‘Research funding in this country is absolutely inadequate’: Ashoka University Chairman BoG

NEW DELHI: Pramath Raj Sinha is chairman, board of governors, Ashoka University and founding dean of ISB Hyderabad. He is also on the boards of several education institutions and helped to set up over a dozen institutions of higher education in India and abroad. He is also a founder of 9.9 group and Harappa Education. He spoke to Careers360 about Ashoka, liberal arts education, online education, and more.

Q. Why did you start Ashoka University and what is your vision for this university?

A. The idea was to build a university of global standards. When we embarked on this journey 15 years ago, our vision was clear. We aimed to establish India’s finest university that would also have a global ranking. At that time, it was evident that most Indian universities were not among the top hundred or even the top 200. There were only a few specialized institutions like IISc and some IITs that made it to the rankings. However, these institutions primarily focused on science
and engineering.

We saw a need for an institution in India that could provide top-notch education across various disciplines. Currently, many people choose to go abroad for higher education. Our aim was to create a great university within India and demonstrate that it is possible.

Q. Could you please share your journey from starting ISB to establishing Ashoka?

A. When starting ISB, our initial focus was on establishing a business school. ISB’s success inspired the emergence of new universities in India. While ISB prioritises its business school, I believed in building a more comprehensive university. [With Ashoka University,] initially, we aimed for a university with diverse disciplines, but financial constraints led us to focus on liberal arts instead. Liberal arts encompass humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences, including computer science. It emphasises both breadth and depth, allowing undergraduates to explore various subjects and change their preferences. Our approach also emphasises post-admission flexibility, a crucial aspect globally but not prevalent in India.

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Q. Many seem to think liberal arts students struggle to get placed. What’s your take on this?

A. The myth that liberal arts subjects lead to unemployment is not true in India or globally. Graduates from Delhi University, St. Stephen’s College, Lady Shri Ram College, Miranda House, St. Xavier’s, Presidency, Christ, Anna University and Ashoka University find jobs. Around 50% to 60% of Ashoka graduates work in the corporate world, with consulting firms, banking and finance firms, and technology firms hiring them. Ashoka University has a placement cell, and they track placement numbers and salaries. The average salary for an Ashoka graduate is now around Rs. 12 lakh per year. This applies to undergraduate students.

Q. How do you address students’ concerns about jobs during economic slowdown?

A. I have seen many economic cycles occur throughout my career, and I have personally experienced the effects of such cycles. For example, when I completed my PhD in 1991, there was a placement crisis due to the ongoing Gulf War. However, it is important to explain to students that these cycles are a part of the economic landscape. In good institutions, talented students have never had a problem finding jobs.

While there may be instances of job offers being withdrawn or layoffs occurring, ultimately, skilled students still find employment because the economy and job market continue to grow. Economies bounce back, and people transition between companies.

Q. Is there any plan of having a management programme at Ashoka?

A. Not at the moment. We decided not to establish professional schools. Our belief is that professional schools tend to push students into specialisation too early. Additionally, there are already sufficient postgraduate professional schools in the country. We identified a significant gap in providing this type of education at the undergraduate level, as well as at the Masters and PhD levels. However, in the future, we might consider offering an MBA or a law programme. We are not ruling it out, but currently, our focus is on undergraduate, masters, and PhD programmes. The undergraduate programme has reached around 800 students this year, with plans to expand to 1,200 or more.

Q. What reforms do you think the Indian system needs?

A. Number one is the flexibility in choosing your discipline when you enter an educational institution. Number two: giving people the flexibility of not specialising too early, focusing on breadth and multidisciplinary learning which is there in the NEP (National Education Policy). But implementing that is not going to be easy for existing institutions. Setting a very high bar for research.

Then, we need to allocate more money towards research. Research funding in this country is absolutely inadequate, which is why most innovations in technology and science are coming from the West.

And finally, reforms. There’s just too much bureaucracy. We are very heavily regulated and what is monitored is the input, not the output. So, we almost have a licensing regime where to enter, you need permission.

So, I think accreditation has to be much more important than licensing and regulation. We need to have a very transparent and high-quality accreditation system, which we today don’t have. Most people get NAAC A and NAAC A+, and NAAC is the only body that does it.

Q. What challenges would you like to highlight?

A. The challenges revolve around the low capacity, high demand, and poor quality in the education system. Despite opening new institutions and creating more campuses, there is a significant shortage of faculty and inadequate training for them.

This creates a vicious cycle where individuals with degrees from low-quality institutions enter new institutions and perpetuate poor quality. As a result, there is an increasing demand for faculty, but without the availability of high-quality educators. The expansion of capacity without ensuring high-quality faculty remains the biggest challenge for our country, which has persisted for the past 25 years.

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Q. Should the university system be expanded or consolidated? Should there be greater emphasis on online education?

A. It is not advisable to shrink the system through consolidation, but rather we need more institutions to meet the growing demand. The solution lies in developing high-quality online education that is accessible to all.

The government’s plan to establish a digital university is critical in this regard. Online education has the advantage of delivering every course and programme at a high standard, promoting democratisation and affordability. To provide affordable and state-of-the-art education to our youth, online education is the way forward, considering the large population of our country. The traditional physical model will be insufficient to meet the demand effectively and will remain rigid.

Q. How you raised funds for Ashoka University and what scholarships do you offer?

A. We have raised funds through donations. Currently, we have raised around Rs. 2,000 crores. Over 200 founders and numerous contributors have generously contributed to Ashoka University’s growth and development. Yes, we have a scholarship programme that supports students financially.

We have a strong scholarship program, with over 50% of students receiving some form of scholarship. Approximately 10 to 15% of students receive a completely free education based on merit. The selection process involves an application, SAT or Ashoka test scores, an interview, and then the students can apply for financial aid based on their family income. We have provided a completely free education to 1,700 students at Ashoka.