Nalanda University Vice-Chancellor Sunaina Singh said on Wednesday that Education leaders in the country need to address the importance of remodeling the present education system. Ms. Singh, who is also the Vice President of Indian Council for Culture Relations (ICCR), made the comments at a session during the ‘Conference on Soft Power’.
“For decades, we have been hailed as vishwa gurus when it comes to the education sector and while I sit in Nalanda, I wonder if India has done justice to our education leaders. Now is the time for them to ponder upon the need to remodel education and reshape education system in the country”, she said.
“We agree that the Indian education system has transited over the years, but we also need to acknowledge that there has been something in the system that has been able to retain and sustain the ancient knowledge and traditions which largely and paradoxically seem to be missing now in universities”.
Tatiana Shaumyan, Head of Centre for Indian Studies at Institute of Oriental Studies, Russia, said, “The scenario has changed since the pre-Soviet era. While there used to be many Indian students here earlier, unfortunately, things have not been seen in the post-Soviet era.”
“Our relationship with other countries is characterized by friendship and mutual agreements, but never by hard power and for us the concept of education goes beyond the traditional idea of education,” she said.
Shaunaka Rishi Das, Director at UK’s Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies; Subhash Kak, Professor at USA’s Oklahoma State University; Ramdas Lamb, Professor at University of Hawaii’s Department of Religion and Come Carpentier De Gourdon, Convenor of Editorial Board of France’s World Affairs Journal, were among others who talked about the changing education scenario in their countries.