Wednesday, June 03, 2015

100 Smart Cities, 100 World Class Universities



Modi talked of "100 Smart Cities" on the campaign trail in 2014. In 2019 he should perhaps talk of 100 World Class Universities. A world class university is one where people from all over the world come to study. He should also talk of 100 World Class Hospitals doing cutting edge work that caters not only to domestic needs but also to medical tourism.

India is a big, diverse, rich-poor country where you have to come from the low end, but also from the high end. It has to build toilets, but also missions to Mars. It has to wipe out poverty but also think of creating the industries of tomorrow at the same time. And you can not create the industries of tomorrow without having a stable of world class universities.

A world class university of today will be built around all that is available and possible online. MOOCs will be at the core of it. All journals will be available. Guest lectures will be the norm.

You get NRIs to contribute to the endowment.

India's Goal: $50 Trillion