Re-imagining Hospitality Education At Indian School of Hospitality...

Indian hotels are known around the world and India boasts of a rapidly growing service industry, but we do not have a matching standard of hospitality education. 

To bridge the gap, Indian School of Hospitality, a world-class hospitality education enterprise established off Sector 83, Gurgaon has opened its doors in order to reimagine hospitality education. Helmed by Mr. Dilip Puri and boasting of some of the most premier names on its advisory and faculty panels, ISH is the new kid on the block to watch out for. 

With its sound understanding of nuances of the hospitality, travel and tourism industry- as well as the needs of the millennial student, ISH believes that these fields are becoming the fastest growing worldwide, and require talent that’s more versatile and flexible than ever before. 

Facade at ISH

With their aim is to provide students with the relevant skills, mindset, and spirit to succeed as the leaders, entrepreneurs, and innovators of tomorrow, the ISH philosophy is to impart lifelong skills to students to help them succeed as the innovators of tomorrow - giving them the tools they need to shape one of the most dynamic industries worldwide. 

Avenue at ISH

The course structure at ISH is aimed at providing the ideal foundation for managerial and leadership development, entrepreneurship, and lifelong learning. Backed by the academic accreditation of Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne, ISH has inducted its first 'Class of 2022' fired by the dedication to providing educational excellence to its students, upholding of international hospitality education standards, and their strong connection to the industry. 

The curriculum at ISH brings together both traditional hospitality concepts and modules and intertwines them with some of the most in-demand streams of today’s corporate world. While students will be learning food & beverage and housekeeping, they’ll also build a strong portfolio of marketing, law, ethics, human resource management, accounting and entrepreneurship and more. 

In-House Cafe 'Delish'

Throughout their journey with ISH, students will experience active learning – not just passive listening. The curriculum has a strong focus on independent research and critical thinking, as well as practical experience through business internships and business model creation – meaning students will actually experience real-world scenarios while they still have the support and guidance of ISH – giving them an exceptional head start once they graduate and begin their real careers. 

ISH's Food Hall

Every part of the campus was tailormade with a unique philosophy in mind. While creating it, ISH wanted to bring together two very important facets of their vision – to build a space for students to be able to gain hands-on, real-world expertise, while also preserving their mission to spark joy in learning and discovery. The campus is an amalgamation of both a colorful, interactive space that enables students to exercise the practical aspect of the curriculum, while at the same time giving them a space to socialize, have fun, flourish and just enjoy some of the best years of their life. 

Student Learning Centre

ISH is currently opening doors to their first batch of students, and are offering the following programmes: 

• Bachelors in Hotel Management (with a Certification in Hospitality Management) 
• Bachelors in Travel & Tourism (with a Certification in Culinary Arts) 
• Intensive Culinary Arts Certificate 

In the near future, they will begin offering postgraduate and executive education programmes, as well as shorter duration culinary arts programmes with a unique focus on entrepreneurship. 

On the whole, I had an enriching experience on my recent visit to the ISH campus that continues to be a work in progress for times to come. :)

Education 4.0 With Auronya College...

‘Education 4.0’ – a revolutionary focus in education that will be defined in the coming decades through the conduit of technology, as it infuses itself into every sphere of humanity; be it biological, social, environmental or economic is being pioneered in India by Auronya College at Pondicherry.

Mr.Abhaya Kumar Jain – Founding Executive Chairman, Auronya and Dr.Indira J Parikh – Founding Chairperson, Auronya; the renowned education experts in the country are the driving thought leaders behind Auronya College.

Auronya College aims to answer the unknown future by proving an all-encompassing curriculum of programs to impart Education 4.0.Addressing the burning question of ‘What it will be’ in the 21^st Century; as the world is at the dawn of the new industrial revolution, Auronya College has conceptualized and will be realizing Education 4.0, for the very first time in India.

The unique disruptive system of Education 4.0 not only focuses on ‘what is taught’ but it takes a more nuanced approach to ‘the way it is taught’; an education model which is aligned with future trends, so as to develop and enhance individualized education that would go on to  define the way that youngsters of tomorrow work and live.

Supported with a heady mix of high-end technology directed towards a ‘future-centric’ knowledge, the full-bodied curriculum aims to embed timeless values and culture and as it throws light on our connections to nature, thus paving a strong path to lead humanity.

Designed by architect Padmashri B V Doshi, the campus will be state of the art and have amenities like Virtual & Augmented Reality studios, 3D printing facility, think spaces, amphitheater, smart classroom, sports facilities, gymnasium, swimming pool etc; the sprawling campus of Auronya will have six departments   - School of Design & Sciences; School of Humanity & Art; School of Business & Economics; School of Social Science; School of Research & Intelligence and School of Media & Communication. The event also marked the launch of Antariksh - one-year post graduate diploma program in New Age Management & Leadership (PGDNAML), beginning in October 2017.
Antariksh is designed to prepare Future Leaders, who are ready to lead in the 4^th Industrial revolution; it will focus on complete transformation and not a singular improvement in the skills and abilities of an individual in interconnected ecosystems.

Eligibility for Antariksh was elucidated as follows:

• Candidates who have a minimum of 2-5 years of full-time work experience at any level in external or family business can apply for the program
• Candidates without any work experience can also apply and will have to go through a specially designed screening process for fresh graduates
• The introductory fee for the year-long program is Rs 15, 00,000,  inclusive of resort style accommodation & food, global immersion, national immersion, boot camp, personal growth lab and spiritual immersion
• The management will provide scholarships for students on a need cum merit basis

Speaking at the event, Mr.Abhaya Kumar – Founding Executive Chairman, Auronya said, “Auronya College aims to bring a paradigm shift in the education system to align ourselves with the fourth industrial revolution by redesigning the 20th century model of education to meet real-time needs of internationalized, technology driven fast changing the 21st century. Auronya is built with a foundation of creation and contribution embracing the spirit of liberal education, invention, intelligence, globalization and entrepreneurship.”

Speaking about Auronya, Dr.Indira Parikh - Founding Chairperson, Auronya said, “This millennium has created a major discontinuity in the existence of human beings. The generation born in this decade and those yet to be born will be confronting a revolution in technology and as a consequence in the life and living and relationships amongst people. Education and employment will undergo change not available in the history of mankind. In order to meet the unfolding of this New Age Change the country needs to prepare an education which will be the real agent for the times and meaningful to the generation of students... the country will also need to prepare leaders who will take the responsibility to shape this change in a most dignifies human manner.”

“AURONYA is one such academic institution which is starting a pioneering Post Graduate Program in New Age Management and Leadership. The courses offered at AURONYA are designed based on the technology just in the making, impact of technology in occupation, at work, in the family and the human existence. These are courses which are futuristic and envisaged how the world will be shaped by these technologies.  Education at AURONYA will prepare students to be ready with domain knowledge of BioSciences, Nanotechnology, Digitisation and similar other subjects. When these technologies emerge there will be students ready with knowledge and clarity of taking the leadership roles. They will all be ready to respond to the changes in the human phenomenon so that people can cope with and give shape to these changes.” added Dr. Indira.

Mr.Anuj Sharma, Founding Dean, Auronya said “Auronya’s learning environment is designed to infuse human connection with nature and harmony while immersing the experience with future technologies. At Auronya, knowledge, and technology represents the “What” while human insights represent the “Why.”Auronya College is committed to expanding its learning universe in the coming years for unique Undergraduate, Masters and Post Graduate programs.”

Auronya College is thus a pioneer in the conceptualization of Education 4.0, a paradigm shift to align Education with the fourth industrial revolution.  It is led by academician Prof. Indira Parikh, former dean of IIM-A and industrialist S. Abhaya Kumar Jain, former MD of Strides Shasun. It has upcoming state-of-the-art campuses in Pondicherry with new age facilities such as virtual reality studio, 3D printing, augmented reality lab etc apart from smart classrooms, amphitheater, tennis court and fully furnished residential facility with a gymnasium, swimming pool and more. Auronya’s first program Antariksh is one year Post Graduate Diploma in New Age Management & Leadership (PGDNAML) and will start in October 2017.

Universities Of The Future With Pranab Mukherjee...

Shri Pranab Mukherjee, President of India today inaugurated an international conference themed as “Universities of the Future: Knowledge Innovations and Responsibility’’ at O. P.  Jindal Global University (JGU). The 3-day conference hosted by the university is being held from 18-20th of March 2017.

The conference which seeks to examine the future of Indian universities in the 21st century is being organized by the International Institute for Higher Education Research and Capacity Building (IIHEd), O. P. Jindal Global University. It recognizes that while individual scholars have reached global excellence, the Indian university, as an institution requires essential reforms to acquire the intellectual status and eminence.

The inaugural was a landmark event graced by a host of distinguished guests notably Professor Kaptan Singh Solanki, Governor of Haryana; Shri Rambilas Sharma, Minister of Education, Government of Haryana; Smt. Kavita Jain, Minister for Women and Child Development; Shri Ramesh Chander Kaushik, Member of Parliament, Sonepat and other eminent personalities.

Speaking on occasion, Shri Pranab Mukherjee said, “Knowledge mobilization through quality higher education is pivotal to the socio-economic development of a nation. Innovation and futuristic universities are the driving force behind this. There is an urgent need to improve the education system in terms of the quality of instruction, faculty, research and capacity building.”

The President lamented that no Indian university figures in the top 200 universities in the world. Transforming universities into centers of excellence is the key challenge policy-maker and academic leaders face. Educational institutions have to gear up to face the socio-economic challenge the country is facing in terms of job creation. The ‘demographic dividend’ in our country has to be tapped with the help of these educational institutions, which will have to be holistic, value-based, skill-intensive and technologically advanced. He stressed that the future of higher education lies in the increased use of IT through innovation and futuristic teaching.

The President said, “Quality, affordability, and accessibility are the three cornerstones of higher education which need to be understood in the Indian context. Our universities need to actively pursue linkages with the best universities in the world to ensure student mobility, collaborative research, and joint projects.” He also emphasized on the linkages between education and industry and said, “Innovation should be linked to the market.  Through collaborative work and international knowledge exchange, educational institutes can build a larger influence in the international education arena.’’

Speaking to an eminent gathering Shree Rambilas Sharma, Education Minister, Haryana said, “Knowledge, innovation, and responsibility have been Indian patents since ancient times. Knowledge is not only our past but is our future.”

Welcoming the first citizen of India to the JGU campus, Mr. Naveen Jindal, the Founding Chancellor, of the University said, “We are proud and honored to have the President of the country inaugurate this conference. It is a rare fortune for us at JGU to have him in our midst. He is at our campus for the second time today. His first visit was in March 2013 for the Conference on ‘The Future of Indian Universities,’ a moment vividly remembered as one of the most inspiring in the institution’s history”.

Talking of Universities of the Future, Naveen Jindal said, “In this context, three reform initiatives are imperative. First is to debate the option of a four-year undergraduate programme. Even as our universities churn out thousands of graduates every year, serious questions are often raised about their employability. The four-year undergraduate degree provides an opportunity to gain additional knowledge and skills and goes a long way in improving the quality of education. It gives flexibility through exit points at the end of 3rd year and 4th year, better combination of major and minor courses.

Secondly, he suggested, “The traditional models of classroom based learning are challenged by e-learning and massive open online courses (MOOCs). Social media is changing the way learning takes place. We must fully harness the technological potential for building a university of the future. His third suggestion was interdisciplinary and professional approaches to higher education.

Talking about the pertinent need of the conference, Professor (Dr.) C. Raj Kumar, Founding Vice Chancellor, JGU said “The Indian higher education system is facing many challenges, as issues related to quality, quantity, accessibility, and equity are simultaneously being addressed.  While there has been an effort to address the challenge of expansion and provide opportunities to access higher education, a lot more needs to be done. O.P. Jindal Global University aims to overcome these challenges in a sustained manner to become a truly world-class institution.

This is a defining moment for the Indian Higher Education with the political leadership aligned with institutional aspirations. With substantive and sustained regulatory reforms, and significant funding made available to the Indian Higher Education sector, we can realistically hope that the next decade can have a few Indian Universities to become truly world class”.

The Conference is a culmination of a range of ideas and perspectives that aim to shape India's aspirations of building world-class universities through comparative and international dimensions. It is a recognition that the future of Indian universities and their ability to seek global excellence will depend on three critical paradigms, first, need for creating a vision for higher education that will focus on research and knowledge creation, institutional excellence and global benchmarking as the indicators for standard-setting; second, the need for pursuing substantial reforms relating to policy, regulation and governance of higher education; and third, is the need for investigating a paradigmatic shift for promoting interdisciplinary in higher education with a stronger and deeper focus on the pedagogy of teaching and learning in different fields of inquiry.

Through a series of perspectives from noted academics and scholars from around the world, the Conference will attempt to discuss these three strings of thought across various sessions, including sessions on research and innovation, regulation and policymaking, financing of universities, internationalisation of higher education and subject specific sessions on science and technology, medicine, law, management, social sciences and humanities, journalism, international affairs and public policy.

The goal is also to create higher education opportunities that will enable the future generations of students to pursue a world-class education in world-class universities in India.

Learning Avenues With MarkSharks...

I recently came across MarkSharks, an App that is bringing about a complete transformation in learning and teaching. According to me, it brings a complete paradigm shift in the phenomenon, as Marksharks believes that learning will never be the same again. 

MarkSharks is creating a complete system that aims to teach secondary school students. To start with, it is focusing on Maths and Science. The innovative approach is to combine phenomenal pedagogy with the power of mobility. Students can learn on-the-go thus preventing waste of time. In addition, it creates a meaningful engagement and enables ‘learning by doing’. 

Although there have been many significant innovative advancements in Education Technology (EdTech), there is no remarkable change in the process of teaching worldwide. In fact, it is the same for decades. The main drawback of our existing education system is that it is mostly unidirectional. Whatever mode a teacher adopts, it is usually passive learning. 

The various modes are chalkboard, whiteboard, smart board, audio-visual broadcast on internet or offline. But it lacks interaction and seems to be ‘watch’ and ‘listen’. That is why I call it Passive Learning. It is like watching TV which is a purely one-sided affair. 

MarkSharks is a result of disruptive technology to end this unidirectional mode of teaching and learning. In fact, the younger generation belongs to the digital age. Thus they need to learn in a

different manner. 

Now there is a learning app evolving fast to help them. Students can use mobile devices to create there own knowledge mechanism. MarkSharks helps them in learning classroom concepts in a real immersive, multi-sensory, interactive, and meaningful way. And all this happens in a very interesting manner. So it is more learning with fun. They have games, simulations, interactive exercises, and virtual experiments. In fact, it is visually more enriching and is an interactive experience. And that too in a student's own style, as per their own convenience. That is what I call as Active Learning. 

If we look at the current learning and teaching mechanism, it is quite raw and mechanical in nature. Students easily get bored and dissatisfied. There is no fun. 

Students are of the general opinion - “I have to memorize everything that makes studying painful.” On the other hand the statement of a parent is, “How can I get my child to WANT to learn? I spend so much of my time and energy forcing her to study because I know that education is the only way to secure a bright future.” 

And, in general, an educator has an altogether different predicament to share - “Marks are important and my time in class is limited. So I just cannot devote the time and energy I need to individual students’ learning requirements. I KNOW there are students who are getting left behind”. 

MarkSharks, on the other hand, imparts a unique experience of learning that enhances a student's interest and speed. It provides a one-on-one experience thus introducing a personalized environment. This happens because a learner is using their own mobile device with a freedom of anywhere, anytime. It provides 100% hands-on and learner-driven self-paced learning experience that is quite enriching. There is CBSE Maths & Science curriculum for classes 6 to 12. The app is easy to install and modules are available for Class 8 and 9 on Google Play Store. I was able to download and install it quite easily. It was a hassle-free experience. 

There are features like voice-over and text in English which helps to grasp the concept intuitively. Since the content is modular, it enables easy adaption into various languages and curricula. Learn, Analyze, and Connect is the lifeline of MarkSharks. Learning is a fun because there are interactive games and interactive exercises. In addition, a learner can easily analyze performance in real-time. In fact, parents and teachers also have access to the same information. Connecting with friends in a constructive manner is another remarkable feature of this app. There is a feature - ‘Social Learning Network’ - where a learner can share notes with friends, request help from online tutors, and network with others on MarkSharks. 

You can download MarkSharks Class 8 & 9 Science CBSE content for Android devices on the Google Play store here. Also, you can watch videos of MarkSharks content being used here. 

I tried a few of their modules, those were available on Play Store. All the modules begin with this screen: 

Also, one can read the MarSharks story via the module by tapping on 'Our Story': 

Sliding Friction 

Phases of Moon 

Seismograph 

Lateral Inversion 

Air Pollution

All of them ran smoothly and an intermediate pace, neither too rushed, nor too slow. However, in the Lateral Inversion module, it got stuck at the following screen, for some reason. 

Other than that, it was a nice experience exploring MarkSharks, both as a learner and an educator. :)

Gaps Between Educational Reforms And Education System In India

Reforms are always the need of the society. Those who lack proper focus of the destination and the path to be followed are left in doldrums. It has become so true about the bureaucratic system and the corrupt people of today's India.

Another so called thoughtful but not at all practical reform introduced at the school level is CCE system. Comprehensive and continuous evaluation of the child sounds good but it was introduced in such a hurry that the results are far from the expectations. This system's goal is to lessen the burden of rote learning but ministers, bureaucrats and top officials who made the steps to follow are not in the practical day to day interaction with the students. Only the teacher concerned knows the fact that the burden has lessened in the form of rote learning but has transformed to the form of preparing endless assignments, projects, models, charts, scrap files, activity files etc.to the extent which is mechanical for the child as their number is too many at secondary level.

If the number of activities is reduced, then we can still expect the child to do them in the class itself and hence the actual purpose can be solved. Also the emphasis should be on the content and creativity and not on just decorating the file and pasting the data downloaded through the internet. Also it will reduce the mushrooming of shops which are providing readymade material to the students instead of them doing the work themselves. Another angle to this is that poor children suffer as they have to spend a lot on buying the stationery required which is increasingly becoming fancy (a flourishing business for stationery shops).