Mainland autonomy requires oceanic depth
The Chinese reaction to the American immigration fracas has strategic undercurrents with a view to not only create alternate models but also emerge as a global education hub. I have previously written on the Chinese build-up towards building world class universities through state facilitated policies with a long-term plan. The size and speed at which they are advancing is shaking certain fundamentals of the game.
The 'haigui' (sea-turtles) as the foreign educated returning Chinese are called, have been instrumental in building the science and engineering education in many universities like Tsinghua and Peking comparable to America. Some Chinese are looking at Singapore, Hong Kong, Japan, etc. as alternate geographies besides the increasing others who want to develop Chinese University using this turbulence as an opportunity. The Chinese government cannot change what America is doing but certainly is changing what it can do.
The Indian side of the foreign landscape is a mixed bag. Surpassing China in terms of growth rate last year, China still retaining the top status of sending the largest number of Chinese to top five destinations—the US, UK, Canada, Australia and France, India is second to China in absolute numbers. India also seems to find an alternate growing interest in Australia, EU, Japan, etc. but needs more efforts to build the native Indian university ecosystem with a foreign touch.
Though India and China have invested roughly the same in education (averaging 4.1 per cent to 4.6 per cent of GDP), the Chinese per capita investment is five times more that of India. The lucrative research grants and the magnetic incentives luring back overseas Chinese to China are the double engines of university reforms in China besides revitalising its university autonomy.
The UGC Regulations for establishing foreign university campuses in India is a route for foreign universities taking the Pacific or Atlantic or Arabian Sea route to enter India with an oceanic depth in autonomy. The global academic freedom index is a pointer for more university autonomy in India. The regulatory framework for Indian universities in India requires more autonomy which may be given to the top 100 NIRF universities to begin with. There will be marginal collateral damage but it is worth the effort as mainland institutional autonomy requires the oceanic depth that others enjoy. Is anybody listening?
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