A Long Night’s Odyssey OmarPhoenix 26,

``Would it be foolish or childish or even just a plain rhetoric to say that foreign Muslims of Pakistani origin (with something substantial to add, be it scholars, business folk artists, economists, engineers, lawyers, historians, etc etc``

Are foreign non-muslims of Pakistani origin less Pakistani? I dont think your compatriots on this forum will support that contention...perhaps it was an oversight on your part.

dost-mittar 32, Comparing against India may be a feel good factor but 53 years of doing it has taken Pakistan nowhere. Focus on the positive and let it grow, and let India do the same.

A Long Night’s Odyssey Excellent usage of the English language...a very well written piece. A lot of questions to the answered and soul-searching to be done by the citizens of the IRP. A sad story written for 53years on a clean sheet, so much promise..down the tubes. Much work needs to be done...make it easier for the world to help you.

The Imperatives of Power Maximum autonomy for J and K is the need of the hour. A govt elected by the Kashmiri of the Kashmiri for the Kashmiri is what should satisfy the Kashmiri. What if they cannot control foreign policy...for that matter neither can the Tamil, Bihari, Sindhi or Punjabi. Complete economic integration, free trade and travel of all South Asian economies will unlock the vast potential of the area.

Hidden Hindus BAhmed, 262.

The best ever ``hyderabadi`` Biriyani was served at my friend Tanveera Ahmeds wedding in Madras back in 1989. All other attempets that I have been fortunate enough to savour from Manhattan to Sydney, Kanyakumari to Kashmir have fallen short of that exacting standard. India offers a great variety of tasty cuisine from Goan to Kerala, Coorgi to Bengali and everything in between. Boy, all this talk of food is getting me hungry! I think I`ll fry up some spicy prawn masala...care to join me? The invitation is open to one and all and of course I`ll rustle up some veg food for those who choose not to partake ``pleasures of the flesh``!

Hidden Hindus

krashid 109

``Don`t worry pragmatix!

You will forget Kashmir expressway, when All India Expressway will takes its place.``

KRashid, The All India Expressway leads to the NASDAQ care to join in? Better than the expressway to the IMF and WB.

Religion is better kept at home and in temples, mosques, gurudwaras, churches and synagogues! And by the way....not sure if the terrorists have gone to heaven...GOD is wiser than that!

Hidden Hindus All rational Hindus and Muslims in Pakistan could move to India in exchange we will send the the Saffron brigade to party with the Taleban oriented Pakistanis till they all see the light.

Advertise! You fools! cbb 201, You are spot on in saying that the future will belong to a well educated population. India needs to do a lot more to spread quality education to the rural heartland. Below is an encouraging post (for those who missed a post on another thread) on plans for quality grad education in India. I agree with you that Salman`s money would see better returns in a similar initiative in Pakistan, and perhaps when the madness ends we may see a collaboration between institutes in south asia. Apologies in advance for the long post.

http://www.india-today.com/ntoday/newsarchives/100/9/3/n99.shtml

NRIs plan dream science and technology institute

for India

NEWS TODAY EXCLUSIVE

By Suman K. Chakrabarti

Calcutta, September 3: Year 2003.

If you have already planned to send

your children abroad for higher

education, hold your breath and

cancel your plans. Forget

Massachusetts Institute of

Technology, dump the Princeton University. Because, here comes

the Global Institute of Science and Technology (GIST) with each

campus on a sprawling 2,000 acres of land accommodating 20,000

students.

A group of businessmen and visionary entrepreneurs of Indian origin

have started mobilizing a private capital, initially targeted at US $1

billion, to bring a quantitative and qualitative change in India’s higher

education.

The idea for this institute was conceived by Dr Purnendu Chatterjee,

president of the New York based Chatterjee group (TCG) and backed

by a host of former IITians including US-based tycoons, Database

millionaire Vinod Gupta (who has set up the Vinod Gupta School of

Business at his alma mater, IIT-Kharagpur); Gururaj Deshpande,

founder of Sycamore Networks which is one of the world`s hottest

new technology companies, valued at more than $ 38 billion, along

with his wife Jayshree Deshpande; Arjun Malhotra, co-founder of the

HCL group and currently chairman and CEO of Techspan Inc and

Rajat Gupta, CEO of Mckinsey, the world`s leading management

consulting firm.

The idea, which was mooted during US President Bill Clinton’s

March visit to India, has received the backing of both the Indian and

US governments, according to sources in the Prime Minister`s Office

in New Delhi. Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee will also announce

the project officially during his upcoming visit to the US, sources

said.

Kishore Bhattacharya, a Calcutta-based consultant with the

Chatterjee group and childhood friend of Dr Chatterjee told NEWS

TODAY ``that all these former IITians have taken the responsibility of

mobilizing and providing the resources and management needed to

establish a group of world-class institutes in India with emphasis on

research in science and technology.``

According to the final proposal for the establishment of GIST, a copy

of which is in possession of NEWS TODAY, ``funding commitments from

founders and other donors have already crossed the half way mark

towards the targeted $ 1 billion, sufficient for starting six campuses

in India.``

Bhattacharya told NEWS TODAY that the University of California,

Berkeley (UCB) (Dr Chatterjee`s alma mater) has agreed to grant

affiliation to the first GIST campus which will be set up in Bangalore.

The Karnataka government has already allotted land for the project.

“Though Dr Chatterjee wants to build up the second campus in

Calcutta, we might not succeed because the West Bengal

government is not willing to give land and we do not want to waste

the philanthropic fund in acquiring costly land,” Bhattacharya said.

Other campuses may be affiliated with different universities such as

Stanford and MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology). According

to sources, the Washington State University, Michigan State

University at Dearborn and North Western University has also shown

interest in the project.

Though a host of states like Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Gujarat and

Tamil Nadu have offered free land and infrastructural facilities, the

second campus is likely to be set up in Chennai.

Indian corporate houses including Mukesh Ambani of Reliance, R.

Narayanamurthy of Infosys, and Azim Premji of Wipro have also

come up with offers of help.

Underlying the proposed establishment of GIST is the fundamental

belief that the need for scientific and technical talent will continue to

rise in India as well as globally, and India will be a major contributor

to that talent.

In the US alone there is a shortage of 300000-400000 professionals,

growing at the rate of 15-20% a year. The shortage in India is likely

to be substantial if the Nascom-McKinsey projection of India`s

potential is to be realized.

India due to the widespread use of English in the country, the size

and skill of the domestic student body and a cultural emphasis on

education is uniquely positioned to be a key provider of scientific and

technical talent.

Approximately 10 per cent of Silicon Valley start-ups between 1995

and 1998 were founded by Indians, companies created by

entrepreneurs of Indian origin have a market capitalization in excess

of $ 200 billion.

Despite these impressive statistics and the staggering potential for

Indian talent, quality technical and scientific education has been

denied to many in India.

At the IITs, out of the 250,000 students who take the entrance exam,

less than one per cent gets admission. This is significantly lower

than the acceptance rates of other leading schools worldwide (e.g.,

Stanford 15 per cent, MIT 20 per cent).

Moreover, creating and maintaining a world-class science and

technology institute is expensive and the IITs and other institutes in

India have to depend largely on government budgetary support, with

very little private funding.

Consequently, the expenditure on higher education has been very

low. The research budgets and grants of leading schools in the US

are immense, the final proposal of GIST says.

GIST PROPOSED STRUCTURE

GIST will be an autonomous, self-funded institution and will be

established as a corporate body under Section 25 A of the Indian

Companies Act. The governing body will comprise of members

including major sponsors for the institute, world-renowned science

and technology researchers, academicians, practitioners and CEOs

of multi national companies.

To provide advice on future direction and priorities, an advisory

council, comprising of a broader group of academicians and business

leaders, will also be created.

Each campus will have an academic council to decide the curriculum

of the various courses offered by the institute.

The faculty will comprise of a core permanent group, supplemented

by visiting faculty from leading international schools and industry.

VISION AND OBJECTIVES

GIST is a movement intended to spawn a set of privately funded and

managed world-class modern research institutes throughout India.

The objective of GIST is to build and sustain world-class research

universities that will achieve the following objectives: (i) Provide best

education to the best minds and help them stay current. Some of its

key elements are: Create an intellectual ambiance, which

encourages and fosters questioning, investigating, and creative

solutions.

Bring education and research under the same roof in close physical

contiguity and in deep intellectual relationship. Experience shows

that discovery; itself is the greatest form of teaching, and that both

teaching and learning may be viewed as an adventure in discovery.

The students, during their formative years, will be exposed to the

thrill of discovery in a variety of ways in the classroom, in special

seminars and by direct participation in research.

GIST will be guided by the philosophy that education is much more

than teaching; it must include the creation of an inquiring mindset.

Design programs which are most relevant to the educational needs of

the society and not driven by departmental needs or inertia. Provide

the possibility of continuous learning and to stay abreast of the

changing world. Design and build a strong and lasting bond between

GIST and its alumni, which could be crucial also to the

self-sustainability of the GIST ventures. The commitment of a small

share of lifelong earning in lieu of part or all of tuition fees would

reinforce this long-term university-student bond.

Complement scientific and engineering know-how with liberal

humanities education in order to prepare the graduates to join the

fellowship of an educated person and be effective in life.

(II) Develop as major, cutting edge knowledge creators. Some of its

key elements are:Induction of the best minds for research. This

would require world-class facilities, motivated and outstanding

student body, stimulating ambiance and competitive remuneration.

Research prioritized and driven by need for excellence, intellectual

challenges, market forces, including availability of funds (corporate,

government, institutional, etc.) and faculty interest.

GIST will continually strive to stay at the frontiers of knowledge.

Collaboration with corporate and other leading research institutions,

both locally and globally, to ensure that GIST plays critical role in

major issues and developments.

Corporate collaboration (with co-located facilities) can be taken to a

new dimension.

With a world-class setup, GIST will be in an ideal position to attract

major national, specialized scientific laboratories to become partners

in research. The marriage of the general and the specialized hasbeen

extremely widespread and of immense importance in the growth of

both the pure and applied sciences in the advanced countries.

Three very successful examples of this are: Rutherford Appleton

Laboratory, Oxford University. Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California

Institute of Technology and National Institute of Fusion Sciences,

Nagoya University.

Address intellectual property rights issues in a way that will promote

long-term GIST interest, and help achieve GIST objectives.

(III) Contribute to growth of India as a power house in the knowledge

of economy. Some of its key elements are: Build GIST to a scale

and scope such that numerous large industries can be

spawned.Seek collaborations with other research centers to further

leverage GIST capabilities. Support and encourage the growth of

corporate and technological parks around GIST locations.

(IV) Catalyze the development of a new paradigm for institutions of

higher education.

The most distinguishing criterion of our times is the accelerated

change in everything around us often caused by the remarkably rapid

innovations in science and technology. In order to convert this

challenge, GIST will deliberately build necessary flexibility in its

governance, management and programmatic structures but without

sacrificing the strengths of more conventional set-ups. There will be a

pervasive focus on adaptability in all aspects of academic and

non-academic planning.

It will be designed not only to quickly adapt to change, but also to

become the author and pace setter for change. Ensure that the

funding sources do not impede the ability of the researchers to

change directions as and when needed. Self-supporting research

(sometimes in collaboration), and development of long-term

relationship between GIST and its alumni, would be effective ways to

insure that.

Continuous search for new talent to gain immunity from the power of

existing paradigms to squash or obstruct the emergence of new

areas and disciplines. Take active steps to share and spread the

paradigm of flexibility with strength by creating a networked model for

leveraging GIST`s resources and expertise with that of existing

engineering and science & technology institutions and thus help

raise over all standards of research and teaching.

GIST PROGRAMS

It will start with the establishment of one or two world-class research

universities, with an initial focus on applied research later blended

with fundamental research. The details of the academic architecture

will be worked out by the faculties of the respective campuses and

will necessarily be a function of time. One will however, begin with a

faculty, which is equitably divided between basic and applied

sciences.

The basic science programs will include Mathematics, Physics,

Astronomy, Chemistry, Biology, Life Sciences, Electrical

Engineering, and Computer Sciences while applied sciences will

span Engineering, Information Technology, Material Sciences, Health

Sciences, Atmospheric andGeo-Physics, Mathematical Biology and

Ecology. The programs are expected to be individually strong and

interactive with one another.

The faculty and the research programs will not be forced into

department but rather a fluid inter/intra departmental structure will be

adopted to promote the concept of adaptability.

It is recognized that tangible and effective applied research in most

areas requires a thorough grounding in basic sciences and an

understanding of the humanities to develop a rational basis for

understanding the observed phenomena and predicting the future

outcome. Thus the education and research planning at GIST will take

full cognizance of its special role of providing sound basic training for

all research, pure and applied.

At GIST, the under graduate program is expected to follow the

Masters and Doctoral program. Shorter programs focused on specific

topics will also be offered from time to time. Students will have an

opportunity to take courses in standard as well as cross- discipline

areas. An emphasis will be placed on fundamental scientific and

technological principles and their intersection with the new economy.

Moreover, to promote adaptability, the GIST programs will be

targeted towards providing education throughout the lifetime of the

individual on the premise that the generally followed custom of a fixed

time period for learning leads to obsolescence in a period of ongoing,

rapid, knowledge expansion.

Finally, to train students with a zest for tackling unsolved problems;

research work will be an integral component of the curriculum.

Since the philosophy behind the GIST education is to be a training

ground for cutting-edge scientists and engineers, the educational

curricula must stress and hone those aspects of the mind which are

crucial to making innovations, inventions, and discoveries. Thus, the

development of reasoning, investigative, and critically imaginative

faculties is to be emphasized.

The general classroom instruction will be augmented by a variety of

structured as well semi-structured programs such as: assignments

to develop problem posing and solving abilities (including interactions

with the business community), group discussions between the

students and faculty, between the students themselves, and student

seminars. There will be continual contact with the investigations

being carried out by the faculty and the graduate students.

To encourage students to develop independent thinking and working

habits, there will be access to Internet, well-stocked libraries and

well-equipped laboratories. Moreover, for the more adventurous and

inspired students, funds should be made available for pursuing their

own research ideas. An intellectually mature student with ability and

drive could choose a totally independent line of enquiry and will have

the blessings of the faculty. In fact, the emergence of powerful,

self-propelling young minds will be the fulfillment of the GIST mission.

FACULTY STRENGTH

From a study of successful universities on which GIST could be

patterned, it is estimated that 2000 students will be taken in the

graduate and undergraduate courses combined and a faculty of

approximately 300-400 which will provide the necessary initial

strength for a sustainable experiment in excellence - in teaching,

research and liaison with industry and the world at large. Individual

GIST campuses can grow to become mega-campuses with 20000

plus student body.

The size of the faculty is the most important parameter of the entire

enterprise. Among other things, it will determine the cost of building

and maintaining GIST. The proposed low student-teacher ratio will go

a long way in ensuring that the best young minds are given intense

and personalized training so that they may have a chance of

reaching their full potential.

All GIST selections and promotions, whether for faculty, students or

staff, will be totally need- based.

FACULTY SELECTION

The acquisition of an intellectually distinguished and pedagogically

inclined world-class faculty convinced of the importance and mission

is the first critical and daunting task for the GIST founders and

facilitators.

The recruitment of the faculty will be done in several stages. Initially,

a group designated by the GIST board will choose a few highly

reputed and distinguished persons in each discipline. The initial

group will consist of a desirable combination of senior and

established scientists and junior researchers of demonstrated

potential. The core groups, so selected, will shoulder the primary

responsibility for the choice and selection of their peers. The details

and procedural matters will be worked out in due course. The

university will constantly look out for outstanding researchers from all

age groups to add to its ranks.

GRADUATE AND UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS

The next rung in the research establishment is the graduate student

who combines the twin roles of a student seeking knowledge and of

a researcher creating knowledge. At the proposed strength, up to

40% or approximately 800 graduate students would be on a campus.

The primary admission criteria, the procedures, the rules, the

graduate academic programs, the structural relationships between

the graduate students and the faculty, the additional responsibilities

of the graduate students, the details of the qualifying examination

and other modes of assessment etc. will be worked out by individual

departments with some overall coordination.

Education and research under the same roof is one of the guiding

principals of the GIST initiative. commitment to exciting, high-quality

undergraduate education is, therefore, the center piece of the

institution.

A minimum-sized GIST campus will have 1200 undergraduates

spread over four years ofstudies, requiring a selection of 300 per

year. The selection will begin with an appropriately prepared written

examination, designed to test the students`reasoning and critical

faculties.

Those who pass at a desired level will be invited for an interview. In

the early years, the interviews may have to be conducted mostly at

the GIST campus, but with the passage of time, the GIST network

will grow and theGIST alumni at various places in the country or

abroad could conduct the interview. The idea is not just to pick

students who are bright and capable,but those who, in addition, show

a tendency to pursue careers in science and technology and related

enterprises.

Training at GIST will be very expensive, and it is prudent that the

aptitudes and inclinations of the student be judged before admission.

Enrollment in GIST will be open to non-Indians also for up to a third of

the student body and this will help in creating an enriched

multi-cultural experience.

GIST OUTREACH

GIST will entertain no quotas or reservations. In order to reach the

socially or economically weaker sections of the society, more so

females, GIST will devise an active program. This will consist of

identifying more advanced students belonging to the target groups,

and providing special and additional training for them so that they can

be better prepared to compete for admission.

Summer courses given atthe GIST campus or other suitable

locations for students in the last two or three years of high school will

be the cornerstone of this program.

GIST FUNDING

The current intent of the GIST initiative is to establish up to six

campuses across India in a phased manner so that limited resources

are fully deployed towards the twin objectives of ensuring excellence

at every stage, and gathering sufficient experience for the better

design and development of subsequent institutes.

Each of the campuses will include both academic and residential

facilities. To realize the lofty aspirations of putting together and

supporting a world-class faculty, a world-class student body, and

world-class facilities and intellectual ambiance in several locations,

the sponsors of GIST are raising a sizeable endowment fund.

An initial target of $1 billion is expected to reach within the next 6-12

months (with over $ 500 million already available) to start work on the

first two campuses.

GIST ADDENDUM

Regulatory Framework: GIST will adopt ``IIM`` model and concentrate

on the Post-Graduate/Post Doctoral program to get GIST launched,

at least with one or two locations.

It will continue to work with the government of India and help evolve a

suitable regulatory framework for providing world-class undergraduate

education in a research university. With this approach we believe we

would not need any change in current regulation to begin operation.

Permanent Faculty recruitment: Combination of the focus on

research/ Post Graduate program and the sequenced campus

development approach that GIST wants to follow will also mean that

the quantum of faculty needed for GIST would be less than 100per

year starting from 2003. Such faculty and senior research fellows

would be sourced primarily from the pool outside the major Indian

teaching Institutes.

Currently India is producing in excess of 4400 Ph.Ds in Science and

Engineering and a substantial number of them are from outside the

major institutes is also an attractive target for GIST faculty. Once

theundergraduate program is launched GIST itself will be a source of

its faculty, in addition to the various other sources such as Indian

and non-Indian international faculty attracted through 5 year

contracts and tenure, Indian industry and research centers, etc.

GIST is open to consult with Indian government in case of faculty

recruitment from some specific teaching institutes.

Student tuition fees: Tuition can be paid in 2 forms: (i) fill cost, an

option likely to be exercise by foreign students, or (ii) nominal base

amount with share of future student income pledged to the School.

Currently it is envisaged that students would willingly pay 1% oftheir

earnings in the first 5 years, 2% in the second 5-year periods and

3% there after. However, this will be finalised after financial modeling

and at the time of introduction of undergraduate courses.

Advertise! You fools! Salman, Perhaps you should send the $2000 to the 4 year old heart broken little girl in the advert looking at her dead father, slain because of his religion. God (irrespective of your religious orientation) is having a good laugh at us fools!

Advertise! You fools! The authour states

``Entitled ``Jihad for Pakistan, agony for India``, will partly be funded (and take

serious note of this) by patriotic Indians the world over and the rest by the Indian Government``

I have not seen any evidence that this effort is funded by the Govt of India. Can anyone point me to the source of this information?

I disapprove of negative advertising but its just another weapon in putting pressure on the dictator to play ball the way the international community wants it to. The world will not let the economy of Pakistan collapse as it will increase the destabilisation of a destabilised country, but maximum concessions will be squeezed out before letting the country off the hook.

Advertise! You fools! From an ad agency perspective.... good advertising cannot sell bad products.

Good scores for writing skills, though with too much bias and negative emotion. Sounds very much like writers privates are caught in the Indian vice and this article is the corresponding squeal. The writer believes that the vice has just started tightening with the proposed media blitz by a billion Indians. I agree with the writer that the murders of Sikhs and Hindus have hurt the Kashmiri cause, the Indian Army has even less incentive to kill the people it is meant to protect.. However the pan-islamic groups who I believe have done this, have no love for Kashmir and the mud sticks to Pakistan because the groups are armed, encouraged, safe passage facilitated by the Pakistani Army, but perhaps not totally controlled by them as seen by their actions. Advertising may fool some of the people some of the time, but I would think Billy-Boy and the intelligence communities that advice world leaders have more authentic sources of information than the NYT. I disagree with the Indian negative media blitz against another country, especially one that is on the ropes due to its own mismanagemnet. I would rather the money be spent on positive advertising, or perhaps clean drinking water? I would request the author to donate the $2000 to his favourite charity instead.

1971 in 2000 The HRC isnt the only revelation on India Today.

Here is an interesting article on future graduate education / research in India....Pakistan can and should try to emulate this stratergy for the benefit of South Asia. Sorry for the long post!

http://www.india-today.com/ntoday/newsarchives/100/9/3/n99.shtml

NRIs plan dream science and technology institute

for India

NEWS TODAY EXCLUSIVE

By Suman K. Chakrabarti

Calcutta, September 3: Year 2003.

If you have already planned to send

your children abroad for higher

education, hold your breath and

cancel your plans. Forget

Massachusetts Institute of

Technology, dump the Princeton University. Because, here comes

the Global Institute of Science and Technology (GIST) with each

campus on a sprawling 2,000 acres of land accommodating 20,000

students.

A group of businessmen and visionary entrepreneurs of Indian origin

have started mobilizing a private capital, initially targeted at US

$1billion, to bring a quantitative and qualitative change in India’s

higher education.

The idea for this institute was conceived by Dr Purnendu Chatterjee,

president of the New York based Chatterjee Group (TCG) and backed

by a host of former IITians including US-based tycoons, Database

millionaire Vinod Gupta (who has set up the Vinod Gupta School of

Business at his alma mater, IIT-Kharagpur); Gururaj Deshpande,

founder of Sycamore Networks which is one of theworld`s hottest new

technology companies, valued at more than $ 38 billion, along with

his wife Jayshree Deshpande; Arjun Malhotra, co-founder of the

HCLgroup and currently chairman and CEO of Techspan Inc and

Rajat Gupta, CEO of Mckinsey, the world`s leading management

consulting firm.

The idea, which was mooted during US President Bill Clinton’s

March visit to India, has received the backing of both the Indian and

US governments, according to sources in the Prime Minister`s Office

in New Delhi. Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee will also announce

the project officially during his upcoming visit to the US, sources

said.

Kishore Bhattacharya, a Calcutta-based consultant with the

Chatterjee Group and childhood friend of Dr Chatterjee told NEWS

TODAY “that all these former IITians have taken the responsibility of

mobilizing and providing the resources and management needed to

establish a group of world-class institutes in India with emphasis on

research in science and technology.”

According to the final proposal for the establishment of GIST, a copy

of which is in possession of NEWS TODAY, “funding commitments from

founders and other donors have already crossed the half way mark

towards the targeted $ 1 billion in endowments, sufficient for starting

six campuses in India.”

Bhattacharya told NEWS TODAY that the University of California,

Berkeley (UCB) (Dr Chatterjee`s alma mater) has agreed to grant

affiliation to the first GIST campus which will be set up in Bangalore.

The Karnataka government has already allotted land for the project.

“Though Dr Chatterjee wants to build up the second campus in

Calcutta, we might not succeed because the West Bengal

government is not willing to give land and we do not want to waste

the philanthropic fund in acquiring costly land,” Bhattacharya said.

Other campuses may be affiliated with different universities such as

Stanford and MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology). According

to sources, the Washington State University, Michigan State

University at Dearborn and Northwestern University has also shown

interest in the project.

Though a host of states like Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Gujarat and

Tamil Nadu have offered free land and infrastructural facilities, the

second campus is likely to be set up in Chennai.

Indian corporate houses including Mukesh Ambani of Reliance, R.

Narayanamurthy of Infosys, and Azim Premji of Wipro have also

come up with offers of help.

Underlying the proposed establishment of GIST is the fundamental

belief that the need for scientific and technical talent will continue to

rise in India as well as globally, and India will be a major contributor

to that talent.

In the US alone there is a shortage of 300000-400000 professionals,

growing at the rate of 15-20% a year. The shortage in India is likely

to be substantial if the Nascom-McKinsey projection of India`s

potential is to be realized.

India due to the widespread use of English in the country, the size

and skill of the domestic student body and a cultural emphasis on

education is uniquely positioned to be a key provider of scientific and

technical talent.

Approximately 10 per cent of Silicon Valley start-ups between 1995

and 1998 were founded by Indians, companies created by

entrepreneurs of Indian origin have a market capitalization in excess

of $ 200 billion.

Despite these impressive statistics and the staggering potential for

Indian talent, quality technical and scientific education has been

denied to many in India.

At the IITs, out of the 250,000 students who take the entrance exam,

less than one per cent gets admission. This is significantly lower

than the acceptance rates of other leading schools worldwide (e.g.,

Stanford 15 per cent, MIT 20 per cent).

Moreover, creating and maintaining a world-class science and

technology institute is expensive and the IITs and other institutes in

India have to depend largely on government budgetary support, with

very little private funding.

Consequently, the expenditure on higher education has been very

low. The research budgets and grants of leading schools in the US

are immense, the final proposal of GIST says.

GIST PROPOSED STRUCTURE

GIST will be an autonomous, self-funded institution and will be

established as a corporate body under Section 25 A of the Indian

Companies Act. Thegoverning body will comprise of members

including major sponsors for the institute, world-renowned science

and technology researchers, academicians, practitioners and CEOs

of multi national companies.

To provide advice on future direction and priorities, an advisory

council, comprising of a broader group of academicians and business

leaders, will also be created.

Each campus will have an academic council to decide the curriculum

of the various courses offered by the institute.

The faculty will comprise of a core permanent group, supplemented

by visiting faculty from leading international schools and industry.

VISION AND OBJECTIVES

GIST is a movement intended to spawn a set of privately funded and

managed world-class modern researchinstitutes throughout India.

The objective of GIST is to build and sustain world-class research

universities that will achieve the following objectives: (i) Provide best

education to the best minds and help them stay current. Some of its

key elements are: Create an intellectual ambiance, which

encourages and fosters questioning, investigating, and creative

solutions.

Bring education and research under the same roof in close

physicalcontiguity and in deep intellectual relationship. Experience

shows that discovery; itself is the greatest form of teaching, and that

both teaching and learning may be viewed as an adventure in

discovery. The students, during their formative years, will be exposed

to the thrill of discovery in a variety of ways in the classroom, in

special seminars and by directparticipation in research.

GIST will be guided by the philosophy that education is much more

than teaching; it must include the creation of an inquiring mindset.

Design programs which are most relevant to the educational needs of

the society and not driven by departmental needs or inertia. Provide

the possibility of continuous learning and to stay abreast of the

changing world. Design and build a strong and lasting bond between

GIST and itsalumni, which could be crucial also to the

self-sustainability of the GIST ventures. The commitment of a small

share of lifelong earning in lieu of part or all of tuition fees would

reinforce this long-term university-student bond.

Complement scientific and engineering know-how with liberal

humanities education in order to prepare the graduates to join

thefellowship of an educated person and be effective in life.

(II) Develop as major, cutting edge knowledge creators. Some of its

key elements are:Induction of the best minds for research. This

would require world-class facilities, motivated and outstanding

student body, stimulating ambiance andcompetitive remuneration.

Research prioritized and driven by need for excellence, intellectual

challenges, market forces, including availability of funds (corporate,

government, institutional, etc.) and faculty interest.

GIST will continually strive to stay at the frontiers of knowledge.

Collaboration with corporate and other leading research institutions,

both locally and globally, to ensure that GIST plays critical role in

major issues and developments.

Corporate collaboration (with co-located facilities) can be taken to a

new dimension.

With a world-class setup, GIST will be in an ideal position to attract

major national, specialized scientific laboratories to become partners

in research. The marriage of the general and the specialized hasbeen

extremely widespread and of immense importance in the growth of

both the pure and applied sciences in the advanced countries.

Three verysuccessful examples of this are: Rutherford Appleton

Laboratory, Oxford University. Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California

Institute of Technology and National Institute of Fusion Sciences,

Nagoya University.

Address intellectual property rights issues in a way that will promote

long-term GIST interest, and help achieve GIST objectives.

(III) Contribute to growth of India as a power house in the knowledge

of economy. Some of its key elements are: Build GIST to a scale

and scope such that numerous large industries can be

spawned.Seek collaborations with other research centers to further

leverage GIST capabilities. Support and encourage the growth of

corporate and technologicalparks around GIST locations.

(IV) Catalyze the development of a new paradigm for institutions of

higher education.

The most distinguishing criterion of our times is the accelerated

changein everything around us often caused by the remarkably rapid

innovations in science and technology. In order to convert this

challenge, GIST will deliberately build necessary flexibility in its

governance, management and programmatic structures but without

sacrificing the strengthsof more conventional set-ups. There will be a

pervasive focus on adaptability in all aspects of academic and

non-academic planning.

It will be designed not only to quickly adapt to change, but also to

become the author and pacesetter for change. Ensure that the

funding sources do not impede the ability of the researchers to

change directions as and when needed. Self-supporting research

(sometimes in collaboration), and development of long-term

relationship between GIST and its alumni, would be effective ways to

insure that.

Continuous search for new talent to gain immunity from the power of

existing paradigms to squash or obstruct the emergence of new

areas and disciplines. Take active steps to share and spread the

paradigm of flexibilitywith strength by creating a networked model for

leveraging GIST`s resources and expertise with that of existing

engineering and science & technologyinstitutions and thus help raise

overall standards of research and teaching.

GIST PROGRAMS

It will start with the establishment of one or two world-class

researchuniversities, with an initial focus on applied research later

blended with fundamental research. The details of the academic

architecture will be worked out by the faculties of the respective

campuses and will necessarily be a function of time. One will

however, begin with a faculty, which is equitably divided between

basic and applied sciences.

The basic science programs will include Mathematics, Physics,

Astronomy, Chemistry, Biology, Life Sciences, Electrical

Engineering, and Computer Sciences while applied sciences will

span Engineering, Information Technology, Material Sciences, Health

Sciences, Atmospheric andGeo-Physics, Mathematical Biology and

Ecology. The programs are expected to be individually strong and

interactive with one another.

The faculty and the research programs will not be forced into

department but rather a fluid inter/intra departmental structure will be

adopted to promote the concept of adaptability.

It is recognized that tangible and effective applied research in most

areas requires a thorough grounding in basic sciences and an

understanding of the humanities to develop a rationalbasis for

understanding the observed phenomena and predicting the future

outcome. Thus the education and research planning at GIST will take

fullcognizance of its special role of providing sound basic training for

all research, pure and applied.

At GIST, the undergraduate program is expected to follow the

Masters and Doctoral program. Shorter programs focused on specific

topics will also be offered from time to time. Students will have an

opportunity to take courses in standard as well as cross- discipline

areas. An emphasis will be placedon fundamental scientific and

technological principles and their intersection with the new economy.

Moreover, to promote adaptability, the GIST programs will be

targeted towards providing education throughout the lifetime of the

individual onthe premise that the generally followed custom of a fixed

time period for learning leads to obsolescence in a period of ongoing,

rapid, knowledge expansion.

Finally, to ingrain students with a zest for tackling unsolved

problems; research work will be an integral component of the

curriculum.

Since the philosophy behind the GIST education is to be atraining

ground for cutting-edge scientists and engineers, the educational

curricula must stress and hone those aspects of the mind which are

crucialto making innovations, inventions, and discoveries. Thus, the

development of reasoning, investigative, and critically imaginative

faculties is to be emphasized.

The general classroom instruction will be augmented by a variety of

structured as well semi-structured programs such as: assignments

to develop problem posing and solving abilities (including interactions

with the business community), group discussions between the

students and faculty, between the students themselves, and

studentseminars. There will be continual contact with the

investigations being carried out by the faculty and the graduate

students.

To encourage students to develop independent thinking and working

habits, there will be access to Internet, well-stocked libraries and

well-equipped laboratories. Moreover, for the more adventurous and

inspired students, funds should be made available for pursuing their

own research ideas. An intellectually mature student with ability and

drive could choose a totally independent line of enquiry and will have

the blessings of the faculty. In fact, the emergence of powerful,

self-propelling young minds will be the fulfillment of the GIST mission.

FACULTY STRENGTH

From a study of successful universities on which GIST could be

patterned, it is estimated that 2000 students will be taken in the

graduate and undergraduate courses combined and a faculty of

approximately 300-400 which will provide the necessary initial

strength for a sustainable experiment in excellence - in teaching,

research and liaison with industry and the world at large. Individual

GIST campuses can grow to become mega-campuses with 20000

plus student body.

The size of the faculty is the most important parameter of the entire

enterprise. Among other things, it will determine the cost of building

and maintaining GIST. The proposed low student-teacher ratio will go

a long way in ensuring that the best young minds are given intense

and personalized training so that they may have a chance of

reaching their full potential.

All GIST selections and promotions, whether for faculty, students or

staff, will be totally need- based.

FACULTY SELECTION

The acquisition of an intellectually distinguished and

pedagogicallyinclined world-class faculty convinced of the importance

and mission is the first critical and daunting task for the GIST

founders and facilitators.

The recruitment of the faculty will be done in several stages. Initially,

a group designated by the GIST board will choose a few highly

reputed and distinguished persons in each discipline. The initial

group will consist of a desirable combination of senior and

established scientists and junior researchers of demonstrated

potential. The core groups, so selected, will shoulder the primary

responsibility for the choice and selection of theirpeers. The details

and procedural matters will be worked out in due course. The

university will constantly look out for outstanding researchers from all

age groups to add to its ranks.

GRADUATE AND UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS

The next rung in the research establishment is the graduate student

who combines the twin roles of a student seeking knowledge and of

a researcher creating knowledge. At the proposed strength, up to

40% or approximately 800 graduate students would be on a campus.

The primary admission criteria, the procedures, the rules, the

graduate academic programs, the structural relationships between

the graduate students and the faculty, the additional responsibilities

of the graduate students, the details of the qualifying examination

and other modes of assessment etc. will be worked out by individual

departments with some overall coordination.

Education and Research under the same roof is one of the guiding

principals of the GIST initiative. commitment to exciting, high-quality

undergraduateeducation is, therefore, the centerpiece of the

institution.

A minimum-sized GIST campus will have 1200 undergraduates

spread over four years ofstudies, requiring a selection of 300 per

year. The selection will begin with an appropriately prepared written

examination, designed to test the students`reasoning and critical

faculties.

Those who pass at a desired level will be invited for an interview.

Inthe early years, the interviews may have to be conducted mostly at

the GIST campus, but with the passage of time, the GIST network

will grow and theGIST alumni at various places in the country or

abroad could conduct the interview. The idea is not just to pick

students who are bright and capable,but those who, in addition, show

a tendency to pursue careers in science and technology and related

enterprises.

Training at GIST will be veryexpensive, and it is prudent that the

aptitudes and inclinations of the student be judged before admission.

Enrollment in GIST will be open to non-Indians also for up to a third of

the student body and this will help in creating an enriched

multi-cultural experience.

GIST OUTREACH

GIST will entertain no quotas or reservations. In order to reach the

socially or economically weaker sections of the society, more so

females, GIST will devise an active program. This will consist of

identifying more advanced students belonging to the target groups,

andproviding special and additional training for them so that they can

be better prepared to compete for admission.

Summer courses given atthe GIST campus or other suitable

locations for students in the last two or three years of high school will

be the cornerstone of this program.

GIST FUNDING

The current intent of the GIST initiative is to establish up to six

campuses across India in a phased manner so that limited resources

are fully deployedtowards the twin objectives of ensuring excellence

at every stage, and gathering sufficient experience for the better

design and development of subsequent institutes.

Each of the campuses will include both academic and residential

facilities. To realize the lofty aspirations of putting together and

supporting a world-class faculty, a world-class student body, and

world-class facilities and intellectual ambiance in several locations,

the sponsors of GIST are raising a sizeable endowment fund.

An initial target of $1 billion is expected to reach within the next 6-12

months (with over $ 500 million already available) to start work on the

first two campuses.

GIST ADDENDUM

Regulatory Framework: GIST will adopt ``IIM`` model and concentrate

on the Post-Graduate/Post Doctoral program to get GIST launched,

at least with one or two locations.

It will continue to work with the government of India and help evolve a

suitable regulatory framework for providing world-class undergraduate

education in a research university. With this approach we believe we

would not need any change in current regulation to begin operation.

Permanent Faculty recruitment: Combination of the focus on

research/ Post Graduate program and the sequenced campus

development approach that GIST wants to follow will also mean that

the quantum of faculty needed for GIST would be less than 100per

year starting from 2003. Such faculty and senior research fellows

would be sourced primarily from the pool outside the major Indian

teaching Institutes.

Currently India is producing in excess of 4400 Ph.Ds in Science and

Engineering and a substantial number of them are from outside the

major institutes is also an attractive target for GIST faculty. Once

theundergraduate program is launched GIST itself will be a source of

its faculty, in addition to the various other sources such as Indian

and non-Indian international faculty attracted through 5 year

contracts and tenure, Indian industry and research centers, etc.

GIST is open to consult with Indian government in case of faculty

recruitment from some specific teaching institutes.

Student tuition fees: Tuition can be paid in 2 forms: (i) fill cost, an

option likely to be exercise by foreign students, or (ii) nominal base

amount with share of future student income pledged to the School.

Currently it is envisaged that students would willingly pay 1% oftheir

earnings in the first 5 years, 2% in the second 5-year periods and

3% there after. However, this will be finalised after financial modeling

and at the time of introduction of undergraduate courses.