Campus visits form the heart of the Seminar. This is the ninth year of the Seminar, and every year, the itinerary changes. We start in Mumbai, where we visit two institutions on Monday and two on Tuesday. Thursday and Friday we see two universities each day in the city of Pune. Finally, next Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, we will visit two institutions each day in Hyderabad. We end the trip in Delhi. We won't meet with university leaders there, but will speak to groups active in international education.
We were all curious about the dynamic of these visits, and today provided an illuminating contrast. We left the hotel at 8 am after another sumptuous breakfast. Today's attire was more formal, and we all contributed school paraphernalia to two gift bags to offer to our host institutions. The bus ride took about an hour to reach the southern part of Mumbai. Along the way, Reshmi, the academic facilitator, gave us a preview of what to expect at St. Xavier's College.
St. Xavier is one of 800 colleges affiliated with University of Mumbai. That means that although Xavier has academic autonomy, their students must pass exams administered by the University, and their faculty must get promoted by the University process. St. Xavier belongs to the Jesuit organization of colleges and is considered elite. They receive 10 applications for each of the 300 entering slots. By regulation, admission is offered solely by performance on a standardized exam, and St. Xavier is so desirable that students need to score in at least the 95th percentile to win admission.
The college grounds consist of a series of interconnected buildings separated by leafy courtyards. We gather in a conference room on a corridor with the offices of all the college leaders. As we settle into the seats, air conditioning units mounted high on the walls keep the air chilly, and a young man in a blue uniform brings each of us a cup of tea and saucer. Five college officials join us and futz with the PowerPoint projector. I was expecting a round of introductions, but the St. Xavier representatives launch into their spiel.
The few times a foreign delegation has come to MGH Institute of Health Professions, we spend some time glad-handing and small-talking before getting to business. This group, perhaps aware we had just two hours, began telling us about their campus. The rector, whom I gather is like a provost, spoke to us about the college's strategic plan. He was a Jesuit, one of just three on campus, and he completed his PhD at Marquette University. He spoke candidly about the tension the school feels in serving elite students with fulfilling its mission to serve the most marginalized.
The other balance they are seeking is fuller autonomy from the government without giving up government aid. Even though they are what the U.S. considers a private institution, the state government pays the faculty members' salaries and keeps tuition at no more than the equivalent of $100 a year. St. Xavier scored well on national accreditation, so they are moving toward independent university status. That opens up a large government grant, but also requires them to move toward financial self-sufficiency.
Eventually, we managed to engage the representatives in discussion and heard more about existing student exchanges they have in place with universities in the United States. Before we left, some of the faculty gave us a tour of the chapel, science labs, and resource center for students with disabilities. Students gathered on tables in an open-air cafeteria and passed through the hallways, but we didn't speak to any. We reassembled on the bus impressed with the academic rigor of St. Xavier but also sympathetic with their uncertain path.
For lunch, we drove to an austere, glassy Hyatt hotel for an elaborate buffet. Like the meals at our hotel, the selection brimmed over with stews and meats (though no beef) and an avalanche of sweets. The group has developed a casual rapport after just two days. We've learned about each other's career paths, children's names, and favorite travel spots. Natural for a group of international educators, the participants have extensive experience in all parts of the world. I've appended a photo of the group from yesterday's walking tour.
In the afternoon, we visited University of Mumbai. In the Indian higher education structure, this is a state-funded institution for master's and doctoral studies. It also sets the curriculum and administers exams for thousands of undergraduate students at its affiliated colleges. Unlike St. Xavier, which had a unifying mission and message, the faculty who greeted us at the University of Mumbai seemed unclear on who we were and what information would be valuable to us. Several different department chairs spoke about their part of the university, but we didn't get the overall picture.
Finally, our group leaders suggested that they let us introduce ourselves and hear what we're interested in learning. That lead to a more flowing discussion, and they invited several students to share their experiences with us. I always suspected that concern about students from marginalized groups was limited to universities in affluent countries. Yet, as with St. Xavier, representatives from University of Mumbai told us that their mission is to help the underprivileged. The students dutifully—though not entirely persuasively—assured us it was true.
We left our second campus visit already with a sense of the range of institutions in India. Tuition is extremely affordable, opening up graduate studies to more people, but if the quality is not high, it's no great benefit. My impression of University of Mumbai may also be colored by the strong accents of the faculty members. English is the language of instruction and scholarship in India, yet some university officials spoke with unusual (to my ears) emphases that made the meaning hard to discern.
Dinner was back at the hotel but instead of the restaurant, we convened in a function room. The organizers had invited local staff from the US Indian Educational Foundation office, current U.S. scholars studying in Mumbai on a Fulbright, and Indian faculty who will be participating in the corresponding seminar to the United States in the fall. The Consul General of the United States in Mumbai spoke about the power of international educational exchange to advance diplomacy. I ate dinner at his table and got to learn about his career in the State Department and his adjustment to India. We agreed that it was a shame more students from the U.S. don't consider India as a destination for study abroad.
We were all curious about the dynamic of these visits, and today provided an illuminating contrast. We left the hotel at 8 am after another sumptuous breakfast. Today's attire was more formal, and we all contributed school paraphernalia to two gift bags to offer to our host institutions. The bus ride took about an hour to reach the southern part of Mumbai. Along the way, Reshmi, the academic facilitator, gave us a preview of what to expect at St. Xavier's College.
St. Xavier is one of 800 colleges affiliated with University of Mumbai. That means that although Xavier has academic autonomy, their students must pass exams administered by the University, and their faculty must get promoted by the University process. St. Xavier belongs to the Jesuit organization of colleges and is considered elite. They receive 10 applications for each of the 300 entering slots. By regulation, admission is offered solely by performance on a standardized exam, and St. Xavier is so desirable that students need to score in at least the 95th percentile to win admission.
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| St. Xavier's building is so closely associated with higher education in India that Bollywood films use it as a setting for characters who go to college. |
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| The corridor where we meet school officials. The whole campus had a musty, natural history museum feel. |
The other balance they are seeking is fuller autonomy from the government without giving up government aid. Even though they are what the U.S. considers a private institution, the state government pays the faculty members' salaries and keeps tuition at no more than the equivalent of $100 a year. St. Xavier scored well on national accreditation, so they are moving toward independent university status. That opens up a large government grant, but also requires them to move toward financial self-sufficiency.
Eventually, we managed to engage the representatives in discussion and heard more about existing student exchanges they have in place with universities in the United States. Before we left, some of the faculty gave us a tour of the chapel, science labs, and resource center for students with disabilities. Students gathered on tables in an open-air cafeteria and passed through the hallways, but we didn't speak to any. We reassembled on the bus impressed with the academic rigor of St. Xavier but also sympathetic with their uncertain path.
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| Part of the dessert station at the lunch buffet. |
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| The group, with me in the center, pose in front of a basilica. |
Finally, our group leaders suggested that they let us introduce ourselves and hear what we're interested in learning. That lead to a more flowing discussion, and they invited several students to share their experiences with us. I always suspected that concern about students from marginalized groups was limited to universities in affluent countries. Yet, as with St. Xavier, representatives from University of Mumbai told us that their mission is to help the underprivileged. The students dutifully—though not entirely persuasively—assured us it was true.
We left our second campus visit already with a sense of the range of institutions in India. Tuition is extremely affordable, opening up graduate studies to more people, but if the quality is not high, it's no great benefit. My impression of University of Mumbai may also be colored by the strong accents of the faculty members. English is the language of instruction and scholarship in India, yet some university officials spoke with unusual (to my ears) emphases that made the meaning hard to discern.
Dinner was back at the hotel but instead of the restaurant, we convened in a function room. The organizers had invited local staff from the US Indian Educational Foundation office, current U.S. scholars studying in Mumbai on a Fulbright, and Indian faculty who will be participating in the corresponding seminar to the United States in the fall. The Consul General of the United States in Mumbai spoke about the power of international educational exchange to advance diplomacy. I ate dinner at his table and got to learn about his career in the State Department and his adjustment to India. We agreed that it was a shame more students from the U.S. don't consider India as a destination for study abroad.
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