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Repositioning Andhra University among ‘Top 50 in the World’
Akshay Jain Summer Fellow Economic Development Board
Economic Development Board
Government of Andhra Pradesh
EDB Project Report 10, July 2015
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Acknowledgements
I would like to thank the Government of Andhra Pradesh for providing an opportunity to young
professionals like myself who are itching to contribute to the public policy space in India. I am
hopeful that this would motivate our youth to come forward and be an active participant in the
public policy discourse.
For my project, I would like to thank Ms. Sumita Dawra, IAS for her guidance throughout the
eight weeks of my fellowship. Her openness to ideas and passion to deliver results were a constant
source of motivation for me. I would like to thank Dr. P.V. Ramesh, IAS and Sri S.P. Tucker, IAS
for taking time out of their busy schedules and keeping us on track with their mentorship.
At a time when EDB is still in its nascent stage, I got to be a part of the institution-building process
which was greatly enriching. I would like to thank Mr. Rajendra Kondepati for giving me the
opportunity to be a part of the Summer Fellowship. His feedback and emphasis on actionable
recommendations had a positive influence on my project and report.
I would like to thank Prof. GSN Raju, Vice-Chancellor, Andhra University for his facilitation and
support during my field-trip to Andhra University. I would also like to extend my heartfelt
gratitude to Prof. Valli Kumari and the AU Computer Centre for providing a productive work
environment at Andhra University.
I would also thank all my colleagues at EDB who were great company and provided me with many
fond memories to keep for a long time.
Finally, I would thank my parents and friends for all their love and affection throughout the
fellowship.
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Contents Executive Summary……………………………………………………………………………1
1. Conception of the Project ................................................................................................................ 2
2. Broad Outcomes of the Project ....................................................................................................... 2
3. Alignment with Knowledge Mission of Andhra Pradesh ............................................................ 3
4. Overview of Andhra University (AU) ............................................................................................ 4
5. International Rankings ...................................................................................................................... 4
5.1 Times Higher Education ........................................................................................................... 5
5.2 Quacquarelli Symonds ............................................................................................................... 8
6. Action Plan ......................................................................................................................................... 9
6.1 Faculty Recruitment Policy ..................................................................................................... 10
6.1.1 Decentralized recruitment .............................................................................................. 10
6.1.2 Track-based recruitment ................................................................................................. 11
6.1.3 Candidate Assessment Index ......................................................................................... 11
6.1.4 Visiting Research Faculty ................................................................................................ 11
6.2 Collaboration with Elsevier .................................................................................................... 11
6.2.1 Subscription at AU .......................................................................................................... 12
6.2.2 Subscription at all Major State Universities ................................................................. 12
6.3 Tying Block Grants to University Performance .................................................................. 14
6.4 Administrative Reforms .......................................................................................................... 15
6.4.1 Selection of Vice-Chancellor .......................................................................................... 15
6.4.2 Selection of Key Administrative Personnel ................................................................. 15
6.4.3 Recruitment of Administrative Staff ............................................................................. 16
6.5 Institutional Reforms ................................................................................................................... 16
6.5.1 University Planning and Monitoring Board ................................................................. 16
6.5.2 Central R&D Cell ............................................................................................................. 16
6.5.3 International Relations Office ........................................................................................ 17
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6.5.4 Central Placement and Industry-Liaison Cell .............................................................. 17
6.5.5 IQAC ................................................................................................................................. 17
6.5.6 Directorate of Admissions .............................................................................................. 18
6.5.7 Library................................................................................................................................ 18
6.5.8 Finance Office .................................................................................................................. 18
7. Conclusion ........................................................................................................................................ 19
Annexure 1: Media Coverage of AU’s surge in rankings .................................................................... 20
Annexure 2: List of Meetings conducted during the Fellowship ....................................................... 21
Annexure 3: Interview Questionnaire for Administrators at AU ...................................................... 23
Annexure 4: Draft Email to NUS for Collaboration ........................................................................... 26
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Table of Figures
Figure 1: Key Objectives of the Knowledge Mission ............................................................................ 3
Figure 2: Data submitted to THE World Universities Rankings ......................................................... 7
Figure 3: Data Submitted to QS BRICS Rankings ................................................................................ 9
Figure 4: Timeline for Field-Trip to AU ............................................................................................... 10
Figure 5: Alignment of Elsevier with Knowledge Mission ................................................................. 13
Figure 6: Adoption of Elsevier's Research Tools at AP Universities ................................................ 14
Figure 7: Costing of Elsevier's Tools ..................................................................................................... 14
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Executive Summary
A project to ‘Reposition Andhra University among top 50 in the World’ was conceptualized and
executed within a short timeline of eight weeks by the Economic Development Board in
partnership with the Higher Education Department.
The author, an EDB Summer Fellow, spent one month at Andhra University assessing the ground
realities and coming up with actionable recommendations. During the field trip, the author
interviewed various stakeholders and helped Andhra University submit data to major national and
international rankings for the first time.
The project led to AU’s surge in national and international rankings and garnered media coverage
across major national dailies like India Today, The Hindu and Deccan Chronicle. AU was ranked
2nd among all State Universities in India by the India Today Group-Nielsen survey. According to
the same survey, AU claimed the 8th spot among all Universities in India including State, Central
and Deemed Universities. Furthermore, AU managed to break into international rankings for the
first time as it was ranked in the #150-200 bracket by the QS BRICS rankings 2015.
The key action points for AU to move upwards in international rankings are as follows:
1. Faculty Recruitment to fill up 500 vacant posts and improve the student teacher ratio to
less than 1:10 as per international norms
2. Collaboration with Elsevier to augment and track R&D activities at AU
3. Tying State Government Block Grants to expected Key Performance Indicators of AU
to hold AU accountable for its performance
4. Administrative reforms to ensure open and merit-based appointment and continuous skill
upgradation of key administrative personnel at AU
5. Institutional Reforms to build new institutions or augment existing ones to carry out all
the functions of a global research-oriented university at AU. These include the formation
of a centralized R&D cell, Placement and Industry-Liaison Cell and an International
Relations Office. Furthermore, the Internal Quality Assurance Cell (IQAC) should be
made in-charge of reaching out to and gathering data for international rankings.
Finally, AU’s Planning and Monitoring Board shall be made the custodian of implementing
the aforementioned recommendations in close consultation with EDB and the Higher
Education Department.
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1. Conception of the Project
A project to “Reposition Andhra University (AU) among top 50 in the World” was conceived and
instituted by the Economic Development Board (EDB), in partnership with the Higher Education
Department. The aim of the project is to propel AU into international rankings and explore
potential collaboration with top-ranked foreign universities. The idea was fielded by Mr.
Gopinath Pillai, who suggested that good performance in international rankings is a basic
requirement for international collaborations. Taking immediate cognizance of the
recommendation, EDB conceptualized and executed the project within a timeline of eight weeks.
The author, an EDB Summer Fellow and a recent graduate of National University of Singapore
(NUS), was assigned the project under the guidance of Ms. Sumita Dawra, Secretary to
Government of Andhra Pradesh, Department of Higher Education. The authour spent four weeks
assessing ground realities at the AU campus in Visakhapatnam and prepared a project report with
highly actionable recommendations.
2. Broad Outcomes of the Project
AU was provided the necessary assistance to reach out to Times Higher Education and QS
Rankings to submit data to international rankings for the first time. Data was also provided to
India Today-Nielsen survey of Indian universities. The project yielded positive outcomes within
the short duration of the project timeline. AU made a mark in national and international rankings
for the year 2015. AU was ranked 2nd among all State Universities in India by the India Today
Group-Nielsen survey. AU also bagged the 8th spot among all Universities in India including
State, Central and Deemed Universities. Furthermore, AU managed to break into international
rankings for the first time- gaining global recognition. AU was ranked in the 150-200 bracket
by the QS BRICS rankings 2015. AU’s surge in the rankings was covered by major national dailies
such as The Hindu, Deccan Chronicle and The Indian Express. The project has also boosted the
prospects of a partnership with National University of Singapore (NUS). The author
provided necessary support to the Higher Education Department to get in touch with NUS to
kick-start a meaningful collaboration as soon as possible.
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3. Alignment with Knowledge Mission of Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh aims to become one of the top three States in India by 2022, and the top State by
2029. To achieve this target, Andhra Pradesh (AP) has initiated seven development focused
missions, of which Knowledge Mission is an integral part. “The Knowledge Mission aims for
the creation of Andhra Pradesh as an education hub and knowledge society, creating a
wealth of skilled human capital within the State to realize the objectives of Vision 2029.”
The following are some of the key objectives of Knowledge Mission:
Figure 1: Key Objectives of the Knowledge Mission
Similarly, it has been envisioned that Andhra University (AU), one of leading universities in the
State, should become one among the top 50 universities in the world. As will be detailed below,
the indicators used by international rankings are well aligned with the key objectives of
the Knowledge Mission. Thus, the action-plan to be adopted by AU to break into international
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rankings can also inspire other universities and help the State achieve the key objectives of the
Knowledge Mission. The task to ‘Reposition Andhra University’ goes hand-in-hand with
the Knowledge Mission of the State.
4. Overview of Andhra University (AU)
Andhra University, established in 1926, is one of the oldest universities in India. Sprawling
across 500 acres, the university is home to six colleges namely, College of Arts and Commerce,
College of Science and Technology, College of Engineering (autonomous), College of Law,
College of Pharmaceutical Sciences and College of Engineering for Women. The university
offers 112 postgraduate programmes and 19 undergraduate programmes. The campus
provides education to more than 10,000 students every year with the help of more than 500
faculty members.
The National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) has accredited the
university twice with an 'A' grade. In the most recent accreditation cycle, AU received a score
of 3.65 out of 4, which is the highest among the State Universities in India. The university has
been recognized by the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India, as one of
the top fourteen universities in India in terms of contribution to research publications based on
the H-index developed by Scopus. It has also been adjudged a premier institution for research by
Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Indian Space Research Organisation, Defence
Research and Development Organisation and University Grants Commission.
Given the academic of AU, it is well-poised to become an institute of global repute. However, an
institutional understanding of international rankings and a clear action-plan are required
to propel the University in the right direction.
5. International Rankings
In recent times, international rankings for universities have become an integral part of the higher
education landscape globally. Why have these rankings become so pervasive in the world of higher
education today? Why should AU aim to break into these rankings?
As the rankings provide an objective report on the performance of universities, they are used
by students and academicians worldwide to make their academic decisions. Thus, gaining a good
rank internationally can attract top national and international students and faculty members.
According to a study by IDP, 33 percent of students find international rankings the most important
factor in their university choice, while more than 80 percent consider it to be an important factor.
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Furthermore, rankings can facilitate signing of MoUs with top national and international
institutes and industrial players. They can be crucial for leveraging international and industrial
funding for R&D and innovation. They help in benchmarking institutes against the best in
the world to realize existing strengths and weaknesses, while also helping to set targets and
tracking progress. Increasingly, policymakers worldwide have turned to university rankings
to shape higher education policy. Shinzo Abe, the Prime Minister of Japan recently stated that
“We aim to have 10 Japanese institutes in the top 100 THE World University Ranking in the next
decade.” David Willets, the former Universities & Science minister of UK, stated that “we broadly
accept the criteria used by the Times Higher Education, which is why our policies are focused on
the same areas.”
The two most prominent international ranking agencies for universities are Times Higher
Education (THE) and Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) rankings. While both agencies release
world rankings, they have also recently introduced regional rankings namely for Asia and the
BRICS region. Before the project, AU was not part of any of the international rankings due
to the fact that it had not reached out to them for their proformas and data requirements.
However, as part of this EDB project, AU reached out to both THE and QS and provided the
required data for its assessment in the 2015 rankings. While the THE rankings are awaited,
AU made its debut appearance in QS BRICS 2015 rankings, featuring in the #150-200
ranked bracket among all universities in the BRICS region. The data requirements and
performance indicators of THE and QS are outlined below.
5.1 Times Higher Education
Times Higher Education is a prominent weekly magazine based in London that reports on issues
related to higher education. THE releases world rankings for universities annually, using 13
performance indicators grouped into five areas:
1. Teaching: the learning environment (30%)
1.1. The world's largest invitation-only academic reputation survey that examines the
perceived prestige of institutions in teaching (15%)
1.2. A staff-to-student ratio as a simple proxy for teaching quality (4.5%)
1.3. A ratio of doctoral to bachelor's degrees awarded as a proxy for research-led teaching
environment (2.25%)
1.4. The number of doctorates awarded by an institution as a proxy for teaching quality at the
doctoral level (6%)
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1.5. A measure of institutional income scaled against academic staff numbers as a proxy for
infrastructure and facilities (2.25%)
2. Research: volume, income and reputation (worth 30 per cent)
2.1. The academic reputation survey that looks at a university's reputation for research
excellence (18%)
2.2. University research income, scaled against staff numbers (6%)
2.3. Research output scaled against staff numbers, as a simple measure of research productivity
(6%)
3. Citations: research influence (worth 30 per cent)
The single most influential and the flagship research influence indicator as captured by the number
of times a university's published work is cited by scholars globally (30%)
4. Industry income: innovation (worth 2.5 per cent)
Knowledge transfer as captured by looking at how much research income an institution earns from
industry, through innovations, inventions and consultancy, scaled against the number of academic
staff it employs (2.5%)
5. International outlook: staff, students and research (worth 7.5 per cent)
5.1. The ratio of international to domestic students (2.5%)
5.2. The ratio of international to domestic teaching staff (2.5%)
5.3. The proportion of a university's total research journal publications that have at least one
international co-author (2.5%)
Universities are excluded from the THE World University Rankings “if they do not teach
undergraduates; if they teach only a single narrow subject; or if their research output amounts to
fewer than 1,000 articles between 2008 and 2012 (200 a year).” THE also uses the same criteria
for its Asian rankings and a slightly different weighted criteria for its BRICS rankings (however,
the major performance criteria remain the same).
As part of this EDB project, AU reached out to THE for the first time. Although, the deadline
for the 2015 rankings had passed, THE graciously extended the deadline. AU was added to the
THE database and access to THE’s secure portal was provided to the university to submit its data.
To gather the data, various meetings with the Vice-Chancellor, Registrar and Principals of
constituent Colleges were conducted. THE requires overall university-level data as well as data
along the following sub-categories: Arts and Humanities; Clinical, Pre-Clinical and Health;
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Engineering and Technology; Life Sciences; Physical Sciences; and Social Sciences to generate its
subject-wise rankings. Thus, all the AU departments were mapped to their respective subject sub-
category and data was collected accordingly. The overall university data submitted to THE is
presented here.
Figure 2: Data submitted to THE World Universities Rankings
THE does not require an institution to submit its research publications and citations data. THE
uses Elsevier’s Scopus database generate data about an institution’s research publications and
citations to limit any potential manipulation of statistics.
The ranking outcome for AU in THE rankings is due in September 2015. THE has promised to
provide a thorough and in-depth analysis of AU’s current standing compared to its peers globally.
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5.2 Quacquarelli Symonds
Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) is a British company that provides educational services related to
higher education and study abroad. QS publishes annual world university rankings alongside
regional rankings for Asia and BRICS. For any university to be ranked by QS, it must first do well
in its regional rankings and then appear in the world rankings. For QS, the eight indicators used
to create the BRICS regional ranking are:
1. Academic reputation (30%)
This is based on analysis of QS’s major global survey of academics, who are asked to identify the
top-performing universities in their own field of expertise.
2. Employer reputation (20%)
Similarly, this is based on a major global survey of graduate employers, who are asked to identify
the universities they perceive as producing the best graduates.
3. Faculty/student ratio (20%)
This is based on the number of students enrolled per full-time academic faculty member employed.
The aim is to give an indication of commitment to teaching and student support.
4. Staff with a PhD (10%)
Based on the proportion of academic staff members with a PhD, this indicator aims to assess how
successful universities have been in recruiting highly qualified faculty members – a major priority
for many institutions in the BRICS countries.
5. Papers per faculty (10%)
Calculated using data from Scopus, this indicator assesses research productivity, based on the
number of research papers published per academic staff member.
6. Citations per paper (5%)
Again calculated using the Scopus database, this indicator aims to assess research impact, based
on the frequency with which an institution’s research is cited by other researchers.
7. International faculty (2.5%)
This score reflects the percentage of faculty members at the university who are international, to
show how successful each institution has been in attracting academics from further afield.
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8. International students (2.5%)
Similarly, this indicator reflects the percentage of students enrolled at the university who are
international, giving a further indication of each institution’s global appeal.
As part of this EDB project, AU also reached out to QS to submit its institutional data for the first
time. QS’s deadline for 2015 rankings had also passed, but QS also extended the deadline for AU.
The data submitted by AU to QS is presented here.
Critical Data Counts
TOTAL (number of counts) INTERNATIONAL (number of counts)
Full-time
Part-time
Head-count
FTE Full-time
Part-time
Head-count
FTE
Academic Faculty Staff 558 0 558 558 0 30 30 10
Academic Faculty Staff with PhD* 469 0 469 469
Undergraduate Students 3458 0 3458 3458 138 0 138 138
Graduate/Postgraduate Students 9120 0 9120 9120 286 0 286 286
Figure 3: Data Submitted to QS BRICS Rankings
QS did not require data to be submitted for any research work at the university. QS, just like THE,
also ties-up with the Scopus database to gather information about an institution’s research
publications and citations.
The ranking outcome for AU in QS BRICS rankings was released in New Delhi on 8th July 2015.
For the first time ever, AU made an appearance in the QS rankings in the #150-200 ranked bracket.
The event was attended by the Vice-Chancellor of AU along with the author of this report. The
event provided networking opportunities and insights on improving the QS rank for AU. To
further improve the QS BRICS rank next year, AU should get in touch with QS to submit
details of academic faculty and employer contacts for the academic reputation and
employer survey. AU should also approach the Indian Centre for Academic Rankings and
Excellence (ICARE) which assists QS in collecting data for Indian universities.
This section provided an overview of the international rankings for universities. A detailed action
plan for AU to sustain its efforts to climb up the ranking tables is presented next.
6. Action Plan
To prepare an action plan for AU, it was necessary to understand the current functioning and
strengths and weaknesses of the university. A month-long field trip was undertaken to gather all
the relevant data. First two weeks of the field trip were devoted to contacting THE and QS and
submitting institutional data for the rankings. Third and fourth week were devoted to faculty
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surveys and extensive interviews with all the major stakeholders including the VC, Registrar,
Principals and Deans. The detailed timeline is presented here.
Figure 4: Timeline for Field-Trip to AU
After analyzing all the gathered data, key action points to ‘Reposition AU’ were identified. They
are presented below.
6.1 Faculty Recruitment Policy
Currently, there are more than 500 faculty positions vacant at the AU campus due to a ban on
faculty recruitment. This has led to a student-teacher ratio of more than 20, while the
international norm for top-ranked universities is a student-teacher ratio of less than 10.
International rankings. Naturally, this has been one of the biggest bottlenecks in terms of
improving the teaching and research quality at AU. The next faculty recruitment process will
be the single most important factor in terms of repositioning AU. AU must be allowed to
recruit faculty, despite the ban, on a fast-track basis along the following guidelines:
6.1.1 Decentralized recruitment
Recently, the newspapers highlighted that a State-level faculty recruitment process is being
deliberated. However, major stakeholders at AU campus are averse to such a policy as it will
distance the recruitment process from the university's unique context and departmental
needs. Thus, a fast-track recruitment policy for AU should be mandated with no State-level
faculty recruitment for AU.
Week 1
• Contacted THE and QS to get their respective proformas
• Conducted meetings with the relevant stakeholders to collect required data
• Coordinated with research scholars and all faculty members to update their Google Scholar profile
Week 2
• Compiled all the data collected from various stakeholders
• Submitted the filled-up proforma to THE and QS
• Arranged for Scopus' trial access to manage AU's research profile
Week 3
• Prepared the student and faculty survey
• Prepared interview questionnaires for VC, Registrar, Principals and Deans
• Conducted interviews with all the Principals and the VC
Week 4
• Conducted the faculty survey and interviews with all the Deans
• Prepared actionable recommendations and started work on the Project Report
• Arranged for Scopus presentation on campus and helped finalize AU's Scopus subscription
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6.1.2 Track-based recruitment
Based on the faculty survey, while 70 percent of the faculty members prioritize teaching, 30 percent
of them prioritize research. The recruitment should be conducted along two tracks namely,
teaching and research following roughly the same proportion. This is a ‘best practice’ observed
in many top global universities. Upon recruitment, AU should assign roles and responsibilities
to the recruited faculty members based on their chosen track so as to allow them to focus
on their priority.
6.1.3 Candidate Assessment Index
The faculty recruitment process should be made open and transparent with the help of an
objective candidate assessment index. Reportedly, the past recruitment exercises have been prone
to external influences that have adversely affected the quality of recruited faculty. The index
should contain parameters such as educational qualifications, teaching experience,
research and consultancy work and industrial exposure of a candidate. Only the top
performers along these parameters should be considered for interview and appointment.
6.1.4 Visiting Research Faculty
Visiting research faculty can increase internationalization and augment R&D efforts at
AU which will boost AU’s position in international rankings. Thus, a visiting research
faculty policy is required to attract top researchers at AU from India and abroad. Based on
the faculty survey, fewer than five percent of the total faculty members resided outside Andhra
Pradesh before joining AU. This might be due to the fact that the local recruitment policy and
processes are not able to reach out to and attract top teaching and research talent from India and
abroad.
The policy should mandate AU to fill up a minimum number of visiting research faculty positions.
The minimum qualifications for visiting faculty should also be specified in terms of
research publications in journals of international repute. The policy should also lay down
incentives to attract meritorious researchers from India and abroad such as performance-
based-pay, possibility of tenure, accommodation, travel grants, flexibility in the work
environment regarding choice of projects etc.
6.2 Collaboration with Elsevier
Elsevier is a research publication and information solutions company with Scopus and SciVal as
research tools that are adopted by more than 3000 organizations worldwide including ranking
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agencies (THE, QS etc.), funding agencies (DST India, NSF, etc.), and academic institutes
(top-ranked universities).
Scopus is the world’s largest abstract and citation database of peer-reviewed research literature,
designed to serve the research information needs of researchers, educators, administrators,
students and librarians across the entire academic community.
SciVal is a research analytics tool that helps to visualize research performance, benchmark
progress, develop collaborative partnerships and analyze research trends. SciVal is used by
researchers, administrators, governments and funding agencies across the world.
The adoption of Elsevier’s research tools namely Scopus and SciVal is highly
recommended based on the high weightage given to R&D in international rankings (40
percent on average across different rankings) and the alignment of tools with the
Knowledge Mission objective of augmenting R&D activities in the State.
6.2.1 Subscription at AU
A detailed presentation was made by Elsevier to the AU administration. The approval for
subscription was granted by the Vice-Chancellor and the subscription process is underway.
However, it is recommended that Scopus and SciVal subscription process at AU is
expedited through a circular from Higher Education Department.
6.2.2 Subscription at all Major State Universities
The tools can also help achieve the Knowledge Mission objectives by assisting universities and the
government with strategic planning. The mentioned resources can contribute towards
improving university rankings, furthering visibility on a global platform, securing national
and international funding and measuring university progress.
Mission Objective Elsevier tool Value addition
Improve quality of
education
Elsevier
Analytics,
SciVal
Research is a crucial aspect of higher education.
Elsevier Analytics creates customized reports with
data-driven analysis around research management,
funding allocations, and strategies which can improve
the overall quality of research and higher education.
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Figure 5: Alignment of Elsevier with Knowledge Mission
Keeping in mind the contribution of Elsevier’s products to the Knowledge Mission objectives, the
adoption of the highlighted tools is recommended at following institutions.
S.No. University Recommended Tool
1 Andhra University Scopus +SciVal
2 Dravidian University Scopus
3 JNTU - Anantapur Scopus +SciVal
4 JNTU-Kakinada Scopus
5 Krishna University Scopus
6 Rayalaseema University Scopus
7 Sri Krishnadevaraya University Scopus
8 Sri Padmavati Mahila Visvavidyalayam Scopus
9 Sri Venkateswara University Scopus +SciVal
10 Vikrama Simhapuri University Scopus
Invest in faculty
development
Scopus,
Connect
Programme
Elsevier conducts faculty training sessions on how to
publish articles in top journals etc. which are aimed at
building research capacity of the faculty at no cost basis
Build institutional
partnerships
SciVal SciVal helps universities identify their top collaborative
institutions and co-authorship drilling into specific
subject areas and self-defined research topics
Develop support
infrastructure for
research and
development
Scopus, SciVal Elsevier tools can become the essential R&D
infrastructure to enable the following: 1) Assess the
scientific output of individual researchers 2) Compare
a researcher’s output and quality to others in the same
subject area 3) Allocate financial resources to
researchers or departments by tracking impact 4) Raise
access to global funding
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11 Yogi Vemana University Scopus
12 Acharya Nagarjuna University Scopus +SciVal
Figure 6: Adoption of Elsevier's Research Tools at AP Universities
Andhra University, JNTU-Anantapur, Sri Venkateswara and Acharya Nagarjuna University shall
act as Cluster Resource Centers that feed the necessary data through SciVal to the nearby
Universities. Capacity building for faculty to access and utilise Scopus and SciVal shall be
conducted regularly and extensively by Elsevier at no-cost basis. The financial implications
are as follows. The cost should be borne by the Higher Education Department from funds
allocated for the Knowledge Mission Scheme.
Costing List
price
AP consortium
price per
university *
Total cost as per
the
recommendation
In INR
Scopus $44,000 $22,000 $264,000 Rs. 1.67 crs
SciVal $82,000 $40,000 $160,000 Rs. 1.10 crs
Sum $424,000 Rs. 2.77 crs
Figure 7: Costing of Elsevier's Tools
To initiate the collaboration, the Higher Education Department should sign a MoU with
Elsevier group clearly highlighting the expected outcomes from the collaboration. The
Department should then set up a dedicated team to track the progress of R&D activities in
the State with the help of Elsevier. Eventually, Elsevier’s products can be linked to the
University Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) as they can objectively measure the R&D output
and quality of various institutions in the State.
6.3 Tying Block Grants to University Performance
AU enjoys academic autonomy, but is dependent on State government for Block Grants. As
most State Universities are dependent on the State government for funding, they should be held
accountable to the State government for their performance.
The Higher Education Department is already ranking universities in the State on various
KPIs. Thus, instead of releasing Block Grants with no strings attached, the State
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government should release the grants on basis of expected performance in the university
KPI index.
The Higher Education Department should enter into a MoU with universities which highlights
expected targets and mechanisms for monitoring progress. The quantum of Block Grant
for the next academic year shall then be decided on the basis of the MoU. As a result, the
universities will be incentivized to perform in line with expected targets and such an exercise
will also infuse healthy competition among the universities.
6.4 Administrative Reforms
AU needs a set of administrative reforms to carry out all the functions of a global research-oriented
university. All the listed reforms should be communicated to AU through a circular by the
Higher Education Department, while the University Planning and Monitoring Board at
AU should be made the custodian of carrying out the reforms.
6.4.1 Selection of Vice-Chancellor
The selection of the Vice-Chancellor should be entirely merit-based taking into account both
academic and administrative capacity of a candidate. The search committee which is in-
charge of short-listing the candidates for the position should device an index akin to the faculty
recruitment index with parameters including both academic and administrative indicators. Upon
selection, the Vice-Chancellor must undergo customized training with his team at ISB or ASCI.
6.4.2 Selection of Key Administrative Personnel
The Vice-Chancellor holds the prerogative of appointing the key administrative personnel such as
the Rector, Registrar, Principals and Deans. Right now, there is no fixed criteria for the
appointment of key administrative personnel, although sometimes seniority is used as a
basic yardstick to make the appointments. However, there should be some checks and
balances to such appointments by way of minimum qualification requirements aligned
with the administrative requirements of the respective post. For instance, the Finance Officer
must have an understanding of accounting and financial matters, the Dean of Academic Affairs
must be an outstanding academicians and so forth.
Furthermore, all administrative staff should undergo orientation courses and subsequent trainings
at institutes like ASCI and ISB to build up their administrative skills. In this regard, a MoU can
be signed between the Higher Education Department and ISB or ASCI to design, develop
and deliver customized courses to universities’ administrative personnel.
16
6.4.3 Recruitment of Administrative Staff
Many institutions at AU such as the Office of International Affairs, Library and Placement
Offices require dedicated and qualified young professionals who understand the nuances
of dealing with the international community, industry leaders and ranking agencies. Thus,
these institutions should be allowed to recruit qualified professionals to fulfill their mandate. The
Higher Education Department should seek AU’s inputs on the recruitment and
compensation policy for young professionals and the relevant offices should be allowed to
recruit young professionals for administrative tasks. To begin with, the offices may absorb
promising students as interns who can be converted to full-time employees based on their
performance.
6.5 Institutional Reforms
AU needs to build new institutions from scratch or augment existing institutions to become a
global research-oriented university. All the listed reforms should be communicated to AU
through a circular by the Higher Education Department, while the University Planning
and Monitoring Board at AU should be made the custodian of carrying out the reforms.
6.5.1 University Planning and Monitoring Board
During the trip to AU, it was noted that the currently existing board, while having all the necessary
responsibilities and executive powers on paper, lay entirely dormant in its day-to-day workings.
The board should be revived and made the custodian for taking cognizance of all
recommendations in this report and carrying them forward at AU. The Board should play
the leading role in strategic planning, implementation of plans and tracking of progress to
ensure that AU can become a globally top-ranked university.
6.5.2 Central R&D Cell
Currently, AU has no centralized and dedicated R&D Cell. The R&D cell should be the one-
stop-shop for sourcing and keeping track of research and consultancy projects from
various funding agencies and industries. Right now, this work is done at the Departmental
level, making it hard to track the progress of all research projects at the University-level.
The R&D cell should also actively seek national and international research co-authorship
opportunities. Scopus and SciVal should be deployed at the R&D Cell to provide necessary
assistance.
17
The cell should aim to turn into a full-fledged Research Park in the next five years in
collaboration with Industry and the State Government. A good model for a research park can
be the IIT-M research park in Chennai.
6.5.3 International Relations Office
While AU has a Dean of International Affairs, the Dean has no dedicated office and staff to
actively seek international tie-ups. The new International Relations Office, with a dedicated
building and staff, should have a broader mandate to attract foreign students and faculty,
establish MoUs and tie-ups with top-ranked foreign universities and assist research co-
authorship with international researchers.
The cell should be allowed to recruit young professionals with an international outlook to assist
with reaching out the international community.
6.5.4 Central Placement and Industry-Liaison Cell
AU has placement coordinators at its constituent colleges, but lacks a centralized placement cell.
A Central Placement and Industry Liaison Cell needs to be constituted to be the one-stop-shop
for all industry liaison purposes.
The cell should engage the industry to get inputs regarding syllabus framing, skill
development of students and placement trends. The cell should also conduct career fairs
and training sessions for students on resume building, networking and interview skills.
The cell should also undertake recent graduate and alumni surveys to keep track of pay-scale and
career advancement of AU graduates.
The cell should be allowed to recruit young professionals with industry exposure to liaise with
industrial players and employers.
6.5.5 IQAC
The Internal Quality Assurance Cell (IQAC) currently functions to collect data and prepare reports
for accreditations by NAAC and ISO. IQAC should also become the university’s contact
point for national and international rankings. As such, the IQAC should be augmented to
gather and feed data to various national (India Today-Nielsen) and international (THE,
QS) rankings as per their requirements.
IQAC should be allowed to recruit young professionals with an understanding of academia to be
the university’s interface with ranking agencies.
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6.5.6 Directorate of Admissions
While the admissions process for undergraduate and postgraduate courses is carried out through
various national and State-level examinations, the admission process for PhD students at AU is
undertaken via a department level test. This arbitrary process has adversely affected the
quality of PhD students and research work at AU. The Higher Education Department
should issue a circular to AU to clarify its PhD admissions process while mandating a
more stringent and State-level entrance test for PhD candidates.
6.5.7 Library
The AU library is one of the oldest in southern India and houses a vast range of books and
journalistic publications. Currently, the library is undergoing a major digitization drive. To aid in
the process, the library should be allowed to recruit young professionals who have in-depth
knowledge about library services and digitization processes.
6.5.8 Finance Office
The finance office at AU currently does not have a strategic vision for AU’s finances in terms of
planning for the next three, five or ten years. The budgeting exercise only takes into consideration
a one-year time horizon. AU finance office should take a longer term strategic vision for AU’s
finances. Instead of relying heavily on State Block Grants, AU should strive for greater internal
revenues. The office should consider innovative ways of earning revenues through R&D
monetization, consultancy works, international student fees, library services etc.
The Higher Education Department should mandate the AU finance office to prepare a
detailed plan for AU’s greater financial self-reliance in the next five years. The office
should also be allowed to recruit young professionals with an-depth understanding of
financial planning to aid in the process.
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7. Conclusion
The eight-week project displayed that results can be achieved within a short timeline with a clear
vision, careful planning and quick implementation. However, a dedicated follow-up project is
needed to sustain the momentum and better AU’s standing in international rankings. EDB will be
at the right vantage point to carry forward the project in close consultation AU and various
government departments in-charge of higher education, industry, innovation and
entrepreneurship. AU holds great potential to become the pioneering State University in India to
feature strongly on national and international rankings. The key learnings from AU’s journey can
be applied to other universities in Andhra Pradesh to augment the quality and global standing of
the State’s higher education system.
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Annexure 1: Media Coverage of AU’s surge in rankings
http://www.deccanchronicle.com/150707/nationeducation/article/andhrauniversityseconda
mongstate-universities
http://www.deccanchronicle.com/150710/nationcurrentaffairs/article/andhrauniversitygets
globalrecognition
http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/indianuniversitiesindiatodaynielsensurveyeducation/1/4
48738.html
http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Vijayawada/andhrauniversity8thbestinthecountrys
ayssurvey/article7394302.ece
http://www.newindianexpress.com/states/andhra_pradesh/AU-Ranked-151st-Among-World-
Varsities/2015/07/10/article2912085.ece
http://www.topuniversities.com/node/9406/rankingdetails/bricsrankings/2015
21
Annexure 2: List of Meetings conducted during the Fellowship
S.No Date Venue Attendees Agenda
1 02.06.15 Senate Hall Prof. Valli Kumari Initial Dialogue on Andhra University
2 04.06.15 Senate Hall All College Principals, Registrar, Rector, Rajendra
Explaining the International Rankings and streamlining communication by getting a list of nominated coordinators from each College
3 05.06.15 Senate Hall Research Scholars Explaining the International Rankings and asking for their assistance in helping faculty upload research work onto Google Scholar
4 05.06.15 Senate Hall Principals, Heads of Departments (HODs), VC, Registrar
Explaining the International Rankings and asking for data required as per the THE and QS Proforma
5 05.06.15 Computer Centre
IQAC Coordinator Explaining the International Rankings and asking for data required as per the THE and QS Proforma
6 06.06.15 Engineering Campus
Research Scholars Explaining the International Rankings and asking for their assistance in helping faculty upload research work onto Google Scholar
7 10.06.15 Senate Hall All AU World Ranking Project Coordinators
Gathering data as per THE and QS proforma
8 11.06.15 Senate Hall Principals, Coordinators, VC, Registrar
Tracking progress and finalizing data as per THE and QS
9 12.06.15 Computer Centre
IQAC Coordinator Patching up all the data as sent by Coordinators and preparing it to be uploaded onto QS and THE portal
10 12.06.15 VC’s Camp Office
VC Submitting the data to THE and QS
22
11 17.06.15 Engineering College
Principal, Engineering College
Interview on College Administration
12 18.06.15 Arts College Principal, Arts College
Interview on College Administration
13 19.06.15 Science College Principal, Science College
Interview on College Administration
14 19.06.15 Pharmacy College
Principal, Pharmacy College
Interview on College Administration
15 20.06.15 VC’s Camp Office
VC Interview on University Administration
16 23.06.15 EC Hall Dean Academic Affairs
Interview on University Administration
17 23.06.15 EC Hall Dean Student Affairs
Interview on University Administration
18 23.06.15 EC Hall Dean International Affairs
Interview on University Administration
19 23.06.15 EC Hall UGC Coordinator Interview on University Administration
20 24.06.15 EC Hall Placement Cell Officers
Interview on Placement Trends
21 25.06.15 Computer Centre
Scopus Consultant (Mr. Vijay Reddy)
Presentation by Scopus
22 26.06.15 VC’s Chamber Scopus Consultant, VC, Prof. Valli Kumari
Proposal by Scopus (Accepted)
23 30.06.15-01.07.15
ISB, Hyderabad All State VCs and Higher Education Department Officials
Presentation on International Rankings
24 08.07.15 Shangrila’s Eros Hotel, New Delhi
All invitees QS BRICS Rankings Launch
23
Annexure 3: Interview Questionnaire for Administrators at AU
Target Audience: Administrators at Andhra University (AU)
Purpose: To gain insight into the university administration at AU
Interview Focus: I. Roles and Responsibilities II. Recruitment of teachers III. Student Admissions
IV. Research V. Data Collection VI. Infrastructure VII. Placements VIII. International Tie-ups
Introduction:
Hello Sir/Madam! I am Akshay Jain and I am currently working as a Summer Fellow with the
recently established Economic Development Board of the AP State Government. As part of the
Knowledge Mission of the State, Andhra University has been envisioned to become one of the
top 50 Universities in the world.
In this regard, it is crucial to learn about your experiences as a university administrator at AU. This
interview will enable us to take the necessary steps to improve the standing of AU in terms of
national and international accreditation/ranking bodies. Before we begin our conversation, please
let me know if you would like to keep your identity private or if you would like us to keep your
comments confidential. During the conversation, you can interrupt me at any time to ask questions
or tell me to keep certain statements confidential. You are also welcome to stop the interview at
any time.
Are you comfortable with us recording this conversation? The tapes will remain confidential and
will be destroyed after the comments have been transcribed. Are you ready to begin?
I.
Could you share broadly your roles and responsibilites as the College Principal? How do you carry
them out on a day-to-day basis?
How autonomous are you in your operations/decision-making i.e. which areas fall under college
administration, university administration and state government respecively?
II.
How is the administrative staff (HODs etc) selected? What systems and incentives are in place to
ensure they perform well and remain motivated?
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What is the recruitment policy for academic staff (both tenured and contract)? Could you share
the various criteria used for the recruitment?
Could you share the profiles of the current faculty (age, research profile, academic background,
teaching feedback, career progression etc)
Are there any systems in place to measure faculty performance? If yes, what are they? Are they
linked to how promotions, tenures etc. are granted?
What are some of the college/university/state level teaching/research awards? What is the
selection process at your College?
Any suggestions to improve teaching?
III.
Could you provide data on profiles of students in your college? (Entrance requirements for student
admissions at UG, PG and PhD level)
IV.
How are grants for research projects sourced at the college/university level?
Does your college liaise with APSCHE? How does your college procure state/central government
funding under various schemes like RUSA?
Could you provide data on all the research projects, their funding and progress (success/failures)
in the last 5 years?
Are there any affiliated research centres? If yes, what are their offerings? How are they funded?
Could you provide data on industry links/consultancy projects and any private research funding?
How is this sourced/tracked?
Is there an existing policy to identify certain journals as good/reputed journals? How are faculty
encouraged to publish in these quality journals?
For research purposes, what are the library facilities available at the College?
What is the quality of student theses? Are they published online/submitted to journals?
What systems are in place for plagiarism checks?
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Any suggestions to improve research?
V.
How does your college liaise with IQAC to provide data?
What are the internal data-collection mechanisms?
VI.
Could you please describe the physical infrastructure present at your college? In your opinion,
which infrastructure is adequate and what is lacking (especially after the Hudhud cyclone)?
VII.
What is the current structure/system to form tie-ups with industry and enable placements?
Could you please provide data on student placements, average salaries etc?
Are there any specific courses aimed at enhancing employability? For eg. B.Voc. courses under
NSQF framework?
VIII.
Could you share details of your college’s institutional tie-ups with national/international bodies?
Thank you for sparing your time for this interview. Your responses will help us in formulating a
clear and actionable roadmap to reposition AU among the top universities in the world.
26
Annexure 4: Draft Email to NUS for Collaboration
From: Higher Education Department, Government of Andhra Pradesh
Dear Prof. Lim Wei Shi,
It is a pleasure to be in touch with you again. I am writing to update you about some of the recent
breakthroughs for Andhra University (AU) in national and international rankings. As I had
mentioned earlier, we are working towards repositioning AU to be among top 50 in the world. A
summer fellow at the AP State Economic Development Board, who is also a recent graduate of
National University of Singapore, was deputed to work on the project over the last 2 months. The
project has yielded many positive outcomes for AU in terms of rankings.
The annual survey for Indian universities by the leading national magazine, India Today has ranked
AU as the 2nd ranked State University and 8th ranked University overall (including Central, State
and Deemed Universities). Furthermore, AU has managed to break into global rankings for the
first time as well. The QS BRICS 2015 rankings, launched recently, ranked AU in the #150200
bracket.
We are now excited to take forward our dialogue with NUS and collaborate in areas of mutual
interest. Beyond the areas of collaboration I had mentioned in my previous mail, we can further
explore:
1) Student exchange programmes (possibly starting with shortduration summer/winter
programmes, community involvement programmes, social work programmes, yoga programmes
etc. leading to full-fledged semestral exchange programmes)
2) Student research attachment programmes (NUS students can be attached to relevant
Departments at AU to work on upcoming niche areas such as Smart City management, social
entrepreneurship, rural development, Digital India & Clean India campaigns etc.)
3) Visiting faculty programme and research coauthorship initiatives
Please feel free to share your views and ideas that might have emerged from your own internal
discussions. Do also feel free to suggest next steps so that we can take things forward.
Yours sincerely,
_____________
