Newness is our advantage. You could experiment without penalty... Why should we exist if we design something similar to them (existing organizations) at a brand new institution? We have to change our thinking.
Ahmedabad University launched the International Fintech Institute at GIFT City in collaboration with IIT-Gandhinagar, University of California San Diego and IIT-Gandhinagar. In an exclusive interview, AU Vice Chancellor, Dr Pankaj Chandra, talks about the importance of liberal arts and the challenges facing students today.
Excerpts:
What do you think the IFI will look like in five years' time?
GIFT City is a huge fintech hub. One of the biggest challenges is that it has about 600 companies. They kept complaining that they didn't have enough talent. The biggest problem is that many operations people have no idea about technology. What finance program in this country teaches technology? The tech guys who have computer science degrees know nothing about banking, finance, regulatory tech, insurance and pensions. The need for a different training is evident. These (IFI) trained people will be a very strong supply of relevant talent to GIFT or other companies in the country, and for those who wish to start up.
What would you say about AU in comparison to other institutions?
You could experiment without any penalty... You could experiment without penalty... Why should we even be here if we are going to start designing things similar to them (existing organizations)? We have to change our thinking.
Do you mean by 'them' the IIMs or not?
IIMs and IITs are all existing institutions. IIMA was my university, and other colleagues came from IITs. We felt we needed to bring complex issues into the classroom. We created four studio courses. They are: Climate Change, Democracy and Justice, and Neighbourhoods. This is an urbanisation proxy. In the water studio we give kids bottles on the first day to collect samples from all the wards of the city. First time ever, the kids will be going from South Bopal in West Ahmedabad to Maninagar in South Ahmedabad or Juhapura in a Muslim neighborhood or anywhere else. This is an educational experience, in my opinion. You'll be able to see different types of people. They'll then go and collect data. They build an instrument, and then measure the water quality. They then learn data science and put these data on a GIS Map. They'll map out the entire city -- This is research-based thinking. You can now teach them any theory because they are primed.
Do you have parents who object to their children going to certain parts of the city?
We cancel their admission. We tell them to go home. This is our education...we started in 2019....I sat down with a 50-child class on the first day. The engineers and scientists were sarcastic, saying "what is this foundation program?" and the children in social science and management and humanity were ecstatic. Students from across the country are now coming to AU because of our Foundation Programme.
What are the main challenges you have faced since taking over in 2015?
Our education system has a strong content focus. Everyone talks about content, not pedagogy...we needed to hire people with very different backgrounds. We have created a curriculum that is different than anyone else in India or anywhere else. We put arts and science together because we want people to talk with each other. The physicists and biologists sit together with the history professors and talk. They also conduct classes together. The NAAC chair said: "You're an institution for the future."
What percentage of the NEP (National Education Policy, or National Education Policy) do you implement?
We did not implement it "as NEP". We have just followed good practices we learned from other places. We still have a long way to travel. If I have to climb 20 steps, I'm probably at step 5. We have a strategy for 2035.
Do you have any expansion plans?
We will continue to grow, but not in terms of geography. Our masters will increase. We currently have 4,000 students, but we could reach 6,000 in five years. We currently have 200 full-time professors, and we will increase that to 500. We are opening a new performing arts school in the visual arts. We are setting up a brand new STEM lab and enhancing STEM in a big way. In partnership with ATIRA, (Ahmedabad Textile Industry Research Association )...last year's academic year we launched a new program, called BXMX. This programme allows you to do your bachelors at one school and then go on to complete your masters at another.
Many people pursue liberal arts, but they don't get jobs. What do you think of this?
Liberal arts education is important to me. The companies are the problem. Parents and students need to be educated on the importance of liberal arts. They are bright kids, but they can't get into IIM MBA because of the stupid CAT exam. It is biased towards those with a quantitative bent. You want to discuss business as an agent for social change. How can you create that agent? Engineers are not the answer. It is possible to make it in the workplace by bringing people who are different from you, with different training, and a different understanding of society. Liberal Arts Education has a long way to go.
What do you think is the problem with IIMs?
These institutions (IITs, IIMs, AIIMSs) are "siloed". You can't solve COVID epidemics if you're a mere biologist. If you're a manager, you can't solve the financial crisis. You need humanities. You need social sciences. Only universities can provide the other people you need to come. All great business schools around the world are part of universities, such as Harvard, Wharton, and Stanford. They (IIMs, etc.) have been very successful in serving India. They have excellent faculty and attract top-class students. These institutions should expand and be influenced by other knowledge systems. They would eventually shrivel up and die.
It's very complex. With the rise in income, I believe there has been a big gap between parents. The bridge between parent and child has been broken somewhere. There is so much information on the internet that the kids aren't mature enough to handle. We have a counseling system, and I get monthly reports on what the kids are talking about... it's all about the family and relationships, not academics or job pressures.
Growing up, you had always a friend who was there for you. I don't believe that the current generation has such ties. The schools have also been "over-pressured". Despite the pressures (at AU), we have decided to not hold any exams or tests. Each test increases your anxiety.
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