Indian Universities must have faculty for Thinking

After signing a Memorandum of understanding with FyneCube to foray into India, Dr Edward de Bono told newsmen: "The biggest problem facing the world today is not the Climate Change but poor thinking."

He noted that "there has been no attempt to educate thinking in the entire world."
Asked to spell out his specific prescription for India, de Bono, who had earlier worked for Tatas and Birlas in India and met former Prime Ministers Rajiv Gandhi, Narasimha Rao and former President Abdul Kalam, said "teach Thinking as a separate subject in India."
Thinking is a key skill.

After basic mathematics, thinking is very important."
Under the MOU, Dr Edward de Bono and FyneCube, a private limited company registered in India engaged in developing high-end education content, have forged a knowledge partnership, to exclusively design and develop education products based on de Bono tools and techniques for the Indian education sector.

FyneCube, while introducing de Bono skills and methodologies in India, would also develop and launch new education products in local Indian languages to broaden the scope and reach.

There are an estimated 227 million students enrolled in 1.3 million schools across India where the medium of education is primarily in local languages.

Dr de Bono techniques of creative thinking and learning would be a new concept in Indian schools that pre-dominantly rely on conventional mode of teaching.
FyneCube is geared up to launch a series of de Bono thinking and creativity skills based educational products meant for schools, colleges and also employed adults from January 2011 onwards.

"I think it is wonderful. India is becoming an increasingly important global economy and Thinking is a very key skill to help make that happen," said Dr de Bono.

Dr de Bono, who had written 83 books which have been translated into 42 languages, said "there is no problem with the educational system in India and intelligence in India is very high but what is lacking is operational thinking - making things happen."

Prof Krishnendu Sarkar, Co-Founder & Director of FyneCube said "the de Bono-FyneCube tie up comes at a time when the Indian education sector is in the cusp of a major transition."

The Indian government has launched a world-class skill development programme through National Skill Development Corporation, a public private partnership body, to address the challenge of imparting the skills required by a  growing economy.

According to a study on mapping of human resources skill gaps till 2022 by National Staff Development Council (NSDC), in order to fulfil the growing need for skilled manpower across sectors and narrow the existing gap between the demand and supply of skills, there is a need for skilling/upskilling of 500 million people in India by 2022 by fostering private sector initiatives in skill development programmes and providing viability gap funding.

Prof Sarkar said: "India is also witnessing a steady growth in the demand for part-time education for working adults. One felt-need across the education pyramid that comes to fore is for skills in education.

FyneCube is targeting this space," The School course, meant for Class V and onwards would be a four-year modular programme.

De Bono Training of Teachers will be part of this initiative that would begin with thinking Skills for school.

Colleges and Universities in India would further stand to add value to their education with specially designed courses for enhancing the employability and entrepreneurship ability of students.

Cecil Antony, the chairperson of Synergy Group, the promoter of Fynecube, said that with the introduction of the de Bono skills the Indian education sector would be the biggest beneficiary.

Seventy-seven-year-old Dr de Bono, regarded by many as the leading authority in the field of creative thinking, innovation and the direct teaching of thinking as a skill, is equally renowned for his development of the Six Thinking Hats technique and the Direct Attention Thinking tools framework.

Born in Malta, Dr de Bono holds professorships at the Universities of Malta, Pretoria, Dublin City University and the University of Central England.

The New University of Advancing Technology in Phoenix, Arizona appointed Dr de Bono Da Vince Professor of Thinking in May 2005.

Earlier he had served as the Ambassador for European Union for Creativity.