The Perfect Cure Starts from Accurate Diagnostics
A college degree is not the most essential factor for becoming a successful entrepreneur, as shown by the examples of Jeff Bezos and Mark Zuckerberg. However, this does not mean that education is irrelevant. The truth is that most students don’t get over the societal pressure to leave their education aside and venture out with their business ideas, especially in India. While Bezos and Zuckerberg represent a tiny substratum of highly successful entrepreneurs, the large majority of successful entrepreneurs in the world right now boast stellar academic qualifications. It’s just that grooming should commence from the schooldays and propagate through the higher education of every student.
However, while appreciating the efforts from the academic world to fill the long-ventilated gap between industry and academia, the demand and supply are never in balance, primarily due to the insane pace of technological and methodological advancements in the business world. Nevertheless, over the past few years, top educational institutes worldwide have successfully adapted to the trends and created global citizens, majorly owing to technological interventions and advancements in connectivity. Most importantly, they have been able to set benchmarks. Mainstream higher education institutes must continue bridging the gap between industry and academia by introducing more advanced courses in hot technology sectors and subsectors including generative AI, data science, cyber security, edge computing, and whatnot. Collaboration between institutes is also a vital part of the future.
In this special issue, we are unfolding the stories of alumni of top global institutions, setting benchmarks in education and, in turn, making sure that the curriculums are more in line with the demands of the industry. Do let us know your thoughts.