Vision for a Competitive University in the Twenty-first Century

Anurag Gangal, Professor, Political Science and

Director, Gandhian Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies,
Faculty of Social Science, University of Jammu,
Jammu-180006, Jammu and Kashmir, India.

Cooperating Competitive Ethos

Cooperating competition through information technology and quest for

knowledge constitute the essence of higher education, training and professional
competence in the twenty-first century. This is the age of knowledge explosion in an
emerging global village. Major modus operandi rests in networking and team work
within the parameters of honesty, objectivity, dedication, discipline, paradigmatic
dynamism, accountability, transparency, democratic freedom, innovation and continuous
systems upgradation.
Epistemology and ethics are the spirit and soul of a university system as an
institution of life long higher learning. All progress, prosperity, success, policy
formulation, policy execution and zestful competitive fervour are merely offshoots of
philosophy, knowledge, ethics and values.
This philosophical cooperating competitive ethos is a systemic reality providing
space and time for varied concentric circles working towards a self-reliant university
system carrying forward its goals and strategies for the larger development, self-
sufficiency, education and welfare of civil society and its own community of students,
researchers, teachers, faculty, library and administrative staff.
Frontiers of Knowledge and Globalisation
Aforesaid frontiers of knowledge, excellence, creativity and understanding on
national and international levels evolve, widen and come alive through mutual
collaborations, interdisciplinary research and bridging cultural and other pluralities in
local, regional and global spheres of civil society. This has to be achieved on the basis of
professionalism, performance and merit oriented understanding between participating
institutions and individuals alike.
The present-day processes of globalisation necessitate the vision of a university
replete with highest form of qualitative infrastructure utilised by excellent academic,
human and technological resources. Highest academic, managerial and moral standards
have to be maintained not only to compete with the best but also to simply survive. This
is a highly challenging task especially in a pluralistic society of a developing country like
Mauritius where people come from highly diversified cultural and ethnic backgrounds. It
becomes ever more difficult due to inherent and apparent poverty of developing countries
like India.
Youth and University
Increasing adult literacy rate and nearly GDP are not able to provide required
opportunities to poverty stricken households especially in the rural areas in India. The
existing literacy rate certainly does not show the level and percentage of really educated
persons in the country. Added to this is the patriarchal nature of Indian society having
high degree of racial and other discrimination of women in diverse areas.
It is necessary for the intellectuals at the Indian Universities to realise the
apparent predicament of developmental statistics vis-à-vis realities of the pluralistic
diversified cultural and racial necessities of Indian people. This is a moral duty of all
educated Indians to see this conflictual situation and resolve it inasmuch as it is possible
to do so.
This is a circumstance where education has to be related in a more fruitful way to
ever new opportunities within the Indian universities framework to its students – without
gender and racial bias – for learning while earning. So much more can be done in this
area.
Otherwise, India will have to face ever increasing frustration amongst its youth.
This has to be tackled soon in a planned way to prevent a dirty and tragic situation to
emerge in due course of time.
What a University is About
The job of a university in the twenty-first century is not just to award degrees,
diplomas and certificates. It has to impart a sense of self respect and esteem alongwith
self confidence amongst its students and researchers for ably facing vicissitudes of life
under any type of difficulties and challenges. Every student must come out of one’s
rendezvous with university education as a person who can stand on one’s own feet.
 Such a student must be confident enough to enjoy an independent life after
passing out from his institution of higher learning while contributing one’s own bit to
civil society even if the concerned government of a country is not able to do much for
improving the quality of life of its youth. Expected sense of dejection and frustration
must not be allowed to enter into the energetic system of thought and feelings of a youth.
The university education has to be planned in this fashion.
This is possible through providing newer opportunities to the youth in universities
not only for diversified interdisciplinary education but also for utilising their
accomplishments meaningfully within the university system even when they are involved
in studying different courses.
Library and Other Facilities
Libraries, laboratories, auditoria, open air theatres, extension activities, campus
police, security personnel of the university, students’ parliament house, sports
paraphernalia, music and dance training arrangements, residential facilities for students,
teachers and administrative staff are obviously provided in most of the universities today.
What is needed is the most modern and technologically well equipped nature of all these
facilities assuring the best of quality and excellence.
Libraries are the pulsating heart of an institution like a university. These must be
excellently equipped with all books, journals, CD ROMS, Internet, Intranet, video
conferencing, projectors, computers, laptops, keesings archives, comfortable seating
arrangements and lights, cafeteria, professional staff etc with facility of the libraries open
for twenty-four hours seven days a week both in the university and in its affiliated and
recognised colleges.
Every department, every teacher and researcher must be financially assisted to
have their own official library or collection of books and other related material.
Teachers, Faculty and Administration
Teachers and faculty are the real strength and backbone of any university system
while administration is like the blood vessel or veins of the entire body of the university.
Both these must stand in mutually cooperating relationship throughout. The entire
university system depends upon the growth and expansion of departments, teachers and
faculty and upon their quality of work and dedication to profession. Both these must also
be provided all modern technological facilities necessary for efficient and excellent work.
No university can function without its teaching community. Universities can be run as
research institutions even without the administrative staff and students’ community but it
is not possible without teachers.
Teachers and the administrative staff must also be provided all modern
technological facilities and spacious rooms with modern gadgets etc. Every innovative
and creative effort of every teacher and administrator must be given due encouragement.
Examination and Assessment
There has to be continuous assessment semester system of examinations where all
marks may be added at the end of the semester. This must be fully transparent system
without any uncalled for secrecy. It will then become tension free for students and
teachers alike without compromising even an iota of quality and excellence.
Research has to be a top priority affair for an institution of higher learning. A
university – in addition to governmental and semi-governmental grants for this purpose –
has to generate its own funds for encouraging strings free research.
Conclusion
Above mentioned major seven aspects are merely fundamental directives for a
university in twenty-first century. Within these broad parameters, there can be several
other details such as evolving a code of conduct for every employee of the university
stating the extent of permissible form of a conflict between two or more employees.
Beyond that limit, the concerned employees will not be allowed to pursue their mutual
organisational conflicts. There can be so many other things in this context of having
healthy atmosphere in the university. Indeed, what a teacher and administrator needs is to
be Just, Kind and Firm to run a university efficiently and satisfactorily.