Plans by the Indian government of introducing more-practice oriented higher education are becoming real. According to the Indian Express, about 100 community colleges will open their doors in a year from now. This comes as an effort to counter the country's significant skill shortage.

Three months ago, a report attracted widespread attention analyzing that "India's higher education challenge lies at the difficult trinity of enrollment, access and employability. Community colleges could be an important innovation. This mezzanine layer of two-year programmes could increase enrollment by 8 million from small towns, unorganised workers and the traditionally disadvantaged."

Cooperation with U.S.

To introduce this extra layer, an Indian delegation visited the U.S. recently. "We've been supportive and encouraging of the Indian interest in implementing a community college system that's right for India. As Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said in her recent speech at the US-India Higher Education Dialogue, 'I believe community colleges are one of the reasons, often unheralded, that the United States has been so successful'," a U.S. official involved in the project commented.

India is not the only BRIC looking westward for approaches fostering innovation. Recently, a delegation of 20 Chinese universities convened with their Dutch counterparts in Rotterdam. Main point on the agenda: fostering ties to increase cooperation in higher education and research.