How higher education is being redefined in India, thanks to the leaders in the sector

How higher education is being redefined in India, thanks to the leaders in the sector

India Today - 20-Jun-2019

"Indian Govt and private players in the education sector need to keep abreast with the latest intellectual and technological trends in the world", says Mr. Suneel Galgotia, Chancellor, Galgotias Univeristy in this exclusive interview.

Choosing the right university is one of the most important decisions you will ever make. With an enrollment of over 15,000 students across disciplines and more than 100 Undergraduate and Post Graduate programs, Galgotias University is pitched to be a global player in the field of education. Devotion to excellence in teaching, research, and innovation, makes this University a true place of learning.

Suneel Galgotia, a visionary entrepreneur began his career path with a humble amount of Rs. 500 to secure an enviable position of a multi-millionaire educationist. His passion for learning and business acumen won him many laurels across the globe. His vision for education led to the formation of Galgotias University in Greater Noida. With 52 Acres of learning environment, 100+ distinguished faculty from top institutions, 180+ labs to explore, 1400 Seater on-campus hostel that feels like home, 140+ top corporates visiting campus for recruitments, Galgotias has become one of the top ranked institutes in Engineering, Management & Law. With approximately 15,000 students enrolled, Galgotias offers scholarships up to 100% for meritorious students. Students are also placed in Fortune 500 companies, MNCs & leading corporate at the end of their academic session.

Suneel Galgotia, Chancellor, Galgotias University

Here’s what he had to say in an exclusive interview with India Today:

What makes Galgotias stand apart from the rest of the universities?

We, at Galgotias University, have taken the responsibility for developing and nurturing world-class professionals, by imbuing them with what we call the Thinking Quotient’. It is our commitment to continuously explore new opportunities by creating new centers of thinking, learning, and growth.

At Galgotias University, we ensure that we are providing students with a deeply transformative experience intellectually, socially and personally that will prepare them for a life of citizenship and leadership. The focus on 360-degree transformation is because we function as an institution that's committed to excellence at all levels.

Over the years, it has been our deep and rich value system that has made Galgotias University synonymous with quality education. By design, learning at Galgotias University is cross-disciplinary and integrative. Our students experience considerable flexibility, freedom, and independence in their academic programs. Given our domain-expert faculty, state-of-the-art infrastructure, international quality teaching pedagogies, excellent nurturing environment for learning and thinking, Galgotias University is emerging as the institution of choice for students of calibre pursuing higher studies. We constantly endeavour to offer world-class educational facilities and practices, and this has ensured that Galgotias University is the favored recruitment destination for blue-chip corporates. Our students are recognized nationally for their research, and public engagement, and make original and substantial contributions to their disciplines. Our graduates become idea-leaders who drive our global future by advancing discoveries, broadening knowledge, fostering entrepreneurship, protecting and sustaining our natural environment, and developing new technologies.

You have come a long way from a humble beginning. To what do you owe your success?

Success is an expression of visionary zeal and hard work. I owe my success to the blessings of God, my family, and the unstinting hard work that I put in to realize my goal of providing quality education. It has been an arduous journey but very enlightening and rewarding too in many ways.

Excellence in the way we serve our society & Excellence in the creation & distribution of new knowledge.
- Suneel Galgotia, Chancellor, Galgotias University

Education is the foundation of every progressive nation. Where does India stand in this sector?

Education is like worship. It requires the same purity of effort, dedication, and sanctity. India, like every other developing nation, is in experimentation, and consequently, implementation mode. Indian Govt and private players in the education sector need to keep abreast with the latest intellectual and technological trends in the world and understand the psycho-somatic profile of their student community in the context of national and international realities.

What changes do you recommend in the current education scenario in India?

Presently, the Central and state governments have formulated and implemented very innovative policies for upgrading higher education in India. However, most of the institutions still follow age-old teaching methodologies and do not have the required infrastructure. Teaching pedagogy needs tremendous improvement.

Graduates at higher educational institutes need to be equipped with problem-solving analytical and innovation skills.

Does India need to increase its student enrolment for higher education?

India needs to step up and inculcate international standards of curriculum in all the top educational institutes. It needs to move away from traditional bottlenecks as the world is fast becoming one human society today, thanks to internet connectivity. Student enrolment will then definitely increase.

Technology in education is a must. Do you agree?

It plays a very significant role in increasing the reach and providing quality education at the same time. For example, video conferencing can be very useful in resolving the scarcity of quality faculty. Similarly, by using VSAT, we can educate the masses, even in the remotest parts of the country.

Dhruv Galgotia, CEO, Galgotias University

How helpful would the Foreign Education Bill be to India?

If the Foreign Education Bill is passed, the Indian education system would be able to collaborate with the best universities from across the world. This will open competition leading to improvement in the quality of education being offered. However, with the current regulations in place, higher education can only be run on not for profit basis making it impossible for any foreign university to set-up campuses in India, thereby not giving home institutes a reason to better their education system.

At Galgotis University, we want to ensure that we are providing students with a deeply transformative experience intellectually, socially and personally that will prepare them for a life of citizenship and leadership.
- Suneel Galgotia, Chancellor, Galgotias University

Private college education is becoming very popular in India. What is your opinion on that?

India, with a population of 1.2 billion, has the largest number of youth in the world. The Indian Government's funding on education is not sufficient and, therefore, private college education is the only means to supplement this need.

It helps in providing computer awareness and gives students access to technology right from school level. I am a strong advocate of public-private partnership in education, but it can only succeed if government control is minimized.

Source: https://www.indiatoday.in/impact-feature/story/how-higher-education-is-being-redefined-in-india-thanks-to-the-leaders-in-the-sector-1552145-2019-06-20