Higher education

Let us see how it started, evolved and then been professionalized. 1. For Military purpose: In World War I and II, it started with Operation Research for minimum effort and minimum casualty to self on one side, but maximum damage to enemy. Its analogy to business could be, how to tackle the competitors. 2. For Entrepreneurship: All PGP courses were designed to develop Entrepreneurship skills. 3. For Top Executives: Exposure to Market and preparation to face it4. For Marketing and Selling: Started with Developing selling skills and now it has elevated and added market research skills5. For Leaders and Managers: To develop leadership qualities and to manage people and organization tasks. E.g. Infosys, Wipro, GE, etc. 6. As part of Professional Requirements: It revolutionized the Management education and many governments across the world have started management education en-masse. 7. Ranking for the Best Management Education providers: Then started the ranking of the Business Schools where right from HBS of USA to Oxford of UK, IIM of India to NUS of Singapore all are ranked by various stakeholders on number of factors like, Placement record of students, Ambience, Infrastructure Facilities, Specializations offered, Faculty holding Ph.D./ Doctorate, Research Publications by Faculty, Alumni contributions, System of students evaluations, students opting for entrepreneurship path, and so on and so forth.
Now a day, in India, any one and every degree holder wants to pursue MBA for several preconceived reason/s. There are Scientists, Doctors, Pharmacists, Artists, Engineers, Entrepreneurs, Politicians, everyone …..
Ideal purpose of attending MBA School for budding Managers/ Leaders:1. To groom yourself to take charge of your future, irrespective of your varied background.2. To become better than the best by acquiring more skills to advance your career for future endeavors 3. To learn how to contribute and how to achieve better and more in your life.4. To become a leader than a follower5. It is a pay back time for you towards your parents. You are going to value the hard work and dedication of your parents.
Seniors have some tips for budding managers and leaders. Make it more a collaborative learning experience than the individual learning experience for 2 years. Thus, you learn a lot from many sources and in many ways.
How to Invest Time on Campus?:
For that you have to achieve some specific daily achievement/s. Thus, by these cumulative improvement/s in yourself, you can build a solid foundation. You build a confidence that, yes, it is possible to change in and out and make a change in life, hereafter. It will help you to realize your dream in your life. Ex. Your everyday task from the DAY-ONE could be:• Know at least one new case study daily that are top rated by management experts. • Know at least one new Leader and his achievements. • Know at least one organization In and Out. Commerce background people share Financial info while Engineers share Tech info, similarly students from Health Science, Pharmaceutical, and other can share their knowledge in their fields. The exchange of views and knowledge add value to every discussion and make students realize about diversified fields and opinions around the world. • Share with others at least one new thing from the corporate world. Thus 60 students in class can share a lot in a day. • Just you have to invest 2 hours more than your class room sessions and home work or field work, if any. However, this sharing and caring brings results. It is my experience. • You come to know that one can learn in many ways. Debates, Quiz, Simulations, Dramas, Movies, Experience sharing, Role play, discussing research article, and other number of ways. • Try to learn basics of maximum number of skills today for tomorrow, you don't know where your dexterity will be useful in future. • What you should do? : Try develop these skills or at least know what they do in the organizations in these 2 years of studies. Share with colleagues. • Finally, Invest your time than waste time when you are in the campus. These important days will never come back to you in your life. We have seen total paradigm shift in the mindset of lot of students. You could be next Narayan Murthy or Setve Jobs or Sabir Bhatia, or Kiran Shaw Mauzumdar or the person you choose.
Is there competition among institutions?
Few say yes few say no. The reason as per the aptitude and other qualifying reasons they either choose or get their institutions. Let us see how few Institutions differ in their methodology to groom the managers and leaders. • HBS: It relies on case study method and academic rigor. • IIM: Peer pressure to multitask and perform well, they also rely on case methods and academic rigor. • SCMHRD, MDI, XIME, ICAI: More number of case studies, more number of theory books on same topic, and more exposure to multitasking by doing it yourself. • IIT, NIT: They believe in Results. They like to see results before their eyes in the field of Engineering and Technology. • CA, ICWA, CS, CPA: Especially they know finance and accounting of an organization in and out• Top University MBA: Importance is given to street-fighter-skills and achieving the target/s. • Others: Infosys hired M. A. (Music), MFA (Creative Arts) as a creative evangelists. Thus, these kinds of people can be highly competent when it comes to creativity.
Expectations of top organizations around the world:• Passionate Employees who try to out perform themselves and who always complete their job on time. For they are ready to pay and take of employees. • No problem and NO-EXCUSE employees • Dedicated and committed employees• Employees with Never-Say-Die-Attitude• Employees who are creative in problem solving• Result oriented employees • Perform or Perish culture• Adjusting to Multi-culture environment and Ready to go at Multiple-places around the world for company affairs. • Respect for every one and loyalty to organization
Thus, you must try to groom yourselves according as this could be your last time to know yourself and do the needful.
How to decide specialization?
First and foremost important thing is there is no compartment in management and there are no demarcation lines in the management education. Hence, still if needed you must take guidance from experts. Why? The reasons are here:* At the top of the hierarchy you must know all the functions of management * There are cases when many have worked across the functions due to sheer need of the organization in the highly competitive market* For a Leader or a Manager, unless he knows the business he cannot be successful. Hence, few experts claim that, these specializations are just for the sake of getting a formidable degree/ diploma.
Factors deciding specialization of MBA/ Management Education:* Aptitude* Passion* Interest* Motive and Aim and Purpose of choosing this kind of career * Emotional Intelligence * Intelligent Quotient* Stamina* Tolerance* Background* Vision of life* Mission of work
Let us know some fundamentals on how the specializations were selected till date. New comers can make a difference if they wish.
Who can go for Finance specialization?* If you are B.Com. M. Com. Or have some business background or have knack to solve some mathematical problems at faster speeds.* Those who like to seat at one place and work* Those who have passion for Accounting and Finances, and who have passion of stock market, etc.
Who can go for Marketing?* Those who like to convince people, build contacts, like to see business grow, like to see always well dressed and those who like glam-sham.* Those who like Market Research, Selling activities, go to places, like to talk with different customers and make them happy, those who like to serve people, etc.
Who can go for HRM?* Who like to deal with people * Solve people's problems* Like to build relationships for company * Like to believe in people's abilities* Like to value their own people as an asset* Like to prove humanity and human being are the best part of business dealings * Knows how to use Talents of talented people
Who can go for International Business?* Those who like multiple cultures in the world* Like dealing with foreigners who but also are human beings* Like to travel and go to places with time bound work, and work with deadline * Who don't have complaints about any food, or any place to live in comfort* Those who can learn new things faster including new languages and business etiquettes * Those who know international trade practices and understand various organizations in-depth * Those who can compete the international market at par with any international player and executives
Who should go for Computer and Technology specialization?* Those who love technology and are conversant with the way they work * Those who like to deal with technology* Those who like to work in Artificial world than the Real world* Those who can tolerate more technology than humans and like to work in isolation for some time* Those who can solve technological problems* Those who have some technical background like BCA, BE, or having some family business in the field of technology* Those who have been exposed to technology during Video Games, Cell phones, and know how to quick-fix the technical problems.
Other specializations like, Hospital Management, Retail Management, Entrepreneurship, etc:
You need to know what you are going to study and where you are going to implement and what career option you are going for. What is the aim of doing that specialization? It must not be short term to get an immediate job. It must have long term vision as well. Remember organizations expect all its employees to be intrapreneurs, hence at the end of the day, Entrepreneurship skills have become a must for all the MBA graduates. Remember, not failure but short aim is crime, hence, gather as many skills as you can and become as much dexterous as much as you can.
Individual S-W-O-T Analysis:* No one is born perfect, those who have strengths can capitalize on their strengths* They must know how to deal with their own Weaknesses * If you have done SWOT analyses then from above background you can choose your specialization well. * This is the era of Shoot-at-sight-competition and not cut-throat-competition, hence you must know, to whom you'll compete and hence must decide your strategy for life and work. * At the end of the day, you are the best judge of yourself. Hence, regular SWOT analysis is order of the day. Say daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, half yearly, and yearly. We have seen people taking high rise in their life who do their critical analysis for positivism in their life.
Experts, around the world, feel that people had to jump jobs in the recession across the border and across the functions and across the horizontals and the verticals of the business. Hence, multi-dexterous and multi-skilled employees and employers have become order of the day. Thus, few experts claim that it is not only applicable to Management students but it is applicable to others, as well. Finally, you are the best judge of yourself. Hence, invest your life, skills, and work at proper place/s to get what you want from the most precious life.

KERALA'S higher education system has not expanded as much as one expects in a State where elementary education is nearly universal and secondary education has expanded reasonably well, according to Dr Rajan Varghese, Academic Committee Convenor, All Kerala Private College Teachers' Association.
Privatisation is not a solution to this problem, as it would have serious implications in terms of equity and excellence in higher education, such as marginalisation of regular aided courses in the long run, he said.
The population of higher education in the relevant age group is slightly higher at 7.4 per cent as compared with the national average of six per cent, he told Business Line. There has been considerable increase in the number of higher educational institutions and enrolment of students.
The State had pursued a liberal higher education policy from 1956 through mid eighties in terms of quantitative expansion and access to higher education, he said. At present, the State has seven universities, excluding two deemed universities, which constituted 2.7 per cent of 297 universities in the country. In 2002, there were 1.61 lakh students in Arts and Science Colleges, excluding those in unaided colleges.
He said that the role of government in college education was limited as the number of colleges under government is only 38 out 224. Whereas, the dominance of the private sector has gone up with 66 per cent of the colleges being run by private management, but by and large they are aided colleges. Besides, there has been a significant growth in self-financing or private unaided colleges with the number increasing to 38, which equals the number of government colleges in the state, he said.
According to him, the consequences of the growth in unaided sector as separate institutions in higher education are widely debated in terms of its impact on equity and excellence.
"But very little attention is focussed on the emergence and growth of unaided courses and self-financing centres within the private-aided colleges in the State," he said.
The reasons for the spread of unaided courses in aided colleges are many, he said. The most important factor is the policy of the State Government. The de-linking of pre-degree courses from the colleges from 1997 onwards created large idle infrastructure in the private-aided colleges.
The attempt to start new aided courses in these colleges was defeated by the Government and universities when permission was given to private managements to decide on the nature of these courses, he pointed out.
"This is most evident in the affiliated colleges under the Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam. Similarly some of the managements in violation of university statutes started classes for courses of other universities in the private aided college campus." Colleges in the urban areas are doing good business in the name of distant education programme of other universities.
The off-campus programme of a university offered the best opportunity for private college managements to exploit the existing assets of the aided colleges to further their commercial interests, he alleged. Some of the colleges are utilising the services of regular teachers in the off-campus centres whose salaries are paid by the state government. The underpaid guest lecturers in regular colleges and off-campus stream present an instance of labour exploitation in higher education, he said.
"In all these cases public assets and personnel paid by the Government are utilised for private enrichment," he alleged. In addition, he said, the fees charged for these courses are prohibitively high. "The irony is that the off-campus centres are in the campus itself and distant education, which in normal circumstances should be cheap, is very expensive in the State".
All these actions of the private managements in the State have got the blessings of the authorities at different levels, he added.
The white paper published by the State Government in 2001 called for the establishment of self-financing colleges and the freedom for the managements to run the colleges as they like, he said. "Privatisation of public assets in higher education offers no income to the government or society," he claimed.

Recent findings revealed that due to economic recession major industries in the country are interested to recruit experienced hands rather than freshers to meet their manpower needs. Till 2008, up to 65 percent recruitment was through campus interviews. This trend was more pronounced in the IT and IteS industry in the country.
Around 7.4 lakh IT professionals are working in the country. Even during recession annual growth rate in this sector is nearly 15 percent. Almost all IT, ITeS, out sourcing, Agri Business, Hospitality Management, Marketing and Hotel Management companies are recruiting fresh graduates through campus interviews. Companies are interested to recruit more number of candidates from talent pool through campus interview. It is not only cost effective, but manpower shortage can be effectively compensated with the help of work efficient fresh graduates of younger age group.
Moreover it is easy to train young graduates initially based on the need of the company. But recently it has come down to 25 percent. Retrenchment has also become a reality now. This will pave the way for tough competition during the selection process. Taking in to account the decreasing percentage of freshers’ recruitment, sufficient preparation and homework are needed before attending campus interviews. Students need not take this as their curricular activities. In India around 4 lakh Engineering graduates are coming out per year. According to NASSCOM, of them only 25 percent are employable. 75 percent are very poor in technical skills, English language proficiency, learning behavior, communication and oral presentation. NASSCOM survey adds. NASSCOM predicts that annual requirement of IT and IteS professionals in the country are around 5 lakh. If engineering and science graduates can further improve their technical, communication and English proficiency skills they can fully exploit this potential to meet the emerging challenge.
IT companies in the country are interested to recruit more number of science graduates from the campus. They are getting placement in the areas of application support and maintenance at a lower wage rate. While attending the campus interviews, copies of your updated resume, recommendation letters, project information and referees details are needed. You can collect recommendation letters from two of your senior faculty members whom will strategically assess your performance. Referees can be those who will give right information about you as and when needed. Resume must be printed in a computer in Times New Roman with 11-12-font size.
Campus interview has different stages. Basics, dressing right, way of answering questions, etiquette, interview process and preparation are more important.
Your dress must be excellent to create impression in the panel. You must dress professionally. Never wear multi colored or glistening dresses. Wear only solid light colored dresses. Suits, tie, shoes and socks must be selected according to the dress code. Never take any food items just before the interview, which will create pungent smell in the interview hall. Too much cosmetic and ornaments have to be avoided. Girls must avoid high-heeled shoes or foot wear. Hairstyle should be in accordance with the norms and culture. You can use a deodorant if needed. Nails should be properly cut. Do not smoke before entering the interview hall. Reach the interview venue at least half an hour early. Behave properly with the receptionist and sit in the allotted waiting area.
As far as interview is concerned, first 5 minutes impression will create the best impression. After wishing, face the panel, but never fall on the chair. You must be in a relaxed and confident mood. During this period you must impress upon the interview panel. Panel will carefully judge your jaw-to-jaw movement and words.
Common questions for the campus interview are as follows
Tell about your self ?
Limit this to 3-4 sentences. You must talk about the things you have done well at your college and how you wanted to perform in the first job.
Why should we employ you ?
List out your strength and opportunities for the job based on your knowledge and experience. Impress upon the panel based on your communication, analytical, co-ordination and planning skills. You must prove yourself through your words the ability to motivate people, good entrepreneurial skill, co-operative skills, ability to persuade others to do jobs and experience to work under different situations. Moreover it must highlight your team spirit and commitment.
Do you have offers from other companies ?
It is a very difficult question to test your honesty. Answer must be according to your career goal. About the project work ?
Prepare thoroughly to answer the questions. List out its implications.
Expected salary ?
You can answer this in such a way that I will talk about this after job offer. You must say this in a convincing tone. While quoting the rate never apologize. You can tell about your expectations based on jobs, skills, knowledge, performance, etc.
Your expectations ?
It must be based on the job, performance and skills. Assess the company based on the growth rate, perks, promotion avenues, etc.
About the company ?
Don’t give answer based on your opinion. It must be based on the reported/published facts. Talk about the product, market size, potential, annual growth rate, export potential, market perception, etc.
If the panel suggests that you are over qualified ?
You must prove that over qualification may not be a drawback. Future growth of the company will be increased based on my experience.
Your turn to ask questions towards the panel ?
Ask about the company, career goals, opportunities, training, promotion, work culture and management style.
You will be judged based on your academic background, interview performance, project work and family back ground. Moreover your interpersonal skills, interests, enthusiasm, team spirit and commitment towards the organization will be judged during the interview.
So sufficient homework is needed before attending the campus interview. Please remember, ‘once you leave the campus, you cannot attend the campus interviews’

April 06 : Recent findings reveal that as economic recession advances globally, trends in career sector get gradually changed day by day. Some of the potential areas in educational and career sector that have shown spectacular growth during the pre- recession era have been replaced by new emerging sectors. Export and tourism have been badly affected during recession. Healthcare, education, research, energy, utilities, international business, public safety, accounting, pharmaceuticals, sales, government jobs, marketing, debt management, banking, consultancy, law, food, beauty care, debt collection and ultra luxury sectors are proven to be some of the recession resistant areas.
Ten career oriented educational sectors, which are not affected during recession period, are listed below. Parents and students can prioritize the courses having more career potential during the coming years.
1. Engineering – India ranks fourth in telecommunication sector after Japan, China and South Korea. By 2012 this sector will exhibit spectacular growth and create immense job opportunities in India. This will be reflected in the Information Technology sector also. Taking in to account the emerging opportunities in the telecom sector, electronics, electronics &communication, electrical & electronics and IT will have more potential during the coming years.
Nano technology, Mechatronics and Bioinformatics are emerging as the promising technological areas. Global economic recession has started affecting some of the potential employment sectors in the country. It has not even spared the IT industry. Biomedical science, Bioinformatics, Electronics & Communication, Mechanical Engineering, Dairy Technology, Environmental Engineering, Maritime Engineering and Fashion Technology are emerging as the major placement oriented courses.
Civil, Architecture and Chemical engineering graduates can pursue post graduation abroad for better placements. By 2012 ecofriendly technologies will acquire momentum in the country. As part of popularizing green technologies, chemical engineering may emerge as one of the potential sectors, which can assist in developing ecofriendly pollution control measures. Biomedical, Bioinformatics, Nanotechnology and Biotechnology graduates will get better opportunities within the country and abroad.
2. Nursing- globally nursing has emerged as one of the key areas generating more employment. Almost all countries are facing scarcity for nurses. Developed countries face difficulty in meeting the ever-growing demand for nurses. Since the demand gap is very high, Indian nursing schools can exploit this situation. International Council for Nurses (ICN) and Florence Nightingale International Foundation has revealed that developing countries can play a key role in reducing this global problem. Potential for nurses are more in USA, England, Canada, NewZeland, Ireland, Switzerland, Scotland, Australia, Wales and in certain African countries.
3. Fashion Technology- Fashion Technology is emerging as one of the lucrative employment ventures in the country. There are better opportunities for diploma and degree holders in this sector. Quantum jump in Apparel industry, Designing and Modeling has paved the way for Fashion Technology experts to perform well in this sector.
4. Maritime courses - Maritime courses especially Maritime Engineering is having better opportunities now a days. Attractive pay and allowances make this sector more lucrative.
5. Teaching- recent survey reveals that by 2012 three lakh vacancies for teachers will be created in United States. These vacancies will be available in pre-schools, KGs, elementary schools, secondary schools and universities. English proficiency will help teachers to acquire better posts within developed countries and Middle East.
6. Scientists - Government of India is making all efforts to promote scientific research. As part of the same, pay scales of scientists have been revised. Nano Science, Mechatronics, Biomedical Science,Biotechnology, Public Health, Medicine, Agriculture, Veterinary Science, Environmental Science, Conservation, etc are some of the thrust areas identified in this category. 7. Management experts- Management experts with MBA will get better options within the country and abroad. Students while joining for MBA programme in selected business schools try to identify some of the emerging sectors like retail management, insurance, telecom, banking, IT, agribusiness and supply chain management. More professionals are interested to take MBA from abroad. Recent findings reveal that 69.4 percent of the candidates are interested to take MBA to improve their career prospects. 53.3 percent’s objective is to learn new skills. 41.1 percent are interested to study MBA to build professional network. 26.9 percent candidates' aim is to get better salary after completing MBA. 22 percent candidates are interested to take MBA as part of their education, whereas 23.89 percent candidates' aim is to start their own business. As a result of booming interest in MBAs among non-business people, after completing MBA programmes from abroad they tend to diverge their activities into business related areas. Globally Information Technology, Engineering, Consultancy, Financial Services, Banking, Consumer products, Telecommunications, Accounting and Retail are the major employment sectors for MBA respondents. Moreover 18 percent of the respondents in the employed category are interested to study MBA. 14.1 percent MBA holders are working in the IT& ITeS areas. Business schools from abroad offer specialized MBA programme catering the need for professionals, like MBA programmes for lawyers, engineers, doctors, etc. Moreover dual MBAs are available in different disciplines. 34 percent of the MBA aspirants reveal that career change is their major motivation to pursue MBA from abroad.
8. Chartered Accountants – Chartered Accountants have enough opportunities within the country and abroad. They can associate with public sector undertakings, banks, insurance companies and private companies.
9. Animation- BBC predicts that among Asian countries, India has immense potential in animation sector. This will facilitate recruitment of animation experts in the coming years. Animation design, web designing, computer graphics, multi media and digital media production are some of the promising areas in animation sector. There is enough potential for animation diploma and degree holders in India and Middle East.
10. Bioinformatics & Biotechnology- There is better scope for professionals in Bioinformatics and Biotechnology sector in India, Canada and United States. They can work in R&D units of pharmaceutical and biotech companies. Plant biotechnology, vaccine production, veterinary biotechnology and pharmaceuticals are some of the promising areas coming under bioinformatics and biotechnology.

Hi my dear student,Am tom.... You can call me uncle tom... Am a mechanical engineer from nit calicut. Now am a professor in oxford university. I have so many students from india. So many students compelled me to write a blog on higher education. So this is my first step to write a blog. If you have any doubt's in higher education you can ask to me.... I will also write.s on personality improvement tricks in studies and examination's etc.... If you have any doubts plz scrap me. Plz tell to your friends abt this and help them......Best of luck for your studies