Poaching fears

Updated on: Thursday, March 18, 2010

Kolkata: While those who can afford overseas education have welcomed the Foreign Educational Institution (Regulation of Entry and Operation) Bill, hoping it will pave the way for world-class institutes like Oxford or Cambridge to set up campuses in the country, state universities fear poaching of faculty. Besides, academics do not feel institutions from abroad can ensure quality only by flaunting their foreign identity.

Calcutta University vice-chancellor Suranjan Das is not afraid of competition with foreign universities. “We have a rich human resource base strong enough to compete with universities abroad. The problem is that the bill, once passed, will introduce a dual higher education system. Indian universities will be subjected to norms laid down by the UGC, while foreign institutes will have no such obligation. We have to abide by quotas, constitutional norms about inculcation of certain values and culture, that will not apply to foreign universities. The institutes from abroad will be free to command high fees. The dual system will lead to unequal competition. Plus, there is no guarantee of quality control. The government can’t prevent some B-class foreign universities from opening shop here. But can we open branches on foreign shores? These are questions that need to be addressed. The Yashpal Committee was very critical about this idea,” Das said.

Senior professor of English at Jadavpur University, Supriya Chowdhury, is keeping her fingers crossed. She is not opposed to the idea of granting entry to foreign universities as such, but maintains that institutes run on commercial motive will adversely effect the system. “Foreign universities will not be bound by social justice codes, so no quota. They will offer better salary to teachers that might erode our human resource. Even though there is a clause asking foreign universities to spend their profits here, they might work out ways around this. If they can’t do that, they won’t come. Mediocre institutes will open shops here. Those who can afford will go to these institutes, thus creating a social division,” she said.

JU vice-chancellor Pradip Narayan Ghosh saw this bill as a threat to the university’s existing faculty. “Foreign universities are likely to offer much better salaries that might lead to an exodus of promising teachers. We excel on the faculty we have. Now, if good teachers leave, so will students whose parents can afford to pay for these foreign institutes. The unhealthy competition will ultimately wipe out our human resource and our quality will suffer,” said Ghosh. However, he said he would prefer to wait and watch how many reputable institutes set up shop here.

However, Bengal Engineering and Science University (Besu) vice-chancellor Ajay Kumar Roy does not seem bothered about competition. Roy rather welcomed the move. “We already have tie-ups with various universities across the globe. In some, we have gone for faculty and students’ exchange programmes while in others, we have done collaborative studies and projects. It will rather enhance quality by promoting competition,” Roy added.

Indian Institute of Management, Calcutta, however, flatly refused to comment. “We won’t comment till the bill gets through. However, our universities might suffer when foreign institutes set up shops here. For, they will hire the best teaching brains and give them better pay. That is the primary concern for the moment,” said an official.

In West Bengal University of Technology, which has around 80 colleges affiliated to it, is also sceptical about the move. “Institutes like IITs and IIMs can probably afford to withstand and pose a challenge at these foreign universities. I, however, doubt if the other universities, which do not receive funds from the central government, can also withstand the onslaught,” an official said.

Poaching fears

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