DrivingResearch & Innovation in

Indian Universities

Dr. G SrinivasJoint Secretary

UGC South Eastern Regional Office Hyderabad & South Western Regional Office, Bengaluru

❑ Initiatives related to UGC Quality Mandate: An Overview

❑ Quick look on some schemes

❑ Faculty research promotion schemes

❑ Dr. D. S. Kothari postdoctoral fellowship scheme

❑ SPARC

❑ STRIDE

❑ CARE

❑ Evaluation reforms

❑ Towards a better R&D and innovation ecosystem

❑ Innovation as a daily reality

❑ Other research related initiatives of UGC

Outline of the presentation

Induction programme

Learning Outcomes based

Curriculum Framework

Tracking of student progress

Promoting research

quality and integrity

Evaluation

Reforms

Employability skills

Mentoring of non-

accredited institutions

Social-Industry connect

Teacher Induction training

ICT based-education process

Initiatives Related to UGC Quality Mandate: An Overview

UGC- FACULTY RESEARCH PROMOTION

SCHEMES

• Offer research support to the University Science Faculties

• 300+ universities

• National Coordinator, School of Chemistry, University of Hyderabad

http://ugcfrps.ac.in/uohyd/

DR. D. S. KOTHARI

POSTDOCTORAL FELLOWSHIP SCHEME

Details: http://ugcdskpdf.unipune.ac.in/

SCIENCES, MEDICAL & ENGINEERING SCIENCES

For young researchers below the age of 35

Applicable at the Science Departments of Indian Universities and UGC-funded IUCs

Not tenable in I.I.T.’s or CSIR/DRDO/DAE laboratories etc.

Objectives

STRIDE

Fund high impact research projects

in the identified thrust areas in humanities and human sciences

through multi institutional

network.

Component-2

Component-1

Provide research capacity building opportunities in

diverse disciplines by mentoring, nurturing and

supporting young talents

Enhancing the problem solving skills

using inclusive innovation and action research to innovate pragmatic solutions for local, regional,

national priorities to contribute to India’s developing economy

Component-3

Objective of CARETo promote academic integrity, publication ethics and to improve the quality of research in Indian universities

Why it is important?

According to Nature Index analysis 2014, Indian science has shown a marked growth in high-quality scientific publications.

However, the percentage of research articles published in predatory journals is high in the country.

Unethical practices in publishing results in an increased number of predatory journals.

over 8000 predatory journals are churning out more than 400,000 items each year.

(Sources: Shen, C. and Björk, B. C., BMC Med., 2015, 13(1), 230)Priyadarshini, S., Nature India, 2017; doi:10.1038/nindia.2017.115, published online 6 September 2017)

CARE UniversitiesProposals of new journals for

consideration of inclusion in the UGCCARE list can be submitted only through CARE members, or

any one of CARE universitiesJawaharlal Nehru UniversityTezpur UniversityMaharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda University of Hyderabad.

The UGC-CARE list is dynamic and will be updated every quarter. Updating CARE

The first edition of UGC-CARE Reference List of Quality Journals has been released accompanying a ‘Public Notice on Academic Integrity’.

CARE website has useful resources like audio-visual materials, videos, weblinks, FAQs, feedback and grievance system

EVALUATION REFORMSInnovativeEvaluationMethods

Nation-wide workshops conducted

A comprehensive report of the Committee Circulated

From To

One of the least focused areas As a core integrated area of

attention

Learning goals are ignored,

even if they exist.

Aligned with learning goals

Memorisation based Thinking & performance based

Based on past practice and

routine

Based on the science of

evaluation

Used only to assess and grade

individual students

Used to improve teaching and

changing curicula

Used only in Individual course

sections.

Evaluation is integrated and

collaborative.

Generically approached with

“examinations”

Approached with scientific

tools & technology.

Examination is only one

component.

Single method or limited

methods.

Multiple methods

• Researchers with established research-focused institutions will be at an advantage in most R&D and funding-intensive measurements.

• There is danger of systematically overlooking the advantage of well-placed researchers in top institutions.

• Reassess our understanding of innovation in higher education and search for alternative pathways by placing innovation in a broader frame which is inclusive of Research and Development, but not limited to.

• Alternative and frugal innovations in institutions in India can be one focus area of Universities while considering research and innovations

Towards a better R&D and Innovation Ecosystem

Alternative and frugal innovations

Towards a better R&D and Innovation Ecosystem

Space for failure and experimentation

“You can write the entire history of science in the last 50 years in terms of papers rejected by Science or Nature”.

- Paul C LauterburNoble Prize Laureate

By not providing enough space for rejection, experimentation and failure to multiple modes of innovation we are blocking many possible innovations.

Merely large number of ideas is not sufficient for innovation. Yet, every great idea was rejected at least once before its execution and acceptance

As individuals we are unprepared to face refutations even if we claim innovation is a priority. Re-orienting institutional structures to accommodate failure gracefully and honestly cannot be easily addressed by policy enactments but is largely a matter of institutional culture.

Academic freedom, autonomy, internal democracy and research integrity as an integral part of the

institutional DNA will naturally pave the way for freedom to experiment.

• There is a danger of pigeonholing the policy attempts at institutional level

• How to unify the schemes? Leadership challenge at the institutional level.

Towards a better R&D and Innovation Ecosystem

Unifying the initiatives at the institutional level

There are multiple initiatives

UGC-STRIDE, UGC-SPARC, MHRD innovation cell in the form of India Innovation Initiative (i3), Industry-Institute Partnership Cell of AICTE, Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) to promote the culture of innovation and entrepreneurship, Atal Innovation Centres (AIC) in institutions of Higher Education and Atal Tinkering Labs in schools etc.

Robust innovation ambience in a University is a function of shared mindset and culture of innovation which cannot be done by policy enacting alone.

Solution to pigeonholing policy during

implementation

Prepare a matrix for different schemes relevant for the institution specifying the respective unique targets, outcomes, linkages with other schemes and bodies, boundaries, resource sharing plan at the institutional level and capitalisation of expertise.

Towards a better R&D and Innovation Ecosystem Research and innovation as a habit of academic mind and discipline

The innovation literature in the last decade suggests that the innovation process can be ignited and managed properly in educational settings.

A vast majority of the faculty members and students are unexposed to innovation as a scientific and holistic process and misreads it with creativity.

After six years of research, the authors of The Innovator’s DNA, one of the most cited works on innovation, point out that innovation is about 30

percent nature and 70 percent nurture. Still, research and innovation is sometimes seen as a random process and

believed that it is not meant for everyone.

The reason for this misunderstanding is that innovation has not evolved into a discipline in our institutions.

Innovation is not taught in any of the undergraduate or graduate programmes of 99% of the institutions in India. Research methods are yet to find any place in the undergraduate curriculum, except in some new generation institutions.

Innovation can be a daily reality

It may be hard to teach innovationYet it can be learnt through a set of

the process

Making these aspects as a part of our curriculum can harness existing natural curiosity of students and faculty members towards making innovation a habit of academic life.

❑ Thinking tools

❑ Thinking fallacies

❑ Creative research methods

❑ Discovery skills

❑ Experimentation skills

❑Design thinking

TOOLS to be included in the

curriculum

• In India, R&D is mostly supported by the Central Government through extramural funding via UGC, ICSSR, ICMR, DST, DBT and similar organisations.

• But, against the requirements of our institutions the share of most state governments is negligible.

• In most colleges and Universities, low level of funding is one of the reasons that make the research mode individualistic and centering it only on career progression, instead of addressing serious problems confronting the nation.

• It also limits the possibility for interdisciplinary research which is a pre-requisite for breakthrough innovations.

Towards a better R&D and Innovation Ecosystem

More and alternative funding models

❑ Funding from Pvt. foundations

❑ Corporate bodies

❑ International organisations

❑ Crowd-sourcing

❑ New financing models

❑More funding from Govt.

Towards a better R&D and Innovation Ecosystem

Extensive collaboration and facilities sharing

While global international collaboration has increased, India witnessed a decline in international collaborations

since 1996, reports US National Science Board.

Some Universities abroad are creating positions for chief

innovation officers as a dedicated leadership post to make innovation an organisation-wide phenomenon, not limited to R&D based research

and extramural funding.

Collaboration and sharing of resources at all levels can be

done beyond the call of regulatory and accreditation

bodies.

Identifying the core capabilities of a University, flexing and sharing resources through wide-spread collaboration and innovating on

those capabilities shall be a leadership agenda with daily

implications across the University.

Other Initiatives of UGC which can be linked to Research related activities at institutional level -1

A game changing plan for rural empowerment linking with education

Relevant for researches in the areas of economics, social work and developmental studieshttp://unnatbharatabhiyan.gov.in/

Other Initiatives of UGC which can be linked to Research related activities at institutional level -2

Accreditation Initiative from UGC

National Academic Depository

The largest work of credential digitisation in

India.

Other Initiatives

A shared measurement system for innovation in the Indian context

Engaging with more collaborators

Search for alternative innovation pathways and strategy-driven leadership at the institutional level

Look for innovation capability that goes beyond R&D and more funding sources

Re-engineering institutional culture for innovationbased on passion, not compliance

Connecting the links for the future

India’s’ capability to innovate now is much higher than in the

past because of the technological facility to share information and

insights.

Our institutional leaders and professors with the support of

policy makers WILL make it happen