Liberal arts model in Indian higher education system will offer flexibility and innovation, say educationists Jamshed Bharucha and Anthony P Monaco

There seems to be a huge gap between academia and demands of the labour market  since traditional pedagogy is no more favourable, says Jamshed Bharucha, VC and  CEO, SRM University Amaravati AP.

Fancy degrees, says Bharucha, may translate into jobs but only for the finest  graduates. For the greater majority, the education they receive is too traditional  which does not help them to communicate effectively and assume leadership positions  in the workplace. On the sidelines of a Higher Education Roundtable, Bharucha along  with Anthony P Monaco, President, Tufts University, USA, highlighted India’s economicrise,
and sentiments towards immigrants in the US becoming “more hostle in the last few years.  “Indian unversities and colleges should structure their curriculium in new ways to leverage    the benefits of brain gain, a trend fast catching up. “This makes it imperative for India  to drive a culture of innovation and flexibility in institutions, “Bharucha says, drawing    from his years at Ivy League colleges. He adds, “The Central government requires 160  credit hours for students to graduate which forces them to be overloaded in technical courses and leaves them with very little time for a liberal arts education.”

“The diversity in US education models, include 2-years community colleges, research universities  both state and private, and the 4-year liberal art colleges,” says Monaco, whose India  visit was aimed at expanding Tufts University’s existing collaborations with Indian  institutions. “Indian institutions traditionally follow a British education system where    students apply for a single subject, such as Medicine, Engineering, Law etc. New universities must  break the mould to explore multidisciplinary challenges,” Monaco adds.

Source:  https://srmap.edu.in/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Times-of-India-New-Delhi-04022019.jpg