Lack of innovation and inadequate incentives inside the country to pursue research have often been mentioned as reasons, but interest amongst foreign universities to lend a helping hand could change it all.

“The idea of research degrees have been going through a sea change in the last few years,” said Prof  Peter D Hodgson, Director of Research, Institute of Technology Research and Innovation (ITRI) at Australia’s Deakin University.

“Research isn’t a mere academic exercise. It is now looked at as a means of creating innovative products/services for the market. Helping students take the ‘leap’ towards earning a research degree, therefore, emerged as one of the priorities of our university.”
Prof Hodgson was in India to sign a Memorandum Of Understanding (MOU) between Deakin and the Hyderabad-based Indian Institute of Chemical Technology (IICT). He said the MOU is mainly for research collaboration and students exchange. The MOU also enables students registering for PhD in IICT to spend part of the course period in Deakin’s Australia campus and receive the degree from them.

Tie-ups with IITs

Collaboration with IICT has been the latest in Deakin’s efforts to forge closer partnerships with Indian institutions and industry. Indeed, in the last few years, it has extended its hand of partnership from IIT Mumbai, IIT Kanpur, The Centre for Cellular & Molecular Biology, Hyderabad, and also agreements with biotechnology companies like Biocon.
“Our aim has been to prepare students to face the demands of the (Indian) industry,” Prof Hodgson said. “The industry here often felt the education system needs greater collaboration with foreign universities in order to provide a truly international learning environment. Also, we offer the best levels of skills and innovative thinking needed for students to perform well at work.”

The University’s Research Masters programme, through which students can secure their PhDs in a fast-track mode, could be something of interest to Indian students. According to the programme, a select group of students who register for masters with the university will be given a chance to up-grade their degree to PhD, if their performance levels and aptitude for research are found to be extraordinary.

Fast-track PhD

“Though their selection to the masters programme itself is through regular channels, if they do very well in their first year and have all necessary qualities to be a researcher, we would then fast-track them into PhD degrees, covering all their expenses,” Prof Hodgson said. However, he hastened to caution aspirants that the area of research that interest them must match those of the university.

PhD programmes are also on offer to staff in companies who need the qualification to progress in their jobs. Especially in technical fields, such PhD degrees can be a way of assessing the employee’s ability to upgrade his skills and performance.

Deakin has announced scholarships worth Rs 56 lakhs with a hope of luring more Indian students into Research Masters programme. While about eight students had been selected from the country last year, the figure could likely be more with 10 this year.
The university is also planning to establish an Indian division of their placement department, helping Indian students find suitable jobs on their return. “Most Indian students prefer coming back,” Prof Hodgson said. “Besides supporting those wiling to continue work in Australia (subject to visa stipulations), having an Indian division of our placement cell would help us leverage our partnerships and contact with the Indian industry.”

With 1,200 students, the Indian contingent in Deakin is about 20 per cent of its overseas student population. The university also regards India and China as the rapidly growing areas and has been strengthening its focus in the last few years.