Friday, March 29, 2024 | Ramadan 18, 1445 H
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EDITOR IN CHIEF- ABDULLAH BIN SALIM AL SHUEILI

Improve curriculum and pedagogy to fit the world of work

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NEW DELHI: There is a yawning gap between what Indian higher education (HE) students are taught and ground realities and one way of addressing this is to improve the relevance of the curriculum and pedagogy to fit the world of work and international developments, says a survey conducted by Indian stakeholders and experts at Bournemouth University, whose Pro-Vice Chancellor Sonal Minocha is the first woman of Asian origin to occupy the position at any British university.


“There is a gap between what is taught at university and real-life developments in the world of work — 65 per cent of academics stated that students in Indian HE are unable to demonstrate that they have had the opportunity to apply graduate-level skills and gain industry exposure,” Minocha, a commerce graduate from Delhi’s Jesus and Mary College and who holds business degrees from Northumbria University, said.


That finding was reinforced by students, with only 37 per cent of them agreeing that Indian universities offer relevant and current training development opportunities; as well as by employers and industry representatives — only 33 per cent of them believed that students and graduates are able to demonstrate the necessary higher-level skills and knowledge that they are looking for in their industry, she said.


This finding was also reinforced by NGOs — 45 per cent of whom stated that HE fails to prepare students for the global workplace in understanding international standards.


Thus, policymakers argued for universities to do more in the areas of entrepreneurship and innovation — critical in supporting the government’s efforts in skilling India. Nevertheless, only 30 per cent of policymakers said that universities have the necessary academic and professional staff to provide students with industry-relevant knowledge and skills.


Preliminary insights for policy and practice include:


* Improving the relevance of Indian HE curriculum and pedagogy to fit the world of work and international developments .


* Embedding entrepreneurship, innovation and world-leading research culture to improve the Indian HE system.


* Positioning internationalisation at the core of Indian HE.


* Providing opportunities for employers to actively participate in the design, development and delivery of education and employability-driven initiatives .


* Enabling widening participation and equality to educate and skill youth talent — through providing access to HE and higher-level skills development opportunities and enabling a level playing field for students who come from rural areas. — IANS


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