The dangers of looking for a fast track to international excellence

ByJandhyala BG Tilak. The Universities for Research and Innovation Bill 2012, introduced in the Indian national parliament in May, aims to create high-quality research and innovation universities, or world-class universities.
These universities are to focus on research and development, to aspire to attain the pinnacle of knowledge in a particular area through innovation in design, and to produce research that will eliminate deprivation by bridging linkages between research institutions and industry. The bill provides for the setting up of new universities by the union government or by private bodies – domestic or foreign – and for the classification of some existing institutions as research and innovation universities.
Viewed as a major component of the India Excellence Initiative, these universities are expected to boost the quality and standards of higher education in the country. It is also hoped that at least some of them will figure in the top 100 or 200 universities in the global rankings – currently there are no Indian institutions in the top 200. With a high degree of autonomy guaranteed, it is hoped that many private and foreign ‘promoters’ will make huge investments and set up strong universities, and thereby contribute to the currently meagre base of research and development investment and help to build a knowledge society.
See also Trade in higher education: The role of the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS).