Kolkata: From India becoming a global hub for education, globalisation in the new normal world, the importance of the host country in globalisation programme, to how the New Education Policy (NEP 2020) has introduced regulations for the internationalisation of higher education in India, the discussions at the Indian Chamber of Commerce (ICC)’s fifth Globalised Education Forum 2022-23 on Saturday at a city hotel was of high quality and relevance.
Prof (Dr) Dhrubajyoti Chattopadhyay, Vice-Chancellor, Sister Nivedita University (SNU) reminded how a lot of people confuse internationalisation and westernisation of education. “Internationalisation of education is not a westernised concept but the need for today’s education system,” he said.
Commenting on education in the post-pandemic world, Satyam Roychowdhury, chairman, ICC National Expert Committee on Higher Education & Training, and also Chancellor of SNU, Kolkata, said internationalisation of education is of utmost importance in today’s globalised world.
“It is a process by which knowledge is produced in one country and shared with the world in many forms. Internationalisation of education promotes cultural exchange and helps in the internationalisation of curriculum, practices, and outcome,” he said.
Dr Subhas Sarkar, minister of state for education, informed India has become a global hub for education with the country becoming a popular study destination for SAARC, Central Asia, and African students.
“Our mission is to make India a superpower in the educational sector by assisting global destinations, and offering premium education at an effective cost,” he said.
The minister also stressed that NEP will attract international students in large numbers. Prof Suranjan Das, Vice-Chancellor, Jadavpur University and president, AIU said the internationalisation of higher education is the focal point of the NEP.
“India has to join the process of internationalisation with preparedness to make our higher education vibrant, and compatible with the challenges of the time,” he remarked. The JU V-C also spoke at length on UGC’s plan to allow foreign universities to set up campuses in India.
The event was also attended by Saikat Maitra, Vice-Chancellor of MAKAUT, Prof VN Rajasekharan Pillai, Vice-Chancellor of Soumaiya Vidyavihar University, Anirban Aditya, chairman, Aditya Group, Bidyut Majumdar, general manager-business development, JIS Group and Dr Rajeev Singh, director general, Indian Chamber of Commerce.