India is rapidly pulling its weight to play a leading role in international affairs. Despite sustained diplomatic efforts by the Government of India, the India story continues to face criticism on the global stage. India’s ability to lead the global order is heavily debated, and often dismissed, in domestic and international circles. A major missing piece of this story is our claim to thought leadership. Academic institutions of research-centred excellence are very important for building a case for any country to lead the world. They are sources of ideas and nerve centers of intellectual and cultural exchange. But we cannot hope to build institutions without inspiring more institution builders to do this work. There is and cannot be any formal training for institution builders. They are usually motivated members of society who understand the need for institutions and choose to dedicate their lives to building them. While formal training cannot be provided, we can spread inspiration by highlighting success stories and making role models accessible. While we have had many great institutions built in the past, we have been poor in documenting the stories of them and their founders. There is a need to remove this gap.
Educational institutions play an important and often under-appreciated role in building a nation. Family, community and educational institutions shape each generation. They have performed this role for millennia and will continue to do so even as we see change all around us. Academic institutions provide education and training to the next generation of leaders, professionals and citizens. They conduct research and scholarship in a variety of fields that help us advance our understanding of the world and lead to new discoveries and innovations that have a positive impact on society. In their role as centers of intellectual and cultural exchange, they bring together people from diverse backgrounds and perspectives to discuss and debate important issues. It leads to new ideas and solutions to the challenges we face. Educational institutions also play a role in creating a systemic impact by partnering with other organizations and institutions to address social and economic challenges. They may work with government agencies, non-profits or businesses to develop and implement programs or initiatives that address the biggest issues of the day.
Above all, good educational institutions are built to last. They do this year after year, generation after generation, and aim to do so for centuries to come. The scale of his influence in shaping human civilization is thus too vast to fathom.
To build new institutions of global excellence, it is important that Indians write the lives of our best educational institutions. We need young people who are motivated to build institutions, just as they are motivated to build startups. And the stories of the institutions and the people behind them are a source of inspiration and motivation. Can we portray the founders of institutions as heroes to emulate? Can Homi Bhabha, the founder of the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Vikram Sarabhai, the founder of IIM Ahmedabad and Madan Mohan Malaviya, the founder of the Banaras Hindu University, be role models for the next generation? In addition to serving as an inspiration, an institutional biography serves as a portal back in time to when the institution was created. It provides insight into the cultural and social context in which the institution was founded, including the social and political forces that shaped its founding mission and goals. This can provide us with a deeper understanding of the institution and its place in history. It will describe the impact of the institution on society, i.e. the contribution it has made to education, research and the wider community, and the way it has helped to improve society. It may also expand on how the institution has adapted to changing societal needs and how it has contributed to the advancement of knowledge in its field.
The biography of an educational institution additionally serves as a model for other institutions, highlighting best practices and successful strategies that can be implemented elsewhere. It can show the value of taking risks and trying new things, which can encourage young founders to do the same.
India cannot expect to lead the world with only the narrative of its demography, democracy and consumer demand. A more powerful and sustainable way to lead is through the power of ideas, and educational institutions are their source. How do we help the next generation understand their lives and the world around them? What are our answers to the grand global problems of today? And how do we want to shape the future that everyone is so nervous about?
If we become mere followers of ideas, we will lose our idea sovereignty. New ideas rooted in indigenous knowledge traditions need to be sown and germinated in our own educational institutions. These ideas can then be carried by graduates into their professional domains and displayed in research publications, allowing them to spread and multiply. Capturing the imagination of the world is the essence of true power. The time has passed to prepare the next generation of institution builders. And institutional biographies can serve as a trigger for that effort. Let’s start writing them.
Suresh Prabhu and Shobhit Mathur are six-time MPs and former cabinet ministers in the Government of India and co-founders and vice-chancellors of Rishihood University, respectively.
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