Indian universities don’t figure in Asiaweek charts

South Korea’s Pohang University of Science and Technology topped this list. But as Asiaweek pointed out, the fact that three Indian IITs, China’s Huazhong University of Science & Technology, and Pakistan’s Ghulam Ishaq Khan Institute of Engineering figured in it indicates that developing countries can build world-class universities if they put their minds to it.

The magazine also quoted cynics who maintained that most of these schools were primarily instituted to service the defence requirements of their respective countries. IIT, Madras, it was pointedout, is linked with the Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research.

The Asiaweek report highlighted the fact that IIT, Delhi, has corporate support from two big multinationals — IBM and Microsoft.

IBM is set to invest $25 million in this institution over the next five years and bring in another $10 million in grants. Microsoft is to endow a $250,000 software professorship to the institution — the first to be funded by the company outside USA. Similarly, IIT, Madras, received $2 million in industry-sponsored research projects last year.

In contrast, when it came to general universities, it was another story altogether. Here, the rich nations of Asia seemed to corner all the glory. Japan, for instance, accounted for the best three, with the University of Tokyo heading the list. Recognised as “world-class”, this university — known popularly as Todai — has produced 10 post-war prime ministers, nearly 51 per cent of the top CEOs in the country and 60 to 80 per cent of its elite bureaucrats.

Theeconomic and social benefits of good technological education is today clearly recognised in the region. Woo Chia-wei, the president of Hong Kong University, is quoted in the Asiaweek story as saying, “We are one solution to the Asian crisis. For Asia to move into the 21st century, we need to improve our technological and management base.”