China’s Tsinghua University is all set to produce the most cited papers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) in the next five years. This means that Tsinghua will overtake the world renowned Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), which has held this honour for years. Today, the top 1% of the most cited papers in STEM are produced by universities in the US and China. While Indian science and engineering institutes have achieved much, when it comes to research citations, India is nowhere in the reckoning. The US is still the destination of choice for anyone wishing to do innovative research. India has to take stock of the tardy performance of its universities and technological institutes. Lack of support for quality research in India is what pushes ambitious technocrats and scholars to migrate abroad. This has to change as the path to prosperity lies in the creation and ownership of knowledge.
Tsinghua’s rise has been facilitated by the Chinese government’s Projects 211 and 985, which preferentially funded 155 of a total of 2,553 institutions in the country. Rather than follow the Chinese model, which focused on STEM to the exclusion of the social sciences and humanities, India must promote broad-based research excellence. Tsinghua’s success has been made possible by the Chinese Government’s projects. Research should prompt professional advance. Researchers and academics should make their mark in international journals. But there should be opportunity for junior faculty members as well. Academic workload should be rationalised to facilitate research.
Industry should be aware that its contribution to research in academia should not be just job-oriented. Laboratories, private facilities and think tanks should supplement university inputs. English has to be the medium of communication and the language of research papers. Interaction between institutions should be promoted. India should stress the fact that extension of the frontiers of knowledge is the key to socio-economic development.
Tsinghua University was one of the first Chinese universities enrolling international students. In 1950, 14 students from Eastern Europe were admitted into Tsinghua. More than 30,000 international students have studied at this historical institution and have been making distinctive contributions to societies and industries worldwide. Tsinghua has brought in distinguished professors from around the world including the Nobel prize winners,Chinese Science Academy members, and Chinese Engineering Academy members. All of them take active roles in teaching and mentoring. India needs to take a hard look at the way its universities and technical institutions are performing in this globally competitive environment.