India to become Washington Accord member

In a development that can only augur well for Indian engineers looking for employment overseas, India will become a full-fledged member of the Washington Accord by June this year. This will facilitate global recognition of Indian degrees and improve mobility of students and engineers.

The Washington Accord, signed in 1989, is an international agreement among bodies responsible for accrediting engineering degree programmes. It recognizes the substantial equivalency of programmes accredited by those bodies and recommends that graduates of programmes accredited by any of the signatory bodies be recognized by the other bodies as having met the academic requirements for entry to the practice of engineering.  Some 16 countries are signatories to it.

The Indian government plans to set up the National Accreditation Regulatory Authority (NARA) to improve quality and meet international standards. "After acquiring full status of the Washington Accord, employability of Indian engineers in other countries will go up substantially. This will help our students pursuing technical education," explained Ashok Thakur, Secretary Higher Education.

According to Thakur, India has been a provisional member of the Washington Accord since 2007 and is confident to get the full-fledged status by June when a meeting of the body is due to take place. Two members have been deputed by the Washington Accord to help India align its accreditation norms with the best international practices.

Click your way to an online MBA!

MOOCs (Massive Online Open Courses) are fast becoming popular in India. India is the second biggest market for MOOCs, after United States. MyBskool.com is a Chennai-based startup that is pioneering the MOOCs concept in India. Latha Venkitachalam, Chief Operating Officer, myBskool.com talks about the company and shares her insights on India’s burgeoning e-learning landscape.

Debeshi: Can you tell us more about myBskool?

Latha: myBskool.com is a 3 year young startup based out of Chennai, started in October 2010 that is pioneering the MOOCs (Massive Online Open Courses) concept in India. In lines with the MOOCs initiatives of Stanford and Harvard that has revolutionized the higher education eco-system worldwide by attracting millions of students from across the globe.

Debeshi: What are your company’s e-learning offerings?

Latha Venkitachalam

Latha: myBskool offers online management courses to students. Early this year, we launched a free 100-day Mini MBA in partnership with Madras Management Association (MMA) with content co-created with Indian Institute of Management Ranchi. The programme was offered on a portable classroom model with access from PC, tablets and smartphones. We got a fabulous response from the student community. Over three lakh students have registered for this course, thereby making us India's largest online business school.

Debeshi: What are the programmes that you offer in collaboration with other schools?

Latha: We have the Online Mini MBA in partnership with Madras Management Association and content co-created with IIM Ranchi. We offer an Executive Diploma in Business Administration from Mahatma Gandhi University. Then, there is an Executive Post Graduate Programme in Management from IMT Ghaziabad and Short Term Certificate programmes in partnership with MMA and IIM Ranchi.

Debeshi: Your insights into India’s e-learning industry in higher education

Latha: E-learning is the most convenient option for individuals who cannot take a break from work and continue education. This is also a great opportunity to be updated on the subject and keep in touch with the ongoing trends. Moreover, it is the easiest and cost-effective mode of learning.

Debeshi: What are some of the bottlenecks faced by companies in this space?

Latha: Education is linked to employment and recognition of online courses in the employment market is a challenge. Online learning is not accredited by Government bodies. Also, the Internet penetration in our country has not been that fast. People do not want to pay for certification and there is an attitude that anything that comes via the Internet has to be free.

Debeshi: What are your growth plans in the next five years?

Latha: We want to increase our collaborations with foreign universities in areas such as faculty exchange. We are also looking at expanding into verticals such as IT and Healthcare. We want to be known as India’s best online learning company.

Thomas Cook launches University Tours

Travel company Thomas Cook has launched University Tours in collaboration with education consultancy firm The Red Pen College Tours in the United States. The Tours will take Indian students on a tour of select colleges and universities in the US to help them decide where they want to pursue their higher studies.

Students will be taken to campuses of leading universities such as Stanford University, University of California - Los Angeles, Harvard University, New York University and Princeton University.

According to a release from Thomas Cook, traditional route of online research and word-of-mouth has fallen short of providing Indian students and their parents a realistic and hands on perspective.

The University Tours are expected to give prospective students and their parents a glimpse into university life experiences with visits to the US colleges, interactions with students and university admission advisors.

The tour operators promise customized sessions and workshops at some universities, a pre-departure workshop on the US university admission process and on how to select a university for parents and students, workshops to guide students on how to select majors and careers, how to prepare resumes and individual counselling after the trip.

According to the release, Shibani Phadkar, senior vice-president and head, Leisure Travel (Outbound) Products of Thomas Cook (India), says: "This initiative is aimed at giving students a vibrant firsthand perspective of what to expect when pursuing their undergraduate studies in America. On-ground counselling and interactions with local students and counsellors make for engaging sessions while ensuring selection of an apt university."

Study in Latvia centre opens in Chennai

Latvia is the newest name in a growing list of foreign study destinations for Indian students. A conglomerate of seven Latvian universities launched a "Study in Latvia Centre (SLC)" in Chennai last week. 

Latvia University

According to Professor Leonids Ribickis, the Rector of Riga Technical University, Latvia offered "vast education opportunities and international exposure." Imants Bergs, Vice-Rector in Turiba University said that a cooperation agreement between the Governments of Latvia and India enabled mutual recognition of issued qualifications, besides allowing Indian students to apply for Latvian government scholarships.

The Centre is founded by Riga Technical University, Turiba University, Liepaja University, Latvia University, B A School of Business and Finance, Latvia University of Agriculture and Riga International School of Economics and Business Administration, all based in Latvia.

For information on tuition fees and living expenditures, take a look at the University of Latvia information sheet on fees for 2013-14.

Netherlands Fellowship Programmes

Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs under the budget for development cooperation is offering Netherlands Fellowship Programmes (NFP) for developing country applicants. NFP offers fellowships for master’s, PhD and short courses. Applicants can apply for Master’s degree programmes and short courses in the application period of December 2013- February 2014. Students must be a national of one of the countries in the NFP country list valid at the time of application. If for whatever reason a candidate stays in another country other than his or her home country for more than 90 days before the start of the course and/ or programme, he or she is not considered to be living and working in his or her home country. Nuffic receives thousands of fellowship applications each year. Only a small percentage of these applications are eventually granted a fellowship. Application should be submitted till 4th February 2014.

Study Subject(s): Fellowship is provided to learn any one course offered by Dutch institution (applicant should be employed in a subject area to which the study will make a relevant contribution)

Course Level: Applicants can apply for Master’s degree programmes and short courses in the application period of December 2013- February 2014.

Scholarship Provider: Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs under the budget for development cooperation.

Scholarship can be taken at: Netherlands

For more information, go to: http://scholarship-positions.com/netherlands-fellowship-programmes-developing-countries-applicants-nuffic-masters-degree-phd-research/2013/07/29/

Engineering Careers

Engineering has traditionally been a popular career choice for students in India. The Open Education Database (OED) is a useful resource for students interested in studying and working in the field. The site is dedicated to providing educational/career-oriented resources to those interested in pursuing an online education.

The website features a Guide to Engineering Careers. The guide itself profiles the best locations for a job/degree, the average salary, and general career information for a variety of different fields. The guide also features a section for those looking to pursue a career and/or degree in engineering.

India driving global demand for MBA programmes

Indian students are driving global demand for MBA programmes.

Professionals from industries such as banking, retail and finance are looking at the MBA programme as a tool to jump-start their careers. While there is steady interest in foreign schools, Indian b-schools are also reporting an increase in applications.

Piyush Saxena, a mid-level manager at a retail company in Delhi is taking a year off from work to join an MBA programme in the United States. “This is probably the best time to get an MBA degree as far as my line of work is concerned,” reckons Saxena. 


India’s retail sector is set for unprecedented growth with foreign giants such as IKEA and consumer brands such as Starbucks crafting their India stories. Saxena is hopeful of getting a top job with an international retail brand when he returns to the country after completing his degree.

With Asian economies such as India and China establishing themselves as powers to reckon with in the global arena, there is an increased demand for trained managers and management professionals who can thrive in an international setting. Students from these countries are looking for full-time MBA programmes that deliver quality education and international exposure giving them an edge over others.

Research from the latest Annual Application Trends Survey conducted by the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC) has revealed that worldwide, Indian, Chinese, and US citizens accounted for the greatest number of foreign applicants to MBA programmes for 43 per cent, 27 per cent, and 6 per cent of MBA programmes, respectively. According to the survey, 83 per cent of MBA programmes in India which accept GMAT scores have also reported an increase in applications.

According to the GMAC survey, 80 per cent of two-year business programmes in Central Asia - a section dominated by Indian schools – have reported higher applications. Though impacted by the worldwide recession the Indian economy is not as badly hit as those closely integrated with the US economy, such as those in Europe.

The survey stated that "Indian business school graduates in 2012, reported large percentage gains in post-degree earnings compared to pre-degree salaries."

Also Indian business schools have emerged as the top study destination for Asians: receiving 41% of GMAT scores sent to top 10 Asian countries. "India and China are the leading Asia Pacific countries contributing to the influx of applications for the full time MBA programmes. The overwhelming response clearly indicates the value placed on quality graduate management education by candidates from this region," says Ashish Bhardwaj, regional director, South Asia, GMAC.

With globalization, the focus has shifted to acquiring skills for success in an international marketplace. Indian applicants are considering MBA programmes that combine academic knowledge, business exposure, learning and cross-cultural experience. Explains Sofia Ribeiro, Director, Marketing & Admissions, The LISBON MBA: “To successfully manage international teams, you’ll need a cultural sensitivity – which is best earned when travelling and working abroad.”

Adds Shirin Jarrar, Director of MBA Programmes, Edinburgh Business School, Dubai Campus: “There are numerous benefits to studying for a Masters in Business Administration (MBA) with common drivers among participants. Career progression, personal development, a desire to acquire new skills and knowledge, and the opportunity to network with like-minded senior managers from differing backgrounds and nationalities are just some of the reasons that students choose an MBA programme.”

According to QS TopMBA.com Applicant Survey 2012, global motivations for taking an MBA are still dominated by the desire for career progression and to learn new skills, followed by attaining a leadership position. Building a professional network and seeking a salary increase, though less important, increased in relevance year-on-year.

 “We go to business school for two years, but the network that we build at school stays with us for the rest of our lives,” agrees Daljit Kochhar, director - KT Advisory, a consulting firm based in India. Kochhar is an MBA graduate from the University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business.

Nunzio Quacquarelli, managing director of QS Quacquarelli Symonds observes: “This year, there is a clear preference amongst global applicants responding to the survey towards career goals rather than lifestyle choices when selecting where to study. Reasons such as ‘would like to work there afterwards’ and ‘create a network’ have proven more popular explanations for selecting a study destination when compared to 2011, while choices such as ‘cultural interest and lifestyle’, and ‘improve language skills’ have dropped considerably in popularity.

The QS survey also indicates that the dominant MBA study destinations remain the USA and UK, but both markets continue to show year-on-year declines in popularity, as have other English-speaking destinations such as Canada and Australia. The popularity of the USA, which was a target destination for almost 80% of respondents as recently as 2007, has dropped significantly. However, it still retains top position by a large majority, attracting 62% of respondents.

Adds Ribeiro: “India is one of the two largest potential markets for us. We get a good number of students from India and would like to focus more on recruiting students for our 2013 programme.” Confirms Sherry Wallace, Director, MBA Admissions, Kenan-Flagler Business School, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill: “The enrollment of Indian citizens was about 20 per cent higher for Fall 2012 entry than it was in Fall 2011. However, the number of applications for Fall 2012 entry was higher than Fall 2010 entry, but lower than Fall 2011.”

(Published in QS TopMBA)