University education at a crossroads

RESEARCH is a requirement for university teaching. "Publish or perish" is an oft quoted phrase in academia, which underlines this requirement. Quality and number both matter. The number of citations is often used as a parameter for balancing quality with number. Faculty quality evaluated as such is an important input to the university quality (ranking).

There has been a healthy growth in the number of universities over the last decade. A growing economy and rising population are the drivers of this increase. But the number has not kept up with the quality of education. Faculty quality is a major weakness which affects university quality. Faculty weakness is a function of weakness in research. The weakness arises from two factors in the main, availability of funds and mentoring. Fund is necessary for journals, books, conference participation and direct costs such as data collection. Mentoring helps as most faculties in our universities, being young, lack experience and exposure.

That the universities in the country lag behind regional peers can be seen from various ranking lists. These rankings are done through a check list of desirable standards similar to those used by the better known agencies such as the ISO. Though ISO standards are designed by international bodies the certifications are done through independent third parties.

Unlike the ISOs, university rankings, i.e. setting the criteria and giving rank, are done by the same organisation. Modalities of rating vary from the entire organisation to a particular programme within the organisation. The ISO ratings are mostly done for individual organisations engaged in a single activity such as production. The certification applies to the process that attests to the quality of the product.

A university is a different type of setup having diverse mix of products and processes. Programmes within a single discipline can also vary widely in forms and processes. For a university the rating of a programme can be of more relevance than an overall judgment, except on generic issues such as admission, examination etc. that apply across all disciplines. For example, AACSB and EQUIS are two organisations that rank business school programmes. Professional bodies such as pharmacy keep separate tab on academic qualifications relevance through programme specifications. Some even run parallel programmes such as the Institute of Accountants. There is no reason why ISO type qualification cannot be set for generic items such as admissions as well.

Innovation is as much a requirement in an academic institution as in business and industry. Innovation, both in offerings and processes, is important. Education is a process for imparting knowledge. As in any other process the format of education has been changing over time. In the olden days Euclid considered knowledge was for the sake of knowledge itself. Socratic promise was to set the learner free. Today, it is gainful employment. Unless a learner can connect with the societal needs through a vocation the knowledge is not as valuable.

In the past, education was a public function. The rendering was almost free and one had to compete for limited places. With the broadening of the platform to include private participation the scope of inclusion has increased manifold, to the extent that almost anyone who can pay for it can have it. On the other hand, the standard settings require that not everyone may avail everything since learning is a function of ability beyond financial means. This may be a reason why education in the private sector is faltering in the country in its eagerness to embrace all. Treating education as a tradable commodity is a risky business. This is where standard setting can help.

It may take a while before our universities start emerging proudly among the regional peers in terms of quality. The reason for this delay, apart from obvious weaknesses, stems from unusual areas of check boxes. For example, an interesting check box in the quality requirement of a university curriculum can be the mix of nationalities. Exposure to cross-cultural nuances is now a requirement of many academic curricula. The olden practice of year-end study tour that continues today attends to this need, though in a limited manner.

A fuller version of this requirement met in some western universities is students spending a semester or two in a parallel institution in a foreign country, such as US students spending time in European or Asian universities. The obtained grades in the assigned courses are treated as part of the parent university transcript. Doing internship in a foreign country is a close equivalent. Foreign students not only bring cultural and outlook diversity but also put a compulsion on the pedagogy in terms of language used and use of examples to illustrate course topics. Education has to be global in connectivity and reach.

An intermediate approach towards attaining global respectability can be through prioritising the areas of deficiency. The Association of Management Development Institutes of South Asia (AMDISA) has adopted this approach through a regional version of standard setting for business schools. This may be considered a pragmatic approach towards the long term goal of excellence that all universities in the country aspire to. It is possible that the regulator steps in though the public sector is known to be handicapped by inflexibility that can jeopardise the whole initiative. The private sector on the other hand is handicapped by a weakness towards profit.

This dichotomy is due to the age-old perception that education cannot be a tradable commodity. As per our experience since private sector education was introduced in the country it may not be incorrect to say that unless education, in particular university education, can be de-linked from the profit aspect of pure business, quality in education will remain elusive. The few success stories that we see in the private sector in the region are outcome of de-linked management. There is no better place to test the concept of social business than in university education that has now become a national worry.

Quality in education is also dependent on supporting infrastructure from classrooms to laboratories, computing facilities to recreation areas and social mixing areas to eateries. The supporting elements are relatively easier to procure assuming funds are available. But fund is a serious constraint for our universities. This is more so for new universities, in particular those located in the city area, due to premium prices on everything.

This is a Catch 22 situation as location is an important factor for a prospective student. The gap can only be bridged through philanthropic or entrepreneurial enthusiasts willing to provide funds without strings. We have seen it happen in many developing countries though it may be a while before individuals such as Bill Gates or Warren Buffet emerge in our country. Social responsibility, corporate governance and social business are areas of business that have drawn much attention in recent years. Perhaps these elements could find a role in creating a university of our aspirations.

The writer is a former Director, Institute of Business Administration.