Avenues for strategic academic alliances via bilateral relations

1. N.Ramesh Kumar ,
Advisor, OCFS,
Karnataka State Higher Education Council (KSHEC),
Bengaluru,
November 2016
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2.  OCFS was established during last September 2015 with an
agenda to internationalization of Higher Education in Karnataka.
The attached power point presentation will provide a general
view of the current activity. All the Universities in Karnataka need
to work towards internationalization as there are many benefits
to the state. The opportunities include enhanced capacity,
greater access, joint curricula, greater diversity of courses,
exposure to a variety of teaching and learning methods, growing
comparability of qualifications, student mobility, exposure to
established systems of education administration and
management, less brain drain of gifted students, fusion of
cultures, exchange of research ideas and enhanced research
capacity, multinational and cross-disciplinary teams and the
generation of new academic environments.
 The challenges and risks concern quality of provision, high fees
leading to elitist provision and inequality of access leading to a
two-tier system which is inconsistent with the equity and access
drivers of the state’s education policy.
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3.  One of the suggestion of OCFS is for Creating ‘education hubs ‘or Centres of
Excellences (CoEs) strategically in Bengaluru and allowing reputable overseas
institutions/universities to establish a presence in India, through joint initiatives
(with any local university) in curriculum design and delivery, branch campuses,
train the trainer initiatives and joint research and scholarly activities could help
build capacity, reduce the imbalance in student mobility and attract significant
export earnings. The number of overseas students, which is less than 1 % of the
total number of students in higher education in Karnataka, is miniscule when
compared to 21.4% enrolled in Australia and 19.5% in the United Kingdom (2015
data).
 China, a relatively new entrant in attracting international students, has
approximately 330,000 international students with a target of 500,000 by 2020.
Singapore with 90,000 international students and Malaysia with a target of
200,000 by 2020 have also become strong international education destinations.
Our objective for Universities is to see how we can build capacity, increase access,
encourage research capability, enhance quality and encourage diversity (source IIE
New York).
 All universities in the state must define its higher education objectives to be both
globally and locally relevant in order to benefit from increased global student
mobility and growing internationalization and globalisation. Karnataka has all the
potential and a clear higher education franchise promotion would bring in benefits
in higher education.
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4.  Karnataka is a blessed state as its strength lies in
its qualified and skilled manpower supported
well will 52 Universities in the State.
 Going forward, Karnataka will become a hub of
supply of qualified and skilled manpower both
within India and globally.
 To this end, we are providing our institutions
with the best teaching methods coupled with an
extensive use of ICT.
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5.  Total population: 64 million
 Percentage of people less that 35 years: 60%
 Approx number of school going children:9
million (upto 10th standard).
 Our of the above, approx number of students
studying upto 12th standard: 3.0 million
 Approx number of students undertaking
college/university education: 2.1 million.
 Karnataka Gross Enrolment Ratio (Higher
Education) – approx 26.2% (all India 23.3).
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6.  Today in Karnataka we are ensuring that our
University graduates (including foreign
students) have all the necessary
competencies, transversal skills to
comfortably adapt to any international
markets and the global environment.
 Providing quality Higher Education is the
main agenda and cornerstone of the State of
Karnataka for our youths to become global
citizens.
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7.  USA earns approx. $ 27 billion
(annually through International Students, academic research
collaboration - tuitions, living, transportation, etc).
 UK : …… 8.5 billion Pounds
 Ireland : 900 million Euros
 Germany: 900 million Euros
 Australia : 19.1 billion Aus. Dollars
 New Zealand : 2.3 billion NZ dollars
 Canada: 5.5 billion Canadian Dollars
 INDIA … (estimated 0.2 US $ billion)
 *Students from India contribute approximately (outward
mobility) US$ 8 billion annually.
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8.  Karnataka has 52 universities, out of which 25 State Universities, 1 Central
University, 14 Deemed Universities, and 12 Private Universities (approved by
Government of Karnataka).
 The state boasts of national-level institutions in almost every discipline such as
health, management, science and technology, law, social science, education,
linguistics as well as an IIM, IISc, IIIT, TIFR, National Law School, NIMHANS, ISEC,
RIE Mysore, Regional Institute of English and many more.
 There are over 2292 degree colleges affiliated to any of the state universities.
There are 207 engineering colleges, 61 medical colleges, 48 dental colleges, 280
management institutions as well as 305 Polytechnics** and also Pharmacy, Yoga,
Fashion Designs, Homeopathy colleges and over 60 international schools.
 **We are keen to promote vocational education/training as well in Karnataka.
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9.  Globalization and technological change processes that have accelerated in
tandem over the past fifteen years.
 Today, active level of work is being directed by the Department of Higher
Education to enhancing of ICT use in State Universities so as to provide
the full spectrum of support in such areas as automation of administrative
aspects, streamlining of both admissions and examinations process, e-
content, e-learning, HRMS, etc.
 All these to ensure necessary governance, transparency and a streamlined
approach for providing Higher Education in Karnataka.
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10.  We had recently (3 months ago) organised a workshop on internationalization of higher
education in Karnataka as part of our Overseas Centre for Foreign Students (OCFS)
under the Karnataka State Higher Education Council (KSHEC).
 The theme of the workshop was to examine capacity building for Global Learning
through shared commitment of the higher education sector to encourage peer to peer
research, student mobility and encourage innovation. Known resource persons/Experts
were invited from Pune, Chandigarh, New Delhi and Bengaluru to conduct the 4
working sessions on the advantages of internationalization.
 The workshop also explored opportunities for our universities in study, joint
research/avenues, network services, mobility issues, networking and exploring strategic
academic alliances with overseas universities.
 It addressed such issues as the institutional developments to maximize learning,
improved course delivery methods, pedagogy application oriented curriculum designs,
sharing of best practices across the globe. The audiences, including Consul Generals of
various countries based in Bengaluru (265 nos) have been sensitized to this new
concept of Internationalization and its latent benefits.
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12.  Today we have 13,900 foreign students studying
in Karnataka. This is split up as follows:
 Universities and affiliated Colleges: 9,000
 Private Institutions: 5,000
 Total Number of foreign students in India is
38,500.
 Share of Karnataka:36%. (max % share in India)
 Since the start of OCFS, the absolute number of
foreign students increase in the state is 1900.
 Majority of the foreign students (70%) are
admitted into private and deemed universities
and private institutions in such courses as
Engineering, Medicine and Management studies.
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13.  Total FOREX Earning by India – data 2015: (12 months period)
 From all the foreign students (including tuition fee, visa charges,
living expenses, etc) = USS$ 200 million.
 Percentage of Foreign students studying in Karnataka:36%
 Forex earning by Karnataka: US$ 72 million p.a.
 Conversion: eqvt: Rs. 4824 million or Rs.482 crores.
 Karnataka students studying abroad:
 Outward remittance = US$ 1 billion: or Rs. 6800 crores. p.a.
 NB: Karnataka is in the 7th position after (1) Andhra, (2)Telangana,
 (3 & 4) Gujarat and Rajasthan, (5) All North India (including New
Delhi) and (6)Tamil Nadu and (8) all other remaining states.
 India annually spends forex of US$ 8 billion for education abroad of
our students.
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14.  1) **Student Mobility: We would like to invite students from various foreign countries to
study in our various Universities. Foreign students and Indians (with foreign passports) can
come for formal degree courses or short term certificate courses. Foreign Governments can
constitute Scholarships for deserving students on similar lines as ICCR (MEA New Delhi).
 ** Reference OCFS brochure and website: www.ocfskarnataka.in
 2) Visa and arrival: We are working towards streamlining the Visa and arrival process for
foreign students. Each of our University has a designated Nodal Officer and an International
Centre in their campus. The Nodal Officer is responsible to ensure that foreign students are
settled well in their respective campuses and all paper work and documentation is in place
including international student card, fee payment, FRRO registration, insurance and
hostel/housing facilities.
 3) Vocational Education: We are keen to provide Vocational Education in collaboration with
businesses and industry. We want to assist both Indian and foreign students through this
and eventually make them ready for the job market. This aids mobility of students both ways
as well.
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15.  Art and Design - arts and healthcare, contemporary crafts,
ceramics and textiles, Asian arts,
 Health – Bio photonics, advanced genetics, cell & molecular
biology, ageing, musculoskeletal rehabilitation, microbiology,
 Education – New policies and practice, Education of Children
and Young People,
 Creative writing & poetry, literary criticism & English language.
 Sociology and Social Policy: New issues on Gender & Sexuality,
Critical Disability Studies, Urban Geography
 Aviation, Transport & the Environment.
 Advanced joint research in Sensing & Imaging.
 Electrochemistry, graphene and carbon nanotubes
 Mechanical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering
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16.  For an MOU with a Foreign University/Government
 The objective of a typical CoE will be to act as a channel for all Universities in
Karnataka. They will have multiple products delivered through it. CoE will focus on
improving the standards of higher education in Karnataka by sharing of best
practices, faculty movement, joint research opportunities. Joint meetings,
receiving of faculty and delegation from Overseas, exploring new areas of strategic
academic collaboration, finding new partners, investments for joint research
undertaking, etc.
 As a first stage, Our Universities would join hands with an Overseas University to
select specific topics/areas of interest and develop necessary course curriculum
(suitable to our environment).
 We are also looking at areas as advancement in Logistics and Supply Chain
Management (new developments), Sports Science, SME development activities.
 Once a curriculum is developed, these courses could be accessible to all
Universities in Karnataka.
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17.  The conventional one focuses more on student mobility and to some
extent faculty mobility as a strategy. We wish to undertake business
models for strategic academic alliances.
 We would like to go selectively and approach by identifying a few high
quality select institutions abroad and invite them to come to India, to
share teaching and research experience with Indian students and
faculty.
 Also, such institutions will be provided a conductive atmosphere to
examine and set up joint venture academic alliances, joint degree
programs.
 Our Universities will be provided additional required support in this
regard, to facilitate, inter alia, student and faculty exchanges with the
Overseas Joint partner University.
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18.  OCFS/KSHEC will take active part next year in the Bharatiya Pravasi Divas in Bengaluru
scheduled to take place during January 2017. We invite all our dignitaries present here
as well as the Indian diaspora to visit Bengaluru for this program.
 We have written letters to receive Academic delegation from Overseas Minister of
Higher Education and work out specific action plans for bilateral cooperation in higher
education in Karnataka.
 We have recently written to our Ambassadors in South East Asian (ASEAN) countries,
Oceania, MHRD & MEA to promote OCFS Karnataka. The response have been very
positive.
 Our Higher Education and OCFS brochures have been circulated to about 60 Embassy’s
in New Delhi and about 100 organisations across India to sensitize them on the latent
potential of Higher Education in Karnataka.
 Thank you all.
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20.  Mr. Nanjundaiya Ramesh Kumar holds two Master’s degrees in Industrial
Economics from Brussels University, Brussels, Belgium and in Business
Administration from Boston University, Boston, US. He is well versed in
French language as he had lived in Brussels, Belgium for 7 years. He has
spent almost 3 decades overseas. A career International Banker with over
30 years of solid work experience which he has gained in well-known
International Banks in such countries as Greece, Belgium, Egypt, Dubai,
Muscat, Riyadh and India. A widely traveled person across various
continents and with a deep interest in academics and students mobility,
education tourism and consulting. His forte is franchise promotion and
exploring bilateral trade avenues. He is currently working as the Advisor
– Overseas Centre for Foreign Students (OCFS) at the Karnataka State
Higher Education Council – KSHEC (Department of Higher Education),
Bengaluru. The Mission of OCFS is for Internationalisation of Higher
Education in Karnataka and to promote Karnataka globally as an
attractive Centre for Higher Education. His passion is to motivate
students and to see that they become global citizens. To this end, he
teaches a couple of courses to M.Com & MBA students at the well-
known Educational Institutions in Bengaluru by sharing career
experiences, imparting knowledge and empowering students.
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