WHY WE DO
IFC believe that every single life can be transformed by access to the best education. There is a need to reform the education sector and the areas that need to be prioritised, developed and strengthened, if the Education reform is to be a successful one. Amongst them, it is paramount for us to understand the importance of private-public partnerships and the links to employability, the need for meaningful and reciprocal international collaboration at all levels, the need for capacity building programmes to ensure the sustainability of the system, the assurance that the system is built upon the principles of inclusivity, accessibility, diversity, equality and tolerance, and the need for the development of a robust quality assurance mechanism. All of this should be built within a clear vision and mission for Universities and academic institutions. Education should be a right that every individual in India should have access to, and that education goes well beyond the academic boundaries, as it encompasses an intellectual as well as a spiritual process.
The second is inclusiveness, a basic requirement to ensure equal opportunities for all groups in Indian society in terms of access and success in higher education. This emphasis on equity is all the more important as large segments of the population have been excluded from higher education.
The third principle is empowerment for change, referring to the ability of each university to transform itself into an innovative institution. The last one is empowerment for the future, through reforms of the curriculum and pedagogical practices with the purpose of better preparing the young women and men of India who will be responsible for creating a more democratic society and building a more productive economy.
Ultimately, India’s institutions will best flourish by establishing international partnerships which are developed on the basis of reciprocity and mutuality. As part of this, it is important to have a strategic and targeted approach to the signing of MoUs between India and overseas institutions. Collaboration and partnerships must serve a purpose, and this must be to support the overall vision and mission of the Universities as drivers for public good. There is also a need for incentives to develop research, and this research can benefit from an international component. Another important aspect of internationalisation is the use of the Indian diaspora, and the creation of incentives to bring Indian talent back home.