Conceptualizing international positioning strategies for Indian higher education institutions

Purpose The manuscript reflects on the future of higher education from an emerging country perspective. The authors specifically answer how new education policies, ranking and accreditation are impacting the current state of Indian higher education institutions (IHEIs) and how IHEIs can cultivate their path towards positioning themselves internationally. This study aims to bring together existing scenarios and to serve as a springboard for future research and applications. Design/methodology/approach The manuscript is designed and executed as a conceptual study exploring the current state and prospects for IHEIs. The study synthesizes the concepts of positioning strategies in context to IHEIs. A conceptual diagram integrating existing concepts from marketing, total quality management and business education is created to understand the phenomenon among the IHEIs stakeholders. Findings The authors found that IHEIs started showing their international presence yet they are facing various challenges (government bureaucracy; international salary standards; global student population; and cultural sensitivity). The authors also found that the positioning problem is not a one-time attempt; the complexity of higher education is a “wicked problem” and, hence needs to be evaluated, changed and executed continuously. The manuscript offers relevant information to IHEIs leaders and stakeholders to improve on their international positioning strategies and proposes avenues for future research. Originality/value The study outlines future development and positioning strategic plans that IHEIs may consider and reflect in their strategic plan. The conceptual diagram on achieving successful international positioning and problem areas is expected to act as a guidebook for the key decision-makers. The focus is on distinguishing the imperatives, creating a key guide for meeting immediate requirements, allotting assets prudently to update their international presence. The study will provide IHEIs with a new lease of life in the future.

Adopting A New Hybrid Force Model: A Survey During Covid-19 In Indian Higher Education

This quantitative study proposes and validates the Hybrid force model by analysing the challenges and opportunities in online education during COVID-19 through an online survey from students and teachers of Indian higher education institutions. The proposed model considers the learner as a system of study and talks about the amalgamation of knowledge, human force (teacher), and techno-logical force for better online learning opportunities and experience. The results show Google Meet, Zoom, and Microsoft Team as the main online platforms for imparting the classes while almost 80% of the students prefer a non-traditional teaching method (online and hybrid). The results highlight that more than 88% of the students prefer to have a personal teaching assistant in their learning trajectory.

A Study on Transformation of Higher Education System: Present Scenario and Future Outlook

Purpose: An analysis of Higher education in India gives insight into its present system, the transformation it has undergone and its future outlook. In this paper, we have made an honest attempt to understand the system, constitution, transformation, opportunities and challenges, and to offer necessary suggestions. Design/Methodology/Approach: It is a qualitative conceptual study, based on secondary data. Secondary data is collected from websites, research papers, journals, articles, various surveys & Government reports. This study includes discussion with experts from the field of Higher education. Findings/Result: Based on detail analysis of the constitution, transformation, NEP 2020 for a futuristic outlook in Indian Higher Education, SWOT analysis and challenges. There is a crucial need to relook at the financial funds, access and equity. To boost higher education in India, it is necessary to adopt strategic approach for tackling the various challenges. Originality/Value: This paper analyses and interprets the transformation of Indian Higher Education system with reference to its constitutions, SWOT analysis and challenges. Based on the detail analysis new suggestions has been recommended. Paper Type: A study on transformation of Indian Higher Education system: Present Scenario and Future Outlook.

Accreditation and ranking of higher education institutions (HEIs): review, observations and recommendations for the Indian higher education system

PurposeThe higher education system has been entrusted globally to provide quality education, especially to the youth, and equip them with required skills and capabilities. The visionaries and policymakers of the countries around the world have been working relentlessly to improve the standard of the higher education system by establishing national and global accreditation and ranking bodies and expecting measuring performance through setting up accreditation and ranking parameters. This paper focuses on the review of Indian university accreditation and ranking system and determining its efficacy in improving academic quality for achieving good position in global quality accreditation and ranking.Design/methodology/approachThe study employed exploratory research approach to know about the accreditation and ranking issues of Indian higher education institutions to overcome the challenges for being globally competitive. The accreditation and ranking parameters and score of leading Indian universities was collected from secondary data sources. Similarly, the global ranking parameters and scores of these Indian universities with top global universities was explored. The performance gaps of Indian university in global academic quality parameter is assessed by comparing it with scores of global top universities. Further, each domestic and global accreditation and ranking parameters have been taken up for discussion.FindingsThe study identified teaching and learning, research and industry collaboration as common parameter in the accreditation and ranking by Indian and global accreditation and ranking body. Furthermore, the study revealed that Indian accreditation and ranking body assess leniently on parameters and award high scores as compared to rigorous global accreditation and ranking practice. The study revealed that “research” and “citations” are important parameters for securing prestigious position in global ranking, this is the reason Indian universities are trailing. The study exposed that Indian academic fraternity lack prominence in research, publication and citations as per need of global accreditation and ranking standards.Research limitations/implicationsThe limitation of this study is that it focused only on few Indian and global accreditation and ranking bodies. The future implication of this study will be the use of methodology designed in this study for comparing accreditation and ranking bodies’ parameters of different continents and countries in different economic development stages i.e. emerging and developed economies to know the disparity and shortcomings in their higher education system.Practical implicationsThe article is a review and comparison of national and global accreditation and ranking parameters. The article explored the important criteria and key indicators of accreditation and ranking that would provide an important and meaningful insight to academic institutions of the emerging economies of the world to develop its competitiveness. The study contributed to the literature on identifying benchmark for improving academic and higher education institution quality. This study would be further helpful in fostering new ideas toward setting up of contemporary globally viable and acceptable academic quality standard.Originality/valueThis is possibly the first study conducted with novel methodology of comparing the Indian and global accreditation and ranking parameters to identify the academic quality performance gap and suggesting ways to attain academic benchmark through continuous improvement activity and process for global competitiveness.