The concept of an entrepreneurial University was a vision ( or perhaps a dream ) of
Burton Clark, who desired academics to pursue their goals rather independently.
…. We find the entrepreneurial university ro be a place that diversifies income to the point where its financial portfolio is not heavily dependent upon the whims of politicians and bureaucrats who occupy the seats of state policy, nor upon business firms and their commercial influence nor even upon student tuition as main
Effective stewardship comes to depend not on the state or ” the market” , but on university guidance and self-determination. The entrepreneurial university does indeed provide a new basis for achievement”.
In other words, he was trying to unlock the commercial value of the knowledge being created and held in a University, and this is feasible in the Knowledge economy more easily than in the Industrial Age or the agricultural age.
The idea is very suitable to implementation in the coming years, and can be a good idea to develop and pursue in the New Year.
We can’t call it a University, because under section 3 of the UGC Act, only a body created by Parliament or State Legislature can be permitted to use the label University.
We could create an entrepreneurial academy, and not limit to higher education. Mainly driven by the technologies mentioned above, it will be for enterprising learners, enterprising faculty and enterprising business leaders. This will be an academic learning community with a difference. Seeking independence and acknowledging that ‘ he who pays the piper calls the tune’ and that ‘ the Government funded autonomous Institute’ is a myth, is able to establish both financial and academic autonomy without being at the mercy of the Government or large business corporates.
Interestingly, this year itself there has been a Report of the Planning Commission Committee Chaired by Shri. Sunil Mitra on “Angel Investment & Early Stage Venture Capital” June 2012 . Amongst other things, the report highlights that entrepreneurship engine in India, over the next decade, has the potential to create 2500 successful high growth ventures, with combined revenue of over Rs. 10 lakh crore (nearly USD 200 billion), and to generate 10 million direct & 20-30 million indirect jobs.Consequently, powering India’s economic progress with inclusive economic development, innovative products/services for India’s young population, India as a hub for frugal innovation, and attracting investment flows and creating substantial wealth.
If this has to go beyond mere platitudes, the concept of the ‘ entrepreneurial University’ has to be put in place. We will not get entrepreneurs as a bye-product of an educational system designed to train bureaucrats, or engineers or managers for large corporations, but we must catch them ( those who have a spirit of enterprise and a passion and drive for change) young and train them for the role of leadership that we expect from them.
Prof. M.M.Pant has a Ph.D in Computational Physics, along with a Professional Law Degree, and has been a practitioner in the fields of Law, IT enabled education and IT implementation.
Drawing upon his experience in world class international institutions and having taught in various modes of Face-to-Face, Distance Learning and Technology Enhanced Training, Prof. Pant is now exploring the nature of institutions which will be successors to the IITs, which represented the 1960s, IIMs, which represented the 1970 and Open Universities which were the rage of 1980s & 90s.
He believes that the convergence between various media and technologies would fundamentally alter the way learning would be created, packaged, and delivered to learners. His current activities are all directed toward actual implementation of these new age educational initiatives that transform education in the post Internet post WTO era..
Prof. Pant, has been a Former Pro-Vice Chancellor, Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) and has been on the faculty of IIT – Kanpur (the premier Engineering institution in India), MLNR Engineering College and Faculty & Visiting Professor - University of Western Ontario-Canada.
He has been visiting scientist to research centers in Italy, England, Germany & Sweden and has delivered international lectures with about 80 papers published.
During his association of almost 15 years with the IGNOU, Prof. Pant has served as the Director Computing and has been the Member of All Bodies (i.e. School boards, Academic council, Planning board, Finance committee and the Board of management).
With his interest in Law, backed with practice of Law in a High Court, and his basic training in Science and IT, Prof. Pant has been particularly interested in the Cyber Law, Patent & trade mark issues, Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) issues etc. and has been involved with many activities, conferences on “Law & IT”
Prof. Pant is presently;
• Advisor to Media Lab Asia - Chairman of working group on ICT for Education, chairman of PRSG handling projects on ICT for education.
• Lead Consultant for an ADB funded project for ICT in Basic Education in Uzbekistan
• Member of the drafting Group for India’s National Policy on ICT in education
• Chairman of the group creating books for class 11 and 12 students on ‘Computers and Communication Technology’ appointed by the NCERT
• Preparing a ‘Theme Paper” for the NCTE in the area of ICT and Teacher Training
• Advisor and mentor to several leading Indian and Multi-national Companies in the area of education.
Prof. Pant has in the recent past been ;
• Member – Board of Management – I I T, Delhi for 6 years (two consecutive terms)
• One-man committee to create the Project Report & Legislation for Delhi IT-enabled Open University
• Advisor to the Delhi Government on Asian Network of Major Cities Project (ANMC-21) distance learning project in association with Tokyo Metropolitan Government.
• Chairman Board of Studies, All India Management Association
With his mission to create and implement new business opportunities in the area of e-learning & learning facilitation, Prof. Pant has promoted Planet EDU Pvt. Ltd., as its Founder & Chairman, along with a team of highly experienced and skilled professionals from Education & Training, Operations, IT and Finance.
