Knowledge is the best investment for a nation, which wants to grow on research and innovations because it provides returns that never depreciate. Therefore, it is the responsibility of educationists and academicians to develop a culture that not only helps to enhance the learning skills of the students, but simultaneously, that culture must also instigate them to think big and deliver innovative solutions. Everyone understands today that in this fast-paced era of technological advancements and smart systems, unique and commercially viable concepts work. It is not the degree or qualifications that decide the career of a person; it is one's competitive strength that determines his/her future. Many developed countries like the USA, Japan, Germany, and South Korea are already working on a strategic format that cultivates numerous inventions in the areas of science, technology, business, and even in the art & culture.
Learning is all about Inclusive Development
When curiosity pushes to exploration and knowledge unfolds the observation, then, creativity hosts impressive ideas and innovations. Schools, colleges, and other educational institutions are the places where teachers impart knowledge, skills, insight, and experiences to nurture the untapped talent of the society. Unfortunately, for a majority of people in present times, learning is no more than sharing the pre-recorded information through books, class notes, lectures, and multimedia content. In this context, schools and colleges are information highways to pass on the desired information from one generation to another. Contrary to the prevailing pathos, learning is all about the inclusive development of a person, i.e., cognitive, creative, intellectual, and spiritual.
Innovators are the Real Problem Solvers
Today, the entire world is searching young minds who think out-of-the-box to resolve various socio-economic problems of the world. Be it the problem of large-scale poverty before the developing countries or challenges encountered by the developed countries due to revolutions in IoT and Cloud Computing, and these are the smart and innovative people who can address these problems with perfection and -lan. That is why, like other conscious nations, India is also revamping its education system with the incorporation of many pragmatic and need-based programmes. In this regard, the HRD ministry establishes National Institute Ranking Framework (NIRF), with a motto to breed innovations in colleges and university campuses. By their competency level as per global standards, NIRF will decide the rank of these institutes.
Cooperation Breeds Innovations and Growth
Fortunately, the academia and the corporate sector eventually realized that they need to work collaboratively to cultivate a culture of innovations and creativity in the country. The formation of 'Worldwide Academia Industry Network' is a giant step in this direction. Their association has created a unique platform that provides immense opportunities to the students to study and research on various contemporary issues and develops customized solutions for each problem. Another significant achievement in this context is the Melting Pot 2020 Innovation Summit that recently held in New Delhi. The event was aimed to kick-start innovation-focused dialogues and debates between academician on contemporary issues and challenges. Programmes like Melting Pot 2020, INSPIRE-MANAK by National Innovation Foundation, and Code to Learn Contest, which is a joint initiative of IIIT-Delhi and Google India are some of the commendable steps taken by the Government, academia, and corporate in the recent past.
Way Forward
Our Education demands a change. Awareness and access to technology are just the required fuels, but it is the high time that governments, universities, private institutions, and businesses should come forward and support each other to establish a progressive culture of innovations and research. Only collaboration and support of these players can make India the leader of tomorrow in the global economic sphere.
Prof. Ramola Kumar
Prof. Kumar is an academician with over 25 years experience. An MBA from Ottawa University, Prof. Kumar headed the IMT, Delhi for over 7 years and thereafter worked with The Times School of Marketing (TSM). In 1995, she co-founded the prestigious The Delhi School of Communication (DSC) where she is currently Dean, DSC. Prof. Kumar specialises in teaching Marketing, Strategy & Branding to senior executives and students. She has conducted numerous workshops on Communication Management, Time & Stress Management to name a few.
