Ujjain: Academicians and educationists play a very crucial role in shaping the career of young minds and to greater extent their life. Such individuals credited with laying the strong foundation of today’s education-enabling environment must be applauded and appreciated in every respect.
Dr Umesh Kumar Singh is one of those academicians known for his ground breaking and sweeping reformist image. Enjoying the highly privileged status among peers and his fraternity through his distinctive collaborations with world’s best and top-notch universities like Harvard, Cambridge and MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology), he has personified excellence.
In an exclusive interview with this distinguished person, Free Press tried to explore various aspects of Indian education system and culture of foreign universities.
Excerpts from the interview
Can you please take us through your journey as a beginner?
Well, I started my career as an IT engineer with CMC Pvt Ltd way back in 1994. It was India’s first IT Company primarily imparting knowledge and training to corporate individuals, foreigners and government officials and bureaucrats including delegates of MEA (Ministry of External Affairs). My stint was rather short as I worked there only for one and a half year and left on my own accord for more challenging pursuits. Afterwards, in 1996 I joined Vikram University, Ujjain in ICS (Institute of Computer Science) Department.
2 years later that is in 1998, I took charge of ICS and headed till 2002. During this period, we brought one of the most sought-after programmes called Master of Computer Application (MCA). It was used to be a potentially employment-generating programme and had immensely benefitted student community across Madhya Pradesh. Our department used to be a premier institution after DAVV, Indore as mostly out-stationed candidates would opt for it. Afterwards, in my quest of excellence, I joined another private institution where I worked from 2002 and 2006 as director.
As the luck would have it, destiny brought me back into the university’s fold and I headed the department from 2010 to 2014 in a capacity of director at ICS yet again. Later on, from 2014 to 2018 I acted as the director of School of Engineering and Technology (SOET). Meanwhile, I am also serving as a chairman of board of studies of engineering sciences, computer science and departmental research committee of university for last couple of years.
Tell us something about your academic visits, collaborations with renowned foreign university and research work?
Well, I have had the privilege of representing Vikram University on numerous foreign platforms on couple of occasions and published well over 125 research papers until now. Besides this, 10 PhD have been awarded under my guidance. As for academic visits, I represented Vikram University in World Congress of Computer Science held in University of California, Berkeley (USA) during October, 2016 and presented research paper and also chaired a technical session thereafter.
On another occasion in July 2017, I represented varsity as a member of Indian Higher Education Knowledge Delegation to the United Kingdom and visited many renowned universities and colleges of UK including University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, Oxford Brookes University, Trinity College, Queen Mary University of London, Brunel University and London. Similarly, I even visited the New York University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Harvard University, University of Connecticut, and University of Pennsylvania under the same capacity as a part of Indian Higher Education Knowledge Delegation to the United States of America (USA) in year 2018.
Where do Indian universities stand against their foreign counterparts?
To be honest, there are many. Their infrastructure, quality of teachers in fact whole set up is extra-ordinary and unparalleled. Firstly, their entrance exam criteria and eligibility standards are way tougher than ours and even the aspirants’ applications are scrutinized thoroughly and minutely. Secondly, they emphasized heavily on ‘STEM’ programmes which provides edge to foreign students over our students. So it doesn’t matter if you are a Biology student, you have to be conversant with the principles of Mathematics, Engineering and Technology.
Thirdly, they group students into small batches and later, they get mentored and effectively supervised by faculty members. This way, a teacher can pay attention and focus on them in a very efficient manner. Besides this, they have a very strong student evaluation and grievance redressal system. Lastly, students’ presence in class rooms is not mandatory. However, their continuous reporting and communication with their mentors about their projects and research work is indeed must.
They emphasis highly on newcomers as they believe initial teachings imparted to them will remain throughout their lives. Such is their devotion towards entrants; sadly this is not the case with ours. I think majorly, we need to take care of following issues like student-teacher ratio, adequate funding, dilapidated infrastructure, professional teachers and investment in research.
What message would you like give to young students?
Whatever you do or learn, do it with dedication, focus and commitment. Today’s youth is lacking in these qualities therefore they must focus on these virtues.