IITs' global focus grows dim
While the IITs may tie up with international universities, they have decided to go slow on their global plans.
By Mansi Bhatt, TNN |
NEW DELHI: The ambitious plans of the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) to go global have been put on hold. In late ‘04, the review committee of the IITs had expressed the need for operating campuses abroad and increasing intake.
But while the government encouraged the IITs to raise intake and expand within the country, it gave a thumbs down to global expansion. The institute had to face the wrath of the government with the proposed reservation for the other backward classes (OBCs) in higher education. The HRD ministry, headed by Arjun Singh, made it clear to the IITs and IIMs, “Go global. But serve your country first.”
“Our review committee had suggested setting up campuses in foreign lands. We are considering programmes abroad through joint ventures, but our focus will be mainly on strengthening presence in India," says a professor at IIT-Delhi. The report prepared by the committee states, “In view of the international visibility acquired by the IITs, setting up campuses abroad will globalise the IIT brand name.”
The commitee says that the benefits are aplenty. “It will help students in foreign countries to gain quality education and build a formidable pool of goodwill for India and the IITs. This will also lead the best of the graduates from foreign lands to pursue PG and PhD programmes in the IITs in India.”
However, according to the insiders, the international plans were mainly to increase the revenues, to support the local expansion and increase faculty salaries. Considering the constraints in implementation, the committee proposed that the IIT system as a whole in India can act as a leading consortium when agencies abroad express interest in adopting the IIT model.
While the IITs are still open to joint ventures with the leading international universities, they have decided to go very slow on the global plans. The industry sources say that IIT- Mumbai, Kanpur and Roorkee are still working towards enhancing their international presence.
At present, there are seven IITs in India. But while five IITs were established between 1950 and 1961, only two more were set up in the past 10-12 years. This slow expansion within the country, has proved to be a deterrent for the international plans.
But while the government encouraged the IITs to raise intake and expand within the country, it gave a thumbs down to global expansion. The institute had to face the wrath of the government with the proposed reservation for the other backward classes (OBCs) in higher education. The HRD ministry, headed by Arjun Singh, made it clear to the IITs and IIMs, “Go global. But serve your country first.”
“Our review committee had suggested setting up campuses in foreign lands. We are considering programmes abroad through joint ventures, but our focus will be mainly on strengthening presence in India," says a professor at IIT-Delhi. The report prepared by the committee states, “In view of the international visibility acquired by the IITs, setting up campuses abroad will globalise the IIT brand name.”
The commitee says that the benefits are aplenty. “It will help students in foreign countries to gain quality education and build a formidable pool of goodwill for India and the IITs. This will also lead the best of the graduates from foreign lands to pursue PG and PhD programmes in the IITs in India.”
However, according to the insiders, the international plans were mainly to increase the revenues, to support the local expansion and increase faculty salaries. Considering the constraints in implementation, the committee proposed that the IIT system as a whole in India can act as a leading consortium when agencies abroad express interest in adopting the IIT model.
While the IITs are still open to joint ventures with the leading international universities, they have decided to go very slow on the global plans. The industry sources say that IIT- Mumbai, Kanpur and Roorkee are still working towards enhancing their international presence.
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At present, there are seven IITs in India. But while five IITs were established between 1950 and 1961, only two more were set up in the past 10-12 years. This slow expansion within the country, has proved to be a deterrent for the international plans.
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