Careers360 World-class universities: What can India learn? | Page 4

World class
university
INTRODUCTION

On a Mission to be recognized
among the best in the world

Strategy | funding initiatives

Brain Korea 21 Group (BK 21)

research standard and are sufficiently attractive to prompt
frontline researchers from around the world to work in them.
Financial support of about ¥1.3-1.4 billion annually per center is available for 10- 15 years horizon, with definite achievement milestones.

China’s 1000 Talents Plan

Singapore: Research Centres
of Excellence (RCEs)

The objective of the project is to nurture world class graduate
schools with enough capability to produce creative knowledge in strategically important sectors for Korea - 1.2 billion
dollars in seven years.
The aim is to recruit, in 5 to 10 years, and provide financial
support for outstanding scientists and leading experts who
will work in China and play a leading role in the development
of high-tech industries or new fields of study.

The Research Centres of Excellence (RCE) scheme was set
up in 2007 to spur research excellence in the local universities. The RCE programme aims to attract, retain and support
world-class academic investigators, enhance graduate education in universities and train quality research manpower and
also create new knowledge

Hong Kong: Areas of Excellence Scheme

AoE (Areas of Excellence) scheme in Hong Kong is directed
towards boosting research capacity, specifically in areas
which have a chance of gaining international influence. A total
of HK$427m was allocated to 10 AoEs.

Taiwan’s World-Class University Initiative

Beginning in 2006, the MOE sponsored the Development
Plan for World-class Universities and Research Centers
of Excellence, providing 11 top universities and affiliated
research centers with funding of NT$50 billion (US$1.70 billion) over a five-year period. This is given to strengthen basic
university education, recruit first-rate foreign professors and
promote international academic collaboration.

Japan: World Premier International
Research Center (WPI) Initiative

World Premier International Research Center Initiative
(WPI) was launched in 2007 in a drive to build within Japan
“globally visible” research centers that suggest a very high

8. Industry-linked research: WCUs
value knowledge production. Their
labs are cutting edge and they work
closely with the industry.

What makes a WCU?

1. Investment: Top universities cost
money. The minimum annual
expenditure would be about Rs.
3000-4000 crores. .
2. Meritorious students: Top universities invariably have an extraordinarily large student body.

3. Great faculty: Nobel Prize, Fields
medals, academy fellowships.
WCUs have the leading scholars in
each discipline working for them.
4. Great Infrastructure: Most of them
are in metropolitan towns, have cutting edge infrastructure and provide
plug and play environment. Can we
do that?
5. Governance Structures: About 70%
of the top 100 universities are autonomous in nature and 95% have very
little political influence in academic
and governance matters.
6. Diversified student body: All top

9. Active alumni: Most WCUs have
very active alumni and they invest in
maintaining the relationship.

India needs at least 10 world class
universities in the coming decades
and they can be created at 1/3rd
of the global cost

10. All round development - sports, literary pursuits, fine arts, WCUs provide tremendous opportunities.

universities invariably have a large
international body of students.

In each domain we attempted to identify global best practices and establish
benchmarks that Indian Universities
can emulate. We also spoke to a srange
of thought leaders to comment on these
issues. That India has a long way to
go before any of its institution can be
called WCU is relatively clear. We hope
the issue kindles a vigorous debate This
great country deserves at least one truly
world class university.

7. Academic productivity: Top universities publish heavily, and their per
faculty productivity is about 3.1.

(With inputs from Dr. Swapan Kumar
Patra, Aeshwarya Tiwari, Alok Mishra,
Prerna Singh & Shiphony Pavithran Suri)

Prof. VV Krishna

Senior Academic at