Shoolini University in collaboration with Association of Indian Universities (AIU), Delhi, conducted a webinar titled “World University Rankings in Indian Context” on Tuesday which was attended by over 90 vice chancellors and eminent academics from across the country.
The focus of the webinar was to get familiarised with the ranking system and how the rankings play an important role in the upgradation of academic culture.
The webinar started with the welcome address by Dr Amarendra Pani, Joint Director and Head, Research, Association of Indian Universities, who also introduced the panelists of the session to the participants.
It was attended by Dr (Mrs) Pankaj Mittal (Secretary General, Association of Indian Universities, Dr Francisco J. Marmolejo (Education Advisor QF Chairpersons Office, Qatar), Prof P K Khosla (Chancellor, Shoolini University), Prof Nitin R. Karmalkar (Vice Chancellor, Savitribai Phule Pune University), Prof C. Raj Kumar (Vice Chancellor, O. P. Jindal Global University), Prof Atul Khosla (Vice Chancellor, Shoolini University), Mr Ritin Malhotra (Regional Director (South Asia) at Times Higher Education), Dr Ashwin Fernandes (Regional Director, QS – Middle East) and Prof Ashish Khosla (President and Chief Innovation and Marketing Officer, Shoolini University).
The panelists were of the opinion that rankings are an important part of the higher education system and Indian institutions also need to accept it and work towards the improvement in research, research fundings and collaborations if they want to be on the global arena of higher education.
It was also observed that at the global platform, Indian higher education system is only known by IITs and some Central Universities which constitute only 5 per cent of the Indian education system and rest 95 per cent comprising of state Universities, deemed to be Universities and Private Universities also need attention as they are also significantly contributing towards Indian higher education. It was felt that the Young and New Age Universities in India have a potential to be among the world’s best Universities in comparison to some of the very old and traditional Universities. India needs to be at that education center-stage as it was during the Takshshila and Nalanda times, the panelists said.