NDTV Education Conclave 2025: Many students choose to study abroad due to the global recognition of degrees and the high standard of education offered by international institutions. Renowned universities like Harvard and MIT are known for their world-class education, experienced faculty, and extensive academic resources.
At the NDTV Education conclave, a gathering of thought leaders and industry pioneers, a question was posed to Ratuldev Ghosh Choudhury, Advisor to GLA University, about the difference between the education levels at MIT and Indian universities, and what can be done to make the students feel that they are on par with their global peers.
"Top universities like MIT are far ahead of us because they integrated a research component at a very early stage. They have a well-established ecosystem where practical learning is a core part of the education system," Choudhury said.
He also talked about how symbiotic ecosystems need to be developed in India like available outside the country.
"In the west, in Harvard University or MIT, you would see a good amount of ecosystems, where the company like tesla is very close to the University of Nevada, Reno and they are looking at getting their skilled resources from those universities and as a reciprocal measure the university is developing courses, and imparting skills to supply to their demand."
He then said digital transformation is closing the gap between metro, tier 1 and tier 2 cities and industry embedded institutions can help India grow. "There is huge disparity between metro, tier 1 and the tier 2 cities, so that's a piece which over a period in time, is getting managed to a large extent because of internet connectivity, the digital transformation that is there. The gap is there but the digital transformation, that is the way ahead," said Choudhury.
"Second is how fast and better we can integrate the industry into the academics that is what is going to be the game changer so the concept of industry embedded institutions is what is required for India to grow really fast," he added.
The number of Indian students studying abroad crossed a mark of 1.8 million this year, marking a significant increase from 1.3 million previous year. This number is expected to continue, driven by advanced research opportunities and pursuit of globally recognized degrees.