BITS Et Al: Emphasize Research Or Sink.

Several years ago I had written that I felt BITS Pilani ought to have invested in upscaling the research infrastructure at their Pilani campus, strengthening its post graduate programs (Masters and PhD) there through fellowships and assistantships, and hiring more faculty to bring down teaching loads before investing in new campuses around the country.

My observation persists.

BITS Pilani was already neck to neck with the IITs in terms of its reputation at the undergraduate education level. Strengthening its postgraduate programs (Masters and PhD) and upscaling research infrastructure would have kept it competitive in a comprehensive sense. That has not happened. BITS Pilani's reputation is still limited to that of a good undergraduate education provider. It's postgraduate programs and research do not enjoy the same level of respect as those at IITs.

And I believe this is true of not just BITS Pilani but many a private university in the country today.

This is simply self destructive.

Everything that is done has to be done well. So for undergraduate education : it has to be done well. That goes without saying.

But undergraduate education cannot be excessively focused on at the cost of postgraduate education and research. This also has to be understood.

All the best universities in the world have built their reputations by excelling in postgraduate education and research. This is a non-negotiable step towards academic excellence that has been taken, and taken very well, by every single university globally that has earned respect.

This investment towards postgraduate education and research has been made not just by government institutions but private universities as well. For example, Caltech, Stanford, Cornell, Columbia, MIT, are all private universities that have invested significantly in postgraduate education and research.

I think several private universities of our country need to take a cue from them and move forward in a more balanced manner. Presently, even the latest batch of IITs opened just a few years ago will overtake every single private university in the country by the end of this decade. I guarantee this.

Emphasize Research Or Sink.