The Indian universities’ ecosystem runs on many integral factors. Now, while many of these factors have a genuine reason to be up there, one component which has taken up a disproportionate amount of importance in recent times relates to the topic of university rankings. Conceived to generate differentiation and assess institutional performance, these rankings have long departed from their primary goal of informing students on metrics like industry collaboration, sustainability, and innovation. This departure, in turn, has exposed several limitations, such as a lack of consideration for unseen yet equally crucial determinants like student satisfaction, campus culture, personal growth, teaching quality, mental well-being, career readiness, and general return on investment. But if not these esteemed rankings, what really translates to excellence for universities in today’s era? Well, it’s time we look at the stated indicators from a closer and more comprehensive viewpoint.
Up first, present-day institutions for higher learning have a big responsibility towards giving students that all-important industry exposure right in the vicinity of their classroom. Hence, it’s imperative for an aspirant to figure out whether a university inculcates live projects, corporate mentorship, guest lectures, and industrial visits across the fabric of their curriculum. The focus here must remain on helping students better understand the working of modern enterprises, thus positioning them to succeed in emerging job roles. At CGC University, Mohali, we have fully committed ourselves to preparing aspirants for the ground reality. This commitment shows big time in our industry-integrated curriculum, created in close collaboration with the likes of EY India, IBM, Capgemini, KPMG, OS-SCI, and many other such corporate heavyweights. Students can further expect to develop under the tutelage of working industry professionals who, on their part, are well-versed in industry best practices and adjoining risks. Not just that, they can also enjoy thorough industrial visits, where every sector-specific and company-specific detail is unpacked with unparalleled nuance and precision.
Having referred to the importance of corporate-curated curriculum, we now must transition towards our second key factor which should hold a higher stature than any ranking. We are talking about prospect of applied learning. Gone are the days when theory made up a large chunk of students’ learning experience. Today, with continuous upskilling taking the centre stage, it has become non-negotiable for one to apply their learning and gradually master the same in the context of real-world circumstances. Keeping in line with this monumental shift, CGC University, Mohali, offers its students an environment enriched with experiential learning. We provide them, for instance, a seamless access to smart simulation centres, innovation hubs, dedicated upskilling zones, as well as fully-automated research facilities. Beyond that, students are taught through real case studies and capstone projects, purpose-built to deliver a powerful insight into the current technological and business landscape. CGC University, Mohali, also makes it possible for you to leverage industry-backed Centres of Excellence, including Capgemini CodeXperience Centre, IBM Centre for Emerging Technology, WNS BFSI Academy, Bosch BRIDGE Centre, Ashok Leyland Centre, and more.
While the underlying pledge to practical learning is certainly crucial, it ends up taking a significantly greater value when combined with top-notch mentorship and individual support. Hence, in order to optimize student and its own potential, a university is required to have a faculty capable of imparting specialized academic support. The faculty in question must also facilitate one-on-one sessions to ensure every aspirant is able to chart their own pathway to success. Alongside that, there even remains a steady scope in guiding students in terms of conducting research studies for meaningful betterment across many different areas. Recognizing the given mandate, CGC University, Mohali, has got in place a faculty hailing from some of the most prestigious institutions in the world. A clearer perspective here reflects upon how our teachers bring with them an immense experience in next-gen domains like Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Cybersecurity, Cloud Computing, Blockchain Technology, Data Science, and many others. In case that wasn’t enough, we also have a full-fledged segment devoted to research & innovation, enabled by our annual research budget of 15 Cr.
Moving on, as digitalization has empowered education to transcend every border, it has now spelled a need for the universities to establish a strong global partner network. By harnessing such a network, these universities can essentially help students tap into exchange programs for enhanced exposure, unlock paid internship opportunities at international firms, and achieve valuable certifications that can give their career a lasting boost. In respect to that, CGC University, Mohali, has built up a setup of more than 300 global partners, spanning 70 unique countries. Thanks to that, our students consistently enjoy the chance of exploring other countries’ education experiences, something which broadens their viewpoint and allows them to grow into more complete professionals.
Then, there is the aspect of placements. A topic bigger and more relevant than any ranking for students, the placement machinery of a university is necessitated to have a quality recruiters’ inflow every year, paving the way for a rewarding package and better overall career progression. If we are to discuss placements against the backdrop of CGC University, Mohali, we can proudly say that our highest package is currently a staggering 1 Cr, whereas the average package for students pursuing their higher studies with us stands at 15 LPA. The numbers are largely a result of tailored placement support, which grooms the aspirants to confidently pursue a career of their choice.
Surely, placements are indispensable to any university’s core ideology today, but at the same time, we are now also staring at a pressing need to cultivate an entrepreneurial instinct among the younger generation. This involves giving their ideas the platform to become bigger, all while encouraging them to take initiative and make things happen. Apart from that, learning institutions must also create a mechanism to support innovative startup ideas through seed level funding and networking. The way CGC goes about upholding the said need revolves around its VentureNest program. VentureNest welcomes every student, regardless of their academic background, to step in and present their ideas in front of seasoned investors. So far, the program has opened the incubation gates for well over 100 startups that all trace their beginnings to our transformative entrepreneurship support.
As we sign off today, we also need to acknowledge the growing significance of soft skills. Once nothing more than an afterthought, soft skills have clocked an increasingly important role in today’s professional stratosphere. As a result, no matter how good you are technically, you cannot fully harness the potential available at your disposal without knowing how to communicate your ideas. Similarly, you can have a strong skill for your area of work, but your career trajectory will remain stifled unless you master the art of working with others in a constructive manner. To let our students make headway in soft skills, CGC University, Mohali, has created a dedicated Department of Career Planning (DCPD), where experienced career counsellors aid your aspirations through far-reaching skill development training, packaged with robust placement support, opening up the gates to a thriving career.
Having spent ample amount of time on each factor, we can safely presume that, even though rankings have some say in distinguishing better universities from the rest, they cannot control the whole narrative when the pursuit is of quality and groundbreaking education.