Three Pathways to Progress
There are just three pathways that can lift a university or School from good to great. They are integration, innovation and inclusion. Let me explain each one of them.
Integration
Integration has multiple dimensions. It is integration in the entire chain from learning to doing to delivering, it is integration across disciplines, it is integration across borders leading to internationalisation.First, the challenge of integration from learning to delivering. In world class universities, education, research, innovation and entrepreneurship integrate seamlessly together. Education disseminates known knowledge. Research creates new knowledge. Innovation converts knowledge into wealth and social good. However, for innovation to move from mere ideas to actual impact in the society, we need entrepreneurship. Allgood universities is doing the most remarkable job of this integration, especially with the most important partner, namely industry. The advanced skills centres established with industry partnerships are truly unique.
The second is the integration across disciplines. Breakthroughs in research take place at the interface of disciplines. Advances are generally the sum total of numerous creative ideas and interdisciplinary co-operation. Indeed moving from ideas to impact is not a unidimensional process. It is comparable to the intermeshing gears of a clock. The challenge before us is to make this intermeshing happen.Therefore, what we require is not just chemical or mechanical or computer engineers, but ‘solution engineers’, who are experts in such integration across disciplines.
The third is the integration within and across national boundaries. Educational Institutes must be sensitive to the needs and the aspirations of the people and society, for which I have seen a great deal of laudable evidence. The word ‘global’ University sets a benchmark of having a global outlook, not just local; integrating diversity of thoughts and cultures with an open mind with the inspiring motto of VasudhaivKutumbakam.
Looking into the future, the very character of Internationalisation will not only change dramatically but will also spread rapidly due to the phenomenal advances in Information & Communication Technology. Digitization, virtualization, mobilization and personalization are the four new megatrends. All these will lead to game changing co-creative, self-organizing, self-correcting, asynchronous, dynamic and open systems that will be borderless and globally distributed.
Innovation
Innovation is a successful exploitation of a new idea into the market, industry, society. It comprises the journey from mind to market place, from ideas to impact.It is only through the process of innovation that knowledge can be converted into wealth and social good. Through this movement, every citizen, every constituent of India must become an innovator. The I in India, should not stand for imitation and inhibition, it must stand for innovation. The I in IIT must stand for innovation. The I in industry, the I in every individual Indian must stand for innovation. It is only this innovative India that will signal to the rest of the world, that we are not a hesitant nation, unsure of our place in the new global order, but a confident one, that is raring to go and be a leader in the comity of nations”.It is very important to convert invention to innovation.
India has rapidly moved from a ‘starting-up’ nation to the fastest growing ‘start-up’ nation. It is setting new record of producing almost one unicorn per week. A unicorn means one-billion-dollar market cap company.My own analysis showed that close to 50% of the unicorn start-ups have come from elite institutions like IITs and IIMs and the rest of them from tier 2 or tier 3 cities. This is a real democratisation of innovation.
Finally innovation must spread across the education system as a way of life in everything we do. President Obama had said that education and innovation are the currencies of the 21st century. I would say that education in innovation and innovation in education are the currencies. The University must build on both.The classrooms will have to be reinvented to the changing times. It is the innovative combination of digital and physical learning that will create the future winners.
Inclusion
India needs growth, but more importantly, it needs inclusive growth, where no Indian is left behind. This means education for all, as also research and innovation that creates products and services, that are affordable to all, and not just a privileged few.As I always like to say science must solve, technology must transform and innovation must impact.
Building Engineers for our Future
In order to become topmost ranking University producing world class engineers, we must build both the minds as well as mindsets of the engineering graduates, who will build our future.Much has been written about the mind of an engineer. For an engineer, two things are important. The first deals with learning habits of mind. That includes curiosity, open-mindedness, resourcefulness, reflection, resilience, ethical approach, and cooperation and collaboration.
Then there are engineering habits of mind. They include visualising, analysing, improving, adapting, systems thinking, problem finding and finally creative problem-solving.All universities must develop amongst our students both the learning habits of mind and engineering habits of mind. A leading education expert has said that two thirds of the senior school going students today will end up in jobs that do not exist today. If that is indeed the case, then how do we impart skills for future jobs, which we don’t even know what they are going to be. However, although the nature and type of jobs will keep on changing, there are certain skills that will be fundamentally required, no matter what changes take place. What are they?
It is generally agreed that the top 10 skills include complex problem-solving, critical thinking, creativity, people management, coordinating with others, emotional intelligence, judgement and decision making, service orientation, negotiation, and cognitive flexibility.We test the students today by examining their domain knowledge, beat mechanical, electrical or metallurgical engineering. We have to devise new tools of evaluation, which are actually able to judge their competency in these top 10 skills.
Let us remind ourselves that the word "engineer" comes from the French word "ingenieur", which literally means "an ingenious one". To my mind, our ingenuity of exploring the new tools of knowledge from adjacent disciplines is going to be the key to our success. Finally, I would like to repeat the inspiring inscription on the Lamme Medal of The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, USA, which simply says "The engineer views hope- fully the hitherto unattainable". I firmly believe that it is in this new seamless world of the emerging engineers from our University will not only "view" the unattainable but also "attain" the unattainable.
Five Mashelkar Mantras
The beginning of your own life is not in your hands, but where you end up is.So remember, your aspirations are your possibilities, and therefore, keep your aspirations always high. You can’t predict your future, when you are beginning your journey.
Second, there is no substitute to hard work for becoming successful. Like instant coffee, there is no instant success.The golden rule is the following. Work hard in silence. Let success make all the noise.
Third, purpose, perseverance and passion matters. Always too early to quit. Quitters are never winners and winners are never quitters. Interpret FAIL as your first attempt in learning. Your best Guru is your last mistake as long as you learn from it.
Fourth, be always a part of a solution, never part of a problem.If you can’t find the way, create your own new way.You will keep on knocking on the doors. Don’t get frustrated if they don’t open. Create your own doors.
Fifth, there is no limit to human endurance, no limit to human achievement and no limit to human imagination, excepting the limits you put on your mind yourself.Be `limitless’ in terms of your imagination. So every day, when you wake up, no matter how old you are, say to yourself that my best is yet to come and may be today is that day.
About Dr Pratik Mungekar
1) He is the first Indian to be appointed as the planetary Minister of Sustainable Development of Newly emerging The Kingdom of Atlantis (a Decentralized Sovereign Kingdom)
2) He is the first youngest Indian whose book Introduction to sustainable Development Goals (Non-Academic) is now part of the Atlantean Education program.
3) He is the first youngest Indian to receive 250+ Honorary Doctorates from all over the world.
4)He is the first youngest Indian professor who taught more than 8000+ Students & Career guided 4000+ Students to date & the count is still on.
5) He is the first Indian who has 700+ International, National & State Awards at the age of 28 for his contribution to the field of Teaching & Research.
6) He is the youngest Indian to receive 125+ Honorary High Degrees across the Globe.
7) He is the first Indian to be appointed by 35+ International organisations in various High-positions at the same time.
8) He is the first youngest Indian to be appointed as an Ambassador by 36 organizations of many countries in almost all disciplines.
9) He is the first Indian youngest professor to start teaching at the age of sixteen, the age of twenty Seven He has completed twelve years of Teaching.
10) He is the first Youngest Indian to receive Royal &Prestigious Titles such as 1)Lecturus Magnificus (L.M.), 2) H.R.H. 5* Duke.
11) First Youngest Indian to receive Mendeleev’s Fellowship ( United Kingdom’s Highest Academic Honour).
12)First Indian to receive the distinguished title “Professor Wisdom” from Institución Cultural Colombiana Casa Poética Magia y Plumas ,Colombia South America.
Today, the name of Prof. Dr Pratik Rajan Mungekar is no longer common but is emerging as a distinguished Scientist, Professor, World Educationist, Published Writer, Counsellor, Social Worker and an International Speaker
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