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In recent years, immense emphasis has been placed on bringing Industry and Academia together to create an employable workforce for our own country, India, and the industry globally. In sync with this thought, the 18th Annual FICCI Higher Education Summit, held in Delhi from the 28th to 30th November 2023, presented a timely opportunity for discussions and deliberations to help higher education institutions in India create the best resources to man the industries.
As the Chair of FICCI Higher Education, I was at the helm of several discussions, and nothing gives me more pleasure than fruitful discussions on higher education emanating from the experiences of stalwarts in the field. The two-day-long conference saw participation from government officials, leaders of higher education institutions in India and abroad, students, faculty and even those interested in business, posing to be the perfect conglomeration of industry and academia.
Interestingly, the VCs’ roundtable, organized on the 28th of November, talked about the significance of benchmarking for higher education institutions. As the Pro-Chancellor of Symbiosis International (Deemed University), one of the country’s most recognized higher education institutions, I was thrilled to Chair this session. The conference was inaugurated by the CEO of NITI Aayog Mr BVR Subramaniam. He spoke very well on the need for imparting education which makes our Indian youth suitable to industries not just in India but all across the globe. He even talked about the government’s consistent efforts at creating opportunities for employment for the youth, and also means by which they can upskill themselves. On Day-2 the Secretary of Higher Education, GoI, Mr. Sanjay Murthy talked about the importance of accreditation of Indian Universities, which would help them gain national and international recognition.
One of the sessions on the topic – Advancing the Global Agenda: Universities as the Key Partners in Achieving Sustainable Development Goals, brought out how universities can effectively align their teaching, research and community engagement efforts with the SDGs. It also reflected how universities can address complex societal and environmental issues through interdisciplinary research collaborations and technological advancements. But all these goals can only be attained with collaborations and partnerships between educational institutions and governments, NGOs, industries and local communities.
Coming to communities, the time has come for us to recognize the larger communities of the world, such as the Global South. As India moves towards passing the baton to Brazil, which will then move to South Africa, the prominence of the Global South among the Group of 20 countries and their impact on the other countries of the world is multiplied several times. The Global South has been recognized as it comprises diverse and dynamic economies, cultures and societies, whereby this region plays a crucial role in redefining the paradigms of development, innovation, and international relations. I Chaired a session on Globalizing Higher Education: A Perspective from the Global South, and the ensuing discussions brought out some common problems shared by all stakeholders from the Global South. The global south especially the African continent has a young aspirant population like India has. The median age of the population of Africa is 18.8 years as against the median age of the Indian population which is at 28.2 years. A co-panelist, Dr. Agnes Atim Apea, a member of Parliament Uganda, talked about the relevance of education to the needs of a country. She gave a straightforward yet meaningful example of coffee beans being a major cash crop of Uganda, but how lack of knowledge of turning them into premium consumable coffee leads others to take advantage of the opportunity. I am sure many other countries, including mine, face similar issues and are left wanting knowledge.
Therefore, help is awaiting those who are ready to seek it. It is time for the youth to generate fresh ideas, bring them to the FICCI Conference and other such platforms and find ways to give shape to their beliefs.
The world belongs to those who endeavour to make a place for themselves, and one cannot achieve it without voicing their thought.