Andhra Pradesh Higher Education Summer Fellowship 2017

INTRODUCTION

The Government of Andhra Pradesh has embarked on the Sunrise Andhra Pradesh Vision 2029 to make Andhra Pradesh the top state in India in terms of per capita income by 2029. Towards this end, the Government has identified higher education as a major growth engine. The Government aims to transform Andhra Pradesh into a global knowledge and education hub by

(i) strengthening existing state universities,

(ii) establishing new premier national universities and

(iii) inviting top national private universities to establish their campuses in the state. In view of the above, the Government has taken up various initiatives in the fields of faculty development, R&D and innovation, employability and entrepreneurship, e-learning, smart campuses, international rankings, CSR funding for higher education etc. to strengthen existing state universities. In a short span of two years, the Government has successfully coordinated the establishment of 17 premier national universities in the state such as IIT-Tirupati, IIM-Visakhapatnam, IISER-Tirupati, AIIMS etc.

The Government has also enacted the Andhra Pradesh Private Universities (Establishment and Regulation) Act 2016, hailed as one of the most progressive Private Universities Acts in the country. Within one year, the Government has approved nine proposals to establish private universities in the state leading to investments worth Rs 15,000 Crores and a student strength of more than 1,50,000 over the next 10 years. 

To provide impetus to these initiatives, the Department of Higher Education has been engaging various young professionals and consultants. The Department conducted the highly successful Andhra Pradesh Higher Education Summer Fellowship last year that attracted 18 young fellows from premier national and international institutions such as Columbia University, INSEAD, University of  Michigan, HEC Paris, Sciences Po, National University of Singapore, IIT-Bombay, ISB, BITS-Pilani etc.

The Department is now inviting applications to the 2017 Andhra Pradesh Higher Education Summer Fellowship. The Fellowship provides the opportunity to shape the trajectory of a newly-formed state, and to work with similar-minded public policy and development professionals. The Department may consider outstanding performers for longer-term engagements with the Government of Andhra Pradesh or its associated institutions.

Additional Links:

1) http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/andhra-pradesh/summer-fellowsto-help-improve-education-in-ap/article8592971.ece

2) http://www.thehindu.com/education/A-shot-at-studentgovernance/article17034879.ece

3) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yHxUk56x__0

2. LIST OF PROJECTS

2.1. Improving Entrepreneurship and Innovation (2 fellows)

● Evolve a strategy to improve the start-up ecosystem at state universities

● Work on the proposed AP Innovation and Mentorship Board to assist budding entrepreneurs seek mentorship from seasoned entrepreneurs

● Identify promising start-ups in state universities and reach out to incubators and venture capitalists to help these startups get funding/mentorship

 

2.2. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Funding (2 fellows)

● Strengthen the CSR Desks at the Higher Education Department and state universities to attract CSR funding towards higher education projects

● Develop university-specific projects related to infrastructure upgradation, capacity building of faculty/administrators and other fields as highlighted by corporates after due consultations

● Identify suitable corporate partners and pitch Government/university projects for CSR funding

 

2.3. International Collaborations (2 fellows)

● Consolidate existing/establish new partnerships with top foreign universities in areas such as student and faculty exchange, twinning programmes, collaborative research etc.

● Develop and implement marketing and outreach strategies for state universities to improve their international visibility

 

2.4. Career development and placements (2 fellows)

● Formulate partnerships with corporates to improve student placements and internships at state universities

● Streamline the placements and internship processes at state universities by encouraging the use of latest ERP software/online portals

● Develop a strategy and database for alumni outreach to provide better networking opportunities for students

 

2.5. E-learning/MOOCs (2 fellows)

● Study existing models of e-learning and facilitate their implementation in select state universities

● Conduct state-wide workshops and trainings for university staff and administrators on various forms of technology-enabled teaching

 

2.6. Vocationalization and Skills Development (1 fellow)

 Identify and establish partnerships with government, non-government and private organizations for vocational skills development in the State

 Develop a strategy for vocational skills training for youth in the State under the Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyaan (RUSA)

 

2.7. Digital Documentation of Higher Education Institutions (1 fellow)

 Streamline the process of geotagging in universities and colleges to gain real time data on the state of assets and infrastructure, and attendance records of student and faculty

 Utilize the data thus obtained for effective monitoring of higher education institutions in the State

 

2.8. Research Projects (6 fellows – 2 per topic)

● Topic 1: Conduct a field study to identify challenges faced by researchers at state universities such as lack of funding, lack of access to e-libraries, administrative bottlenecks, etc.

● Topic 2: Conduct a study to identify best practices for equity in Higher Education, and develop a plan to promote better equity in Higher Education  Institutions in Andhra Pradesh under the Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyaan (RUSA)

● Topic 3: Conduct a field study on inclusionary/exclusionary practices in universities and colleges such as differently abled friendly infrastructure, student counselling units, faculty sensitization programmes, etc.

● Use quantitative/qualitative tools to analyze these challenges and present feasible solutions

3. FELLOWSHIP TIMELINE

Week 1: Orientation Week

Week 2-5: Project and field work

Week 6: Mid-term review and feedback

Week 7-9: Project and field work

Week 10: Final Presentation and Report Submission

4. ELIGIBILITY

4.1. All university/college students (regardless of course/year of study) and working professionals under the age of 35 are eligible to apply

4.2. Students should ideally be enrolled in premier national and international institutions with outstanding academic merit

4.3. Students who are graduating and are looking for employment are also encouraged to apply

4.4. Working professionals under the age of 35 from premier national and international institutions who wish to take a sabbatical from their current employment need to get an in-principle approval and a formal letter from their employer before commencing the fellowship

4.5. Candidates should exude passion and flair for public policy, especially in the field of higher education

4.6. Candidates should show an ability to be proactive and work in unstructured environments

4.7. Only Indian passport/PIO (Person of Indian Origin)/OCI (Overseas Citizen of India) cardholders will be considered for the fellowship

4.8. The Fellowship will be based out of Vijayawada, with substantial travel to state universities

5. APPLICATION TIMELINE

5.1. Application begins: 20th March 2017

5.2. Deadline for receipt of application: 31st March 2017 (2359 hrs IST)

5.3. Interviews for shortlisted candidates: On a rolling basis

5.4. Announcement of selected candidates: 7th April 2017

5.5. Confirmation from candidates: 10th April 2017

5.6. Fellowship begins: 15th May 2017

6. APPLICATION PROCESS

6.1. Please submit the application to aphefellowship2017@gmail.com in one consolidated PDF file named ‘LastName_FirstName.pdf’ containing the following:

Page 1: Scanned copy of the Student/Employee ID Card (1 Page)

Page 2-3: Resume (Maximum 2 Pages)

Page 4-5: Choice of Project (Maximum 2 pages)

From the given list of projects, candidates should indicate their top two preferences, and state reasons for the first preference. The reasons should draw on the candidate’s educational and professional experience.

Further, the candidates need to indicate how they would approach their most preferred project so as to ensure the best possible outcome.

Page 6-7: Essay

What according to you are the most pressing challenges in the Higher Education

Sector in India today? If you had Rs. 10 Crores and a period of one year to tackle the most pressing challenge, what would you do?

7. SELECTION PROCESS

7.1. Applicants will be shortlisted based on the merit of their application and fit for the preferred project

7.2. Shortlisted applicants will be invited for a short telephonic/video based interview

7.3. The interview slots will be scheduled in consultation with the shortlisted applicants

7.4. The final list of selected candidates along with a short wait list will be drawn based on written applications and interviews

7.5. The Higher Education Department reserves the right to not fill one or more of the above fellowship positions if it does not find suitable candidates during the selection process

7.6. The Higher Education Department reserves the right to call for additional documentation like Graduation Certificates, Transcripts etc. as deemed necessary before confirming the offer of fellowship

8. REMUNERATION

8.1. Each fellow will be paid a total honorarium of Rs. 70,000 for performance rated “Satisfactory”, Rs. 85,000 for performance rated “Good” and Rs. 1,00,000 for performance rated “Outstanding” for the entire fellowship period, as determined by the process formulated for the performance appraisal.

8.2. If the performance is rated “Unsatisfactory”, the Higher Education Department reserves the right to pay an amount deemed suitable on a case-by-case basis

 

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