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E D U C AT I O N T I M E S

M O N DAYJ U N E 8 , 2 0 0 9

The will to win is worthless if you do not have the will to prepare ~Thane YostBEYONDBORDERS

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By Amrit DhirAlumnus, Maastricht University, The Netherlands

Having studied in both the US and theNetherlands, I have experienced two dif-ferent higher education systems.

I was born and raised in Los Angeles to par-ents of the East African Indian Diaspora andgrandparents hailing from Punjab. I completedmy primary and secondary schooling in the US,followed by a Bachelor’s of Arts (BA) in interna-tional studies from Emory University in Atlanta,Georgia. The programme taught me to engage indiscussions in the classroom, to undertake myown research during study and to be comfortablein any classroom setting. In part, that is whateased my transition to a postgraduate pro-gramme at Maastricht University (UM) in theNetherlands.

I applied to UM because I was looking for aninternational educational experience. And my

experience of studying there was rich and engag-ing, far surpassing all expectations I had whileapplying. The students were intelligent, diverse,and motivated; the curriculum was relevant andstimulating. The professors were experts yetapproachable; they were our teachers yet friends.

I also received the UM High PotentialScholarship, which not only covered my tuition,visa, registration, and travel expenses, but alsomy living costs. Indeed, a significant part of thereason I considered UM in the first place wasthat it offers more attractive scholarship pack-ages than any other university I could find.

My programme — Master’s of Arts (MA) inMedia Culture — had 21 students representing 11different countries and even more cultures andperspectives. This diversity added flavour to ourdiscussions both inside and outside the class-room. Such diversity is remarkably typical ofUM programmes, both because of its location inthe heart of Europe and because of the universi-

ty’s efforts to attract students from all over theworld and be a truly international institution.

Also, particularly noteworthy is the small sizeof the programme; even the 21 students in myprogramme were further divided into twogroups. The faculties at UM restrict their classsizes intentionally to foster the kind of intimacyand attention that is most conducive to a stimu-lating and healthy educational environment. Ihave seen first-hand how every voice is heardand every individual is challenged to contributeand be constructive. In addition, with the univer-sity’s distinctive Problem-Based Learning (PBL)system, students and professors interact aspeers, structuring discussions and researchtogether.

This breakdown of the traditional educationalhierarchy ensures a closer relation-ship with faculty members. In fact,there isn’t a single one of my profes-sors with whom I haven’t shared adrink or snack over a conversation outside theclassroom. Furthermore, a considerable part ofthe learning took place outside the classroomsince there were no ‘prescribed textbooks’ forour programme. This also meant spending a lotof time in the library reading through variousarticles and self-selecting research materials.

I found this approach to student-centred learn-ing particularly appealing. Our professors wouldintroduce a problem in the classroom and tell us:“Let’s all try and find a solution and meet backhere in two days.” It wasn’t a setting where theprofessor tells you what’s right and wrong. AtUM, the professors assist you as you find yourown answers.

Currently, through an Indicorps Fellowship, Iam part of a group of 21 non-resident Indians(NRIs) working with NGOs across India. As theonly fellow based in Delhi, I am working withManzil, a learning and empowerment centre forlocal youth from low-income backgrounds. Myprimary objective is to facilitate a transitionwithin the organisation such that all manage-ment and administrative responsibility is placedin the hands of a group of capable student lead-ers with structures and practices that are sus-tainable, efficient, and still authentic and organ-ic. In addition, I have been teaching classes,organising activities and interacting with stu-dents and teachers to build leadership andencourage initiative.

I came to India for three basic reasons. I want-ed to live and work here and not just visit as atourist. I also wanted to learn Hindi. And, simplystated, I wanted to do something good, somethingbeyond my self. Through Indicorps and throughManzil, all three of these have been made possi-ble. For me, the purpose of education is to devel-op an individual and not just make him/herindustry-ready.

WITH TEACHERS AS PEERSBy Kabir Singh Bedi

Student, University of Pennsylvania, US

I opted for the commerce stream after classX not because I loved accounting or busi-ness studies, but because I disliked sciencesubjects. And even though I thoroughlyenjoyed commerce, I remained curiousabout other subjects; I wanted to broadenmy horizon. So, while applying to DelhiUniversity, I was keen on pursuing historyor political science or perhaps even sciencesubjects. But, our education system doesnot cater to such curiosity. As a result I wasleft wondering why I couldn’t mix andmatch subjects I wanted to study.

Unimpressed by my options in India, Idecided to look overseas and eventually

decided to apply to the US. Now,having spent two years atUniversity of Pennsylvania’sWharton School, I have realised

that the two education systems are polaropposites. Educationists in the US don’twant to impart knowledge that you don’twant to learn, rather they allow you todecide what you want to learn. Knowledgeis seen as free flowing water; it is allowed togo anywhere and never restricted to oneparticular channel.

To my surprise (and delight), I found thatscience could go beyond physics, chemistryand biology — contrary to the scenario inIndia. Here, I have pursued and enjoyed sci-

ence subjects as diverse as astronomy andgeology.

Colleges, here, require students to com-plete a particular number of sciences, artsand mathematics courses before they cangraduate. These subjects are in addition toa student’s area of specialisation (ormajor). In the fields of arts, I have venturedinto unknown territory and studied uniquecourses in Egyptian history, film-making,and French culture. My subjects in schoolwere in no way a determinant of my subjects in college; I can still pursue aphysics major or prepare for medicalschool (in the US).

Further, US colleges also allow studentsto take time off to complete internships orto travel. For example, I recently took sixmonths off and returned to India to volun-teer and teach underprivileged children.This experience allowed me to try newactivities that I always wanted to try butnever had time for.

Having said that, I believe the Indianeducation system also has its distinctstrengths. Indians, in the US, have amongthe strongest mathematical and scientificminds. No matter how much one shuns therote-learning system, one cannot deny thatthe system does train Indians to be hard-working and fast learners. Each system hasits pros and cons; the idea is to learn fromone another and to find that perfect balancebetween hard-work and curiousity.

AT A TIME WHEN BORDERS ARE GETTING BLURRED,EDUCATION NEEDS TO BE INCREASINGLY TRANSCULTURAL.THE ROLE OF AN EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTE,THUS,IS TO DEVELOP GLOBAL TALENT THAT CAN LIVE,WORK AND STUDY ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD.TWO STUDENTS SHARE THEIR INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE

FIRST PERSON

Ganesh Chandra

Amrit came to India to ‘do something good.’ He is currently working with an NGO based in Delhi

Kabir took six months off from his programme to return to India and volunteer

Learn what you want

Sakshi Khattar/TNN

Acommon question that we oftenask is ‘can we be truthful, andstill succeed in whatever we do?’

In other words, can following our ethicslead us to success in whatever we pur-sue? To this, Paul Palmarozza says, “Yes,we can.” In fact, he strongly believesthat if one goes by ‘principles,’ it isbound to lead to ‘profits.’ And this iswhat he has tried to reiterate throughhis book — From Principles to Profits -The Art of Moral Management.

“In recent years, what has been sorelylacking in business, on a global basis, isa lack of true values. By values, I amreferring to universal, eternal humanqualities — love, truth, justice and freedom,” says Palmarozza, adding that,“most business people choose to go forshort-term results, usually monetary-based, instead of working according toprinciples. The consequences have beena loss of trust and the inevitable reac-tion in the form of external regulationor cumbersome bureaucracy.”

Three years back, Palmarozza and hisfriend Chris Rees, both businessmenwith over 40 years of work experience,felt the need to write a book on the sub-ject of values in business. The underly-ing theme of the book and their work isthat if one works according to princi-ples, success is bound to follow, which isof prime benefit to all.

Currently, they are working with ateam of business people from aroundthe world to develop value-based train-ing materials. The current subject infocus is ‘truth in business,’ whichembraces subjects like honesty, integri-ty, ethics and trust, informedPalmarozza. “Courses in ethical deci-sion-making are also being developedwhich we hope to make readily availableto the business community to helpremind them that it is ‘natural’ to tellthe truth and 'un-natural' to lie,” headds.

Exploring ways by which applyingethical principles of honesty and

integrity can build a work environmentand culture based on trust, they havelaunched a five-day programme forworking professionals that includes top-ics like natural power of honesty, pillarsof integrity, roadmap for building acompany on core values, among others.Palmarozza says, “The course leadersare business people who have beenattempting to apply fine principles intheir businesses for many years.”

NURTURING VALUES Palmarozza, who is also the manager ofSt James Publishing, a school-basedpublisher of children’s books, stronglybelieves that values should be inculcat-ed from an early age. He says, “Our StJames’ Schools, catering to four to 18-year-olds, were founded in 1975 with theaim of providing a value-based educa-tion that would bring out the best ineach child. Students are taught througha variety of means to respect, honourand care for everyone and to discoverthe importance of a spiritual dimensionin their lives.”

The learning materials that are usedhave been prepared by St James’ teach-ers to reflect the fundamental principlesof each subject followed by graded exer-cises in the practical application of

these principles. Citing an example onthe curriculum followed, Palmarozzasays, “Our books on maths establish thenature of numbers and the regulationsgoverning the play of numbers. Someprinciples of Vedic maths have alsobeen introduced to demonstrate theutter simplicity of calculations whenlaws are followed. Similarly, a compre-hensive course in geometry has beendeveloped over 10 years, which revealsthe beauty of pattern and order in num-bers. The idea is that to achieve fine pre-cision in the construction of theseforms requires fine attention on the partof students. This means that in manyschools today, this fundamental subjectis not taught with fine details since it istime-consuming and teachers wantquick results with minimal efforts.”

Similarly, he adds that language isapproached through three main dimen-sions — reading, grammar/languageand speech. Each of these aspects of lan-guage is addressed from the view ofbasic principles. The reading schemebegins when the child enters a schooland consists of fine material and storiesdrawn from cultures — Eeast and West.English language is firmly grounded onprinciples, assisted through the comple-mentary teaching of Sanskrit for thefirst seven years.

Talking about the importance ofteaching Sanskrit, he says, “Sanskrit,commonly considered to be the base ofall Indo-European languages, provides agood understanding of the principles oflanguage which can then be applied inthe study of other languages, classicaland modern, which are also offered.Besides, the children are encouraged tolearn how to speak and how to expressthemselves effectively, which is a crucialskill that is too often ignored.”

PRINCIPLES OF PROFIT

TURK TALK

PAUL PALMAROZZA

In `Turk Talk’ we provide an inside view of the world of business education. Send

us your feedback atedutimes@timesgroup.com

Paul Palmarozza, co-author of the book From Principles to Profits - The Art of MoralManagement, says following principles can lead to successful business models

EFFORT TO LINK RESEARCH AND MEDIAAsia Research News 2009, a magazine that will focus on cur-rent on-going research in Asia has been launched byResearchSEA — a research media promotion platform ded-icated to Asian research. The magazine features on-goingresearch from selected research institutions, with contactdetails of researchers. Some highlights include seekingthe essence of Islam across regional diversity, a3,000 year old Egyptian princess, climate changevulnerability and robotic help for ageing popula-tion, to mention a few. In its effort to link researchand the media, ResearchSEA also organised internationalmedia workshops for scientists in Southeast Asia in May.The workshop, held in Universiti Sains Malaysia wasattended by researchers from Indonesia, Malaysia,

Singapore and Thailand. ResearchSEA is now planning tohold more workshops in other Asian countries.

ON A DIFFERENT PITCHAccording to reports in an Australian daily, cricketer BrettLee has voiced his concerns over the attacks on Indian stu-dents in Melbourne. According to the report, Lee — an

ambassador for Deakin University — has moved tocalm growing anger in India over the violence. Thepaceman said he had spoken to Sally Walker, vice-chancellor of Deakin, about the issue of student

safety. Both Lee and Deakin University have long-standingties with India — Deakin was the first foreign university toopen an office in India and Lee is involved in charitable workthrough the Deakin India Research Institute.

IN BRIEF