Careers360 World-class universities: What can India learn?

World class university Area A University needs space for reflection and solitude Large land parcels have been the hallmark of great universities though compact but great campuses are also there. We discuss the global norm… Stanford university with an 8,180 acres campus is the world’s largest, and is home to 21 Nobel laureates Does size impede interaction? by Team Careers360 T he size of the university, its campus and student population can greatly influence your learning experience. Moving from a small high school or a college to a big university can be unsettling or it could just be the change you need. The size of the university affects the number of courses being offered, research laboratories, size of classes, faculty interaction, extracurricular activities, sports facilities, social milieu and so on. Large campuses invariably will have more number of courses and faculty members, and as such more space would be available for your academic, personal and social life. A sprawling campus can indeed lead to a stimulating experience. 54 Careers 360 January 2014 The disadvantage quoted in terms of less interaction with faculty and peers does not really hold water since great universities do not compromise on quality standards. For instance, as long as student to faculty ratio is maintained ideally, the students would not suffer. Large universities have become highly vertically integrated implying that they can offer courses at the undergraduate, graduate, and professional level. They can also support medical education and hospitals, centres of excellence; industry programmes, continuous education, athletics, libraries, museums, entertainment and so on. There has been a rise in interdisciplinary fields, for example, nanotechnology, bioethics or humankinetics, which mean that within the campus, if the university is big enough one can opt for electives in the desired domain and also be sure of learning resources and expertise. Where does world stand? Yale University, with 835 acres, though not as large as Stanford University and others (See Graph) states that its ability to fulfil its academic mission is enhanced by insistence upon excellence in its physical facilities and surroundings. The university has 440 buildings,

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