A Complete Explanation of Higher Education in India

Ready? In the next few lines I will explain completely how higher education works in India.

Not.

Can't do it, at least not yet.

The education system is complex and wide-ranging, with institutions of all sizes and shapes. In India, just as in in the United States, one must constantly ask, "Is this quality?" "How does it run?" "What is the reputation?"

In some cases there may be reason for concern, but not at the University of Hyderabad. An enrollment of about 5,000 includes nearly 900 Ph.D. students.

We were hosted by Dr. Vinod Pavarala who is the Dean of the School of Arts and Communication, and by Dr. Aparna Rayaprol who directs the Study in India Program (SIP), attended by 4 St. Ambrose students last summer.

Some of the communication and fine arts facilities were brand new, and, as we learned, constructed of a particular kind of stone that aids in regulating the temperature.

No, Toto, we are not in Iowa: these buildings have no heating systems.

  



The Pro Vice Chancellor Receives the St. Ambrose Seal



First, we toured this building and were treated to Indian music, dance, painting and sculpture all done by graduate students:  truly beautiful. 

Then, we moved to another section of this sprawling, 2,300-acre campus to a meeting with a number of the school deans and the pro vice-chancellor (think 'vice president for academic affairs') where we shared the reason for our visit and saw an excellent overview of this outstanding research university dedicated to graduate education.  The U of H ranks among the top universities in India with faculty producing over 10,000 research papers, including over 600 books, in the last 30 years.

After lunch with some deans, we traveled to the School of Management Studies to meet with their faculty.  We presented an overview of SAU and our interest in global education.  A lively discussion followed which gave us a number of ideas for future collaboration.

From there, we left for the airport to fly that evening to our final destination, Pune, a city of more than 5 million.