The Indian education system has been governed, for a long time now, by a stringent 3-step ladder. This olden ladder begins from education, then comes the degree, and finally, it ends on the dream of a high-paying job. Now, before we get into the advantages or disadvantages of this model, it is important to answer one particular question i.e. how did getting placed actually become the overriding metric for success in the very first place? Well, the answer, I feel, is rooted in the very early days of our lives when, back in school, the conversation was all about scoring the highest marks in the entire class rather than achieving conceptual clarity. Even after completing school, a student’s life would largely revolve around questions like which program offers the best placements? Which company is hiring new talent in their domain, or if not that, which company is offering the highest package? Making no mistake, a good placement opportunity and a good package can surely bring a substantial amount of stability to your career. However, we have reached a big saturation point in this journey, and as a result, most job seekers out there are now fighting for the same job roles, leading to a toxic culture and a concerning unemployment rate. While the next natural juncture in such a discussion could relate to all the ways in which candidates can stand out in the job market, but truth be told, that’ll be nothing more than a temporary fix. As a society, now is the ideal time for us to answer a couple of critical questions: Why our education mechanism, which is built to change the world’s future, is trying to fit the new generation into those same existing job templates? Why are we not lending a thought to actively create new and innovative jobs?
Before you jump to any conclusion, this is not a call for students to drop everything and become a founder. Instead, it is about imbibing an entrepreneurial instinct, capable of helping you identify real problems, create unique value, and therefore, unlock a whole new assortment of transformative opportunities. Anyway, as attractive of a proposition as it sounds, I acknowledge that there remains a slew of challenges that are keeping students from cultivating the given mindset. These challenges, for instance, are headlined by the plain fear of failure, , considering our academic systems are innately built to penalize mistakes. A major bottleneck, in any pursuit of fostering entrepreneurship across the younger generation, also stems fron the financial uncertainty which comes with it. You see, landing a lucrative job offer tends to give you a more immediate kick, whereas creating something from scratch may demand patience or even some financial sacrifices early doors. Next up, we have the sheer lack of capability posing a massive hurdle. We get to say so because academic institutions have, at large, stayed restricted to the theoretical side rather than preparing students to understand the fundamentals of execution. Having referred to the problems on our plate, we now must also take a moment to discuss the possible answers.
Firstly, we need to provide our students with an action-ready and industry-inspired brand of education. The said factor, on its part, will see universities connecting aspirants to established corporate houses, all for the purpose of maximizing their real-life organizational exposure. Beyond companies, these new-age academic institutions must also shoulder the responsibility of helping students avail crucial advice from celebrated entrepreneurs and investors. The idea behind conceiving a community of stakeholders is powered by the need to give students an honest way forward, thus broadening their perspective beyond what would have been possible otherwise. At CGC University, Mohali, we take care of this aspect by delivering an entire industry ecosystem, which includes everything from an outright corporate-led curriculum to specialized upskilling drives, curated by people with strong proof of work and substantial influence on the young generation. Not just that, CGC has also displayed, time and time again, a consistent commitment to conducting faculty development programs in collaboration with widely-respected thought leaders of their respective industries, laying the foundation for relevant learning over a longer term.
Complementing the expert-grade mentorship is going to be an innovation-centric infrastructure. For years, universities throughout India, as well as across many countries abroad, have left idea of applied learning stranded on the sidelines and innovation stifled to a sensational degree. Fortunately enough, we can plug the evident gap using an infrastructure revamp. Under this overhaul, universities are to bring in facilities well-equipped to host extensive experimentation on technologies like AI, Data Science, Cloud Computing, Quantum Computing Cybersecurity, Robotics, IoT, and more. In fact, in order to take student experimentation a step further than preliminary assessment, academic institutions today will also be better off investing in VR-powered simulation environments, where one can actively observe and analyze how their idea might shape up in the outer world. More on this research side would reveal how it is imperative to have the neccesary setup in place for a smooth transfer of knowledge. Such a setup, like you can guess, will give your innovation a rather democratic form, and, therefore, allow it to achieve a far-reaching impact.
Keeping place with these changing dynamics, CGC University, Mohali’s campus features smart innovation hubs, simulation centres, and fully-automated workshop zones, each working in complete synergy with the other to give your education a smarter edge. While we are still on facilities, I would further like to touch upon how, at CGC, students can also access various industry-backed Centres of Excellence, such as Capgemini CodeXperience Centre, IBM Centre for Emerging Technologies, WNS BFS Academy, and Ashok Leyland Innovation Centre, along with plenty others. CGC University, Mohali’s future-leaning pedigree can also be validated once you take into account those 2,600+ patents that have been filed under our guidance so far, a feat made possible by the university’s 15 Cr. annual research budget.
Another foundational ingredient in turning job seekers into job creators revolves around baking incubation right into a student’s journey. A good chunk of ideas never come to life because they never receive that early-stage support. Hence, as torchbearers of students’ education and development, universities must put things in motion to ensure that anyone can seamlessly come in and elevate their entrepreneurial journey through industry problem statements and live business projects. There is also required a space for students to participate in startup clinics, case-based training sessions, a host of other similar activities that can sharpen your skills arsenal for career pathways that may not even have business management at their core. Of course, those who do wish to pursue business should be provided with that support in the form of pitching competitions, enabling them to secure the funds they need for getting their startup plan up and running.
Recognizing the importance of incubation, CGC University, Mohali, has conceived an in-house incubator i.e. VentureNest. VentureNest is essentially geared towards offering a cutting-edge startup infrastructure, tailored mentorship from seasoned industry professionals, and last but not the least, a clear route to early stage funding. In terms of mentorship, you can expect help in domains like investment management, modern technology, innovation, and regulatory compliance etc. Up until now, VentureNest has incubated 100+ startups, with many of them also being woman-driven startups. As for the money, the total capital raised within its ecosystem currently exceeds Rs. 1.5 Cr.
In my closing notes, I would reinforce the overarching idea of preparing students for a reality which doesn’t even exist today. This involves instilling in them capabilities like problem-solving, communication, collaboration, creativity, and leadership etc., instead of just forcing their career aspirations to meet present-day job descriptions. As I say that, I am also proud of the way CGC University, Mohali, has managed to lead the Indian education contingent into a new era by combining next-gen technology with individual-specific development, a combination which promises to produce unprecedented outcomes for years to come.