March 2013

Making Education Accessible, Relevant, and Internationalized – India’s Goals for Education Reform

What makes a world class university? Many of the same attributes that make a quality community college. As India strives to raise its educational standards and performance, improving accessibility, relevance, and internationalization will be the key criteria for raising the bar across the educational spectrum.

Indian universities continue to fall short in global and regional ranking lists, prompting education experts as well as India’s politicians to increasingly cite the need for universities to produce graduates in subjects that are directly relevant to industry needs.  However, a robust educational system will also recognize that everyone need not obtain a PhD.  Universities and community colleges can both create two-year associate degree or certificate programs that will provide students with the opportunity to gain knowledge and skills training in a targeted and industry-relevant area.  Universities can also increase accessibility by making courses or lectures available online, while community colleges increase accessibility by providing diverse training options and accommodating a broader and typically non-traditional student body.

Finally, international partnerships, collaborations and exchanges will help infuse the Indian educational system with a global outlook, and aid educators in critically examining curricula, research programs and governance structures. Not only will the Indian educational system benefit from being exposed to and learning from international best practices, but the visibility gained through international partnerships may just finally gain Indian universities the global recognition that has eluded them thus far.