Rejoinder to the Pondering over our future. Part Two
What I want to create is a special University.
No not just another University… a special university. Rather a chain of Universities. One located in each of the six geographical regions of India- North, South, East, West, Central and North-East. May be one in each state… we need it for a billion plus population.
For whom?
For students around the world- from the under-developed Africa, from the advanced Europe and the US, from the aspiring Far-East, everywhere. But with a difference, I would like to reserve a half of the total seats for Indians. This will ensure a heavy dose of international exposure to Indian students… not in the tangible sense of visiting those countries, but in the sense of finding out how a student from Angola, Vietnam, Ecuador, Nicaragua, Armenia, and Algeria perceives the world around him- what he thinks about India and what are his aspirations in life. And for that purpose let the Indian government bear their expenses, it is a capital expenditure… with very very high intangible returns.
The Indian students in these Universities should be encouraged (or may be forced) to take admissions in a University of a different region, far off from his native state. A Punjabi going to South, a Marathi going to North East, a Tamil going to East. Not only this, there should be a regional, communal balance in the student intake… if it requires reservations, so be it. Regional reservations, religion and caste based reservations, rural background reservations, economic class reservations… everything. This University incidentally wouldn’t be creating Doctors, Engineers, MBAs, it will create think-tanks…and that are best created when plurality is given a chance.
What it will teach?
Anything and everything under the sun. The Undergrad who takes admission in this University will be given few basic courses in Science, Humanities, Linguistics, Law and Policy making… and rest everything will be electives. A subject will be taught if more than two students want to take it. One can study Biotechnology and Genomics, one can study French, one can study Ancient Sanskrit Literature- anything and everything… till it is offered and there are more than 2 students who want to take up this course.
Technically, yes- a person can choose his electives in such a way that he will become an Engineer or a Doctor by the end of the course… (Say by choosing all the electives being offered in the broad realms of Engineering or Medicine) but it would actually serve him no purpose… for he will get a Bachelor's degree in Contemporary or General Studies… he will be a half baked Engineer or Doctor… missing out the opportunity to have incurred a vastly superior Liberal Education in the process.
Before every semester, all the teachers will come out with course that they want to teach… and based on that list one can choose what elective one needs to take up.
Who will teach?
Interesting question… these Universities will have a very small permanent staff, best of the best. If need be, selected by UPSC or similar such process. The vast majority, however, will be drawn from various Universities and other walks of life- from India and abroad on temporary basis- on a deputation… they will be allowed to teach their courses for a semester… and their continuation would depend on both Student interest and feedback. However, none among them will be based in a University for long.
The idea needs to be worked upon… but the centrality of the idea is to create a set-up, where students are given truly liberal education… a Humanities expert who knows the intricacies of Science, a Science expert who knows what French Revolution meant for the Sciences a Law expert who knows what is Biotechnology… and when a few of them come together… they create synergies that ponder over the future of India and humanity.
The education in this University will be project driven, not book driven… studying to create body of knowledge. Apply knowledge to create more knowledge… or if not create then at least systemize the present body of knowledge into a useable format.
Learn from the best practices of the world… don’t accept that a criminal-like police is the only paradigm of policing, don’t believe that Western styled Democracy is the only model of governance related salvation, don’t assume that human rights are a mere lip service. People in different corners of the world are doing different things to succeed and they can very well be replicated in other parts of the world.
And not accept the knowledge as given to you in the books are sacrosanct… question them… think and challenge them or get convinced.
I know I am not clear as to what I am talking about… but I am clear what I am aiming at.
No not just another University… a special university. Rather a chain of Universities. One located in each of the six geographical regions of India- North, South, East, West, Central and North-East. May be one in each state… we need it for a billion plus population.
For whom?
For students around the world- from the under-developed Africa, from the advanced Europe and the US, from the aspiring Far-East, everywhere. But with a difference, I would like to reserve a half of the total seats for Indians. This will ensure a heavy dose of international exposure to Indian students… not in the tangible sense of visiting those countries, but in the sense of finding out how a student from Angola, Vietnam, Ecuador, Nicaragua, Armenia, and Algeria perceives the world around him- what he thinks about India and what are his aspirations in life. And for that purpose let the Indian government bear their expenses, it is a capital expenditure… with very very high intangible returns.
The Indian students in these Universities should be encouraged (or may be forced) to take admissions in a University of a different region, far off from his native state. A Punjabi going to South, a Marathi going to North East, a Tamil going to East. Not only this, there should be a regional, communal balance in the student intake… if it requires reservations, so be it. Regional reservations, religion and caste based reservations, rural background reservations, economic class reservations… everything. This University incidentally wouldn’t be creating Doctors, Engineers, MBAs, it will create think-tanks…and that are best created when plurality is given a chance.
What it will teach?
Anything and everything under the sun. The Undergrad who takes admission in this University will be given few basic courses in Science, Humanities, Linguistics, Law and Policy making… and rest everything will be electives. A subject will be taught if more than two students want to take it. One can study Biotechnology and Genomics, one can study French, one can study Ancient Sanskrit Literature- anything and everything… till it is offered and there are more than 2 students who want to take up this course.
Technically, yes- a person can choose his electives in such a way that he will become an Engineer or a Doctor by the end of the course… (Say by choosing all the electives being offered in the broad realms of Engineering or Medicine) but it would actually serve him no purpose… for he will get a Bachelor's degree in Contemporary or General Studies… he will be a half baked Engineer or Doctor… missing out the opportunity to have incurred a vastly superior Liberal Education in the process.
Before every semester, all the teachers will come out with course that they want to teach… and based on that list one can choose what elective one needs to take up.
Who will teach?
Interesting question… these Universities will have a very small permanent staff, best of the best. If need be, selected by UPSC or similar such process. The vast majority, however, will be drawn from various Universities and other walks of life- from India and abroad on temporary basis- on a deputation… they will be allowed to teach their courses for a semester… and their continuation would depend on both Student interest and feedback. However, none among them will be based in a University for long.
The idea needs to be worked upon… but the centrality of the idea is to create a set-up, where students are given truly liberal education… a Humanities expert who knows the intricacies of Science, a Science expert who knows what French Revolution meant for the Sciences a Law expert who knows what is Biotechnology… and when a few of them come together… they create synergies that ponder over the future of India and humanity.
The education in this University will be project driven, not book driven… studying to create body of knowledge. Apply knowledge to create more knowledge… or if not create then at least systemize the present body of knowledge into a useable format.
Learn from the best practices of the world… don’t accept that a criminal-like police is the only paradigm of policing, don’t believe that Western styled Democracy is the only model of governance related salvation, don’t assume that human rights are a mere lip service. People in different corners of the world are doing different things to succeed and they can very well be replicated in other parts of the world.
And not accept the knowledge as given to you in the books are sacrosanct… question them… think and challenge them or get convinced.
I know I am not clear as to what I am talking about… but I am clear what I am aiming at.
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