acquire and hone skills and learn design theories, methods, and processes holistically with dedicated studio spaces. 3. School of Computer Science and Engineering: This School at RV University focuses on problemsolving, critical thinking, innovation, and creative skills, communication, trade skills, data analysis and data sciences to deal with complexity and ambiguity. Recently, this School has entered a Memorandum of Understanding with Mu Sigma, the world’s largest pure-play data analytics and data sciences company to offer B. Sc. Decision Sciences (Hons.) programme with a job guarantee for its students, at the end of the course. All programs of the school offer an opportunity for the students to work closely with a network of stakeholders, industries, government policymakers, researchers, think tanks, and global organizations.

Higher Education Digest May 2022

Prof. (Dr.) Dwarika Prasad Uniyal, Pro Vice Chancellor (Development - Leadership) - Founding Dean, School of Economics and School of Business

RV University offers world-class education with the combination of academic and research programs, set in international standards.

Prof. (Dr.) Piyush Roy, Professor and Founding Dean, School of Liberal Arts and Science

Prof. Vinay Mundada, Professor and Founding Dean, School of Design

Dr. Sanjay Chitnis, Professor and Founding Dean, School of Computer Science and Engineering

Higher Education Digest May 2022

Situated in a lush-green and sprawling campus of over 50 acres with great connectivity to all parts of Bengaluru, the students at RV University have access to a wide range of both indoor and outdoor sporting facilities.

4. School of Economics: It provides holistic education through a curriculum that balances theoretical and practical courses based on hands-on applications, skills, and experiential learning. 5. School of Business: Students opting for this discipline are encouraged to take up research, projects, and self-study to stimulate their critical and analytical abilities and become independent thinkers and practitioners. They also gain knowledge and a better understanding of the real world and comprehend the complex issues that shape today’s global marketplace. Why Choose to Study at RV University? RVEI has an 80-year-old rich legacy of nation-building through education. It has a sustainable and environmentally conscious campus with world-class infrastructure backed by a team of highly accomplished faculty members with an outstanding track record in academics and research. Moreover, the curriculum of various schools is carefully planned and powered by an innovative teaching pedagogy. Likewise, students are facilitated with classroom education along with projects, research work, seminars, educational tours, workshops, and more to enhance their career prospects right from the beginning. Additionally, RV University has collaborated with numerous international institutions such as Essex University, Siena College, Edinburg Napier University,

Higher Education Digest May 2022

Sofia University, SCOTS, and the University of Latvia, to name a few. It has also partnered with some of the leading national institutions, including Mu Sigma, GRAM, IFG, Helpage India, International Bridges to Justice, Human Rights Alert, The Kohima Institute, O.P. Jindal Global University, SVYM, SICHREM, IRM, Nature Dots, AINNI, Talentedge, Sochara, and CHRI. Recently, RV University launched a Centre for Visual and Performing Arts to bridge the gap between conservation, performing arts, and art education. The courses taught at this Centre will have their linkage with the liberal arts courses that the University offers. It will also provide ample opportunities for students to groom themselves to be career-ready and give accessibility to art education for all people. RV University – Powering the aspirations of a rising India India is fast emerging as a force to reckon with, in the global arena, and RV University is putting all the building blocks in place to make this happen. In the coming years, RV University aspires to fulfill its ‘DREAMS’ of becoming a world-class university through Diversity, Research, Expertise, Academic Excellence, a Multidisciplinary Approach, and Student Friendly campus environment. On all counts, RV University continues to stand by its motto of empowering students to ‘Go…Change the World’.

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Higher Higher Education Education Digest Digest May 2022 November 2020

ACADEMIC VIEW

In Today’s World, Why is Computer Programming Becoming Increasingly Important for Students? Dr. P. Prasant, Dy. Dean (I&A) & Assistant Professor, Khalsa College Charitable Society

Dr. P. Prasant is an academician & excellent administrator with 10 years of experience in IT, Computer Applications, and Management Courses & 3 years of experience as a Cooperate Trainer. Having various certifications including C/C++, Advance Java Certification, SAP Certification, Web Development Certification, and other languages. Also passionate about solving every programming problem and the exact line of equations. He is awarded as Mentor of Change.

Higher Education Digest May 2022

Students who learn to code at a young age will have a plethora of career options in the future

rom smart TVs to technologically advanced kitchen appliances to online games, puzzles, and over-the-top (OTT) services, technological disruption can be found almost anywhere. Much more is taking place right now, and much more is expected in the coming years. As a result, a large number of new jobs are being created, while a large number of existing ones are being re-defined. This is where computer programming, or coding, becomes a necessary skill for those seeking the best job opportunities or looking to improve their current skills. Learning to code is essential for young students. Coding is without a doubt one of the most important skills to learn for both current and future generations. Programming assists young students in developing problem-solving skills, such as the ability to solve a problem rationally as well as creatively. Most importantly, coding is the way of the future, making it a tremendously useful skill to have. Students who learn to code at a young age will have a plethora of career options in the future. Coding is one of the most important career skills today and in the future.

Coding is no longer an option for today’s youth; it is a required life skill. As a result, demystifying the digital world, connecting, being creative, and learning to code is an excellent idea. Customers’ expectations are also changing, with customers preferring a seamless and quick purchasing experience, as well as personalised product recommendations. As a result, the services of programmers have become an essential component of retail success. In addition to software and application programmers, many other professional roles necessitate coding knowledge. Business analysts, graphic designers, and data scientists are just a few examples. Furthermore, as data becomes more valuable and data breaches become more common, there is an increasing demand for cyber security professionals. What is the most effective way to learn to code? Several platforms now offer online classes in a variety of coding levels and languages. To advance their career, one could enrol in a suitable course based on their interests and learn the fundamentals of key programming languages.

Higher Education Digest May 2022

Programmers can find work in a variety of industries. As a result, if you want to advance your career, learning coding skills is a no-brainer

Programmers can find work in a variety of industries. As a result, if you want to advance your career, learning coding skills is a no-brainer. Summing Up Technological progress does not appear to be slowing, and the world continues to evolve at a rapid pace. Every smartphone app, website, computer application, and even a microwave and calculator use a code to function.

Higher Education Digest May 2022

Naturally, digital talent is in high demand. However, many young people continue to be digital consumers rather than creators. As coding becomes more common in our daily lives, digital skills are becoming increasingly important for aspiring minds looking to advance in their careers. In order to advance in their careers, young people must take advantage of opportunities to broaden their digital expertise.

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Higher Education Digest May 2022

UNIVERSITIES IN INDIA - 2022

SHRI VAISHNAV VIDYAPEETH VISHWAVIDYALAYA CREATING AN INCLUSIVE SYSTEM OF EDUCATION 96

ith a vision to create an educational environment that engages deep intellectual, moral and spiritual stimulation, thereby nurturing leadership, Shri Vaishnav Vidyapeeth Vishwavidyalaya (SVVV) was established to pioneer a mentoring-based education system with a culture of its own rooted in Indian ethos and in tune with contemporary times. This university makes it to the list of Must Watch Universities in India because it believes in taking the nation forward by improving the quality of life of its citizens by continuously working towards better education, health, and environment. As a part of Shri Vaishnav Group of Institutions that laid its foundation in 1884, the university has leaped through numerous milestones to become one of the best universities in Madhya Pradesh today. SVVV is a State Private University established under Madhya Pradesh Niji Vishwavidyalaya (Sthapana Avam Sanchalan) Adhiniyam in 2015 at Indore. It has been established to promote education and research in various academic disciplines to benefit all sections of society, but not with the motive of profit.

Higher Education Digest May 2022

Shri Vaishnav Vidyapeeth Vishwavidyalaya has been established with a vision to be leader in shaping better future for mankind through quality education, training and research.

Higher Education Digest May 2022

ABOUT

DR. UPINDER DHAR VICE-CHANCELLOR Dr. Upinder Dhar is Vice-Chancellor of Shri Vaishnav Vidyapeeth Vishwavidyalaya (Indore). Earlier, he was Group Additional Vice-Chancellor and Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Academics), Amity University (Noida); Founder Vice-Chancellor of JK Lakshmipat University (Jaipur); Director - Institute of Management, Dean - Faculty of Management, and Dean - Faculty of Doctoral Studies and Research, Nirma University

(Ahmedabad); Director - Prestige Institute of Management and Research (Indore); Professor of Management at NITIE (Mumbai); Reader at IMS-DAVV (Indore); and Lecturer at MD. University (Rohtak). He has conducted 715 management and faculty development programs for the executives of major business houses and faculty members of academic institutions, respectively. He has also been Guest Faculty at IIM Calcutta, IIM Indore, IIM Trichy, and IIT Roorkee. Besides undertaking consultancy assignments, he has authored/co-authored/ edited more than 733 publications. Forty (40) scholars have been awarded Ph.D. degrees under his supervision by various universities.

Higher Education Digest May 2022

99 “The primary motive of the university is to impart learning through understanding - knowledge enrichment, skill development, and positive attitude formation. It promotes endurance, excellence, fairness, honesty, and transparency as its core values. The university strives to continuously enhance the quality of its academic and research offerings and the effectiveness of the teachinglearning process as its quality policy. Situated at Indore, SVVV is a multi-disciplinary University focusing on the needs of various segments of the society,” says Dr. Upinder Dhar, the Vice-Chancellor of Shri Vaishnav Vidyapeeth Vishwavidyalaya. The university aims to ensure world-class quality in its offerings and create higher levels of intellectual abilities. Shri Vaishnav Vidyapeeth Vishwavidyalaya is a private university established under Madhya Pradesh Niji Vishwavidyalaya ( Sthapana Avam Sanchalan) Adhiniyam in 2015 at Indore, MP(India). The university was established with a vision to be a leader in shaping a better future for mankind through quality education, training, and research. It shall pursue the mission to make a difference in sustaining the growth of global societies by developing socially responsible citizens. Value-based education being at the helm, the university

Value-based education being at the helm, the University promotes endurance, excellence, fairness, honesty and transparency as its core values.

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promotes endurance, excellence, fairness, honesty, and transparency as its core values. SVVV strives to provide teaching and training in higher education and make provision for research and advancement, and dissemination of knowledge. The university works to ensure world-class quality in its offerings to create higher levels of intellectual abilities. Being a multi-disciplinary university focusing on the needs of various segments of society, SVVV aims to create centers of excellence for research and development for sharing knowledge and its applications. The university offers 100+ undergraduate, postgraduate, dual degree, diploma, and Ph.D. programs. The popular programs include B. Tech., B. Tech. + M. Tech., B. Tech. + MBA, M. Tech., B. Arch., B. Des.,

Higher Education Digest May 2022

The University believes in taking the nation forward by improving the quality of life of its citizens by continuously working in the sphere of education, health and environment.

BCA+MCA, M. B. A., B. Sc. (Hons), B. Sc. + M. Sc., and many more. The entire campus provides an ambiance conducive to teaching and learning. The university’s infrastructure includes an administrative block, several academic blocks, library, sports complex, computer hardware, network maintenance cell, auditorium, internet and transportation facility, medical center, etc. SVVV has collaborated with various renowned organizations to undertake numerous projects. It has signed a memorandum of understanding for academic/ technical collaboration. Throughout its journey towards attaining educational excellence, SVVV has achieved numerous landmarks. SVVV organizes a variety of vibrant events for the overall development of the students. The university aims to ensure that the students have brilliant experiences throughout their tenure. It not only offers quality education but also a plethora of cocurricular and extra-curricular events. The Vishwavidyalaya provides excellent teachinglearning resources and the right kind of co-curricular and extra-curricular activities for developing the leaders of tomorrow. “We are committed to the overall development of the students. Thus, with an industry-relevant curriculum and a strong academia-

industry interface, the Vishwavidyalaya shall provide an appropriate platform for budding professionals to enter the corporate world and contribute to the nation’s development,” shares Dr. Upinder. The university has made numerous efforts to team up with companies, universities, and organizations to encourage students to explore their niches. SVVV has signed MoUs for academic and technical collaborations with companies like IBM, Red Hat India, the National Cyber Safety and Security Standards, Apple, TCS, Cisco, Microsoft, Impetus Technologies India, and Medha Innovation and Development and with the Government of India, Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) and Mahatma Gandhi National Council of Rural Education (MGNCRE). The university is also having tie-ups with ITI Mandsaur, ITI Manpur, and ITI Indore, and Women’s Polytechnic for consultancy and vocational training programs. SVVV also works with various programs from different companies to help students in professional, technical, and social associations. This includes CSI (Computer Society of India) Student Branch, ACM (Association for Computing Machinery) Student Chapter, MSP (Microsoft Student Partner Program), MSA ( Microsoft

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102 Student Associate Program ), Google Applied Android with CS Program, Mozilla Firefox Club, Dell-EMC Academic alliance program, Microsoft IT Academy, Microsoft Cloud Competency Centre, Microsoft Edu Cloud, IBM Bluemix Smart Cloud, Youth4work and Prayatna Aspiring Dreams. SVVV also provides online learning resources like the NPTEL Local Chapter and SWAYAM PRABHAeducational DTH Channels. It also gives students access to virtual Labs and a Spoken Tutorial Programme by IIT Delhi in association with the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD). To promote research and improve the quality of education, SVVV collaborates with universities in India and abroad. These include Hanyang University, Seoul, South Korea; St. Cloud State University, St. Cloud, Minnesota, USA, and NRDC (Ministry of Science and Technology). Spearheading Innovation SVVV believes that entrepreneurship and innovation are critical for creating an economically empowered world. Creating a strong innovation culture requires good communication and the need to work together

Higher Education Digest May 2022

collaboratively. In a major leap towards encouraging entrepreneurship among its students, Shri Vaishnav Vidyapeeth Vishwavidyalaya, Indore (SVVV, Indore) has launched the Entrepreneurship Development Cell (EDC) to support and facilitate the development of the next generation of business leaders. “The EDC aims to enable SVVV to become the hub of entrepreneurship in the region. EDC is managed by the students of SVVV for manifesting the entrepreneurial spirit of young students,” adds Dr. Upinder. SVVV has always been a hotbed for innovative thinkers, and EDC offers a new channel to transform breakthrough ideas into viable business ventures. EDC aims to create a structured platform that strengthens the entrepreneurial ecosystem in technology business incubation by providing support to the larger SVVV fraternity. The Cell focuses on inviting onboard experienced industry leaders, successful entrepreneurs, investors, and policymakers, who can guide students in terms of mentoring, advice, pitching proposals, and more. SVVV has designed and developed mechanisms and bodies to help create new enterprises that employ technologies developed by its faculty and students. It,

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Shri Vaishnav Shekshanik Avam Parmarthik Nyas has been working relentlessly for the upliftment of the society and country as a whole by providing better technical and professional education, health facilities, schools and other services.

thus, offers a conducive environment in which new ideas can be generated, researched, and nurtured before they become industry-ready. The activities of the Cell cover the entrepreneurship value chain to include micro-grants and networking with established entrepreneurs and industry leaders. It is managed by an Advisory Board comprising faculty members, industry professionals, renowned international experts on entrepreneurship, and student representatives. “Having round the year events, such as expert lectures, StartupWeekend powered by Google for entrepreneurial activities, events, competitions, and Jugaad conducted to inculcate a startup mindset among students, EDC aims at an all-round development of all its members so that they are fully prepared for their future endeavors. It also supports and incubates many startups,” says Dr. Upinder. SVVV organizes a variety of vibrant events for the overall development of the students. The university aims to ensure that the students have brilliant experiences throughout their tenure. It not only offers quality education but also a plethora of co-curricular and extracurricular events. Some of the popular annual events

Higher Education Digest May 2022

conducted by the university include ABHINANDAN – induction program for freshers, ANVESHAN – the National Science Exhibition, Case Writing Workshop, CONFLUENCE - alumni meet, entrepreneurship awareness activities, VINIRMAH- fashion show, FDPs, foundation day lectures, Health Con., HR Summit, IGBC Student Chapter activities, Friends of Indore Cancer Foundation - SVVV Chapter activities, KALAKRITI, Library Science Conference and many more. Life at SVVV It is important for an institution and its academic leaders to meet the challenges of changing the expectations of its stakeholders in the competitive environment. Shri Vaishnav Vidyapeeth Vishwavidyalaya is committed to offering quality education and shaping the skills

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of the young generation. They lay emphasis on the holistic development of the students, and a conducive environment will be provided to the researchers. The learners are expected to orient themselves to play a crucial role in preparing themselves not only to face the knowledge-based society with confidence but with purpose and responsibility. The university is in the process of establishing relationships with industry and academic institutions of repute in the country and abroad. The overall development of each student is the prime focus of SVVV. The university provides modern curricula and teaching methodologies matching global standards. It lays strong emphasis on not just ‘learning’ but ‘understanding’ and learning by doing. The university has highly experienced full-time/visiting faculty for all programs drawn from

The University provides excellent teaching-learning resources and the right kind of co-curricular and extra-curricular activities for developing the leaders of tomorrow.

leading management and engineering institutions from across the country and abroad. They conduct a unique one-on-one student mentoring program for their overall personality development. SVVV maintains strong industry linkages to impart rich hands-on experience to the students. SVVV believes that it is the responsibility of the institution to develop the students into responsible professionals right from the initial stage. The university considers the students as active partners in managing various activities such as conferences, guest lectures, seminars, placement activities, and so on. The university ensures that students plan and take an active role in the life of the university rather than remaining passive recipients. SVVV provides scholarships for a wide range of well-deserved students. Students with 90 and above in 10th and 12th can get up to 50% scholarship in tuition fees. Toppers in various boards can avail of a 100% scholarship. Candidates who have cleared various competitive exams like CAT, MAT, XAT, ATMA, or C-MAT also have a 50% scholarship in tuition. SVVV provides scholarships to the Students of the Institutions Sponsored by Shri Vaishnav Group of Trusts -50% of Tuition Fees or Rs. 25000, whichever is less, and to SVVV Employees and their Wards. For Merit Scholarships, candidates need to have a CGPA of 8.5 and above to get 75% / 50% off their Tuition Fees, and those with an income of less than ₹3,00,000 with a CGPA of 7.5 and above will be provided with a scholarship of 25% tuition fees. For Ph.D. students and MTech students, they have the option of becoming Teaching Assistants with salaries. SVVV provides scholarships for physically challenged students and children of defense personnel who had Sacrificed their Lives during Warfare / AntiTerrorist or Similar Activities. During these uncertain times, the university also provides scholarships to children of Corona Warriors who had lost their lives during the pandemic. Marching forward, the university intends to provide teaching and training in higher education and make provision for research as well as advancement and dissemination of knowledge. In the days to come, it aims to create Centers of Excellence for research and development for sharing knowledge and its applications in various domains of life.

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INDUSTRY PERSPECTIVE

The Importance of Faculty Development Programs for 106

Tech Skills in Contemporary Times

Oindrila Talapatra, Marketing Communications Manager, Edunet Foundation

Oindrila comes with more than eleven years of experience in corporate messaging, media relations, corporate training & module development, and executing public relations strategies across diverse industries. She has completed her Masters in Human Rights with a specialization in Child Rights from IIHR, New Delhi and went on to complete her Masters in Sociology from Delhi University. She feels strongly for the cause of Education and Women’s rights and have been actively participating in various platforms for the same. When not working, she loves to explore new avenues, travel and read.

Higher Education Digest May 2022

Often these days, faculties of technical institutions are faced with increasing demand of being more technically sound, creative and good investigators to be able to teach well

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t is always believed that education is the key to success and nothing can outshine the value of the education system. And the key to a great education system is the value its faculty adds to development of the entire module. In short, they are the faculties who are the most important and fundamental in driving growth, success and positive change as far as a sound education system is concerned. They are the most important resources any institution can invest upon. However, till the very recent times, it was believed that only students or learners need to upgrade and update their knowledge. It was strongly believed or rather assumed that a competent scientist, or a competent doctor would naturally be the best and the most effective teacher. Even most medical schools recruited faculty members more for their content knowledge and clinical skills rather than for their educational skills. However, with time, it was seen that a lot of these faculty members

would often be criticized because of shortcomings in their ways of teaching. In some other cases it has been seen that a teacher or faculty even after serving 10-15 years teaching the same subject are often not taken well by their students and are rather criticised. This is mostly the case because unlike students, the teachers do not upgrade or update themselves with the passage of time. Often these days, faculties of technical institutions are faced with increasing demand of being more technically sound, creative and good investigators to be able to teach well. This then requires faculty members to attain new knowledge, acquire new skills and then be market ready to teach and be accepted to teach. This is where we see that faculty members need to be prepared enough by some sort of a faculty development program (FDP) in order to deal with the rapid changes and shifting paradigms in medical education, health care delivery systems, and clinical practice. Without

Higher Education Digest May 2022

FDP’s have proven to be successful to teaching skills in higher education by making the learning methodology more acceptable, easy to comprehend, contemporary yet rigorous in evaluation procedures

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such training, teaching is often reduced to instructors presenting their understanding of the subject by oneway lecturing. Over the last few years it has been witnessed that faculty development programs have rapidly evolved and have expanded progressively. Data shows that there have been sporadic efforts in the first half of the 20th century to provide such training, but true FDPs or Faculty Development Programs began in 1975 and have grown steadily over the past 25 years. Now the question arises as to why FDP’s be important? In recent times, there has been accumulating evidence about the ineffectiveness of the traditional way of teaching. The importance of these programs has been attached to better responsiveness to advance situations and criticalities of the subject. FDP’s have proven to be successful to teaching skills in higher education by making the learning methodology more acceptable, easy

Higher Education Digest May 2022

to comprehend, contemporary yet rigorous in evaluation procedures. In India, Faculty Development Program is aiming for India’s higher education system in attaining sustainable development and achieving higher growth rates which could be enabled through creation, transmission, and dissemination of knowledge. Higher education at all levels in the country is witnessing a consistent growth pattern marked by the setting up of new institutions and the improvement of the existing ones. Demand for qualified teachers and faculty members over the next few years would be substantial and will become extremely critical for states to expand the current institutional capacities, not only of infrastructure but also of qualified and trained faculty members. So to complement the transition and the rapid growth in technical education domain, it is an imperative for the faculties also to be well versed, well trained and updated to be able to deliver what the requirements are. It is about building capacity for teaching with technology.

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Higher Education Digest May 2022

UNIVERSITIES IN INDIA - 2022

UNIVERSITY OF ENGINEERING AND MANAGEMENT, JAIPUR

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TRANSFORMING TODAY’S STUDENTS INTO TOMORROW’S GLOBALLY COMPETENT LEADERS

niversity of Engineering & Management (UEM), JAIPUR is one out of the 200 AICTE mentor institutes of the country. It is the 2nd ranked institute of Rajasthan by the Ministry of Education, Govt. of India under Institution’s Innovation Council. UEM is an initiative taken by the IEM group, Kolkata, in 2012. It is laid on a visionary foundation to become a leading institution providing needbased, skill integrated, cost-effective, quality, and holistic education, transforming the students into globally competitive, employable, and responsible citizens and being recognized as a center of excellence. Since then, UEM has been walking hand in hand with its aspiration and continuing to climb the ladder of success. It has been recognized as the “Best Private University in North India” and “Best Emerging University in North India” in the past. The Story Behind UEM’s Establishment Time traveling to its establishment journey, the State Govt. of Rajasthan had invited IEM Kolkata, known for its magnificent placement record, to set up a university in Rajasthan in 2008. In March 2012, as per Act 5 of the Rajasthan government passed in the assembly, UEM became functional. Besides, all its Engineering & Management courses are approved by AICTE.

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University of Engineering and Management (UEM), Jaipur aims to serve the future generation as well as the Nation through its commitment towards self sufficiency and unmatchable excellence.

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“We at UEM believe that good education steers the way to good jobs. We also acknowledge that each student is novel and has quirky ideas that can become an innovation. So, we provide that nurturing environment to the students where they can learn to fly high,” asserts Prof. Dr. Satyajit Chakrabarti, Chancellor of UEM. Offering a Conducive Learning Environment to Students UEM houses a well-structured and qualitative library, archives, and access to the internet and OPAC available 24/7 to the students. Furthermore, the courses are designed in such a way that students learn not only practical skills but also real-life skills, making them lifelong learners. UEM also has various well-equipped laboratories for each department where the students can learn, explore, and bring their new ideas to life. Regular seminars, workshops, and conferences are conducted to keep the students updated with the world. Igniting Innovation & Creative Thinking Since its inception, UEM has been striving hard to offer an opportunity-rich and holistic environment where students are given the freedom to think outside of the box, come

Higher Education Digest May 2022

UEM Jaipur has a very active SAEINDIA Collegiate Club and UEM Motorsports Club, that conduct regular workshop on campus imparted by industry personnel and help students to participate in International competitions and so on.

Prof. Dr. Satyajit Chakrabarti, Chancellor

up with novel ideas, and become modern-day innovators. In the same quest, UEM has set up various incubation centers, such as E-cell, through which capital funding is provided to students to fortify their innovative projects. Likewise, high-tech research labs such as AR/VR lab, Aerodynamic lab, Civilities lab, GSS lab, the Centre of Excellence for Blockchains, and more are established to cater to the needs of the students on the campus.

Prof. Dr. Biswajoy Chatterjee, Vice Chancellor

“Our students are facilitated to organize various student chapters and society and take an active role in organizing various extracurricular events at the university,” comments Prof. Satyajit. In 2016, UEM’s students were declared World Champion for developing a gaming console (Amantron Gaming console, IEEE, USA), one amongst the two finalists from India for developing their own innovative Car at the International

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BAJA SAE Motorsports competition, received the best debutant award, West by National Entrepreneurship Network and have surpassed the students at other notable institutes in NPTEL programs across India. Industry Collaboration is a Key to Creating a Skilled Workforce UEM considers collaboration with industries and other universities an integral part of its curriculum, which helps inculcate the students with practical knowledge and deep industry insights. Prof Satyajit explains, “We make sure our students have an edge of these connections as we organize alumni panels, placement conclave, and placement training on the campus and in-person visits to the industries.” In addition, UEM has signed MOUs with various domestic companies such as Indian Blockchain Alliance, Electronics Sector Skill Council of India, Entuple Technologies, Econstruct Design & Build Pvt. Ltd., Gifts on Air Online Solution Pvt. Ltd., ICT Academy, RTTC BSNL, AICTE LITE- Pupilfirst Private Limited, EduSkill Membership and more. Few of its international collaborator companies include Palo Alto Networks

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Inc. (USA) and (United Kingdom).

Cambridge Assessment

English

Good Education Equals Good Jobs Placement at UEM JAIPUR continues till the last willing student is placed. Working in tandem with its motto, ‘Good Education, Good Jobs,’ UEM has a successful track record of 100% placement in various fields of engineering and management. Leading companies such as TCS, Infosys, Cognizant, WIPRO, Capgemini, Tech Mahindra, PWC, Telecom Network Solution (TNS), Victory Metal Finishers, Jumio India Ltd, Francescan Solutions Pvt Ltd, Think & Learn (Byju’s Classes App), Ericsson, SAP Labs, ARW, Rothenberger, Lexmark, Abzooba, NRI Fintech, Spinks India Ltd, Collabera Solutions, Adroit Technologies, Sankalp Semiconductors, HRDL, Hind Rectifiers Ltd, iVeda, Era group, LabourNet, Keeves Technologies, Webspider, Netconnect, Grindmaster, Conveyor Ropeways, USTA Infinity, Brandmark Infrastructure, Zamil Infra, Hero Motocorp, Mphasis, and J P Research have recruited UEM’s students and offered high-salary packages ranging up to Rs 72 lakhs per annum.

UEM has sports grounds for Cricket, Football, Volleyball, Badminton, Kabbadi and other outdoor games with properly installed sports equipments needed to play such games.

115 “Our splendid students have always made us proud. We are thrilled to see each of our students achieve such bright success and simultaneously contribute to society,” mentions Prof. Satyajit. Highest salary offer at UEM JAIPUR was Rs 72 lakhs per annum from Giga Data Centre, Atlanta, USA. Overcoming the Pandemic Barriers The COVID-19 pandemic caused severe damage to the global educational system. “With the spirit of never to stop learning, UEM immediately jumped into online education without any delay,” adds Prof. Satyajit. The university set up a learning management system and an official YouTube channel, where students could review the recorded lectures from faculty. Moreover, the classes were kept short and subject-focused. UEM’s tech-inclined students could also switch easily from classroom education to online learning. At regular intervals, webinars were also conducted for the students and faculty members to keep a tab on their mental health while dealing with such tough times. Speaking about the lessons learned from the pandemic, Prof Satyajit says, “We, as a university, have learned that nothing can stop the education and

learning process if there is a zeal to move forward.” He further elaborates by saying that the lockdown has given plenty of time to UEM’s students to alcove their ingenious ideas. Taking it a step further, UEM and its faculty members are working on developing extensive advanced learning and practical ways backed by research to nurture this growing need of the students. Quality Education as a Numero Uno Goal in Future Currently, Prof. Satyajit and his team are exploring new pathways to include smart educational models that would benefit their students to enhance their practical knowledge. “We are planning to get the NBA accreditation for Computer Science Engineering department and apply for Times Higher Education ranking and World ranking in QS,” further reveals UEM’s Chancellor Prof Satyajit. UEM plans to add medicine (Ayurveda, Homeopathy, Nursing, and Pharmacy) as a new discipline under its wings. Additionally, the law courses will soon become functional at the university. In terms of upgradation, UEM aims to extend and modernize its existing infrastructure to gratify the upcoming future needs.

Higher Education Digest May 2022

INDUSTRY PERSPECTIVE

How to Write an

Impactful Statement of Purpose 116

Priya Gidwani, Recruitment Advisor, University of Essex

Priya Gidwani is working with the University of Essex, as a Recruitment Advisor. For 8+ years, Priya has been in the education industry and has worked extensively with South Asian students in navigating them towards a career path they would cherish and enjoy.

Higher Education Digest May 2022

As an applicant you should also precisely mention about the subjects that you have studied previously and how those subjects are compatible with the degree that you would like to pursue in the UK

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statement of purpose (SOP) is a personally curated journey of an applicant so far, which makes you stand out from other applicants. As the UK is a preferred study destination for students, UK universities receive hundreds of applications for assessment. It is imperative that each applicant writes their SOP with the utmost sincerity and honesty. The details mentioned in the statement must be true and verifiable. This is very important as a properly written SOP is often one of the parameters on which an applicant is assessed upon. There is no one perfect to create your SOP guide, but there are some key points that the you should always keep in mind while writing your SOP. Introduce yourself and highlight your strengths The most important aspect of any personal statement is to introduce yourself properly. The details you provide as an applicant should not only focus on your academic

and professional background. They should also include details about your hobbies, passions, skills, family background, experiences etc. The academic department of any UK university would be keen to understand the applicant’s personality, which goes beyond the academic and professional background and what they would be able to add on to a dynamic cohort of students, the thing to understand here is that every applicant is unique and they have something unique to offer. Let’s take an example of an applicant who has average academic scores but, they have other skills that they have learnt and relevant experiences. Writing about those extra skills or experiences will help the advisor understand the applicant’s profile and strengths better. Another example would be if an applicant is passionate about and has trained in singing or dancing. Mentioning this in your SOP highlights that you are creative and will be able to use this creativity to deal

Higher Education Digest May 2022

As an applicant you should also precisely mention about the subjects that you have studied previously and how those subjects are compatible with the degree that you would like to pursue in the UK. If the application is for a conversion program your SOP should mention the reason for your shift in career focus and how this program will help you in getting closer to your career goals. You should be able to give a career oriented, as well as personal reason, of why has you have applied for a particular program. Adding information in about what inspires and interests you can really enrich your SOP, show how motivated you are as a student and illustrate your interests. As an example, if an applicant has applied for MSc Data Science so, is Jeff Hammerbacher, who led the Data team at Facebook, the applicant’s role model? Or if they have applied for MSc Artificial Intelligence, have they been following the work of Geoffrey Hinton, who leads Google’s AI team? Explain your financial support If you are being supported by your family in terms of expenses and tuition fees; you should mention briefly about your family background, family savings or income and the support you will receive from your family as far as the fees and living expenditure are concerned for studying in the UK. If you are self-funding your stay and studies in the UK you should mention your sources of funding. For example, you might refer to an education loan, savings or another funding route,

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with any issues that might occur during your stay at the university. Show why you want to study at your chosen university It is really important to precisely highlight why the UK is your preferred study destination. The University and the department of the university that you are applying to, would be keen on understanding your reason to apply for a particular UK University and also the reason to pursue that particular program. You should write about your career and personal goals and how significant it will be for you to be accepted by the department. Also, it will create an impact if you can show you are aware of the University’s achievements and reputation and the department’s focus and strengths, ranking, accreditations and facilities it offers to its students.

Higher Education Digest May 2022

Be honest about previous travel and your visa history You must categorically mention about any visa refusals in the past along with, the reason for visa refusal. You should also cover all the international travels you have done in the past for leisure, work or study. Conclude by describing why you are a deserving applicant You should conclude with why you are deserving candidate by connecting the dots between your academic qualifications, your career and personal goals, your personal strengths and skills, and your determination to succeed in your studies on the program at the University of your Choice. I really wish you the very best if you are applying to study at a UK university. I hope these points help you all in your applications.

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Higher Education Education Digest Digest Higher May 2022 October 2020