INSIDE: COMPETITION360 BANK PO ‘09 SOLVED PAPERS AND MORE

CAREERS360
October 2009 Rs 40 www.careers360.com
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CEO SPEAK TEACHERS’ TALK UP CLOSE CAMPUS REVIEW

SANJAY MODI PROF. UDAY SANJAY LEELA IMT
MONSTER INDIA SALUNKHE BHANSALI GHAZIABAD
Also MANAGING PROMOTIONS Q MAKING THE MOST OUT OF YOUR COLLEGE Q MOMBUSHO, JAPAN
contents
46
cover STORY

Studying Abroad: All that you

must know
+ columns, interviews 
and student accounts
USA 50
The number one still holds on its own

UK 54
Old warhorse with new armour

Australia 60
Down but not out

Canada 66
Vocation rules the roost

France 68
Romantic who fell for science

Germany 70
The high technology bastion

The Netherlands 72
careers and 
A new kid on the block courses
Switzerland 73
The temple for hospitality Shipping 20
A very lucrative sector, it beckons
Italy 74 those with the right qualifications
On the high road to creativity and approach. Read on to know what
to study and how to set sail
Norway 74
Cold country with warm people
Healthcare  34
Russia 75 With the number of hospitals on the rise, the demand for qualified
From space technology to medicine administrators is going up like never before. What are the qualifications
needed and courses on offer?
New Zealand 76
Maoris, management and migration Economics 38
National and corporate goals are set and implemented with econo-
Singapore 78 mists playing a big role. An in depth review, offering tips on how to
International campuses become an expert

2 careers 360 october 2009

 careers360
October 2009 l Volume I l Issue 7

Publisher
Maheshwer Peri

Editor
B Mahesh Sarma

CEO SPEAK Special Correspondents

Sanjay Modi Urmila Rao
Sumita Vaid Dixit
Monster India Vinod Metha Shalini Gupta

“Companies are “Quotas are

Design
Art Director
unfreezing the here to stay, Anshul Sharma
requirements and so create new Sr Visualiser
Rajesh Chawla
are keen to hire” institutions ” Jr Visualiser
Thomas Mampilly
30 16 Research
Dr. Nimesh Chandra
Bharti M Borah
Priya Naik
Shiphony Pavithran

advisory regulars Business Office

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Managing promotions 78
Just delivering what is expected may not In the News 10 West
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help you grab promotions. Do you have that Bangalore
extra bit which makes the all-important Motivation 18 advt.blr@pathfinder360.co.in
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Teachers’ Talk  36 Hyderabad

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Career Guidance
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Limited. Editor: B Mahesh Sarma.
Printed at: International

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360 october 2009 Gfc`k`Zj0-
3 careers

9lj`e\jjXe[
Letters
Let executives get
back to classrooms
It is time for all those indi-
viduals who are truly aware
of their abilities and what he
or she needs to focus on the
future. Given the right oppor-
tunities, they can shape their
career in their own way. It is
a good trend to opt a career
of your own choice without
any parental pressures as
faced by most of the people
in their growing years. I have
come across people who are
quitting jobs and pursuing
higher academics. Indeed,
this generation is exploiting
its potential.
CG GANG
Many management students
are giving up plush jobs for
having their own start-ups
which shows their in-built
confidence and instinct in
management.
Chintan Jhunjhunwala
I do not see any reason why
a person should not take sab-
batical and head back to the
classroom if he feels there
is some gap in his skills and
knowledge. India’s biggest
industry baron Mr. Laxmi
Mittal has said that his big-
gest regret is that he never
underwent a formal manage-
ment education. I know 1-
year executive programmes
of IIMs and ISB are very rig-
orous and shake the entire
thinking of individuals and
change them into a different
kind of professional.
Vishal Sharma
I am one of those who faced
mid-career crisis. I joined
MDI Gurgaon for full-time
MBA programme in 2003.
The course was very com-
petitive and rigorous. I
have really enjoyed the pro-
gramme. It has rewarded me
in terms of career growth
there is a high possibility
EXTRA: COMPETITION360 CDSE 2009 SOLVED PAPER & MORE
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UP CLOSE TEACHERS’ TALK CAMPUS REVIEW CEO SPEAK
RAHUL PROF. SB AMRITA CHANDA
DRAVID MUJUMDAR UNIVERSITY KOCHAR
Also USING SOCIAL NETWORKING SITES ■ MULTI TASK AND SAVE YOUR JOB
ever, for those of us who are
Sep cover-Final.indd 1 8/25/09 2:01:30 PM
unable to find time out of our
Jobs up for grabs busy schedules and always
leave things for tomorrow,
Thank you for the well-researched article. But we never a coaching institute would
know what to study to get one of these jobs. Every school act as a great guide. It will
and college must have a career counsellor. This is a must periodically remind you of
because many of us don’t know why are we studying, the steps you need to take to
what we are studying. Most of us are in it because we come closer to your ultimate
don’t have any other option. We had taken the subject, goal. It will also provide you
maybe because we could not match with the cut off, or an environment and com-
because the college is closer to our homes. If we have petitive spirit which might
proper guidance, now at least, we can know what job help you pull up your socks
opportunities are available with the subject we have and get going for the exam
already taken. May be it would also help us seek out with full spirit.
additional courses if needed. Good work Careers360. Bodhi Sutra
But we at least need a teacher in every school who reads
the magazine regularly and gives us good advice. Institutes like IMS Learn-
Megha Sinha ing Resources or Career
Forum helps you develop a
structured and regimented
r approach to tackle questions
Lette e
of th h on CAT. Over a period of
mont time, repeated practice and
with good future pros- care. But in most cases mock drills with this struc-
pects. the management is very tured, regimented approach
Pratish Thakur cunning in giving all the right puts you in a very sharp
answers and later when he frame of mind wherein
Questions to ask in an joins he discovers the truth. you start solving questions
Amit Agarwal mechanically and at good
interview speed. So when you final-
Yes, these are some of the Many times you hear nice ly give the CAT exam you
most relevant questions words about value organisa- can rest assured that your
which an experienced tion, performance appraisal, chances of clearing CAT are
employee must ask if he is training systems, proper very high. Without formal
planning to change his job/ reporting structure, etc. CAT training, your approach
employer. If you ask these and after you join, you will tends to be slipshod and hap-
questions then the interview- find nothing but learn your hazard and that invariably
er becomes alert and mostly way and do the things to the leads to failure…
appreciates your smart- satisfaction of your boss. I Bhasmasur Khan
ness. But it can backfire if feel such questions are rel-
the potential interviewer or evant in western countries, The coaching institutes
employer is not looking for particularly in the USA. If mostly fleece you. Just be
a very smart type of employ- you keep asking such ques- disciplined and work hard.
ee. Use these questions with tions in an Indian interview, Vemuri Ramakrishna
4 careers 360 october 2009
Campaign
Yes, we accept the mistake is
on our side. We get cheated
because we are not much
aware of the colleges as we
are from remote villages. Mr.
Sibal, please take action on
money-minded institutes as
we students are the back-
bone of future India.
Prabakar
One brand must mean one
institution. All branches,
franchises, and others must
be the responsibility of the
parent institution.
Aliakbar Shabbir
Awesome campaign!!!! Let’s
hope things change a little.
Pallavi Majumder
I was a student in Rai founda-
tion college at Kochi campus,
Kerala. After the Supreme
Court order, Rai Founda-
tion closed all colleges. I had
to drop my studies and also
lose an year. They neither
refunded my fees nor gave
me my caution deposits. No
degree, no certification. Why
such universities are allowed
to be established in the first
place? Who are the culprits?
Please take strong actions
against such frauds.
Arya Subash K
Mr. Sibal, we always talk
about making India a world
class destination for com-
panies but do you really
believe we are taking steps
towards it? Especially the
kind of education imparted
by private universities at
postgraduation levels needs
a complete overhaul.
Anand
Having so many engineer-
ing colleges is not advisable.
Abundance will cheapen the
value of anything. 90% of
the engineering graduates
are incompetent in their
field of study, thanks to the
mentality of the depart-
ments to offer full marks in
the internals and the easy
availability of ready-made
science projects.
Selva Manikandan
Please bring unregistered or
unrecognized universities
under a regulatory system
and spread awareness so that
we may stop such institu-
tions from spoiling careers
of many!
Kumar Priyank
Some concrete steps must be
taken and that too in pretty
quick time.
Hardik
Stop institutes from starting
sessions as soon as they get
approval. This is even hap-
pening with new IITs, leave
alone other colleges. First,
proper infrastructure should
be put up. Then teachers
should be recruited. Then
admissions should be given.
Sachin PS Verma
It’s high time we students
spoke for our rights. Many
fly-by-night institutions have
mushroomed to take advan-
tage of students’ dilemma in
this age of competition. They
are doing nothing but busi-
ness at the cost of our careers.
Bidyut Gogoi
When the youth of the coun-
try are so publicly misguid-
ed and manipulated at the
hands of these capitalists,
the future of the country
remains bleak.
Darshit
Institutions that cheat stu-
dents must get severe pun-
ishment. Their approvals
must be withdrawn and the
trustees or promoters must
be put in jails.
Parnini A Shikarwar
6 careers 360
Thanks for this initiative. I
wish it rings a bell in the
right tone to the right ears.
AMEN!
Vikas Kumar
Mr. Sibal, I studied at a col-
lege were the facilities they
were talking about were
not there. They promise
too much every time, but at
the end, do nothing. Have a
Shekhar Gupta on higher education
A careers360
CAMPAIGN
MY
CAREER!
MY LIFE!
join us
Tell the HRD minister
of your problems. Get
heard. Speak up. Fight to
ensure you get the
education that’s
promised
Fight for our future
website to lodge our com-
plaints.
Ajay
Educational system in the
country is stale. What we
need is not old theories but
useful practices.
Rakesh Kumar
Strictly stop reservation in
specialization and super
specialization courses all
over India in government as
well as in private institutes.
Make the ancient medical
science- Ayurveda more
approachable, more rational
october 2009
and socially/globally more
acceptable by setting up
more and more Ayurveda
universities, colleges, insti-
tutes and hospitals.
Dr. Sanandan Thapliyal
I am quite excited about this
campaign. Please count me
in for any support in Thiru-
valoor District.
Thenmozhi
E nglish or Hindi medi-
um is irrelevant. You
are there at this position
because of your intellect and
not because of Hindi/Eng-
lish. Language doesn’t make
you more intelligent.
Vishwamitra Singh
One of Mr. Shekhar Gup-
ta’s comments has rightly
reflected the scenario on
education dealt with by
media. It is only those sec-
tors which have been adver-
tised will be covered by the
media. Now-a-days, the
education sector has been
heavily advertised leading
Try to enhance the quality of
government institutions and
universities .
Parikshith Kutur
Please act on the malprac-
tices by colleges immedi-
ately. Punjab is seeing lot of
colleges offering MBA from
universities from all over the
country, with no affiliation.
Gogoi
Dear minister, you are doing
good. Please look into voca-
tional training under the
Industrial Act and make it
more transparent. I believe
the public sector has closed
its doors to general public
and this scheme is open only
to employees of children
working within the organisa-
tion. I think merit should be
the criterion and the stipend
is what is good about this
scheme. It makes a young
man feel he is earning and
and helping his parents. This
should be encouraged so
to better media coverage.
Ironically, the coverage is
based on money thrown
at the media. Does media
have no conscience or
social responsibility to
guide the people on the
right track?
Kane
India needs more Shekhar
Gupta’s…. Today the com-
munity of good quality
journalists is small. Their
importance has consider-
ably increased because of
more people can gain tech-
nical experience in industry
of their choice by getting
the students. However, these
institutions still charge stu-
dents huge amounts as fees
and other charges. I have
seen schools that do not
have proper library, play-
ground, science laboratories
and lavatories. Further, they
do not have any respect for
the religious sentiments of
the parents and students.
Another novel practice that
the fast erosion in the cred-
ibility of politicians. It is
people like Shekhar Gupta
who have made the Indi-
ans more enlightened on
the burning issues which
are much of a concern.
Shibli Fatmi
When I see kids studying
in international schools by
paying a hefty sum as fee, I
wonder why can’t anyone
study in his own country,
paying normal fee to a
reputed school? Educa-
tional institutions cannot
make a person more intel-
ligent, it can only provide
knowledge. Intelligence is
a trait not to be taught.
Afzal Aziz
I have seen is to force the
students to purchase their
uniforms at inflated prices
make India at par with the
world. Please provide qual-
ity, free education to schools,
specially to poor and under-
privileged students, which
gives new life to many gen-
erations.
Vadivu
India should have only one
education system from the
begining; either state board,
CBSE or ICSC. This will
help to compare the tal-
ent in a better way. Today
CBSE and ICSC students
hold more knowledge and
have more clearer concepts
than the state board. This
is because of the quality of
education. I think having
only one system will help to
increase the quality of edu-
cation in India.
Mukul sharma
We need better universities,
addressing the needs of next
generation and compete
with universities worldwide.
It’s disheartening to find that
not even a single education
institute in management can
compete and rank in the top-
500 list around the world.
Vishwanath
Please have a conference of
good teachers and parents.
And all the policies you make
must be discussed by them.
That way, we will finally get
what we want.
be taught about patriotism
and basics about Indian
culture and mythology with
scientific reasons. It should
help in their development
and help them become world
class citizens with excellent
employability skills.
N Padmavathi
The points raised in the peti-
tion are very valid. The edu-
cational institutes cheat us
as there is a lack of effective
regulatory bodies. I request
Mr. Sibal to please protect
the Indian people from the
rising education mafia.
Niraj Srivastava
Free the education system
from rote learning. Our edu-
cation system is the worst
form of torture for years
together. Equivalent to child
labour.
Ashish Mundada
All training colleges must
be forced to register with
UGC. This will ensure that
if the local agent cheats
and runs away, then we
have someone to catch hold
off and get our money back.
Five of my friends have
lost money.
Valsan Thambe
lookout for
our next issue
extra 24 pages competition special

hands-on experience. from shops that are selected Ramesh Thambi careers360 Interview
Kapil Sibal

by the school authorities.

June 2009 Rs 40

Pankaj Seth
I have the following views:
Privatised education is just
a way to make money. The
policy of grading is good.
Multiple registration is mak-
Please make sure that only
the schools which have the
requisite infrastructure are
given permission to operate
in the country.
Anand Sekhar Popuri
Education is essential and Careers AND
fees should be clearly men-
tioned for the course select-
COURSES IN
ed by student and the insti- SOCIAL SECTOR
tution has to be affiliated/ 10 Best courses Inspiring stories
Interesting profiles
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ing it still worse.

careers ment professional
Maruthi Ramakrishna Institutions that Fellowships that
Neeraj Kathuria Please ensure practical and teach alternatives you must know

job-oriented training is pro- Yes, a lot of important chang- FIRST PERSON

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V Anand
Course review
Environmental

I am really concerned at the vided to ensure self-employ- es have to be made in our

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Also Sports as a career n Dressing up for an interview n Gazing the Stars for profit

wanton proliferation of edu- ment and make short the education system across the issue on stands on
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not have proper facilities for and secondary education to system. Youngsters have to

7 careers 360 october 2009

First Take views
Does the student figure in
the picture somewhere?
In the need for politicians to leave a legacy, important
concerns must not be given a shortshift
I
n an ode to harassed students,
Kapil Sibal wrote, “Create the
space for me to run! Let learn-
ing be a lot of fun”. But it would
do well for him to examine, whether
the recent spate of laws, notifications
and proposed legislations, especially on
the higher education domain would
Mahesh Sarma ultimately create space for any student
Editor
to run.
Sibal’s game plan for reforming higher
education has four important compo-
nents. Creation of a super regulator,
which is supposed to supersede the
existing maze, regulating the entry of
foreign players, making accreditation
mandatory for all higher education enti-
ties and finally having a law that makes
cheating by education providers a crimi-
nal offence, in addition to a host of policy
pronoucements.
The super regulator appears to be a
non-starter, with law, medical and agri-
The best way to cultural ministries fiercely resisting
the move. And the existing regulators
derail reforms in are making their displeasure very well
known with calibrated leaks. The For-
this sector is to eign Education Bill, will invariably meet
begin at the political resistance, especially from the
Left. But the last two bills, which actu-
wrong end, which ally have some direct impact on student
welfare, appear to make no news.
is the direction A better way for the ministry would
which Mr.Sibal be to focus on getting the last two bills
crafted and passed at the earliest. Both
appears to tread of them would demand substantial
8 careers 360 october 2009
attention to detail and can easily keep
the mandarins at the ministry engaged
for the greater part of the next four years.
And both the acts would step on lots of
toes indirectly and expose the chinks in
the armour of many other silos of educa-
tion making it easier for the other two
pieces of legislation to gain acceptance.
But what is most important is that
both these pieces of law would make
life tremendously better for millions of
students and parents. The groundswell
of goodwill that such a measure would
generate would stand in good stead
for any politician interested in leaving
a legacy.
There is so much at stake for so many
interest groups in higher education that
the best way to derail reforms in this sec-
tor is to begin at the wrong end, which
is the direction which Mr.Sibal appears
to tread.
Long-term planning in higher educa-
tion is a must, and NHERA is one such
idea. But it’s ability to impact the cheat-
ed student and harassed parent immedi-
ately is zero. Students and parents give
two hoots about this or that regulatory
body. They want concrete action and if
that is not going to happen, we could as
well kiss reforms good bye. That would
be a pity, since HRD does have an able
minister in the recent years, and a com-
mitment from the party in power.
Will better sense dawn on the manda-
rins of the ministry?
careers NEWS CAMPUS NEWS NEW COURSES EVENTS

Foreign education knocks on

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One can opt for specialization in
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No fees in terms of admission,
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in India. Accreditation and assessment of international universities would be handled Engineering & Sciences offered by
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nationalities on Indian soil. Biomedical Devices and Technology.

Pearson challenges TOFEL’s Law minister Moily applies a Notifications

reign on the testing scene
TOFEL, the definitive test of English lan-
guage proficiency, is facing a new challenger.
With over 7,000 programmes accepting it
around the world, it has been the preferred
choice for many students who have US or
Europe as their academic destination. It
has a perpetual feud with IELTS, which
is primarily used by the institutions of the
Commonwealth . Now Pearson, in associa-
tion with GMAC has launched an improved
English test, whose features include a brief
recorded audio sample, enhanced security
and multiple criteria. But considering the
vice like hold the two existing players have,
insiders feel, Pearson would face an uphill
task to make the established schools to
make a switch, though its association with
GMAC might come in handy.
break on HRD roller coaster
HRD minister Kapil Sibal’s take on legal
education has sparked strong opposition
from Law Minister Veerappa Moily. In the
turf feud, Moily feels that Sibal’s minis-
try pondering on starting a graduation in
law is fine, but that’s where it should end.
“So far as introducing an academic course
is concerned, we have no objection. But
when it comes to setting standards of legal
education, the Law Ministry would be the
final arbiter . That is the domain of the Law
Ministry.” HRD ministry has earlier been
at loggerheads with the Health Ministry
about MCI, the Agriculture ministry had
similar reservations and now it’s the turn
of the Law Ministry to object. The bone of
contention is who has the final authority on
regulating professional education.
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www.careers360.com

10 careers 360 october 2009

 careers NEWS CAMPUS NEWS
Railways opens up to local languages
R ailways minister, Mamata
Banerjee has ordered the
conduct of the Railway Recruit-
ment Board (RRB) exams in all
regional languages. So far the
exams had been only in Eng-
lish and Hindi, deterring other
bright students due to language
barriers. Banerjee said, “I want
people from all spheres of life
to join the railways and help us
in making the railways a great
success.” The change is not
applicable to all the posts at
present, only to lower levels of
the railways hierarchy.
Took a loan? Government ‘Stress’ is good, says
will pay the interest Teamlease report
Government plans to boost access to high- A recent survey by manpower firm Team-
er education for people from economical- lease, says some 61% of overall respon-
ly backward sections of the society. The dents feel that ‘stress at work is healthy.’
scheme would offer full interest subsidy The biggest factor causing dissatisfac-
on the loans taken by a student during the tion seems to be ‘amount of work to be
period of study. The moratorium period performed’ and ‘managing others’ work.
would begin with the commencement of Negativity is also brought in by ‘keeping
the programme and would last till a year up with technology’ and followed by ‘atti-
after the course ends or six months after tude of spouse/partner.’ Delhites seem to
the student procures a job, whichever is be affected by office politics and lack of
earlier. Once the moratorium period ends, power/influence more than their coun-
the students would be liable to pay the terparts in other cities. More than 90% of
interest on the outstanding loan. The respondents from Mumbai and Kolkata
subsidy would be on offer only once to felt that formulating policies would help
students, for first undergraduate degree or identify and help employees cope with
postgraduate degree or diploma courses. stress. Surabhi Mathur-Gandhi, General
Students who discontinue for any reason manager, Permanent Staffing, TeamLease
except on medical grounds would lose the Services stated, “The popular notion of
benefit of the subsidy. But the scheme is stress as a negative force that causes dis-
only available to those candidates whose contentment and discord may be dated.
parental income is less than 4.5 lakhs per But HR teams must be be vigilant about
annum from all available sources. striking the right balance.”
Karma Jyoti Scholarship on offer by NIS Academy
NIS Academy announced the Karma Jyoti Scholarship 2009 in September. The annual
scholarship would be on offer to 10+2 students and graduates, and total amount would
exceed Rs. 3 crores. Student’s performance in a competitive written test, personal inter-
view and qualification level would result in a fee waiver of Rs. 10,000 on NIS Academy’s
‘Program in Business Skills’ like PGPBS, GPBS and APBS or even a free laptop based on
performance. Scholarship tests would be conducted on Sundays till October 12th at NIS
Academy centres across India. So get in touch with the centre closest to you or log on to
http://www.thenisacademy.com/office.asp#1.
11 careers 360 october 2009
NEW COURSES EVENTS
PGD in Hydro Power
Plant Engineering
Engineers specialising in
mechanical and electrical
engineering may pursue a post-
graduate diploma course in Hydro
Power Plant Engineering offered by
NPTI. With more than 200 projects
on the anvil, the sector has very
bright prospects Final year
students may also apply. The last
date of receipt of application is
12th October, 2009.
Graduate Aptitude Test
in Engineering (GATE)
Admission to postgraduate
programmes in various engineering
and research institutes is open
through GATE 2010. Government
scholarship is also available to
those who qualify GATE. Apply
before 30th October, 2009.
RBI Young Scholars
Award Scheme (online
submission by Oct 21)
The Reserve Bank of India has
invited applications from students
between 18-23 years, pursuing
undergraduate studies anywhere
in India to be able to earn Rs. 7,500
per month for 3 months. Details at
www.rbi.org.in/youngscholars.aspx
Job Alerts
Job Alerts
ONGC requires 340 Class I
executives
AICTE openings at headquarters,
Delhi
Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited –
600 Engineer Trainees/600
Supervisor Trainees
454 Vacancies in Kendriya Vidya-
laya Sangathan
Tata Institute of Social Sciences
has 35 vacancies
21 officers at North Malabar
Gramin Bank Head Office
296 Group-B posts in 41 user
departments, Government of...
only on
www.careers360.com
careers NEWS CAMPUS NEWS NEW COURSES EVENTS

Programme in Banking
and Finance
NIBM has invited admissions for
Post Graduate Programme in
Banking and Finance 2010-12. The
programme aims to create a
dedicated cadre of professionals to
service the ever growing financial
sector. The candidates need to
appear for the Common Admission
Test (CAT) before being short-listed
for a group discussion and interview
for final selection during mid-April
2010. Applications can also be
downloaded from www.nimbindia.
org and the deadline for
applications is December 10, 2009.

CSSSC Post-Doctoral
Fellowship
Ayurveda to take off in the capital Centre for Studies in Social
Sciences, Calcutta has invited
applications for a two-year
residential Post-Doctoral fellowship
T he Indian government plans to begin an All India Institute of Ayurveda in Delhi. Union
Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad said this will provide quality research and referral
centre in the traditional Indian system of medicine. The Rs. 134 crore institute would be
programme. The fellow would be
expected to have an active research
programme and complete at least
set up at Sarita Vihar. Azad said, “The proposed institute will be developed as a referral one monograph. The eligibility for
and research hospital and receive patients referred by National Institute of Ayurveda in the fellowship involves a PhD in any
of the social science and humanities
Jaipur and other ayurvedic hospitals in the country.” The minister hopes the institute
disciplines. The applicants should
would help establish links between ayurveda and modern sciences, increasing the global preferably be below 35 years of age.
appeal of ayurveda. The last date of the receipt of the
application is October 15, 2009.

Globsyn goes to Gujrat Buy Educash! Get education

Globsyn Group, a top-notch finishing
school, along with the Government of
Gujarat has set up an Institutional Man-
agement Committee (IMC) to offer indus-
try-intensive courses. IMC would run and
implement these courses that will provide
training in tune with the requirements of
the industry. Specialized skill development
centres would be set up by Globsyn across
Gujarat. Asian Institute of Family Business
would develop skills in Entrepreneurship/
Family Business Management and special-
ized skills through Knowledge Finishing
School concept. The primary control over
academic content remains with Globsyn,
and operational control with IMC. Bikram
Dasgupta, chairman, Globsyn Group stat-
ed, “Through IMC, Globsyn aims to intro-
duce specialized knowledge and skills that
will strengthen every individual’s inherent
skills and make him a leader in the com-
petitive world.” The courses would vary
from short-term skill building ones to long
term professional diplomas.
Aptech, a leading training institution has
launched a unique scheme “EDUCASH”.
Cashing in on the old Indian tradition of
gifting cash to young ones, the company
has launched a gift voucher scheme “EDU-
CASH”. These are at par vouchers, which
can be redeemed for courses in IT, Anima-
tion, Graphics & Web Design, Hardware &
Networking Aviation Courses, and Travel
& Tourism in any of the four institutions
under the Aptech umbrella. The process is
simple, wherein the candidate can walk into
any of the Aptech outlets,
identify the right course
and cash
equivalent of
the vouchers
would be deducted
from the course
fees. The scheme
has been cur-
rently launched
in Mumbai and
may go national.
400 Scholarships for
young artistes
Online applications are invited from
eligible young artistes for award
of scholarships for the year 2009
to support advanced training in
the fields of Indian classical music,
Indian classical dances and light
classical music. The details of the
scholarship programme is available
at www.indiaculture.nic.in. Last
date for receipt of applications is
October 31, 2009.
WatchoutFor !
Commonwealth Scholarship for
higher studies in the UK
The Ministry of Human Resource
Development and Commonwealth
Scholarship Commission have
announced scholarships for Indian
nationals below 40 years of age to pur-
sue higher studies/research/specialized
training in different subject areas in the
United Kingdom. The deadline for appli-
cation is October 20. Details are at
www.education.nic.in.

12 careers 360 october 2009

careers NEWS CAMPUS NEWS NEW COURSES EVENTS

Management school with a French twist Wanted: Passionate

Contributors

I conoclasm comes naturally

to the French. So whey they
launched an MBA, they had to
Careers360 is on a mission — to inform
and empower — which can only succeed if
do it differently. Instead of the it is a collective endeavour. Now, we need
normal two-year programmes people across India to join us.
they launched a one-year MBA You may be an academic, student or a
professional. You could be a CEO, a man-
at INSEAD, and as one of the ager or an executive. But, all you need to
founders informed FT, helped have is a flair for writing concisely, have a
change the face of management nose for data and numbers, be obsessed
with getting facts right, and above all,
education. To be truly interna- have an abiding commitment to the youth
tional is the primary premise that of the country.
INSEAD operated on from day What do we expect you to do?
one. So it decided that no more As a contributor, you would be the
than one third of the students, primary contact for the magazine in your
location. We will require you to occasion-
faculty or governing board be ally do full stories for us, assist our edito-
from one nationality. It is this rial team in gathering information, and
compulsory insistence on internationalism that sets INSEAD apart from other schools. be engaged with the idea to enable the
delivery of a better product.
As Prof. Daniel Muzyka informs FT, “INSEAD gave a platform and a voice to something
other than the US-centric view of the world.” INSEAD was also the first leading B-School, COMPENSATION
to set up international campuses. It set up a full-fledged satellite campus in Singapore and In addition to the sense of satisfaction
you will gain, we will compensate you
Abu Dhabi. And INSEAD’s independence as a private school out of the university system, adequately for your efforts.
gave it the independence to be entrepreneurial and closer to business. Write to: editor@pathfinder360.co.in
or call us at 011-46142503.

A new hurdle for foreign Ten million people to be

medical degree holders
Being a graduate from premier schools of
the world such as Harvard or John Hopkins
will no longer allow you to practise in India.
Supreme Court has ruled that you need
to clear a screening test conducted by the
Medical Council of India. Earlier, individu-
als with MBBS degrees from countries with
reciprocity agreement with India that rec-
ognised each other’s degrees were allowed
to practise in India without appearing for
an examination. Even Indian nationals
with a foreign medical degree would now
be required to appear for the exam, says the
order. SC justified, “Serious aberrations
were noticed in the standards of medical
education in some foreign countries, which
were not on par with standards of medical
education available in India.”
Distance learning courses of DU gets the DEC stamp
trained vocationally
IGNOU has tied up with 12 universities FOR REGULAR UPDATES ON
across the world to achieve this feat. Vice
Chancellor of IGNOU, V.N. Rajasekharan
Pillai stated, ‘The aim is to make rural peo- New course announcements,
ple skilled. We will try to bridge the digital university/institute news,
divide among people and thus empower conferences,
them. Tele-centres will emerge in coun-
summer schools,
tries like Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and the
Philippines. B. Shadrach, senior official at job announcements
IDRC said, “The skill development has
four areas – soft skill, management skill, Log on to our website
private and public service and computer
training.” 100,000 tele-centres will be set www.careers360.com
up in India as part of Bharat Nirman proj-
ect. Areas like agriculture, fisheries, handi-
crafts, and other vocational skills in various
disciplines would help impart training to
vast number of people.
Campus newsletter: If your school,
college, institute has one, send us a
copy. We will feature the best pieces

The Distance Education Council has informed the Delhi High Court it will give recogni- If there is an event, seminar or
tion to the programmes offered through distance mode by University of Delhi (DU) . This conference at your institute, mail us
ends the tussle in terms of correspondence courses and brings respite to more than 50 at: news@pathfinder360.co.in
students who had qualified in entrance examinations for government jobs but the Staff
Selection Commission refused to issue appointment orders since their degree was not Mail your letters to us at:
recognized. A happy end to an unnecessary tussle. editor@pathfinder360.co.in

14 careers 360 october 2009

 vinod mehta
T. Narayan/Outlook Group

“I had no idea what

i wanted to become”
For a person, who was expelled from school for asking a girl to be his girlfriend, between yesterday’s and today’s
Vinod Metha still does not shy away from speaking out what he feels. Loved and youth?
hated by readers in equal measures the feisty journalist speaks to Urmila Rao on his A: In my time, if your father was well
dog, state of education, middle class and his political leanings, among other things. –placed he will put you in a good job
with his connections. Happily, that is
Q: Why did you choose an unusual innovative and they can find ways to get much less now.
name, Editor, for your pet dog? round the system. But the real tragedy is
A: He has a very strange temperament. in the primary education in rural areas Q: You became a journalist out of
He is very stubborn and like most edi- where the situation is appalling. As our sheer passion or just by accident?
tors, he thinks he knows every thing. politicians concentrate on secondary A: Like many people, I did not have any
education and the middle class, very idea of what I wanted to become. I did
Q: Barring exceptions, education in little attention is paid to primary educa- BA and then in 1974 I got a chance, by
India is in shambles. Do you agree? tion. Government spends a lot of money. accident, to edit Debonair in Mumbai.
A: One of the biggest scandals, forget It should also ensure that it reaches the The only thing I was interested in was
the quality of education, is the orga- right people. writing and I didn’t know what kind of
nized sort of racket in the schools for writing. I tried my hand at copywrit-
admissions. The middle class is very Q: What is the one big difference ing but I wasn’t very good. But I liked

16 careers 360 october 2009


to write. Debonair was 7-8 months old
when I joined and it was running at a
loss. The owner wanted to close it down.
So I asked him to give me a chance to run
it for six months and if it didn’t improve,
he could close it. I stayed there for seven
years, till ‘81 and by the time I left, it was
making some money.
Q: What was the naughtiest thing you
did in school?
A: When I was at Loreto convent (the
school was co-ed till third standard),
there was a girl sitting opposite me and
wanted to borrow my eraser. I agreed
and asked her to be my girlfriend. She
complained, my parents were called,
and I was expelled from the school for
six months.
Q: How do you react to the state of
higher education?
A: In higher education, people are pay-
ing huge price and going abroad, but one
can get good education in our own coun-
try. But there aren’t enough places and
where they are, there is talk of reserva-
tion. If government plans the quota then
it should increase the number of seats.
Quotas are here to stay so the govern-
ment should create new institutions.
Q: Should foreign institutions be
allowed entry?
A: They want to come here not because
they love us but because there is money
“Foreign institutions
come here not
because they love us but
because there is
money to make”
“They can use the
B-school surveys
as a good yardstick but
should use their
own brains”
to make. I am not a great believer that
anybody who wants to come in should be
allowed to come in because the educa-
tion sector is very rich. I am not saying
we should be opposed to the idea but
their entry should be strictly regulated.
Q: There is also the menace of
adverts of educational institutions in
the media misleading students.
A: The general rule should be that any
institution which advertises heavily
should be thoroughly examined by the
students. They should be skeptical about
their claims and verify the facts. A lot
has been bared in the public domain on
some corrupt institutions which should
serve as a warning. Avoid such institutes
even if students have to travel out of
their native place.
Q: How trustworthy are the B-school
rankings? Outlook has done one in its
latest issue.
A: A lot of people believe that the rank-
ings are fudged. In Outlook, I have no
idea till the time I get the results and
it is true for more responsible media.
17 careers 360 october 2009
Students should check who has done the
survey and what has been the methodol-
ogy. They should also check, if the pub-
lication has any vested interest in any
of the institutions. In B-school survey,
every year there are four-five good insti-
tutes which find place in the rankings
and no one can say that it is fixed.
Q: So a student should not trust any
ranking of any publication blindly?
A: Absolutely. They can use the sur-
vey as a good yardstick but they should
use their own brains. Rankings give the
perspective of the whole scene. It gives
options, if you can’t get into one, then
you can opt for number two and so on.
Q: Multiple committees, regulatory
bodies, different councils, isn’t there
utter chaos in the education sector?
A: Right. But remember, you take land
from the government; there are grants
that are taken. But now the rules are
being simplified. The good thing is edu-
cation is an area where there is a lot of
public interest and public pressure.
Q: Why is vocational studies not
treated at par with higher education?
A: It is one of the biggest tragedies that
this area is woefully neglected. Every
one wants to get into higher education
when ideally they should be getting into
vocational training and learning some
skill, some trade, suiting their interest
and aptitude.
Q: What kind of student were you
when you were in college, studious,
polite or agitating type?
A: Not very good. Chalta type. I wasn’t
academically inclined. Coming from a
very middle class family, I ensured that
I somehow managed to pass every year
and not upset my parents. In BA, I got
a third-class.
Q: And your political affiliation is?
A: In India, what are the possibilities?
There are only two political parties, the
BJP and the Congress, I can’t choose
the Marxists because of their views. And
because I am a liberal, I have problems
with the BJP. If I don’t support the Con-
gress where will I go? If the BJP gives
up their anti-minority stand I would
consider them very seriously.
Talk Point motivation

The frog and the television tower!

I
t was another noisy Thursday in frog
world.
A group of young frogs were chatting,
discussing the latest news. As they looked
at the nearby TV tower, the city’s tallest struc-
ture, they thought how wonderful it would be
to be able to climb on top of it, and go where
no frog had ever been. “The wind, the view…
oh, to be on top of the tower!” said one of the
frogs, and the others croaked in agreement.
They decided that the following Sunday,
they would all climb to the top of the tower.
Prakash Iyer
On the appointed day, several frogs gathered
CEO-Cards, Future Group,
and executive coach to watch the group of young frogs try and do
the impossible. As the frogs lined up for the
climb, you could hear the shouts from the
crowd. “Don’t do it, it’s too dangerous!”
“No one’s done it before, what makes you
think you can do it?”
Some of the young frogs heeded the warn-
Hard work assures success, giving up is not the answer
ings, and dropped out before the climb start-
ed. The rest set off nevertheless, and as some make your dreams come true - but are being
tiny frogs slipped and fell, you could hear the told “get real, no one in our entire family has
shouts grow louder. “You can’t do it!” “The ever made that kind of money?”
tower is way too high!” Ignore them all. Turn a deaf ear.
One by one, all the frogs gave up, except Remember, what you achieve in life will be
one little frog. That frog paid no heed to the limited only by your ambitions, your dreams.
exhortations, and kept climbing, higher and So when people tell you it can’t be done, they
higher until finally he reached the top of the are in a sense, just testing your resolve, your
TV tower. The first frog ever to get there! commitment to your goals. How badly do you
The frogs clapped and croaked in delight. want to climb your own TV tower? Giving up
When the little frog came down, the rest of is easy. Getting to your goals is hard work.
them gathered around him. There will be also be moments when you are
“How did you manage it? What’s the secret the one watching other frogs – friends, fam-
of your success?” they asked. ily and colleagues – trying to climb their TV
The frog just looked on, and did not say a towers. Be careful what you say to them. You
word. It turned out that he was deaf. could discourage them and stop them from
And so while the hordes were shouting “It working towards their goals. Or you could egg
can’t be done”, he hadn’t heard a word. He them on, and help them achieve their goals.
thought they were egging him on, and mistook The choice is yours. As one wise man said, you
Achievement in their shouts as words of encouragement! can achieve any goal you desire – if only you
It’s a good idea to lead your life like that will help other people achieve their goals!
life will be limited frog. And yes, did I tell you who the frog met on
As you go about chasing your goals, your top of the TV tower? A bumble bee! Now,
by your ambi- dreams and your ambitions, disregard the according to the laws of aerodynamics, the
tions, your people who tell you it can’t be done. bumble bee cannot fly because its body weight
Is there a course of study you want to pur- is too high when compared to its wingspan.
dreams. The sue – but people are saying ‘with your grades, But luckily, the bumble bee never went to
you’ll never get admission’? school and is unaware of the laws of aerody-
choice is yours. Is there a new business idea that’s been namics. So it happily flies!
Find your goal, jumping about in your head – but well-wishers Be like the bumble bee, and the deaf frog.
are saying you’ll never find the capital for it? Find your goal, your TV tower. And go for it.
And go for it And do you want to be rich and wealthy, and If you can dream it, you can do it!

18 careers 360 october 2009

Career Review merchant navy

launch your
career on
the high seas
‘What makes that ship drive on so fast?
What is the ocean doing?’
—Samuel Taylor Coleridge
(The Rime of the Ancient Mariner)

by Arun Srivastava mammoth industry complicated enough

to call for the services of marine law-

A
n international trade, shipping
offers fascinating career as sea-
farers (those who earn their
living by service at sea). The
profession is widely described as chal-
lenging, adventurous and highly paid.
About 90 per cent of the global goods
transportation takes place through sea
routes by purpose-built merchant ves-
sels. The cost of ships could be as high as
$5-100 million and it takes years to build
a ship. So it’s both capital-intensive and
time-consuming. “The total number of
ships across the world is about 50,500.
India has got a total of 35,000 officers
and 110,000 seafarers while the world
shipping needs around 466,000 officers
and 721,000 seafarers. At the start of
the year, there was a shortage of around
10,000 officers globally. India accounts
for around 5 per cent of world manning,”
says an expert in an industry magazine’s
recent issue.
Diverse opportunities
In modern day shipping, the sector
involves ocean management, ports,
logistics, shipbuilding, supply chain
management, personnel recruitment
and ship-management. In this trade
practice a third party takes the overall
charge of business activities and pays to
the owner of the vessel, called principal,
a share of the revenue as agreed upon
between them. Together they form a
yers, policy makers, media, and usually a
government ministry. Also, the industry
has been expanding to include more
and more business functions. Besides,
offshore oil drilling, marine tourism,
professional and recreational diving are
just a few of the numerous sea-based
avenues of employment.
Hierarchy on board
Ships remain the core of this hugely
diversified industry. In order to manage
different functions on the ship there are
three distinct departments: nautical also
called deck, engine and rating. There
are adequately qualified personnel in
each of the three departments in a well
laid-out hierarchy. For example, a ship
is navigated chiefly by the Master, who
is also called Captain. He is the senior-
most navigation officer and comes from
the deck department, followed by chief
officer, second officer and third offi-
cer. There is a chief engineer, second
engineer, third engineer and electrical
officer in the engine department. Then,
there is a third line of workers who do
other sundry functions which are crucial
and can spell disaster if not done in the
most efficient manner.
The life and work on a cargo vessel
which includes oil tankers, petrochemi-
cal tankers, dry bulk carriers, etc. is a lot
about safe and efficient management of
cargo and ship. Cruise ships are growing
shipping contributes trillions of dollars to the
world economy, generating over 12 million jobs
rapidly in number though mostly in
western Europe. They offer recreation,
quality leisure, fun, entertainment, good
food, socializing and networking.
The good news is that a very satisfying
career can made in the field by average
students with basic schooling.
Types of Jobs: There are basically
three streams of employment onboard
a ship – deck officers, engineers and
ratings. Deck officers have the respon-
sibility of navigation, safe and efficient
movement of the ship and cargo. Engi-
neers are primarily needed to look after
the engine, which in case of a ship is not
only gigantic but also complicated. Rat-
ings are such staff onboard a ship who
offer physical help in carrying out vari-
ous functions. Typically, each of these

20 careers 360 october 2009

 three departments has well organized
hierarchy. Deck officers are headed by
the Master, also called Captain. Simi-
larly, the engine department is headed
by the Chief Engineer and the ratings
are headed by a Boatswain. A Master
or a Chief Engineer is assisted by many
junior colleagues, who have the same
basic qualification but not the same sea-
experience and certificates of compe-
tency as the Master or a Chief Engineer.
And in order to gain the sea-experience
and different competency certificates,
they need to not only find and continue
with the sea job but also take the post-sea
competency examinations from time to
time to facilitate their promotions. The
demand-supply mismatch in the man-
ning sector has led to faster promotions
and a fresh graduate in nautical science
or marine engineering can expect to
rise to the top-most level in the official
hierarchy in about six years.
The day at sea is divided into six four-
hour periods. Three group of watch
standers are on duty for four hours and
then off for eight hours. Seamen often
work overtime during their off time.

Rankings onboard
Master: A Master who is also called
Captain of the ship is the highest offi-
cer aboard a ship. He oversees all ship
operations and keeps the records of the
courses in shipping Top Indian companies ship. He is also supposed to take care
that recruit shipping of accounting and bookkeeping func-
Course Qualification Age Physical Standards staff tions. He takes command of the vessel
Deck 10+2 with minimum 20- Eyesight:6/6 or with- in inclement weather and in crowded or
Cadet 55% in PCM or BSc 22 out spectacles,without D’Amico Ships (India) Pvt Ltd narrow water. He receives and imple-
colour blindness www.damicoship.com ments instructions from the employ-
GME BE or BTech 24 Eyesight:+/- 2.5, with- Wallem Shipmanagement ers. His salary could be in the range of
out colour blindness (India) Pvt Ltd
www.wallem.com $10,000 and above.
BE Marine 10+2 with 60% in 20 Eyesight:+/- 2.5, with- Fleet Management Ltd
Engg PCM & 50% in English out colour blindness www.fleetship.com Chief Officer: He is next only to
NYK Shipmanagement the Master. Traditionally, a chief offi-
www.nyksm.com
Physical fitness cer is responsible for stowage, cargo-
Ishima International Ship
Physical fitness is required as per ILO-147 convention, ISM/STCW Code
management handling, and organization of works for
(1/9) and Medical Examination (Ministry of Shipping, Government of
India) Rules 2000. www.ishimaship.com other seamen. He also assists the master
Pentagon Marine Services P. Ltd in the navigating duties. Salary—$8,000
Perks and benefits offered by crewing agents
www.pentagonmarine.com and above.
MMS Maritime (India) Pvt Ltd
Family carriage for all ranks www.mms-india.com
Hometown repatriation airfare (to and fro) Dynacom Tankers
Second Officer: Practically
Flag state certification at company’s expenses Management Ltd the ship’s navigation officer, he is also
Standby wages during courses / at the time of joining www.dynacomindia.com in charge of twelve to four watch.
Company’s accommodation Bernhard Schutle Keeps all the books and charts up to
Shipmanagement
Career prospect ashore www.bs-shipmanagement.com date, monitors navigation equipment on
Excellent promotion prospects Crew Management (India) bridge. He is also the ship’s medical offi-
Pvt Ltd cer. Salary—$6,000 and above.

21 careers 360 october 2009

Career Review merchant navy

courses for ratings

Six-month Pre-Sea course for General
Purpose Rating (GP Rating)
Six-Month Pre-Sea course for General Purpose
Rating for Fitters/Petty Officers.
Eligibility: Pass with aggregate 40% marks in
10th standard from a recognized Board with
Science, Mathematic as subjects and with
minimum 40 percent marks in English language.
Or pass in 2-year ITI course from government
approved institute. Minimum 50 percent aggre-
gate marks in final year and minimum 40 percent
marks in English at 10th or diploma exam.
Age: Between 17½ to 25 years.

Third Officer: He is in charge

of four to eight watch and is directly
responsible for all deck operations —
cargo storage and handling, deck main-
tenance and deck supplies. Salary—
$4,000 and above.

Chief Engineer: He is the senior-

most engineer officer and therefore
responsible for the satisfactory working
and upkeep of the engine room and its
various components. Salary—$10,000
and above.
Second Engineer: In charge of
four to eight watch. Usually works from
eight to four, handling engine mainte-
nance. He assigns duties to unlicensed
personnel. Salary—$6,000 and above.
Third Engineer: In charge of
twelve to four watch. Salary—$4,000
and above.
Fourth Engineer: He is gener-
ally the most junior marine engineer on
the ship. He is usually responsible for
electrical, sewage treatment, lube oil,
bilge, and oily water separation systems.
Salary—$3,000 and above.
Other staff onboard
Following personnel come from the Rat-
ings streams and command a monthly
salary of about $1,000.
Rating: Seaman, forming a support
team on the ship.
Pumpman: A rating who operates
pumps in an oil tanker and maintains
and repairs all cargo handling equip-
ment on tankers.
shipping industry is the backbone of modern international trade and accounts for
90 percent of the goods traded worldwide.
Ordinary Seaman: A deck crew
member who is subordinate to the able
bodied seaman.
Able Bodied Seaman: He is a
member of the deck crew who is able
to perform all the duties of an experi-
enced seaman.
Fitter: Trained in welding, refrig-
eration, lathe operation, die-casting,
electricity, pumping, water purification,
oiling, evaluating engine gauges and
one who actively helps in the engine
maintenance.
Electrical Officer: Well quali-
fied hand who undertakes maintenance
and repair works of electrical and elec-
tronic equipment aboard a vessel. His
salary could be higher depending on his
qualification and competency.
Chief cook: Shipboard hand who
cooks and bakes. His salary could be
higher depending on his qualification
and competency.
Boatswain (Bosun): The highest
uncertified rating in the deck depart-
ment who has immediate charge of
all deck hands and who in turn comes
under the direct orders of the master or
chief mate or mate.
Seafarers’ job market
The crew for a cargo vessel numbers less
than 50 while that of a cruise ship could
be anything between 300 and 1000.
They are mostly taken on fixed-period
contracts to join the ship during its voy-
age which could be as long as six months
and above. A qualified person selected
by the employer company is usually
flown to the port where the employer
ship is anchored and the person joins
the ship and begins his work in the field
assigned to him. A mention is made
in his continuous discharge certificate
(CDC), which functions as an official
record for his sea-experience. Wages are
paid for the contract period.
All the jobs onboard a ship are con-
tractual, ranging from a short period of

22 careers 360 october 2009

 certification agencies
DG Shipping
The Directorate General of Shipping, India,
is a government body under the Ministry of
Shipping and deals with implementation of
shipping policy and legislation, promotion of
maritime education, regulation of employment
and welfare of seamen, development of coastal
shipping, augmentation of shipping tonnage,
examination and certification of Merchant Navy
Officers.
STCW ’95
Standards of Training, Certification and Watch-
keeping (STCW) 1995 is a set of some basic
courses which every aspirant must undergo
and obtain a certificate to be able to work
onboard a ship.
STCW Courses include Elementary First Aid
(EFA), Ship Security Officers (SSO), Passenger
Ship Familiarisation (PSF), Fire Prevention
and Fire Fighting (FPFF), Personal Survival
Techniques (PST), Personal Safety and Social
Responsibility (PSSR), Medical First Aid (MFA).
CDC: Continuous Discharge Certificate-cum-
Seafarers’ Identity Document in India is issued
by Director General of Shipping.
This is a must-document for all seafarers in
which there is a mention every time the holder
of the CDC leaves a ship after his stint is over.
This is an official certificate confirming sea
experience in the employment for which he was
engaged.
15 days to 9 months or so. The contract
period depends on the voyage plan of a
particular ship.
So, effectively, every six months, a sea-
man can choose a new company and
vessel to work with. The salary ranges
from $300-800 per month at the entry
level to $10,000-12,000 and above for
a captain or chief engineer. The Indian
job market is flooded with international
shipping companies offering most com-
petitive wages and all kinds of perks to
recruit the best hands.
Their duties vary with the type of
ship, the type of voyage, the number of
crewmembers, the weather, and many
other variables.
Where and what to study:
There are two departments of functions
– one of navigation, which at its high-
est level is represented by the Master
or Captain of the ship and the other of
engine, represented by the Chief Engi-
neer at the highest level. One can get
into the navigation department after a
one-year diploma in Deck Cadet. Simi-
larly, a qualified engineer can join the
engine department after doing one-year
graduation in mechanical engineering
(GME). Along with prescribed sea-ex-
perience and further study and exam-
ination, both can lead to full-fledged
degree in nautical sciences and marine
engineering respectively.
There are some institutions which
offer 4-year engineering course leading
to BE Marine Engineering. There are
two engineering colleges by the name of
Marine Engineering and Research Insti-
tute (MERI), in Kolkata and Mumbai,
offering BE Marine Engineering course.
Most of the staff for the engine depart-
ments have been coming from these two
institutions. You require 60 percent in
PCM to sit for entrance test.
Bsc Nautical Science
This is a six-semester (three year) pro-
gramme constituting three stages.
●● A candidate is admitted to the one-
year (2 semesters) pre-sea course and
on the successful completion of the
first two semesters, he will be awarded
Diploma in Nautical Science (DNS).
●● This is followed by one-and-a-half
years (3 semesters) onboard ship train-
ing and after successful completion, he
is awarded Advanced Diploma in Nauti-
cal Science (ADNS).
●● After completion of the onboard
training, the Sixth Semester constitutes
“Second Mate Certificate of Competen-
cy” awarded by the Director General of
Shipping and the candidate is awarded
BSc (Nautical Science) degree from the
Indian Maritime University (IMU).
First year constitute onshore training
which is designed to impart basic knowl-
edge on the type of merchant ships, ship
operations, types of goods carried by
ships, shipping trade and a good founda-
tion in the basic principles of navigation
and environmental sciences.
There are three courses available to
become a marine engineer.
●● BE Marine Engineering Course:
After 10 + 2 or its equivalent exami-
nation with a minimum 60 percent
aggregate in Physics, Chemistry and
Mathematics, and at least 50 percent
in English at 10th or 12th standard, one
can take the Common Entrance Test
conducted by IMU for admission to the
4-year BE Marine Engineering course.
The candidate should not be above 25
23 careers 360 october 2009
years and should be physically fit for
sea service under standard norms, with
eyesight upto +/- 2.5, and with no colour
blindness.
●● Two-year DME Course: There is
also a two-year DME course for Diplo-
ma Holder in Mechanical/Marine/
Shipbuilding/Naval Architecture/Elec-
trical Engineering.
●● One year pre-sea training: There is
also one year pre-sea training for Grad-
uates in Mechancical Engineering or
Naval Architecture (GME).
All these courses lead to Class IV
Marine Engineer Officer Certificate of
Competency, awarded by the Ministry
of Shipping, Government of India, after
6 months of sea service, enabling the
cadets to become Marine Engineers
on board Merchant Naval ships any-
where in the world. This course is strict-
ly residential.
All candidates for Deck Cadet, GME
and BTech (Marine Engineering) have
to appear for Common Entrance Test
conducted by IME. Successful candi-
dates are called for counselling by the
IMU, Chennai, and allotted seats in dif-
ferent institutions.
Students who want to make a career
in any of these fields have to ensure
they start early because the admission
is open for 10+2 pass students. Second
thing they should ensure is that their
eyesight and general health is as per the
required norms. Sitting in the IMU’s
entrance test is also very crucial. After
clearing the exam, you can study these
courses at IMU’s four campuses and
some 120 maritime training institutes
spread across the country but typically
concentrating around maritime hubs
like Mumbai and Chennai.
The Course fees vary from 2.2 lakhs
to 2.25 lakhs per annum for both the
courses, both at IMU and affiliated col-
leges.
Check out recruitment plans
The best course of action would be to
check out national and international
companies by contacting them through
phone and checking out their websites
for their recruitment plan. In many
cases, they hold their own entrance test
and personal interviews to select fresh
candidates. If you qualify their examina-
tion, they sponsor you in the sense that
Career Review merchant navy
Public institutions
Institutes Location
National Maritime Academy Chennai
T S Chanakya Mumbai
Lal Bahadur Shastri College of Mumbai
Advanced Maritime Studies
& Research
Marine Engineering Research Mumbai
Institute
Marine Engineering Research Kolkata
Institute
Indian Institute of Port Kolkata
Management
National Ship Design & Visakhapatnam
Research Centre
they commit to offer employment after
the successful completion of the course.
Many a time monetary benefit is also
offered by these companies. Sponsored
candidates are not required to come for
counselling at IMU’s Chennai office but
can take admission at the institution his
sponsor has finalized.
In case you could not find any sponsor,
you better sit for IMU’s entrance exami-
nation which selects more than 4,000
students for admission to IMU’s own
colleges and private training institutes
across the country. For this examina-
tion, the students should start looking
for admission notice from early March.
The minimum eligibility criteria include
a 10+2 with Physics, Chemistry and
Mathematics with 55 percent. So, you
need to begin preparing for it a little
early. If you are preparing for any engi-
neering entrance test, you don’t need to
study anything more. The examination
pattern remains somewhat same as that
of engineering entrance tests.
Ratings go for six months’ pre-sea
training at DG approved institutes.
Skillsets and attributes
The basic attributes in a person for a
successful career in the shipping indus-
try are that he should be physically and
mentally strong, ready to accept chal-
lenges and work hard, have a liking for
outdoor life and travelling.
If you enter a shipping career latest
at the age of 25 years, within five years
you can expect to be right at the top or
nearby in the official hierarchy of people
working onboard a ship. Salary is given
as per the international standards so as
to attract the best hands available. So
remains too high to risk with poor stan-
Private institutions dard of manpower.
Institutes Location So, you must have an orientation
Orissa Maritime Academy Jagatsinghpur towards the sea, international business,
Trident College of Marine Kolkata and ability to take decisions in most
Technology critical of times. Good in health is
Asha Institute of Marine Varanasi another must.
Technology
Sriram Institute of Maritime Delhi
Studies Best colleges
Acqatech Delhi
Some of the best maritime training insti-
Institute of tutions are in the government sector, fol-
Maritime Studies lowed by 120-odd private institutions.
Euro Tech Cochin All erstwhile government-run maritime
Maritime Academy training institutions have been handed
over to the Indian Maritime University,
Commander Ali Academy Secunderabad
of Merchant Navy which came into being towards the fag
Sri Chakra Pondicherry end of 2008. All the colleges are highly
Maritime College
rated for their respective nautical and
Balaji Seaman Training Institute Chennai
engineering courses.
Maritime Training Academy Goa
Indian Maritime University currently
has eight departments — Port Manage-
ment, Nautical Science, Marine Engi-
CAPTAIN/MASTER
neering, Transport & Logistics (Busi-
ness School), Marine Sciences, Mari-
Engine Department Deck Department
time Law, Naval Architecture & Ship
Chief Engineer Chief Officer
Building and Inland Water Transport.
2nd Engineer 2nd Officer
Lal Bahadur Shastri College of
3rd Engineer 3rd Officer
Advanced Maritime Studies and
4th Engineer 4th Officer
Research is a premier post-sea Maritime
Ratings Saloon Rating Education and Training Institute offer-
Bosun Chief Cook ing a comprehensive range of courses
Able Bodied Seaman Cook for Merchant Navy Officers. In the pri-
Ordinary Seaman Asst Cook vate sector, most of the colleges listed
Fitter General Steward alongside are good, but ensure that, the
Motorman facilities, they promise are available and
Oiler under their control, in the light of the
Wiper happenings in the recent UGC reviews.
Trainee Seamen
Conclusion
Shipping industry also involves a lot of
there is enough competition among the shore-based functions in manning, man-
shipping professionals from countries agement of the ship and its business.
all over the world. As you spend time One can also find a career in teaching
on the ship as its staff member, you and training after having done enough
confront unexpected and extra ordinary of sea-going. The cargoes, which are
situations. In order to successfully over- loaded onto the ships come from within
come them you need to have special skill a country and mostly through roads.
sets, which are determined by regular This involves a high degree of logistics
tests of competency. Basically, as you support and formalities pertaining to
grow from one rank to the next, you foreign trade as the goods are mostly
need to qualify certain standards set by shipped outside the country. People
international shipping bodies and class from shipping background are much in
societies. These tests of competency are demand as they can take charge of these
targeted at identifying how best one can functions with a little training and orien-
deal with day-to-day functioning of the tation programmes.
ship in the international arena. Mind So if you have the heart for adventure,
you, the cost of a ship, its cargo and the wet your feet in international waters for
marine environment in which it moves a highly paid career.
24 careers 360 october 2009
 Cracking US ADMISSIONS

Get set to clear SAT

One of the most widely used admission tests among US colleges and universities,
SAT basically evaluates students’ knowledge of subjects

by Mrinalini Batra

I
t is the time of the year again. Stu-
dents who want to do undergradu-
ate courses abroad are on the look
out for schools and colleges of their
choice. The United States of America
remains the most popular destination,
though the application process appears
cumbersome.

What US colleges look for

Specific colleges in the US have different
admissions criteria. But they ultimately
seek the same -- a well-rounded, capable
student. The admissions process relies
on a number of factors but the basic cri-
teria used to evaluate students are:
●● Academic potential and performance
– as evidenced by the student’s class
rank and marks, the rigour of the pro-
gramme pursued and the reputation of
the school.
●● Strengths and weaknesses as repre-
sented by the applicant’s participation
in extra-curricular activities.
●● Performance in standardized global
admissions tests.
SAT as a measuring factor
The first two factors are rather subjec-
tive as they represent great diversity –
courses and grading standards vary from
school to school and region to region.
It is the scores in standardized tests
that help colleges compare the academic
achievements of students from different
schools and regions.
After the mandatory English examina-
tions like the TOEFL and the IELTS,
the SAT is the most widely used admis-
sions test among colleges and universi-
ties. The American College Testing pro-
gramme (ACT) is also used by a large
number of schools. However, the SAT,
formerly known as Scholastic Aptitude
Test, still remains the most popular
one in India.
SAT I Reasoning Test
This is a standardized aptitude test for
undergraduate aspirants, designed by
the Educational Testing Service (ETS)
and administered by The College Board.
It tests students’ knowledge of subjects
that are believed to be necessary for
college success: reading, writing, and
mathematics.
Almost all undergraduate programmes
in the US require applicants to furnish
the SAT score. Some colleges require
scores on SAT Subject Tests as well.
Find out whether a particular college
requires SAT I or SAT II or both, by
checking out its website.
The SAT is typically taken by students
who are in classes 11th and 12th. It tells
students how well they use the skills
and knowledge they have attained in
and outside of the classroom - includ-
ing how they think, solve problems, and
communicate. It is believed to be one of
the best predictors of how well students
will do in college.
Illustration: Gouri Nanda
SAT trivia
●● It is a paper-based test and includes
several different question types, includ-
ing: a student-produced essay, multiple-
choice questions, and student-produced
responses (grid-ins).
●● There are three distinct sections in
the SAT
■■ Critical Reading
■■ Writing
■■ Mathematics
●● Each section of the SAT is scored on
a scale of 200-800; the maximum pos-
sible score is 2400!
●● The test is administered six times a
year in India
●● The SAT consists of 10 total testing
sections with the three types of sections
interspersed in random fashion.
●● Test-takers in the same session
may have test books with entirely dif-
ferent content orders for sections two
through nine.
●● Usually students take SAT I twice.

25 careers 360 october 2009

Cracking US ADMISSIONS

How to score well in SAT

Scoring in the test depends on the stu- Test dates and deadlines for SAT I & SAT II test registration
dent’s performance in nine sections – for India – 2009 -2010
three each of Critical Reading, Writing Test dates Test administered Regular registration
or Mathematics. There is an extra sec- (last date)
tion called the wild card section that can October 10, 2009 SAT & Subject Tests September 9, 2009
consist of Mathematics, Critical Read-
November 7, 2009 -do- October 1, 2009
ing or Writing questions. This section
does not count and is not considered December 5, 2009 -do- October 30, 2009
towards the SAT score. However, it is January 23, 2010 -do- December 15, 2009
unmarked and students will not be able May 1, 2010 -do- March 25, 2010
to differentiate it from the others.
June 5, 2010 -do- April 29, 2010

STRUCTURE OF SAT I TEST

Writing Section
The writing section includes both mul-
tiple-choice questions and a direct writ-
ing measure in the form of an essay. It
tests the student’s knowledge of gram-
mar, usage and word choice. The total
duration of this section is 60 minutes.
The short essay measures the student’s
ability to organize and express ideas
clearly. The multiple-choice writing
questions measure the student’s ability
to improve sentences and paragraphs
and identify errors such as diction,
grammar, sentence construction, sub-
ject-verb agreement, proper word usage,
and wordiness.
Critical Reading Section
The critical reading section, formerly
known as the verbal section, includes
short as well as long reading passages.
Questions can be based on one, or some-
times two, reading passages. This sec-
tion comprises two 25-minute sections
and one 20-minute section.
Mathematics Section
This section consists of two 25-minute
sections and one 20-minute section. The
SAT includes mathematics topics in the
four main areas - Number and Opera-
tions, Algebra and Functions, Geom-
etry and Measurement & Data Analysis,
Statistics, and Probability. Students are
allowed to use a four-function, scientific,
or graphing calculator. It is not possible
to take SAT I and SAT II tests on the
same test date.
Though the basic test fee is $45, there
are additional processing fees such as
the international processing fee of $26;
students in India and Pakistan pay an
additional surcharge of $23. The SAT
fee entitles the student to send the score
to up to four schools free of cost. Beyond
that, each score report costs $9.50.
SAT I preparation
An aptitude test, students have been
able to increase their score by preparing
well for SAT. As Indian students are not
very familiar with the multiple-choice
examinations, getting used to the test
also takes time.
●● It is best to start preparing for the test
after the class 10 final examinations.
●● Plan ahead because schools set a last
test date for each application period.
●● Students must set aside a minimum
of 3 months for the SAT I preparation.
●● Pick a test preparation programme
that combines instruction with testing
and review.
●● Take a minimum of 12 full-length
tests to prepare for the test.
●● Practise taking the test under real
time conditions.
Tips for students
●● Register for the test early so that you
can be assured of a good testing center. It
is offered in a number of Indian cities.
●● You will need a valid passport as
proof of your identity.
●● Each question in a section is worth
the same point irrespective of the level
of difficulty – do not spend too much
The ACT is a
curriculum-based test,
and hence scoring
here is not based
on IQ
time on tough questions. Do the simple
ones first and tough ones later.
●● If you do not know the answer and
can still eliminate one or two choices to
make an intelligent guess, do so. Howev-
er, keep in mind that there is a guessing
penalty in SAT. For each wrong answer,
you lose one-fourth of the points earned
on a correct answer except for the stu-
dent produced answers.
●● Use your test booklet for doing rough
as it is the only scrap paper you will get.
●● Wear a watch to the test since keep-
ing time is critical to your success on
the test.
●● At the test center, the start and end
of each section is called. You will not be
allowed to go back to a previously com-
pleted section.
●● You cannot take your question paper
home. However, the College Board
offers a Question and Answer Service
for SAT I for certain tests dates. You can
register for the same by paying a special
fee and get a copy of the test paper, your
answers and the correct answers.
SAT II: Subject Tests
These are one-hour, primarily multiple-
choice tests measuring knowledge of
particular subjects and the ability to
apply that knowledge.
SAT II information
●● These subjects include Mathematics,
English Literature, Physics, Chemistry,
Biology, French, US History, World His-
tory, Italian, Latin, German, Spanish,
Chinese, Japanese, Korean and Modern
Hebrew. Please note that the options for
students in the commerce stream are
rather limited.
●● Each subject test is scored on a 200-
800 scale.

26 careers 360 october 2009


ACT test dates in India
Test Date Registration Deadline
December 12, 2009* November 6, 2009
February 6, 2010 January 5, 2010
April 10, 2010 March 5, 2010
June 12, 2010 May 7, 2010
*Only on these dates the optional writing test are conducted.
●● Students can take up to three SAT II
tests on a test date. Also, all subjects are
not offered on all test dates in India.
●● Most colleges that require SAT II
want the scores from two subject areas;
some schools want three SAT II tests.
The PSAT
The Preliminary SAT (PSAT/NMSQT)
is a programme co-sponsored by the
College Board and National Merit
Scholarship Corporation (NMSC). It
is a standardized test that provides first-
hand practice for the SAT. It also gives
US citizens and permanent residents
a chance to enter NMSC scholarship
programmes and gain access to college
and career planning tools.
The PSAT/NMSQT measures, Criti-
cal Reading skills, Math problem-solv-
ing skills and Writing Skills. It has five
sections: two 25-minute critical reading
sections, two 25-minute Math sections
and one 30-minute writing skills sec-
tion. The whole test requires two hours
and 10 minutes. This test is now being
administered in India and is meant to be
taken by students in classes 9th and 10th.
It is held in October every year.
The ACT
The ACT test, formerly the Ameri-
can College Testing programme, is an
alternative to the SAT test. Today, most
4-year colleges recognize the ACT test.
The ACT consists of four multiple-
choice tests and an optional writing test.
English focusses on usage and rheto-
ric, Math tests algebra skills and trigo-
nometry skills. Reading focuses on the
arts and literature, and science stresses
problem-solving skills. The optional
writing test is similar to the SAT essay
question. Students must write a short
essay based on an assigned prompt.
The actual testing time is 2 hours and
55 minutes. The writing part takes an
additional 30 minutes.
The advantage with ACT is that it is
a curriculum-based test, so it is not an
aptitude or IQ test. Students who do
poorly on the SAT may do significantly
better in the ACT.
Each of the tests is graded on a one to
thirty-six scale, with the optional essay
adding points to the total score. There
is no wrong answer penalty like in the
SAT, and the ACT analyzes students’
strengths and weaknesses.
The test is offered in India at centers
in Pune, Kodaikanal, Mussoorie, New
Delhi, Ahmedabad, Chennai, Hydera-
bad and Mumbai. Not all centers are
scheduled to test on every test date.
Basic registration fee is $47 for the ACT
Plus Writing.
Most scores are available online within
two-and-a-half weeks after each nation-
al or international test date.
Pursue your academic
dream by taking the
first step in
finding the right
college. Make SAT
your stepping stone
in achieving your
career goals
Comparison of ACT and SAT
The ACT is an achievement test, mea-
suring what a student has learned
in school. The SAT is more of an apti-
tude test, measuring reasoning and ver-
bal abilities.
The ACT has up to 5 components:
English, Mathematics, Reading, Sci-
ence, and an optional Writing Test. The
SAT has only 3 components: Critical
Reasoning, Mathematics, and a required
Writing Test.
The College Board introduced a new
version of the SAT in 2005, with a man-
datory writing test. ACT continues to
offer its well-established test, plus an
optional writing test. You take the ACT
Writing Test only if required by the
college(s) you’re applying to.
The SAT has a correction for guessing.
27 careers 360 october 2009
That is, they take off for wrong answers.
The ACT score is based on the number
of correct answers and has no penalty
for guessing.
You can ask the ACT to release only the
record from the test date you request.
SAT has recently allowed this facility
but it has not been accepted across col-
leges in the US.
AP Tests
The AP (Advanced Placement) tests are
taken by students in various subjects to
earn credit at most colleges and uni-
versities in the U.S., as well as colleges
and universities in more than 40 other
countries. With a little bit of planning
and effort, you can save a lot of time and
money in the United States.
AP information
Students currently in class 11th or 12th
can take the tests and have an edge in the
application process. Students passing
out this year would benefit by getting
credit in the freshman year.
Some of the subjects in which Indian
students can take the AP exams are:
Chemistry, Biology, Physics, Psychol-
ogy, Macroeconomics, Microeconom-
ics, World History, Human Geogra-
phy, English Language and Composi-
tion, United States History, Computer
Science, Calculus, Statistics, Environ-
mental Science, etc.
These tests are administered by the
College Board in the month of May
every year. The last date for registering
for the examination is 1st of March. In
India this test is offered at centers in
New Delhi, Mumbai, Ahmedabad and
Chennai. The fee for each AP Exam
is US$86.
So, whether it is SAT or ACT, the
destination remains studying abroad.
Pursue your dream by taking the first
step in finding the right college. The first
step should invariably be the right one.
A structured approach can sure-
ly help you in a big way in clearing
these examaninations. Your success
in SAT could be the stepping stone
in achieving your long-term career
goals. Be focussed and prepare well.
Best of luck!
(Mrinalini Batra is a New Delhi-based
foreign education consultant)
Advisory career management

Performance alone does not count. Shoulder the extra burden to jump ahead...
by Urmila Rao consultancy firm. Performance does not be good regional director as different
automatically lead to promotion as an levels and roles need a different set of

J
ayson, a woodcutter, worked for
a company for four years but got
a meagre raise. Then Liam, five
years his junior, joined the com-
pany, he received a hefty raise within
twelve months. Back in the white-col-
lared world, Ankit Joshi, 30, is grappling
with a situation similar to this. The area
individual may not have the potential
or has demonstrated adequate compe-
tencies required for the next level. “It
is based on readiness and certain capa-
bilities,” emphasizes Sudhanshu Trip-
athi, president, HR, Hinduja Group. A
good sales manager may not necessarily
competencies. In organizations that
have pyramid structures there are fewer
high level positions. “That demands
that only the best suitable move up,”
maintains Dr. Ganesh Shermon, Part-
ner and Country Head (Textiles and
Apparel) KPMG.

Are you being

sales manager of a renowned pharma
company has been unfailingly achieving
his sales target each quarter. However,
much to his dismay, his colleague of just
two years got promoted ahead of him

passed over
and also managed a 10 per cent higher
raise than he did.
Does it look like your story? What did
Liam do right that Jayson did not? A per-
turbed Jayson asked his boss. The boss

for a raise?
replied that he would be happy to give a
raise if his productivity increased. How
do hard-working Jaysons and Ankits
increase their output? The answer: by
sharpening the axe. That’s how Liam
managed to cut more trees.
A lot of times employees feel that
despite performing well, they are passed
over for an increment or a raise or both.
Why does this happen?

Display capability for next level

Think over what signs you are giving to
your organization that you are better
than your peers. Achieving a target set
for the current role is not enough for
a promotion. “It’s about the ability to
take on additional responsibility and
accountability as defined for the future
role,” says Varda Pendse, Director, Cere-
brus Consultants, a Mumabi-based HR

How to get set and go

According to Human Resource experts fol-
lowing are the common reasons why many
performers are not promoted.
■■ Inability to manage and lead a team
■■ F ailure to demonstrate collaborative
behaviour with colleagues across functions
■■ ot able to go beyond operational
N
perspective to have macro perspective
■■ F ailing to take initiatives and expanding the
knowledge base
■■ Lack of focus

Illustration:Grouri Nanda

28 careers 360 october 2009

Are you clear about your goals?
Have you have identified your objec-
tives? What steps are you taking to
achieve them? Don’t be like this man,
who did not know where he wanted to
go and asked a passerby. The passerby
sneered, “Then take any. What differ-
ence does it make?
Goals give a sense of direction. If you
don’t have active orientation towards
your target, you are paddling furiously
for nothing. “Develop a plan for yourself
and keep working on it,” says Tripathi.
But how would you know if you are
progressing? Don’t lean on your boss or
friends to get a feedback. Ask a neutral
person. “Your boss may not give overt
encouraging signs lest you may construe
it as a promotion guarantee,” says Trip-
athi. So find a mentor.
Expand skill base
Once goals are identified, to-be-im-
proved areas spotted and acknowledged,
set out on the task of enhancing your
skill base. A good mechanic would need
additional know-how to become a design
engineer. An added expertise gives you a
definite advantage over your associates.
Take it for granted, companies will not
promote and then train you to shoulder
new responsibility.
Good raise is a sign of doing a job
well that’s entrusted to you. “But pro-
motion is entrusting the person with
new responsibilities,” points out Mona
Gupta, Head, HR, Cincom System.
So get that extra edge in advance. A
computer hardware engineer can not
only diagnose a hardware–related prob-
lem but can solve it efficently if he’s
equipped with basic software knowl-
edge as well. For instance, if Windows
OS in a computer crashes, then a com-
petent hardware engineer would try to
recover it first saving the user’s data
intact as opposed to re-installing it. “In
addition to enhanced knowledge, keep
consistently demonstrating that you are
an asset to the organization,” advises E
Balaji, CEO, Ma Foi.
Volunteer to do more
Every job presents opportunities to step
up and do things that are not necessarily
manifested in your official job descrip-
tion. Shirking or feigning indifference
is not a good pay off in the long-term.
Steps that ensure
suitable reward
Prashant Srivastava, Country Manager and
Managing Partner, Gallup India* offers some
tips for a handsome raise and a promotion.
■■ Perform consistently, maintain
patience. Law of average will work. Good
performance finally gets noticed and
rewarded. So, don’t give up
■■ Align yourself: the good performance
should not be at odds with the
organizational objectives.
■■ Keep up your market value: great
performance and consistency makes you
an asset. Even if your organization fails to
recognise you, the market will.
■■ Be visible: ensure that the good
performance is visible to the boss’ boss.
Be a team worker: help the team to achieve
■■
great output. Make good relations at work.
*(Gallup is a global research-based
consultancy, specializing in employee and
customer management)
Volunteer for extra work and take the
initiative to make a job better.
Bosses like people who can help them
solve problems. Even if the problem is
not yours but if you have the expertise
to solve it, then volunteer to help. Unlike
Ankit, his colleague who outshone him
in appraisal took the initiative of clear-
ing the outstanding payments. Due to his
efforts, the boss got a neat balance sheet
with no payments due from any client.
Ankit merely realized his sales figure
target. “Stretch beyond the normal tar-
gets to get paid beyond normal or get
recognized beyond normal work,” says
Mona Gupta.
Be proactive. There can be situations
when you work like a pigeon, give out-
standing results, yet your efforts go
unnoticed. It’s time you emphasized
your accomplishments. Keep a record
of your work, particularly those which
are quantifiable. And reason with your
boss why you deserve a salary raise.
QUICKTAKE
■■ Identify Goals
■■ Work on areas for improvements.
■■ Expand your skillbase continously
■■ Volunteer to do more.
■■ Take responsibility
■■ Be a team player
29 careers 360 october 2009
Your interpersonal skills
There could be many reasons why a
hardworking employee gets overlooked
in promotions. Preferential treatment,
favouritism or subjective assessment
could be the some of the reasons why a
raise or a promotion or both eludes an
employee, says Balaji.
What kind of relationship do you have
with your seniors, peers and subordi-
nates? “Maintain an excellent rapport
with managers, superior and peers,”
advises Vishal Chibber, HR Head, Kelly
Services. Relate to peers, subordinates
and your bosses by being a team worker,
adopting a mild-mannered approach
and a considerate attitude. A robotic
demeanour, an indifferent smile, aloof-
ness and other negative attitudes are all
tell tale signs for a boss to confirm why
you are not suitable for a new role. At
senior levels, the job is more administra-
tive in nature and that requires excellent
people management skills.
Are you a strong personality?
If you are part of a giant corporation,
then ensure you develop a stronger
personality and not get trampled over.
Being an introvert can mar your chances
of getting ahead. In a big bureaucratic
enterprise, the rude truth is, extroverts
have a discernable advantage over intro-
verts. That is because big companies
look for people who can seamlessly
move across divisions and naturally
network. By virtue of their superior ver-
bal skills and personalities, they appear
more prepared for the part.
‘Big companies are so oriented towards
extroverts that introverts have to con-
stantly over-deliver just to stay even’,
Jack Welch, ex-CEO of General Elec-
tric, a Fortune 500 company, wrote in
one of his career counselling columns.
There are exceptions where introverts
have performed in organizations on the
basis of their unique ability. But usually
such people are extraordinarily brilliant
in their areas. It may be technology or in
uncommon understanding of emerging
markets or others. According to Welch,
introverts who end up in the senior man-
agement positions are often the brains
of the organizations.
Want to grab the highest raise in your
next apprasial? Become another Liam.
Start sharpening your axe now!
CEO Speak Sanjay modi

Recession might have been the buzzword

casting a gloomy spell over the job mar-
ket with salary cuts being the norm, but
it seems that things are brightening up,
if the recent survey by a global recruiting
firm is anything to go by. The good news
is that companies in India are ready
to hire across all sectors in the coming
few months, so it’s time to revamp your
CV pronto, if you are looking to test the
waters. Shalini Gupta finds out more
in a conversation with Sanjay Modi,
Managing director, Monster India.....

Q. How do you think the job market

was affected by the global slowdown
last year?
A. If we analyse the economic downturn
from an Indian perspective, we find that
it actually did not hit India as badly as
the western world. Most of the Indian
companies took a cautious approach
and put their expansion plans or proj-

“The
ects on hold anticipating the slowdown
in the market. Hiring though was being
done across almost all sectors but only
for the critical positions. So contrary to
the reports in the market, India did con-

is on
tinue to hire in 2008 in sectors such as
IT, manufacturing, engineering, bank-
ing and financial services except for the
export sector that really got impacted-
for example the gems, jewellery and
leather industry.

Q. In this scenario, do you think the

numbers were alright?
A. The number of people being hired
was less as compared to early 2008 or
even a year back. Companies continued
to hire experienced people or those who
brought niche skills on the table. Hir-
ing of freshers was postponed or rather
reduced since they are more of a train-
able work force. I think what the reces-
sion did was, it made companies look
deep inside and rearrange their priori-
ties by looking at newer geographies as
an expansion mode and newer technolo-
gies to reduce the costs.
Q. What is the job outlook for the
next few months with reports that the
worst is now behind us?
A. We have approximately 45,000 job
listings on our website which is almost
the same as the number in the early part
of 2008, a clear indicator that compa-
nies are unfreezing the requirements
and are keen to hire again. From March
to December 2008 we saw a 30-35 per-
cent decline in the number of job post-
ings on the website. That stabilised in
the first quarter i.e. from January to
March 2009. This was followed by an
8-10 percent growth from April to May
that was across all sectors with IT, BPO,
infrastructure and construction com-
panies, to name a few industries, that
were on a rebound and were looking at
hiring. Our sense of optimism was fur-
ther fuelled in July and August when we
saw a 36 percent growth, a clear indica-
tor that the job market is on the path to
recovery.
Q. Were there any policy measures by
the current government that fuelled
the optimism on the job front?
A. I would attribute it to the current
budget, which in my opinion was well
thought out with long-term returns. The
policies undertaken under the NREGA
scheme, easy credit flow given in terms

30 careers 360 october 2009


job market
a path to
recovery”
of funding large infrastructure proj-
ects, public-private partnership proj-
ects and support given to the telecom
sector along with the protection of the
export-oriented sector are a few of the
things that helped fuel employability. A
renewed sense of global recovery also
seems to be a helping factor.
Q. Which sectors do you think would
be hiring right now?
A. The good news is that IT has come
back with a bang. The reason why the
numbers of employees hired by IT
Rajesh Thakur/Outlook Group
companies look big is that there is no
sector within the non-IT domain which
hires as much as this single sector. The
other promising sectors are manufac-
turing, retail, infrastructure and con-
struction and telecom. We also see
education moving very strongly because
of the recent initiatives taken by the
government to open up the sector. Hos-
pitality is another sector to look out for.
With the world moving towards research
and development in pharma and bio-
technology, it is a growing domain of
the future.
31 careers 360 october 2009
“Sense of optimism
was further fuelled as
in July and August
there was a 36
percent growth in
hiring, a clear indica-
tor that the job market
was looking up”
Q. Across what levels will hiring
happen in the next few months?
A. Lateral hiring would continue to
be there. We also see a good momen-
tum building up for recruiting freshers
with up to one year of job experience.
There are going to be jobs for people
in the rural markets as well in the months
to come.
Q. Rural seems to the flavor now. Did
Monster also do something in that
geography?
A. We have been focusing on tapping
the talent pool in the rural markets for
the last 14-16 months, which is why we
launched rozgaarduniya.com along with
ITC’s e-Choupal in August this year.
This was in tune with the need of orga-
nizations which were looking at tapping
job seekers beyond the cities. Internet
penetration was a challenge. Hence we
collaborated with ITC’s e-Choupal to
use their kiosks to help potential job
seekers in these areas connect with
their employers. We were successful
in providing 1,200 jobs by 40 employ-
ers within a span of three weeks of the
launch. The initiative gave us access to
40,000 villages in nine states helping
us reach an untapped audience of five
million people.
Q. What sectors are hiring job seek-
ers from the rural sector? Were any
other innovative methods tried to
reach out to the hinterland?
A. Expansion in infrastructure devel-
opment in sectors such as telecom and
infrastructure, microfinance and logis-
tics, agro-based industries, security com-
panies, banking and financial services
CEO Speak Sanjay modi
and FMCG have seen jobs being gener-
ated for job seekers from rural areas as
well. We are now looking at spreading
out the campaign in more than 9 states.
To expand our reach, we focused on the
convergence of technology, wherein we
partnered with a satellite company so
that people could look for jobs sitting
in front of the television in the com-
fort of their home. This is targeted at B
and C towns with a large penetration of
satellite television in order to address a
large audience.
Q. Is there any decline in the number
of people who are looking for jobs
during recession?
A. Last year we were getting around
13,000 to 14,000 résumés per day and
this year we are averaging around 16,000
résumés per day, so things are definitely
looking up. Freshers are always posting
their résumés online and we believe that
once the opportunities are less, people
try and explore more to spot the oppor-
tunities where they can apply. Even peo-
ple who are in experienced positions
apply for a job in unsure times thinking
that they can have a fallback option in
case they land a good opportunity.
Q. What was the biggest challenge for
you during the downturn?
A. The challenge from our side was to
map the job seeker to the industry sec-
tor. And there was an important learning
“Money is definitely a
consideration for the
job seeker but it should
not be the sole criteria.
One who is just
starting his career
should give more
emphasis to learn-
ing, not emoluments”
that we got. This was mapping the skill
of the job seeker to the right industry
sector. For example, ideally an IT pro-
fessional would look at being absorbed
within the IT sector, but his skills can be
deployed even in sectors such as bank-
ing and financial services, telecom etc.
Lot of job seekers went for training and
study during this period which is a good
thing since the dynamic work environ-
ment of today calls for reskilling on a
continual basis.
Q. Social networking sites have
become hunting grounds for poten-
tial employers these days. Do you see
32 careers 360 october 2009
any competition from them?
A. We see social networking sites as
complementing us rather than com-
peting with us. Hiring is scientific and
a person goes through a certain proce-
dure. They are not investing 90 per-
cent of their workforce finding what
is happening in the recruitment space
which is something that we are doing
along with providing a strong value
proposition side by side. We believe
hiring happens seriously at our web-
site. We might possibly use them to
expand our reach.
Q. What would be your advice to
someone who is looking to be hired
in the next few months?
A. Money is definitely a criteria for
the potential job seeker but it should
not be the sole criteria, though its a big
motivator and influences the decision to
choose a future employer. People today
are also looking at the credibility of the
company and the kind of work areas
they would be exposed to as a profes-
sional. What is needed is to evaluate all
the three criteria above in totality, rather
than giving weightage to just one factor
before taking up a job offer. I would
suggest that someone who is just start-
ing in his/her career should give more
emphasis to learning rather than the
emoluments and also take into account
the integrity of the company that one is
going to join.
Course Review Hospital Administration

Lessons in management
As healthcare gets tech-
nology-driven the demand
for trained professionals
to administer the sector
will always be on the rise

Fast Facts
Courses: MHA, MBA (Healthcare/Hospital
Management): Top schools: AIIMS, Amrita
Vishwa Vidyapeetham, Apollo institute, Nizam’s
Institute, TISS: Duration: 2 years Admission:
Entrance exam Placements: Available Salary:
+3.5 lakhs

by Team Careers360

“
I
t is a trade-off, but a worthwhile
one. As a doctor, I could take
care of only my patients. As a
trained administrator, every per-
son who enters the hospital is mine,”
says Dr. Ramachandra, Administrator
of Care Hospitals, a hospitals chain in
south India. The medical doctor also
holds a PhD in Hospital Administration
from Ohio State University. Medicine
has travelled a long way. Technology
now dominates medical procedure, and
diagnosis is automated to a large extent
says Dr. Ramesh Viswanath, Faculty at
Indore University. With nearly 2.5 mil-
lion medical establishments in the coun-
try, opportunities would only go up.
Awards and eligibility
As a specialized postgraduate profes-
sional course, hospital administration
demands that either you are qualified
in medicine and in that case you are
eligible to compete for an MD (Hospi-
tal Administration), though the seats
are a few, say four, in Nizam’s Institute
of Medical Sciences, and only a few
institutions offer the course. In general
the Master’s in Hospital Administra-
tion (MHA) is the most preferred one
and any graduate with preferably one
or two years of experience can enter The great debate
the profession. A certain level of innate To Dr. Devaprasad, Consultant Sur-
empathy for patients, and an ability to geon, Jayasekaran Medical Trust, only a
decide under extremely stressful condi- trained medical doctor could be a hospi-
tions are a must, opines Col. Gautam, tal’s administrator. While Dr. Thulsiraj,
Faculty, Academy of Hospital Adminis- a leading ophthalmologist, at Arvind
tration. The latest entrant in the sector Eye Care counters, “For a nation of the
is an MBA degree with Hospital Man- size of India, medical care must be stan-
agement or Healthcare as a specialisa- dardized, broken into manageable steps
tion. As Dr. Uday Salunkhe explains in performed by an efficient chain, so as to
this issue (Page no. 34), the programme serve volumes with least cost.”
opens up careers in all segments of
healthcare. Where can you study?
The best of lot is on offer from AIIMS.
But entry is difficult and if one is not
Corporate Hospitals a medical graduate, then one could
■■ Apollo Group only apply for a sponsored seat, and
■■ Fortis Health Care that after a minimum of seven years’
■■ Wockardt Group experience in responsible positions.
■■ Aravind Eye Care Explains Dr. S.K Gupta, HOD, “Unlike
■■ Escorts Group a medical graduate, ordinary graduates
■■ Max Healthcare would not spend long years in hospi-
tal. So it is imperative that they come

34 careers 360 october 2009

for healthcare Narendra Bisht/Outlook Group
with sufficient experience in a hospi-
tal, before they could be trained on the
state-of-the-art in the discipline.” TISS
with its long-standing engagement with
developmental issues has also launched
the programme recently. Nizam’s col-
lege, Hyderabad and Apollo Institute,
are also very well known institutions
(see select listing). Internationally hos-
pital administration is a well developed
field, and more than 450 institutions
offer teaching and research programmes.
USA has the most diverse offerings, and
Europe is not far behind (see table).
What do they teach?
A normal Master of Hospital Adminis-
tration (MHA) is of two years’ duration,
with a semester’s worth of internship
in the case of some colleges. The first
year course focuses on providing an in
depth knowledge about the fundamen-
tals of business administration with
special emphasis on business environ-
ment, organization theory, quantitative
methods, and computers in administra-
tion, but with an orientation towards
healthcare. Some colleges like TISS,
Loyola Academy and even Nizam’s offer
hospital administration combines empathy inputs on public health issues and social
for patients with modern management principles aspects of health in the first year. The
third and fourth semesters introduce
students to subjects of hospital man-
Top Indian institutes agement, patient care, records mainte-
All India Institute of Medical Sciences nance, information systems etc. Since
www.aiims.edu most of the hospital administration
Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham courses are on offer from institutes with
www.amrita.edu medical colleges, substantial time dur-
Apollo Institute of Hospital Administration ing the second year is used to provide
www.apolloiha.ac.in hands-on experience in the hospital.
Man management and people issues are
Garware Institute (University of Mumbai)
other aspects that are given substantial
www.mu.ac.in/garware
attention in an MHA programme.
Nizam's Institute of Medical Sciences
nims@ap.nic.in MHA versus MBA (Healthcare)
Peerless Hospital & B K Roy Research Centre The courses deal with aspects of health-
www.peerlesshospital.com care, but their target audience is very
Sharda Group of Institutions
different. MHA is primarily hospital
www.sgei.org/colleges.htm
management and is a relatively focused
programme, wherein the primary objec-
Tata Institute of Social Sciences
tive is to train a set of people who would
www.tiss.edu
be able to run a hospital efficiently. On
35 careers 360 october 2009
Leading foreign institutes
Northwestern University (Kellogg)
Oxford Brookes University
SDA Bocconi School of Management, Italy
University of Alabama — Birmingham
University of California — Berkeley
University of California — Los Angeles
University of Leeds
University of Manchester
University of North Carolina — Chapel Hill, USA
University of Nottingham
University of Pennsylvania (Wharton), USA
University of Washington, USA
the other hand an MBA (healthcare)
is a management degree with a focus
on healthcare sector. Thus , a passout,
would find jobs not only in a hospital,
but also in a range of allied sectors. What
an MBA (Healthcare) loses in focus, it
gains in diversity. As Prof. Parameswarn,
Dean, Corporate Services, Amrita Uni-
versity says, “MHA is for people and
who know and want to serve in a hospi-
tal, it is hands-on programme.”
Where would you fit in?
While medical graduates generally take
care of the more technical aspects of
hospital administration, non-medical
graduates handle the operations aspects.
The tasks would typically involve man-
aging the staff, health services, tech-
nology decisions, IT management and
performing under a given budget. The
career path for a fresh MHA in a hospi-
tal would be managing one department
or functionality as Asst. Administrator.
And as they gain experience, the domain
of control changes, but final authority
on clinical matters will always rest with
the medical professional. Salaries would
range from about 3.5 lakhs rupees per
annum in a medium hospital to upwards
of one crore as an administrator in a
super specialty 1000-bed hospital, as
one moves up the value chain. The other
avenues are in consultancy, IT firms,
educational institutions and health
insurance sector. Dr. Ramachandra
concludes, “Money does matter, but
the sheer thrill, in seeing a complicated
patient get completely well and move
out of the hospital is priceless”.
In depth Economics

Obscure theories that

determine national destinies
Economics pervades all aspects of human existence, deciding what you earn and
how you live. And for a keen practitioner, job opportunities are unlimited

by Team Careers360 is demand and supply, there would be and similar thoughts in other ancient
economics to rationalize, theorize and civilizations predating it. Dr. Naubhar

“
I
have always enjoyed curves
and bottoms”. One forgives the
twinkle in the eyes of Prof. Bengt
Aak Lundvall, when he answers
why he chose to be an economist. One
of the pioneers in the field of innova-
tion economics, Prof. Lundvall is very
clear about the future. As long as there
allocate. So the future is bright for any
one who cares to look, but look deep,
Prof. Lundvall concludes.
Origin of Economics
Economics as a discipline evolved over
the millennia, and one of the first known
written text is our very own Arthasastra,
Sharif, Asst. Professor in Economics at
HKUST says, “England’s treasure by
Foreign Trade’ printed in 1663 is one of
the first printed books on the subject”. In
the span of three centuries, the discipline
grew by leaps and bounds. Initially cat-
egorized as micro and macro econom-
ics, more than 65 sub-disciplines like

36 careers 360 october 2009

 CAREERS FOR AN ECONOMIST
Banking and Finance Government and
Public Sector
Commodities Broker Claims Examiner
Bank Management Foreign Trade analyst
Trainee
Financial Analyst Tax Auditor
Economic Forecaster Public Administrator
Investment Banker Legislative Assistant
Loan Counsellor Regional/Urban
Planner
Securities Analyst Financial Planner
Source: Careercentre
annual budget that touches the lives of all
citizens is the public face of economics in India
the continuum. Though its utility and
relevance is under question, labour the-
ory of value is a very useful tool. In the
recent past, free market ideology perme-
ated most of the economic thought until
the last year’s crash, which has swung the
Tribhuvan Tiwari/Outlook Group
pendulum to the other extreme. Prof. K
J Joseph, Commerce Chair Professor
at CDS, sums up saying, “Ideology must
never govern and control your thought
process, but must provide direction.”
So as a student, he says it is impera-
tive that one always understands differ-
ent ideologies and the historical point
Fast Facts they come from. Suman Beri, Director,
Best schools: DSE, JNU,IGIDR, CDS, HCU NCAER concurs, “It is important to be
and IIT’s Qualifications: BA, MA, MPhil, aware, but it is crucial to deliver.” And
and PhD programme Career avenues: finally an economist is only worth what
Academics, research, training and consulting his prescriptions deliver.
Major academic disciplines
financial, ecological, industrial, innova- Though traditionally micro and macro
tion, behavioural studies etc. have come are the two broad areas within which
into being. Dr. Saradindu Bhaduri, a the discipline is segregated, the issue
JNU faculty, jokes that each time a Pro- and function-based sub division is
fessor gets a substantially large research what rules the roost. Monetary (issues
grant, a new sub-discipline is born. of money, inflation and interest rates),
Labour (one of the few sub-disciplines
Ideology in Economics directly dealing with human aspects),
Since it deals with human life, ideol- Welfare (especially dealing with dispar-
ogy forms the very core of economics, ity and inequality), International (from
opines Dr. Sharif. The primary conflict mercantilism to free trade), Managerial
was always between protectionists and (a 20th century creation dealing with the
free traders, only the scope and scale economics of business), Regional (has a
changed during different points in time. geographical orientation) and Industrial
And interestingly Marxist economics in (focussing on issues of production) are
practice always lie at some point across some of the traditional economic sub-
37 careers 360 october 2009
Education and Business
Communications
Professor Market Research
Analyst
Technical Writer Retail Buyer
Journalist/Columnist Staff Training and
Development Specialist
Teacher Insurance Underwriting
Trainee
Higher Education, Management
Administration Consultant
Educational Television Strategic Planner
Advisor
Information Analyst Business Administrator
disciplines, while some scholars would
include Public Finance and industri-
al organisation also in the list. And in
terms of economics dealing with par-
ticular sectors, agriculture and industry
were the traditional favourites, with a
host of other sectors appearing and dis-
appearing in each decade, coinciding
with the fortunes of the industry they
seek to understand. But in the last few
decades, Behavioral, Green, Develop-
ment, Entrepreneurial, Informational,
Institutional, Feminist, Environmental
and Resource have also become issues
of economic consideration. As Prof.
Joseph, jokingly says, take any issue add
economics to it and it becomes another
economic subject.
Of late, financial and informational
economics have assumed tremendous
importance, especially after the huge
economic meltdown that swept most
of the world economies in the past few
years. “As material considerations take
precedence, each aspect of society is
increasingly taken over and monetized
by the discipline of economics,” says
Prof. Joseph. The ethical dimensions
of such expansions are best left to eco-
nomic philosophers like Amartya Sen.
Programmes on offer
Like any traditional discipline, econom-
ics offers the usual order of Bachelor’s,
Master’s and doctoral degrees, broadly
as a BA/MA. But increasingly, as the
mathematics content in economic rises,
a few universities, especially in Europe
have begun offering BSc/MSc degrees
as well.
In depth Economics
FROM THE TRENCHES
If you are a fresh economics graduate, there
are a few practices that you must follow to
become a good economist.
a) Read widely. An economist is known by
his ability to synthesise information from
diverse sources.
b) Never ignore peer queries. However silly
they might sound, never ignore a query by a
peer. Many foundational economic theories
have come out of such queries.
c) Get your maths right. Whether you like it
or not, economists communicate through
mathematics. So get a thorough understand-
ing of calculus and algebra. It will stand you
in great stead during your later years.
d) Do what you like. It is a corny oft repeated
cliché. But great economists do just that.
(Source: Compiled from a series of self reflections by
famous economists on how they work)
BA/BSc (Economics): This is a
basic degree offered both in an honours
version as well as a general degree. Prof.
S.K.Laroya, Faculty, Delhi University
opines that one of the best programmes
at this level is on offer from DU. Bar-
ring a few leading colleges like St.
Stephen’s, SRCC, Loyola, Presidency,
St. Xavier’s, candidates cannot expect to
get placed after a BA programme. The
Honours programme curriculum bal-
ances between different sub-disciplines
and candidates get a thorough ground-
ing in mathematics. One of Prof. George
Mankiw’s repeated advises on his blog to
fresh economic graduates is to learn as
much mathematics as possible.
MA (Economics): The Association
of Indian Universities lists out nearly
269 universities and their affiliated col-
leges that offer this programme. The
courses are spread over two years and
vary from 24 to 32 electives, depend-
ing on the university/institute. Many
institutions offer the candidate the
option of specializing in a particular
area of economics and some of the insti-
tutions even offer named degrees. For
example, 22 of the 26 developmental
studies institutes in the country set up
by ICSSR, offer an MA (Development
Economics). The famous Indian Statis-
tical Institute offers an MSc in quantita-
tive Economics. But many other schools
offer the students the choice of electives.
Amit Kumar Goyal, an alumnus of Delhi
“Ideology must never
govern and control your
thought process, but
must provide the
general direction”
School of Economics (DSE) says, “The
MA programme here provides students
the tools to analyse the contemporary
economic problems.”
5 year MA (Integrated Pro-
gramme): This is a new kid off the
block. Initially on offer at the redoubt-
able BITS, Pilani, it is making waves in
most of the Humanities departments of
IITs. The idea, according to Dr. Thillai
Rajan, a faculty at IIT, is to bring a cer-
tain level of integrity in the offering so
that course duplication is avoided and
the candidate is able to make much more
informed choices at the master’s level.
But a counter view of doing your basic
and master’s degree from two differ-
ent institutions, thus providing a better
understanding of the subject, also has
substantial merit.
What will you study?
In general, any master’s course would
have a set of core courses in micro and
macro economics, statistics, quantita-
tive techniques and research methods.
Some institutions also offer a course on
38 careers 360 october 2009
history of economic thought. A course
on econometrics is de rigueur in most of
the Tier -1 institutes. Many of them will
also offer a compulsory course on India’s
economic development and policy. Dr.
Joseph is an advocate of shorter mod-
ules with larger number of offerings in
the first year. He advises students in
the first year to go beyond the required
number of courses that they must do in
their programmes. “It is very important
to create ‘back files’ in your mind,” he
says. The discipline suffers from over
specialisations. “We have lost our ability
to look at the big picture.” And MA is the
place to start.
Where to study?
It depends on what you want to study.
For a BA, any good college which con-
ducts regular classes would do, though
colleges like Stephen’s, Loyola and
Presidency do offer a certain intellec-
tual milieu and social ambience which
is hard to beat. But at the postgradu-
ate level, the college matters quite a
lot, since both in terms of research and
career, the institution makes a huge dif-
ference. As Gunjan Satija, an alumnus
of JNU says, “The best part about the
faculty here is that, they not only teach
quite comprehensively but also give you
tons of freedom to pursue your own
research interests.”
The DSE probably is the best in the
country, when it comes to MA pro-
gramme, both in terms of intellectual
 campus placements INTERNATIONAL SCHOOLS
Institution Firm Harvard University USA
Jawaharlal Nehru University McKinsey, GE, Grail Research, Absolute Data University of Cambridge UK

University of Hyderabad Tata Motors, Reliance Retail, Roulac Investments, Citibank, SDA Bocconi Italy
PWC, GE Money, Templeton, University of Heidelberg Germany
Delhi School of Economics ABN Amro, Nestle India, FICCI, CII, Reliance, HSBC University of California-Berkeley USA
IGIDIR J P Morgan Chase, Citibank, IFMR, Deloitte, ICICI Bank, Yale University USA
ICICI Treasury, CRISIL, Fidelity Investments
University of Pennsylvania USA
Indian Statistical Institute American Express, Barclays Bank, Goldman Sachs, Motorola,
Morgan Stanley, Reliance Industries Columbia University USA
New School USA
Ghokale School of Political Economy Genpact, CCIL, Boston Analytics, Tata Motors, The Hindu
Business Line University of Oxford UK
Madras School of Economics IFMR, Roulac, HSBC, HSBC, HP, Genpact, Chicago University USA

ambience and academic rigour and
some old timers do fondly recall the days
of Amartya Sen and Jagdish Bhagwati.
Among the ICSSR founded institutions,
IGIDR, Mumbai, CDS, Thiruvanan-
thapuram, Gohkle School, Pune are
very good bets. University of Hydera-
bad, MG University, and all IITs are
also very good places to pursue the sub-
ject. Among the new crops of privately
funded-schools, the Madras School of
Economics (MSE), with its focus on
market-oriented programmes is doing
very well. “I had a wonderful time at
MSE. Even though the environment
is competitive, it gives students time
to pursue their interests,” concludes
Shishir Gupta, who completed his MA
from MSE.
International schools
Internationally economics has been a
revered subject alongside politics and
philosophy in the Oxfords and Cam-
bridges’ of the world. In the early part
of the 20th century, these two universi-
ties together, were the bastions of eco-
nomic thought, though of diverse nature
and political leanings. Even today their
economics departments are world class
in every sense of the term. In USA,
economics is taught in almost all Ivy
League institutions, though Chicago
University and New School represent
the two extreme ends of the ideologi-
cal spectrum. Quite a few universities
in Europe too offer good programmes.
Outside the university system, institu-
tions like NBER, and Rand Corporation
do offer tremendous insights into the
economic system.
Entering the portals ●● Microeconomics – H Varian, John
Each of the leading universities con- Gould and Edward Lazear
ducts its own entrance examinations ●● Macroeconomics – Robert Pindyck
for admission in their MA/Research and Daniel Rubinfeld, W H Branson
programmes. Some, like University of ●● Mathematics for Economics – Alpha
Hyderabad, demand a basic degree in C Chiang, Carl Simon and Lawrence
economics to apply for a master’s degree, Blume, D Wade Hands
many others like DSE also lets people ●● Statistics for Economics – A L Nagar
with Maths, Statistics etc. to sit for the and Das, Freund
entrance. So the entrance examination Practising problem from the above
format and structure varies. But in gen- textbooks will help in understanding
eral they focus on testing a candidate’s various concepts. Creating problem
understanding of micro and macro eco- sets on your own will be an enjoyable
nomics, mathematical techniques, eco- task and a very good way to sharpen
nomic issues, statistics and probability your problem solving skills. Working as
and some also test the candidate’s ana- groups/teams will also make the process
lytical and reasoning abilities. of learning very much enjoyable.
A general thumb rule is to prepare well
from standard text books and these vary Skill sets for a good economist
from test to test. Successful students Quantitative Abilities: As
suggest the following list of books as economics increasingly tries to be the
very useful resources: physics of social sciences, mathematics
has come to play an increasingly heavy
role in the discipline. Use of high end
Public Institutions Websites
algebra and calculus as tools for under-
Jawaharlal Nehru www.jnu.ac.in standing economic events is on the rise.
University
University of www.uohyd.ernet.in Logical Analysis: The logical
Hyderabad
thought process and analysis used in
Delhi School of www.econdse.org solving problems underscore an econo-
Economics
mist’s ability to make a sense of econom-
IGIDR www.igidr.ac.in ic phenomena. This is all the relevant in
Indian Statistical www.isical.ac.in the current era, when the complexity of
Institute issues on hand is diverse and interlinked
Gokhale Institute of www.gipe.ernet.in unless issues are analyzed logically, most
Politics & Economy policy prescriptions would end up being
Dept. of Humanities www.hss.iitm.ac.in counter productive.
& Social Sciences,
IIT Madras
Observation and Inference
Centre for Develop- www.cds.edu from Data: Developing the skill
ment Studies
in translating between mathematical

39 careers 360 october 2009

In depth Economics

LEADING THINK TANKS OF USA

American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research Washington, DC
Aspen Institute Washington, DC
Economic Policy Institute Washington, DC
Economic Strategy Institute Washington DC
National Center for Public Policy Research Washington DC
American Institute for Economic Research Massachusetts
Committee for Economic Development Washington, DC
Corporation for Enterprise Development Washington, DC
Council on Foreign Relations New York
Group of Thirty Washington, DC
National Bureau of Asian Research Seattle, Washington, DC
RAND Corporation Santa Monica, California

to present ideas. The ability to build take. “As a professional, most of the
‘Deprivations are all an argument in the form of an essay policy makers value the economist’s
and conduct oral presentations are also input, and it gives a great high.”
complementary. And we crucial for an economist.
should address all of Think Tanks: Jobs here could
SYSTEMIC PERSPECTIVE: Identi- be either great or really troublesome,
them together’ fying measures or indicators of system depending on the level of congruence
Prof. Sen’s work on performance and the actions needed to between your thought process and
improve or correct performance, relative what the think tank stands for. If an
human development is to the goals of the system, is one of most economist with Marxist leanings joins
a discipline changer important abilities of an economist, and the American Enterprise Institute, it
the one in short supply. would be pure hell. Think tanks by their
very nature are partisan, and normal-
models and observed economic phe- Opportunities for an economist ly represent special interests. But if a
nomena is very essential. Especially Teaching and Research: One researcher’s interest coincides with that
important is the ability to understand of the best jobs in the world, the ability of the organisation, it could be the most
the relationship between a set of vari- to influence minds, and at times even exciting place to work.
ables with a causal connection. see one’s own ideas change national des-
tinies is a huge high for any individual. Corporate Firms: This is a recent
Oral and Written Commu- Here an economist would invariably phenomenon in India. Until early 90s
nication Skills: The ability to divide his or her time between design- only the large conglomerates like Tatas
create and interpret a chart and being ing and delivering courses, preparing and Birlas used to recruit economists.
able to write thoughtfully and clearly is research proposals for funding, directing Since firms invariably operated in a sell-
the best way to show an understanding research scholars and writing and pub- ers market, the need for an economist
of economic theory and concepts and lishing papers. Though an academic life was never felt. Now, with globalisation
appears glamorous, Dr. Sharif acknowl- imploding on the Indian marketplace,
edges it is a very competitive one too. even small firms need economists to
Private Institutions Websites
It is a peer-approval-driven structure make sense of the changing contours
Madras School of www.mse.ac.in wherein only the best survive. of the state of the economy and craft
Economics
appropriate solutions. A cursory look at
BITS Pilani www.bits-pilani.ac.in Government: This is probably the the top economic schools shows a veri-
Loyola College www.loyolacollege.edu best of the lot. Dr. Surajit Majumdhar table who’s who as recruiters in these
Sastra University www.sastra.edu who has worked in the Planning Com- institutions.
Periyar Maniammai www.pmu.edu
mission, disagrees. The biggest hurdle In sum, whether it is for good or bad,
University is, one is constrained by the dictates of economics is entwined with each aspect
Banasthali University www.banasthali.org
the political party in power. According of our existence. So work hard, prepare
to Surajit, what one gains by the ease of well, and who knows the next Nobel
Allahabad www.aaidu.org
Agricultural Institute
work, one loses by the lack of indepen- Prize might be yours.
dence. But Dr. Joseph, who had served
PSG College www.psgtech.edu
on many committees, has a different with inputs from Alex M Thomas, HCU

40 careers 360 october 2009


Healthcare: The new sectoral MBA
G
rowing at an envious rate of 15 per-
cent every year, the healthcare indus-
try in India is expected to touch $40
billion by 2012. Existing healthcare
organizations are expanding by opening hos-
pitals in new service areas and new organiza-
tions are entering the domain. Consequently,
competition in the healthcare sector is on the
rise. The providers in turn need to be more
innovative in their approach and offer quality
services at competitive prices. All this necessi-
tates a specially trained cadre of professional
management graduates in healthcare.
Until recently doctors without any profes-
sional training in management were manag-
ing hospitals. Thanks to rapid corporatisa-
tion, in addition to a lot of medical graduates,
general graudates are also taking up health
care as a viable career option. With man-
power requirements in the sector projected to
be about four million by 2012, it is imperative
that new programmes come into being.
Programmes on healthcare
The specialist master’s in hosptial adminis-
tration (MHA) is a programme that prepares
professionals capable of efficiently running a
hosptial. But healthcare sector, is now much
more than hosptials and pharmaceuticals. It
includes health insurers, third party admin-
istrators, medical technology organisations,
health tourism, medical informatics, clinical
reserach and so on. Most of the jobs in the
sector would demand, in additon to sectoral
knowledge, in depth understanding of func-
tional areas such as marketing, production,
finance, branding, new business creation and
process reengineering.
A specialized programme in healthcare in
addition provides theoretical and practical
knowledge of healthcare services.
Hospital organization—operation and plan-
ning envisages:
●● Ablity to understand management prin-
ciples and practices
●● Functional elements of management, busi-
ness environment and its influence on organi-
zations in the Indian context
●● Preparing, implementing business plans
●● Developing human relationship skills
●● Branding and benchmarking
●● People management skills
Teachers’ Talk HeALTH CARE
Complementary not supplementary
An MBA or PG Diploma in healthcare is
not a replacement to an MHA. They cater to
differnt segments of the sector, and are com-
plementary to each other. Addressing issues
specific to the Indian context with exposure
to real life cases/technical know-how in the
healthcare services sector, an MBA would
give the the student an undeniable edge.
Career opportunities in Healthcare Prof. Dr. Uday Salunkhe
Management Group Director
There are bright opportunities even in the gov- Wellingkar Institute
ernment sector. The National Rural Health of Management
Mission envisages appointment of healthcare
administrators. The entire administrative
structure is turning over a new leaf wherein
the human resources departments are on a
spree of hiring individuals between the age
of 28-32 at middle-level posts to inject the
much-needed innovation, energy and vigour
in their organization.
It is not only hospitals which require manage-
ment professionals. A whole lot of specialisa-
tions exist in the following sectors:
●● Lifestyle clinics
●● Emergency medicine units
●● Pharmaceutical firms
●● Hospital information systems
●● E-health ventures
●● Credit rating firms
●● NGOs and health insurance
●● Specialised hospital administration
Grading of healthcare institutions is another
area with a lot of excitement and challenges In the
for healthcare managers and they can learn
newer concepts here. Rating agencies like healthcare
CRISIL and ICRA have absorbed many
freshers in the recent past as healthcare con-
sector manpower
sultants. requirement
With the sector growing at a healthy 15%
per annum, and with nearly 100 billion worth is projected to
of investments planned in the coming years,
healthcare sector is definitely looking up.
be about four
Options are plenty and the work is exciting. million by
So identify your interest area, select an appro-
priate course and work hard at getting the 2012 and it is
right qualifications. A good institution makes
the package better. But remember, unlike the imperative that
other sectors here neither the topline nor the new programmes
bottomline matters as much as the crucial
element, lifeline. come into being
41 careers 360 october 2009
Feature Making the most of your college
College advice, from people w
Eight acclaimed professors tell you how to make the most of the years you spend
GO THE WRONG WAY
It’s easy to think that college classes are
mainly about preparing you for a job.
But remember: This may be the one
time in your life when you have a chance
to think about the whole of your life, not
just your job. Courses in the humanities,
in particular, often seem impractical,
but they are vital, because they stretch
your imagination and challenge your
mind to become more responsive, more
critical, bigger. You need resources to
prevent your mind from becoming nar-
rower and more routinized in later life.
This is your chance to get them.
Martha Nussbaum
A professor of philosophy, law and divinity at
the University of Chicago, who has been
teaching since 1975
The hunt for a good
teacher
I would give entering freshmen two
pieces of advice. First, find out who the
good teachers are. Ask your adviser, poll
older students, search the Internet, and
consult the teacher-evaluation guides
available at most colleges (as a profes-
sor, I am against those guides; too often
they are the vehicles of petty grievances
put forward by people who have no long-
term stake in the enterprise. But if I
were a student, I would take advantage
of them).
To some extent, your options will be
limited by distribution requirements (in
colleges that still have them) and sched-
uling. But within these limits, you should
do everything you can to get a seat in the
class of a professor known for both his
or her knowledge of the material and the
ability to make it a window on the larger
universe. Years later you may not be
able to recall the details of lectures and
discussions, but the benefits of being in
the company of a challenging mind will
be yours forever.
Second, I would advise students to
take a composition course even if they
have tested out of it. I have taught many
students whose SAT scores exempted
them from the writing requirement,
but a disheartening number of them
couldn’t write, and an equal number
had never been asked to. They man-
aged to get through high school without
learning how to write a clean English
sentence, and if you can’t do that you
can’t do anything.
I give this advice with some trepida-
tion because too many writing courses
today teach everything but the craft of
writing and are instead the vehicles
of the instructor’s social and politi-
cal obsessions. In the face of what I
consider a dereliction of pedagogical
duty, I can say only, “Buyer, beware.” If
your writing instructor isn’t teaching
writing, get out of that class and find
someone who is.
Stanley Fish
A professor of law at Florida International
University and a contributing columnist to The
New York Times, who has been teaching since 1962
Seek out the most intellectually adventurous of
your fellow students to enrich your experience
GET LOST, IN BOOKS be Emerson, Thoreau, Melville, Walt
More than ever in this time of economic Whitman, Emily Dickinson, Hawthorne;
troubles and societal change, enter- and in the 20th century, Faulkner and
ing upon an undergraduate education the major poets: Robert Frost, Wallace
should be a voyage away from visual Stevens, T.S. Eliot, Hart Crane.
overstimulation into deep, sustained Many of these authors are difficult
reading of what is most worth absorb- and demand rereading, but that doubles
ing and understanding: the books that their value. A freshman may have read
survive all ideological fashions. Shakespeare before, but the richest and
There is general agreement on the most available of all writers is also the
indispensable canon: Homer, Plato, most profound and elliptical. Rereading
the Bible, Virgil, Dante, Chaucer, Cer- “Hamlet” and “King Lear” should teach
vantes, Shakespeare, Montaigne, Mil- a student Shakespeare’s mastery of the
ton. From the 19th century until now, art of leaving things out.
keeping only to English and American To think well you must rely, in part,
authors, a slightly more arbitrary selec- upon memory, and possessing Shake-
tion might include Blake, Wordsworth, speare and Joyce, Montaigne and Whit-
Austen, Dickens, George Eliot, Hardy, man means that you can recall much of
Yeats and Joyce in England and Ireland. the best that has been written.
Among the Americans would certainly Whatever our current travails, we
42 careers 360 october 2009
ho have been there for a while
in college. From politics to picking the right teacher, it is all there up for grabs
signed up to take. A week spent trying to
figure out why the person you thought
was your math teacher keeps talking
about Renaissance art is a wasted week
– for both of you.
During class, do not: a) beat out a
cadence on your desk while the teacher
is lecturing; b) sigh audibly more than
three or four times during a class period;
c) check your watch more than twice
during the hour. Do: a) practice a look
of genuine interest in the lecture or dis-
cussion; b) nod in agreement frequently;
c) laugh at all (or at least most) of the
professor’s jokes.
Do ask questions if you don’t under-
stand the professor’s point. Do not, how-
ever, ask any of the following: “Will this
be on the test?” “Does grammar count?”
Photos: Rajesh Thakur/Outlook Group
“Do we have to read the whole chapter?”
“Can I turn in my paper late?” Finally,
ignore the looks of scorn and amuse-
ment on the faces of the upperclassmen
and women; remember that next year
you will be able to laugh at the mistakes
and confusion of a new freshman class.
now have a literate president capable of Carol Berkin
A professor of history at Baruch College and the
coherent discourse, but too many other author of the forthcoming “Civil War Wives,” who
politicians are devoid of syntax and has been teaching since 1972
appear to have read nothing. Aggressive
ignorance in aspirants to high office is
another dismal consequence of the wan-
ing of authentic education. PLAY POLITICS
1. Play to your strengths. Do not make
Harold Bloom random choices from a bewildering
A professor of English at Yale and the author of
the forthcoming “Living Labyrinth: Literature and
range of subjects for study. So far as you
Influence,” who has been teaching since 1955 can, choose courses and write papers
on topics where you already have (or
think you will have) some interest, some
knowledge, some enthusiasm. Do not
DON’T ALIENATE YOUR fear that this will narrow you. The deep-
PROFESSOR er you go into one thing, the more it con-
Having survived the teenage years of nects you with other things.
two children, I know how foolhardy it is 2. Learn to write well. Most incoming
to offer advice to 18-year-olds. But, after college students, even the bright ones, do
more than three decades of teaching, I not do it, and it hampers them in courses
do have a few tips for college freshmen and in later life. Read what you write
everywhere: to a friend, and ask the friend to read it
Make sure you are in the class you back to you. Lack of clarity, coherence or
43 careers 360 october 2009
shape will leap out at you.
3. Read, read, read. Students ask me
how to become a writer, and I ask them
who is their favorite author. If they have
none, they have no love of words.
4. Seek out the most intellectually
adventurous of your fellow students.
Some are shy around “brains,” but you
have proximity to young minds as they
are developing. That is a great opportu-
nity. Take it.
5. Do not fear political activism. I
was once at an event where a student
asked Jimmy Carter how he, formerly
the guardian of American law, felt years
earlier when his freshman daughter was
arrested at a protest against apartheid.
He answered: “I cannot tell you how
proud I was. If you young people cannot
express your conscience now, when will
you? Later you will have duties, jobs,
families that make that harder. You will
never be freer than now.” Also, among
the activists, you are more likely to meet
the intellectually adventurous people
mentioned in the last item.
Garry wills,
A professor emeritus of history at Northwestern
University, who has been teaching since 1962
MY CRUSH ON DNA
Fall in love! Not with that attractive
person sitting three rows in front of you
in calculus class, but with an intellectual
vision of the future you probably can’t
even imagine at the moment. A mil-
lennium or so ago I entered Harvard
wanting to major in math. But in my
junior year I heard a biology lecture by
James D. Watson, the scientist who co-
discovered the double-helical structure
of DNA, the molecule that genes are
made of. By the end of that lecture I was
a goner – in love with DNA. Until then
I had not known that a new science,
called molecular biology and based on
DNA, had already begun to unravel the
secret of life.
Feature Making the most of your college
Listening to Watson’s lecture, I could
even imagine that molecular biologists
might one day answer all the important
questions I had about humans: How do
you make a hand? Why do I look like
my mother? How does a cell become
cancerous? What is memory? I stag-
gered breathlessly out of that classroom
and started down the long, unpredict-
able path to becoming a professor of
molecular biology at MIT. What I have
learned is that passion, along with curi-
osity, drives science. Passion is the mys-
terious force behind nearly every scien-
tific breakthrough. Perhaps it’s because
without it you might never be able to
tolerate the huge amount of hard work
and frustration that scientific discovery
entails. But if you have it, you’re in luck.
Today, 45 years after Watson’s lecture,
new discoveries in biology still take my
breath away.
For the next four years you will get to
poke around the corridors of your col-
lege, listen to any lecture you choose,
work in a lab. The field of science you
fall in love with may be so new it doesn’t
even have a name yet. You may be the
person who constructs a new biological
species, or figures out how to stop global
warming, or aging. Maybe you’ll discover
life on another planet. My advice to you
is this: Don’t settle for anything less.
Nancy hopkins
A professor of biology at MIT, who has been
teaching since 1973
OFF-CAMPUS LIFE
Try to read a good newspaper every
day – at bedtime or at breakfast or when
you take a break in the afternoon. If
you are interested in art, literature or
music, widen your horizons by poring
over the science section. In the mood
for spicy scandals? Read the business
pages. Want to impress your poli-sci
prof ? Read columnists.
The newspaper will be your path to
the world at large. At Williams College,
where I was a student in the 1930s, we
read the alarming reports in The New
York Times about Germany’s brutal
onslaught against peaceful nations. In
the spring of 1938, we burned Hitler in
effigy – and made Page 11 of The Times!
In June 1940, as France fell to Nazi
college classes are not just about preparing
you for a job, it gives you a perspective on life
troops, hundreds of graduating seniors
urged compulsory military training,
and provided another Williams story
to the paper.
In addition, a great newspaper will
teach you how to write: Most articles are
models of clarity and substance – with
no academic jargon! Pay attention to the
writer’s vocabulary, see how many active
verbs are used, file away striking new
words for future use. Study how articles
are structured – how the first paragraph
tells the reader simply and clearly the
subject and main points. Take a look at
the last paragraph; it will often show you
how to conclude an essay with a pithy
phrase or a telling quotation.
A great newspaper will help you in the
classroom – and it will be your conduit
to the real world outside the classroom.
Become addicted.
Another way to stay connected with
the real world: Get to know your teach-
ers outside of class. Chat and engage
with them, perhaps on the walk away
from class. Ask them not only about
the course work but also about their
own intellectual interests and research.
Equally important to maintaining that
lifeline to the universe beyond college is
getting to know the janitors and house-
keepers in your dorm, the security staff
on the campus, the people who work
in the cafeteria. Talk to them, ask them
questions, and thank them.
James MacGregor Burns
A professor emeritus of government at Williams
College and the author, most recently, of “Packing
the Court,” who has been teaching since 1947
44 careers 360 october 2009
CHANGE COURSE
The first thing freshmen should know is
that college is never what one expects.
The summer of 1950, before I went to
Cornell, I was working as a bellhop at
a hotel in the Adirondacks. One day the
mail brought me a Cornell course cata-
log. Reading it between carrying guests’
bags was for me like reading the menu of
a good restaurant would be for a starv-
ing man. The philosophy and humani-
ties departments had classes that I was
sure would make me wise. The phys-
ics department had courses given by
famous physicists. The mathematics
department offered a course on Hilbert
space. Who knew that there were differ-
ent kinds of space?
It didn’t work out quite as I had antici-
pated. I didn’t know enough to partici-
pate in the exciting physics research
that was going on at Cornell. I took Ger-
man, in which the main thing I learned
was that I have no head for foreign lan-
guages. My courses in philosophy left
me puzzled about how ideas of Plato
and Descartes that seemed to me absurd
could have been so influential. I did not
become wise.
But I did graduate, and took away
with me memories of several inspiring
professors, of walks with friends under
beautiful old elms, and of hours spent
reading in the music room of the student
union. I discovered that I loved cham-
ber music and history and Shakespeare.
I married my college sweetheart. And
I did learn about Hilbert space.
Steven Weinberg
A professor of physics at the University of Texas at
Austin, who has been teaching since 1958
-NYT
 Cover Story Foreign Education

The journey
of a lifetime

Corbis
 At least a lakh of students go aboard to acquire a degree every year.
Some do so to gain knowledge, many for a job and yet others to settle there
By Sumita Vaid Dixit
S
tarting September students and their parents begin
to crowd airport terminals. As parents wave good-
bye, they wonder what awaits their children in an
unknown land, whether they would cope well and
when they would see them again.
But it’s also a sigh of relief as applying and getting admis-
sion in a foreign university is a long drawn affair. The first leg
of the journey starts 12 to 16 months before. Trips are made
to university for transcripts, recommendation letters, to the
bank for education loan, to coaching institutes, while parents
arrange for funds by either breaking their FD, selling land or
mortgaging property.
Since the colonial days we have looked to the western
world for enlightenment. But now when there are more than
370 universities in the country, students still continue to go
abroad. There are reasons for this. First, high quality institu-
tions are fewer in number. Hence, many students fail to enter
institutes of their choice, or miss getting the course of their
choice as competition is intense and seats are few. Then, of
late, a large number of private Indian institutes have started
charging international fees. In the same fee, or with a bit more,
a student can study in a good foreign university. And the last,
of course, is the opportunity to settle abroad.
Over the years, because of economy and migration laws,
foreign education has got split into higher education and
permanent residency (PR) markets. The USA and the UK are
primary markets for higher education; Australia, New Zealand
and Canada are the popular immigration markets. As there’s
shortage of skilled manpower in these countries, it’s easier for
Asians to join their workforce.
This has led to a PR racket where local agents, for huge sums,
get Indian students enrolled in third-rate vocational institutes
abroad. The issue was recently brought to light by the racial
attacks on Indian students in Australia. And let’s face it, after
USA 50
UK 54
Australia 60
Canada 66
France 68
Germany 70
taking staggering study loans, you do think of working in that
country, earning in that currency so that you can pay back
the loan.
But just keep in mind that not all foreign universities are
good. Go through university ranking on US News, Times
Higher Education or the Guardian. This will give you an idea
of the better ones. And always find out about the university’s
credentials from its website or the educational counsellor. We
have provided a list of accrediting agencies for your reference.
Sourcing information from reliable sources is crucial, as both
money and life can be at stake.
As for competitive exams for admissions, they vary from
country to country. Some offer admissions on the strength of
your academic record, others ask for GRE, GMAT, TOEFL
or IELTS or proficiency in a foreign language. Universities’
websites furnish all eligibility criteria and required tests. So
look it up.
In case, you aren’t a scholarship holder, inquire about full
or partial scholarship opportunities from the university that
has offered you admission. Some have a quota of awards for
international students.
And while you are at it, ask the university for e-mail contacts
of some Indian students. They can advise you on the cost of liv-
ing, especially on accommodation. There’s home-stay, which
is living with a family; university accommodation, which is
safe and convenient but expensive and last, student flat, where
three to four students rent a flat. This is the cheapest option as
grocery bills to electric bills, all gets shared. In case, you wish
to decide on the accommodation after you arrive at the uni-
versity then book yourself in a youth hostel or a YMCA close
to the university area.
Keeping in mind what students seek while applying to foreign
universities, we bring you the best each country offers. The
selection is based on their popularity with Indian students.
72 The Netherlands
73 Switzerland
74 Italy, Norway
75 Russia
76 new Zealand
78 Singapore
79 End note
 Cover Story Foreign Education

studying abroad
To be an alumnus of the world’s best institution is a dream for any student.
To help you short-list, here are some country-wise listings
UNIVERSITY COUNTRY UNIVERSITY COUNTRY TOP INSTITUTIONS, SUBJECT-WISE
Australian National University Australia Karolinska Institute Sweden Arts & Humanities COUNTRY
University of Melbourne Australia Lund University Sweden Harvard University US
University of Sydney Australia Stockholm University Sweden University of Oxford UK
University of Vienna Austria Uppsala University Sweden University of Toronto Canada
University of Ghent Belgium ETH Zurich Switzerland Australian National University Australia
McGill University Canada University of Basel Switzerland Free University of Berlin Germany
McMaster University Canada University of Zurich Switzerland
SOCIAL SCIENCEs COUNTRY
University of British Columbia Canada Imperial College Londonww UK
Harvard University US
University of Toronto Canada University of Birmingham UK
London School of Economics UK
Aarhus University Denmark University of Bristol UK
University of British Columbia Canada
University of Copenhagen Denmark University of Cambridge UK
Australian National University Australia
University of Helsinki Finland University College London UK
National University of Singapore Singapore
École Normale Supérieure - Paris France University of Edinburgh UK
University of Paris 6 (Pierre and France University of Manchester UK NATURAL SCIENCEs COUNTRY
Marie Curie University)
University of Nottingham UK Massachusetts Institute of Tech US
University of Paris 11 France
(Paris-Sud 11 University) University of Oxford UK University of Cambridge UK

University of Strasbourg I France University of Sheffield UK University of Toronto Canada

(Louis Pasteur University) California Institute of Technology USA University of Tokyo Japan
Free University of Berlin Germany Columbia University USA ETH Zurich Switzerland
Humboldt University of Berlin Germany Cornell University USA
Technical University of Munich Germany LIFE SCIENCEs & BIOMEDICINE COUNTRY
Harvard University USA
University of Bonn Germany Harvard University US
Johns Hopkins University USA
University of Freiburg Germany University of Cambridge UK
Massachusetts Inst. of Tech. USA
University of Goettingen Germany McGill University Canada
Princeton University USA
University of Heidelberg Germany University of Tokyo Japan
Stanford University USA
University of Munich Germany National University of Singapore Singapore
U. of California, San Diego USA
Hebrew University of Jerusalem Israel U. of California, San Francisco USA ENGINEERING & IT COUNTRY
Sapienza University of Rome Italy University of USA Massachusetts Institute of Tech. US
Kyoto University Japan Illinois – Urbana Champaign
University of Cambridge UK
Nagoya University Japan University of USA
Minnesota – Twin Cities University of Tokyo Japan
Osaka University Japan
University of California, Berkeley USA University of Toronto Canada
Tohoku University Japan
University of USA National University of Singapore Singapore
Tokyo Institute of Technology Japan California, Los Angeles
Tokyo University Japan University of Chicago USA ABOUT THIS PAGE
It is based on two sources namely, The Times
University of Groningen Netherlands University of Michigan, Ann Arbor USA
Higher Education Ranking (THES) by QS Ltd
University of Leiden Netherlands University of Pennsylvania USA (2008) and the Academic Ranking of World
Universities (ARWU) by Shanghai Jiao Tong
University of Utrecht Netherlands University of Washington USA University (2008). First two columns list out
University of Oslo Norway Washington University – St. Louis USA an indicative list of the top-ranked institutions.
Best institutions in each of the broad subject
Moscow State University Russia Yale University USA disciplines has been adapted from THES.

48 careers 360 october 2009

 Cover Story Foreign Education USA

where
dreams still
come true
The land of the immigrants has always welcomed students with open arms
and the resultant synergies have made it a knowledge powerhouse

I
t is not uncommon to hear the
refrain about the United States of
America as the land of opportuni-
ties! Nearly one lakh Indian students are
studying in the United States of America.
Without any doubt the US continues to
be a country with vast higher education
opportunities for Indian students.
Shevanti Narayan, country coordina-
tor, educational advising services, Unit-
ed States-India Educational Foundation
(USIEF), says that the quality, choice,
value and flexibility are some of the
factors that make students choose USA
over any other country in the world. The
other advantage is the strict and rigor-
ous accreditation systems that ensure
outstanding facilities, resources and
faculty and perhaps this is the reason
why the country boasts of some of the
world’s top-class universities.
Customise your qualification
Vinod Sharma, an MBA from University
of Michigan, now vice-president, com-
munications of a Singapore-based com-
pany, says that the education system in
the US encourages one to think of what’s
the next big idea.
“And one has the freedom and flex-
ibility to design one’s own programme,
departments,” says Sujata Yadav, a grad-
uate student from Carnegie Mellon.
Interdisciplinary programmes
are catching on
Engineering, Business and Manage-
ment, continue to be the top fields of
study. Other popular fields of study
include Life Sciences, Computer Sci-
ence, Economics, and Health Sciences.
In recent years, there has been a chang-
ing trend with a growing demand for
career-oriented fields such as Environ-
mental Science/Studies, Biotechnol-
ogy, Media and Communication, Art
and Design studies and Law, both at the
undergraduate and graduate level.
But today, Indian students want to
keep their options open so as to switch
from one field to another easily. Students
No. of Indian students in the US
Year Number
2007 — 08 94,563
2006 — 07 83,833
2005 — 06 76,503
2004 — 05 80,466
2003 — 04 79,736
* As a percentage of total no. of foreign students in the US
are choosing interdisciplinary pro-
grammes such as Healthcare with man-
agement, Law with MBA, or MBA with
Public Health.
Preparing for America
A good time to start preparing for the
applications is 18 months before appli-
cation deadline. Therefore, for October
till January deadlines start preparing a
year before in April.
While there are websites such as www.
education.state.gov that help you pre-
pare for a life in America, the USIEF
guides students at every stage of their
application process and facilitates inter-
active sessions with a diverse panel of
resource persons.
Beware of fraud consultants
Shevanti Narayan also puts in a word
of caution that young students should
be wary of small-time education consul-
Percentage* tants. USIEF is part of EducationUSA,
15.2% a global network of more than 450 advis-
14.4%
ing centres supported by the Bureau
of Educational and Cultural Affairs at
13.5%
the US Department of State and there-
14.2% fore “a reliable source of accurate, unbi-
13.9% ased, comprehensive, objective and
timely information about educational

(
collaborate and network with other institutions in the US.”

“Rigorous accreditation systems ensure outstanding

facilities, resources and faculty in most of the institutions”
50 careers 360 october 2009
International students services
While Saranpreet Kaur was prepar-
ing herself for America after obtain-
ing admission at University of Tampa
(Florida), she wrote to the university’s
international students’ services seeking
advice on what to carry, books, weather,
medicine. “And I had made friends with
quite a few even before reaching there!”
TOEFL, IELTS, SAT, GRE and
GMAT are some of the entrance tests
you need to clear. But quite a few colleg-
es are dropping the SAT requirements
for undergraduate students. Also, many
business schools have begun to accept
GRE scores in lieu of GMAT score.
You can work, only on campus
The student visa does not allow students
to work except for very limited hours on
campus. Students are allowed to work
20 hours a week. The minimum wage
is between $ 7-8 an hour which isn’t
enough to manage living expenses, as
the cost of living is anywhere between
$10,000-30,000 a year, approximately
$ 840 – 2,500 a month. However, places
such as Texas, Ohio, Georgia, Iowa are
Education avenues are vast in the US for
Popular among Indian students engineering, business and management
Field of Study Percent
where the practical training employ-
Business and Management 20
ment is considered to be an integral
Engineering 17 part of the curriculum or academic pro-
Physical and Life Sciences 9 gramme. According to the immigration
Social Sciences 9 regulations, this employment may be an
internship, cooperative education job, or
Mathematics & Computer Sc. 8
any other work experience that is either
Fine & Applied Arts 6 required for the degree (as defined in the
Health Professions 5 course catalogue) or for which academic
Intensive English Language 5 credit is awarded.
Education 3
Financial aid for Master’s and
Humanities 3 Doctoral programmes
Agriculture 2 In general, financial aid opportunities
Source: USIEF India
are more for Doctoral and Master’s pro-
grammes than undergraduate programs.
These could be in the form of teaching or
comparatively cheaper places to live in. research assistantships, graduate assis-
But you cannot work off campus unlike tantships, fellowships, tuition waivers
in other countries such as the UK, Cana- and internships.
da and Australia. But there is a provision But there’s tough competition for
for Curricular Practical Training (CPT) all types of financial aid. The student
for some students. should request financial aid information
CPT is an employment option avail- from the university at the initial stage
able to F-1 students (academic students) of the application. One has to read very
51 careers 360 october 2009
 Cover Story Foreign Education USA

Visa Guidelines
INDIAN STUDENTS IN US STATES AND POPULAR INSTITUTIONS
STEP 1 State No. of Indian students Institutes popular with foreign students
Pay Application and VFS Fees (Visa fee:
Rs. 6,550 ($131 @ Rs.50 each) + Service California 8,299 University of Southern California, Los Angeles
Charge: Rs. 374/- Total Rs. 6924) at designat-
Texas 7,637 University of Texas at Austin
ed HDFC Bank. List of banks can be found at
https://www.vfs-usa.co.in/ApplnForms/ New York 7,234 New York University; Columbia
HDFC/HDFCAddressList.aspx
Illinois 5,906 University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
STEP 2
Pay the $200 SEVIS fee (www.fmjfee.com). Pennsylvania 4,504 University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
Students are required to complete Form I-901
Ohio 3,906 Ohio State University, Columbus
before paying the fee.
STEP 3 Massachusetts 3,327 Harvard University, Cambridge
Schedule an appointment and complete appli- Michigan 3,227 University of Michigan at Ann Arbor
cation forms at http://www.vfs-usa.co.in. Click
on ‘Apply for a new Non-Immigrant Visa’. Follow New Jersey 2,619 Rutgers, State of NJ - New Brunswick
the process and enter Barcode Sticker Code
on visa receipt when asked. After successfully Indiana 2,592 Purdue University, West Lafayette
logging in four items are visible, complete
them and take out the prints of the following: Source: Institute of International Education (IIE) and inputs from USIEF
1) DS-156 2) DS-157 3) DS-158 4) SEVIS
Information
STEP 4
Appear for your interview at the appointed day
and time. Scholarships
Bring the printed Appointment Letter, the Visa Flagship Scholarship Award/Key Benefits Remarks
Application Forms (DS 156, DS 157, DS 158 and
I-20), the SEVIS payment receipt, one recent Fulbright-Nehru J-1 visa support; round-trip For Master’s program in the area of
photograph, and the original HDFC Bank Fee Fellowships for airfare from fellow’s home city Business Administration, Communi-
Receipt & barcode stickers. Leadership Development and related costs; accident and cation Studies, Economics, Environ-
STEP 5 www.usief.org.in sickness coverage ment and Public Administration
VFS courier delivers Visa if approved! Fulbright-Nehru Doc- Monthly stipend, round trip PhD scholars in various disciplines in
toral and Professional air fare, applicable allowances, India willing to conduct research and
Research Fellowship accident and sickness coverage gain practical work experience in US

carefully the instructions and informa- Source: USEIF

tion related to financial aid. The student
has to make it clear to the university
that he/she is applying for financial aid
while filling out the application forms
for admission. The criteria for select-
ing applicants for the different forms of
financial aid vary.
Many US universities offer partial to
full funding to outstanding undergradu-
ate students. Need-based scholarships,
merit-based scholarships and sports
scholarships would be some of the
options for undergraduate students.
Employment opportunities
Students completing degree pro-
grammes can go for Optional Practical
Training (OPT) for 12 months. OPT has
been increased from 12 to 29 months for
qualified F-1 non-immigrant students
in the field of science, technology, engi-
neering, or mathematics. But if you are
a history student then chances of getting
an OPT are few. And, of course, there’s
no denying that companies across the
globe recognise a US college degree.
“Students can take up a job in any coun-
try of one’s choice,” says Narayan.
Still a land of opportunities?
There’s a noticeable change in the
employment pattern of Indian students,
says Narayan. “Now Indian students
aren’t that keen to stay back, they want
to come home. The standard of living
in India is comparable to any western
country.” Besides, there are plenty of
jobs options in India and the country has
not been hit as severely as the others by
the meltdown.
Also, this year it appears from media
reports that recession has affected stu-
dent applications. While last academic
year (2007-08), 35,000 student visas
were issued, according to the Council
of Graduate School report there has
been a 12 percent drop in the number of
applications. Though the figures for aca-
demic year October 2008-09 are yet to
be published, Narayan is quick to point
out that USIEF is still getting a lot of
queries. “This drop could also mean that
students are applying to fewer universi-
ties to save money, while earlier they
were applying to 6 or 8 universities.”
Student visa application
The university sends you an official Cer-
tificate of Eligibility which is form I-20
for the F-1 student visa and J-1 visa for
exchange students.
Visas can be issued up to 120 days
before the scheduled date of departure.
In order to make sure that you have your
visa before the first day of class, apply
as soon as possible and provide enough
lead time to wait for processing, as well
as interview.
Preparing for the Visa interview
The interview time is usually two to
three minutes. That’s all the time you
get to make an impression. But the idea
is not to make an impression, just relax

52 careers 360 october 2009

 “Never hesitate in
asking questions from
the teachers, or inter-
rupting them; the point
is that you are going
there to study”
Sheventi
Narayan
Country Coordi-
nator, educational
advising services,
USIEF
and be truthful. You could be asked what
you had for breakfast that day, smile and
say parantha, if you have had them. It’s
just to strike a conversation with you.
Of course, they will ask you why you
are going to the US, why you have opted
for a certain university and not the oth-
ers. They might even ask you a little bit
about the course you are planning to
pursue. They may ask if you plan to work
in the US after completion of a degree.
Be truthful and say that at the moment
there are no plans; that you plan to come
back to your country, however, if you do
get a good offer, you would like to work,
gain experience and come back.
An applicant might be further inves-
tigated in the case of certain courses
such as Biosciences and Robotics.
“The nature of the course is such that
officers do want to verify applicants are
genuine cases.”
Medical check and insurance
The medical examination is to be done
before you leave. A general medical
report including Manto, Hepatitis and
MMR are required. However, an HIV
test is not required
Most of the universities include insur-
ance in the total tuition fees as it is
compulsory to have a health insurance;
however, some universities do not offer
this. So, it is advisable to buy medical
insurance from India as it is three-times
costlier in the US. For example, ICI-
CI-Lombard offers a student medical
insurance policy to Indian students that
covers all medical and dental problems.
Remember, if you do not take a medical
First Person MAYAnk GARG
My journey to UCLA
Life as a student, especially in a developed nation, is a
different ball game, but enjoyable says this budding lawyer
W
hen I left India, I didn’t have always like a conversation in class.
any place to stay in the US. And let me make it clear, it’s impos-
In the flight, I travelled with sible to pass here without reading. If
an elderly Indian. He was probably you miss a day’s reading you will not
my dad’s age. For some reason we understand anything in class. I am
didn’t talk until an hour before we saying this because throughout my
were going to land in Los Angles. To LLB in India, I didn’t read anything
my surprise, he told me he has stayed during the semester, always studied
in LA for thirty years, before the exams and
and upon finding yet passed. But it
out I had no place to “Actually, they can’t happen here.
stay, he offered me By the way every
his place. I stayed
don’t teach here. Thursday, we have
there for four days! It’s always like a party in different
I was touched by his
hospitality. He got
a conversation nightclubs of Los
Angeles, which is
me an accommo- in class ” officially mentioned
dation, even a tele- on the notice board
phone connection! of our Law School,
I was nervous on the orientation exclusively for Law students of
day, wondering whether I would be UCLA. Isn’t it wonderful? There’s
able to adjust or not, whether I would always something or the other to do
make friends or not. I was 10 minutes here, starting from studying, partying
late! But the week-long orientation to washing utensils or doing laundry.
was great fun. In the end, I would say, it can never
My first day of class and I realised be easy for an Indian to adjust here
Americans teach differently. I have because in India there’s always some-
graduated from a good law school one to do your job. Here you have to
in India, but I was never exposed to do everything yourself!
such interactive methods of teaching. Mayank studies LLM at University of
Actually, they don’t teach here. It’s California, Los Angeles
insurance, no doctor or dentist in the US students and researchers have been
will entertain you. caught plagiarizing. This puts us in a
bad light. As part of the pre-departure
When you arrive in the US… session, USIEF warns Indian students
Don’t get nervous. Yes, people are differ- on the consequences and the unethi-
ent, it’s a different country, but keep your cal aspects of plagiarism. “Students are
cool. Just make sure that you have all under the impression that they can get
your documents when your turn comes away with it, as it’s easy to get away with
to see the immigration officer. And don’t many things in India.”
forget to make eye contact. And remember: never hesitate in ask-
ing questions from the teachers, or inter-
Last word of advice rupting them, they would not mind. The
Plagiarism is beginning to become point is that you are going there to study,
an issue. Unfortunately many Indian and that should be the goal.
53 careers 360 october 2009
 Cover Story Foreign Education
multicultural
experience
With chicken tikka being Britain’s national dish, immigration issues not
withstanding, few other countries could match the welcome it provides
O
xford and Cambridge are
synonymous with foreign
education for thousands of
Indians. Despite the USA
taking over as the number one choice, for
the 31,000 Indian students who went to
the UK last year, an English education in
law, sciences and management still holds
its allure.
Just one-year degree
A big advantage of studying in the UK
has always been the one-year Master’s
programme, says Sally Goggin, director,
education, British Council India and Sri
Lanka. In other counties such as the US
and Germany a Master’s degree takes
at least two years. But in the UK, you
can finish your Master’s programme in
a year’s time and there are options of
doing a Master’s programme in combi-
nation with a PhD which saves an addi-
tional year, points out a student from
Bristol University.
The assurance that the UK degree will
get students a job anywhere, the quality
of teaching, and of course, a multicul-
tural society are the other reasons why
Indian students still continue to come to
the UK. The possibility of working there
for a year, at least when you study cut-
ting edge subjects, is another attraction.
Making education affordable
High tuition fee and cost of living have
deterred many students from applying to
the UK and incentives of partial scholar-
ships and part-time work opportunities
“In the near future, the centre of gravity would shift from
general academic courses to vocation-oriented courses”
Popular among Indian students
universities
The University of Nottingham
The University of Manchester
University of Leeds
The University of Warwick
Cardiff University
University of Strathclyde
The University of Sheffield
University of Greenwich
City University London
Lancaster University
Source: HESA Student Record
in American and Australian universities
have had more students applying to these
countries. For example, Shikha Kapoor
preferred going to the US as chances
of getting campus jobs and assistant-
ships were better and this helped her pay
part of her tuition fee. Shashank Shekar
Tiwari, who is pursuing a PhD in Leeds
as a Welcome Trust Fellow, counters.
“Next to USA, the largest number of
fellowships, especially for India, is in
the UK. One has to move beyond the
Chevening and Commonwealth pro-
gramme and look at different trusts and
college-level bursaries.”
The UK is making education attractive
to international students by reviewing
the fee structure.
54 careers 360 october 2009
UK
Finding merit in vocation
Experts argue that there’s going to be
a shift in the education structure in
the coming years. The focus will shift
from general academic courses to voca-
tion-oriented courses. At the moment,
there’s a clear divide between academic
education and vocational training, but
that might change says Goggin. “More
and more academic courses will have a
vocational perspective.”
The reason is that the future workforce
is going to come from vocational colleg-
es and not from the top 10 universities.
A Chennai-based education counsellor
says it is unfortunate that many students
studying at the best of the universities
have no clue of the kind of job they
want after completion of study; it is good
enough that they are studying in good
universities. But when they graduate,
often little of what they have studied
helps them find a job. Though there are
examples of degree courses with voca-
tional use such as retail or nutrition,
there ought to be more of these.
Borderless education
In fact, quite a few UK-based vocational
colleges and universities are partner-
ing Indian institutes to give that for-
eign experience and a global perspec-
tive. Under the UK-India Education
Research Initiative (UKIERI), there
have been tie-ups between Indian insti-
tutes and colleges in the UK in area
(
of financial and creative industries. For

Exciting prospects of valuable qualification with an emphasis on specialised courses await you there
example, the Indian Institute of Foreign
Trade (IIFT) has tied up with universi-
ties such as Newcastle and Leeds Metro-
politan. But Anup Arora, who’s keen on
studying in one these colleges, wonders
if Indian employers are familiar with
the names of these institutes, and the
advantages of such tie-ups. “You will be
surprised that many Indian businesses
are aware of the partnerships with the
UK,” says Goggin. But students should
be aware that under the Indian legisla-
tion the degree that is offered by the
India-based foreign universities is a sin-
gle degree and recognised. However, if
the student travels to the main campus
of the foreign university to finish part
of the degree that is being offered at the
India-based campus, then the student
gets a joint degree, one from the UK and
another from India.
Working part-time is easy
Living in London, one of the most expen-
sive cities, in the world is costly. The
cost of living, including rent, in London
55 careers 360 october 2009
first person Rohini Chopra
MSc, Management
Psychology,
University of
Nottingham
It taught
me to be
independent
M y first impression through the
bus ride from London to the
countryside was that the UK was
a melting pot of all cultures! You
know, it’s what you learn outside
the class that really makes you see
things differently. I agree there’s no
place like home, but living in the UK
teaches one to be independent.
My professor, Prof. John Rich-
ards, weaned me off the spoon-
feeding style of being taught back
home; I learnt to be an independent
researcher. If you have an open mind
there will be no disappointments;
it’s all about the mindset. Don’t
be afraid of what you don’t know.
There are so many students who
are lucky enough to go to universi-
ties abroad. Enjoy your experience,
and remember what happens in Uni
stays in Uni! :)
Since UK is expensive budgeting is
important. Pool in your grocery bill
with your flatmates; learn to cook as
eating out is a tad expensive. But yes,
you end up spending a lot in the first
month of arrival, so it’s okay.
And remember LONDON is not
England, there is so much more
to see: Edinburgh, Lake District,
Stonehenge, Oxford and of course,
the Cadbury Chocolate factory in
Birmingham! There are so many
things to do and there really is some-
thing for everyone.
I think I have matured as a per-
son with my experience of studying
abroad, my parents can see that too.
 Cover Story Foreign Education UK

Visa Guidelines
Your visa letter from the university
Any documents such as academic certifi-
cates that are listed on that visa letter;
An ATAS certificate, if this is required for
your course (this will be indicated on the
visa letter)
Your bank statements, letter of official
financial sponsorship or confirmation of an
official loan
You must be able to provide evidence that
you have sufficient funds, in addition to
your tuition fees, to live in the UK
Applicants now have to show that they
have the required funds available at the
time of application, and not the previous
28-day period
You must also be able to prove that the
money has been in an account in your
name before you submit your application

Carry an umbrella
UK’s weather is as unpredictable as
River Thames flows through London, giving an old world charm to the bustling education destination
its national sport. When you do go for
these walks in the lovely countryside
Scholarships or Piccadilly Circus (London) carry an
Flagship Scholarship Award/Key Benefits Remarks umbrella! One minute there’s sunshine,
Commonwealth University fees, travel, books, Indian passport holders willing to
the next rain! And when it rains, it rains
Scholarships apparatus, travel, personal pursue postgraduation, PhD in any on and on.
www.education.nic.in maintenance university/ institution in the UK
Chevening Scholarship Airfare, tuition fee and living Economic governance, sustainable Visa application
www.britishcouncil. expenses for most fellowships development, finance, public adminis- From March 2008 the immigration
org.in tration, science & innovation
office has changed the visa application
Source: Ministry of HRD, Govt. of India and British Council, New Delhi
process. Now there’s a point system
and those wanting to apply for student
visa fall under the Tier 4 category. Now,
would be £900 and in places farther Chicken tikka in the UK the university that accepts your admis-
from London, between £500-600. But Parents don’t have to worry about food sion offers you a visa letter upon pay-
it has come down in times of a global in the UK. It’s a country whose national ment of the course fee. And only those
meltdown, says Goggin. dish is chicken tikka masala and samosas universities that have been given the
One of the reasons for the renewed are sold in local stores. The streets are licence can issue a visa letter. This helps
interest in the UK has been the oppor- dotted with Indian restaurants run by in ruling out the possibility of students
tunity for part-time work, which wasn’t Bangladeshis, Indians, and Sri Lankans. being duped by unaccredited colleges.
the case earlier. The advantage foreign Spices, pickles, papads or papadoms, Based on this letter and a bank state-
students have in the UK is that they can masala, dals and basmati rice, every- ment the Embassy issues a visa. Along
work both on and off campus, unlike thing is available in local stores. with this you need to give a general
the USA where students are allowed to But you can easily budget by buy- medical report from any of the recog-
work only on campus. ing fresh vegetables from the farmer’s nised medical institutes in India and a
In the UK, students are allowed to market – their vegetables are usually chest x-ray for Tuberculosis. No test is
work 20 hours a week, however, one cheaper compared to grocery stores – required for HIV.
should keep in mind the commitments and cook for the entire week on a Sat- The visa for undergraduate students
or demands the course makes on you urday or a Sunday, store the food in the is 3 years with 4 months of extension
cautions Goggin. The minimum wage freezer, take out small portions each day, after which the student has to return
has gone up to £5.80. Usually students heat and eat it. And on days you feel like to India. In case of postgraduates, it
do get jobs that pay £6-8 an hour. There- jelbis, and live away from London, then is one year plus an extension of a few
fore, a student can earn between £480 take a tour of Southall. London or other months. However, students can apply
to 650 a month, which is decent enough cities in the UK are best explored and for the post-study work visa, which is for
to take care of monthly expenses. enjoyed on foot. 2 years, towards the end of the degree.

56 careers 360 october 2009

 Cover Story Foreign Education UK

“Transnational By Invitation kanika tandon

education is changing.
Now you can do a
course partly in India
Bogus degree mills beware!
T
and partly in UK” he idea of a foreign degree non-recognised institutions but con-
might be alluring for all its sulting the Recognised bodies and
understandable charms, but Listed bodies list provides official
along with it lurks the danger of fall- information about the status of the
Sally Goggin,
ing into the trap of fake universities Higher Education providers abroad
director,
education, British and colleges. ‘Degree mills’ or the as well. In the case of collabora-
Council India and bogus, unaccredited higher education tive provision at postgraduate level,
SriLanka institutions. In 2008, the BBC had students are advised to contact the
uncovered the scam of the thriving awarding body for the degree for
Irish International University (IIU) information and advice,” says another
These are for the highly-skilled, such as offering ‘worthless’ degrees, making government official.
lawyers, doctors and engineers. some 5,000 students US-based Council
For more information on visa go to its victims during the for Higher Education
www.ukvisas.gov.uk/en/howtoapply/ course of seven long Hall of fakes Accreditation recent-
infs/inf29pbsstudent or www.ukba. years before getting Irish International University (IIU), ly released a report
homeoffice.gov.uk/studyingintheuk/ exposed by the media. American University of London called Toward Effec-
The fake university London College of Technology tive Practice: Discour-
Paying course fee up-front had used the Oxford European College of Medicine, UK aging Degree Mills in
Now international students have to pay and Cambridge facil- Canterbury University, UK Higher Education,
the first year fee if pursuing an under- ities to enhance its Britain College of Management which has identi-
graduate course and full fees for a post- credibility and had and Science, UK fied pointers toward
graduate degree in order to receive an a ‘highly illusional Chelsea University, UK fakes. These include
unconditional acceptance letter and the website’. Fairfax University lack of legal authority,
visa letter. And of course, students on I n t e r e s t i n g l y, Glendale University little requirement for
fellowships and full scholarships do not reports suggest that of Oxford International University attendance or course-
have to pay any fees. This may not be fair the estimated 5,000 Calvary University work, absence of
as students might not have seen the uni- higher education St. Christopher’s College of contact information
versity or even travelled to the UK. institutions thought Medicine other than telephone
Goggin agrees that while it is a risk, this to take foreign stu- Medical College of London or e-mail address,
ensures that there are fewer empty seats dents, only 2,100 Parkwood University inability to provide a
in a university. Students with offer let- applied to get their Summerset University verifiable list of aca-
ters from three universities decide only credentials verified. demic staff and their
at the very last minute and in the process Of those 2,100 appli- qualifications, and
students in the waiting list suffer as by cations, 460 were rejected. It comes as publishing false or exaggerated claims
then admissions usually close. “Thus, to no surprise then that authorities have of external quality review.
avoid this situation, we have decided to estimated 2,000 sham colleges to face The British Council offices in India
ask students to pay up before they arrive closure because of the new rules. are also a source of information and
in the UK.” Off the records, a Home Office offi- advice on UK Higher Education pro-
And in the event the student is disap- cial suggests caution about approach- viders for would be students. Amit
pointed with the university, he or she ing the institution “if you are even Chaturvedi, Head, Education UK,
has the option of going to another uni- a bit unsure about the credibility of India, says “While selecting a uni-
versity, provided the other university the institute”. There are several rea- versity, do a thorough background
is willing to offer the student a place. sons for it. Sham institutes often use research. Search for details on accred-
In that case the fee will be transferred credible sounding names, sometimes itation, teaching standards, costing
to the other university but the student very similar to well-known institu- details of the programme, degree/
will have to apply for a fresh visa, which tions. It has also been seen that these qualification awarded, any media cov-
he/she can do while being in the UK. fake institutions often claim to be erage and so on.”
Students can apply to the UK Border accredited even though they are not
Agency for another visa. However, this is on the official list of registered insti- (Kanika works with India Link
a huge risk, but then there are no returns tutions. “UK does not have a list of at Middlesex, UK)
without risks.

58 careers 360 october 2009

 Cover Story Foreign Education
Good,
but is it
safe?
One of the most popular destinations for Indians,
especially for those with immigration interests, it is
besieged with bad press. Read on for a clear picture
I
t is quite natural if parents and stu-
dents think that Australia is unsafe.
The recent spate of racial attacks
on Indian students in Australia has
exposed the ugly side of Australia’s thriv-
ing education industry—the under-reg-
ulated, lesser-known, private vocational
education and training institutes.
According to the Australian Education
International, from 14,304 students in
2003 the number of students went up
to 97,035 in 2008; of this an estimated
75 per cent are in vocational education
and training (VET). The phenomenal
rise in VET enrolments happened in
2006, when it shot up by 161 per cent
(See graph alongside)
Immigration-led education
It’s not surprising why a large number of
Indian students, go to these institutions
each year. Its relatively relaxed immi-
gration laws make Australia an attrac-
tive permanent residency (PR) desti-
nation. And vocational courses such
as hairdressing or community welfare
are students’ passport to PR. It appears
that most of these students are from
backward regions in Punjab, Rajasthan,
Gujarat for whom PR is a golden chance
to escape from a hard life in India.
But it is unfortunate that these stu-
dents then get attacked in Australia
because of the colour of their skin. Most
cases of racial abuses have been reported
from parts of Victoria and Queensland
states, popular for vocation training. It
Australia
is instructive to note that the attackers
are from poor neighbourhoods in these
states where there’s a large mixed popu-
lation; and many are of Middle Eastern
descent. As most of the Indian students
take loans to study, they take up two to
three part-time jobs to pay back the loan
The infamous four
Schools that shut down recently
Sterling College
Melbourne International College
ASBT College
Sydney’s Global college
Source: Newspaper reports
and support themselves. Many end up
working late nights, or returning home
Indian Students in Australia at a time when the streets or trains are
100 deserted, thus making themselves vul-
90 nerable to attacks.
80 Despite the fact that all Australian
70
education qualifications are under one
60
50
national system – Australian Qualifi-
40 cations Framework (AQF), shoddy
30 institutes have managed to prosper.
20 No doubt, the Australian government
10 has erred while scrutinising these insti-
0
2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 tutes. However, the Indian government
Private VET Private elicos
is equally culpable in failing to arrest the
Public Higher Education Public VET growth of fly-by-night agents who lure
Others Public elicos innocent students with PR promises.
Source: Australian Education International cited by
What’s ironical and pathetic is that the
Christopher Ziguras, Associate Professor, International vocational institutes that were recently
Studies in the School of Global Studies, RMIT, Melbourne
shut down in Australia were being run by
60 careers 360 october 2009

sydney opera house. You may not go there to
learn music but enjoy it when you study in Oz.
Indians. So be wary of unauthorised edu-
cation agents. Avoid them and approach
the Australian Education International
for any information on education and
admissions. Its centre might be far off
from your city or town, but it is worth
the effort.
All are not that bad
All vocational institutes in Australia are
not bad. Try to get into the good ones.
Do thorough checks of the institutes.
Do not enrol in suspect institutes just because you are
desperate to become a resident of Australia
Doubly check the credentials of the
institutes and please do not enrol in
suspect institutes just because you
are desperate to become a resident of
Australia. Life could be worse there.
Speak with alumni, they are a good
source of unbiased information. But
be sure to get the opinion of only those,
you know personally before hand.
Don’t go by ranking, choose one
that suits you
All Australian education institutions
that provide courses and qualification
to overseas students are registered on
61 careers 360 october 2009
Interview Kelly RAJ
Counsellor,
Education,
Australian High
Commission
“Australia
is safe”
Q. What measures are being
taken towards making Australia
safe for Indian students?
A. The Australian government has
initiated visible police operations
in both Victoria and New South
Wales, targeting railway stations
and other priority areas; increased
public safety information sessions
and briefings; enhanced community
liaison through dedicated advisory
and reference groups, and engag-
ing law enforcement officials, stu-
dents and representatives from the
Indian community to work together
to ensure that Australia is safe. A
hotline has been established for
students to raise concerns, anony-
mously if they wish.
Q. What advice would you give to
Indian students ?
A. Take the same measures you
would at home. For example, in case
of emergency, a person approaches
the police or other relevant authori-
ties; doing so will not affect his or her
visa status.
Another common feature in any
country might be to make sure that
someone knows where you are going
and at what time you are expected to
return. Try not to be out alone very
late at night. Carry with you iden-
tification and emergency contacts
numbers.
(
 Cover Story Foreign Education Australia

Popular among Indian students

universities
Australian National University
Monash University
Deakin’s University
La Trobe University
Deakin’s University

Source: Students inputs

Subject area
Management and Commerce
Food, Hospitality and Personal Services
Society and Culture
Information Technology
Engineering and related disciplines

Source: Australian Education International, Australian High

Commission in India

Australian outback is the place to go when you get holidays between studies.

Commonwealth Register of Institu- the institutions which offer the desired any work undertaken as a registered
tions for Overseas study (CRICOS) The courses in Australia, one can do a course component of their course of study or
Government does not rank universities search at www.studyinaustralia.gov.au training) and unrestricted hours during
in Australia. A student needs to select or http://cricos.dest.gov.au holiday periods. All paid, volunteer or
the institution keeping in mind various unpaid work must be within the limits.
factors. Some of the parameters one Part-time work opportunities If you have started a course at the Mas-
should consider in trying to zero in on International students coming to Austra- ter’s or Doctorate level, your depen-
the best suited university or institution lia are required to declare that they have dents may work unlimited hours. Inter-
would be the balance of practical and sufficient funds to meet their course, liv- national students often find work in
theoretical learning in the course; the ing and travel expenses for the duration retail, hospitality and administration.
qualifications and experience of the of their stay as part of their visa applica- You could expect to earn A$6-15 an
academics; the facilities offered by the tion. In addition, international student hour, depending on the kind of work
university; tuition cost and living cost visa holders are granted permission to you do and your age. You may be paid
(which will be affected by the location work up to 20 hours per week while more for working on Sundays or public
of the university). To get information on their course is in session (excluding holidays. Tutoring younger students in
the field you are studying, or in your
native language is also a good way to
Scholarships earn money. Student tutors can earn
about AUD40 an hour. “But the pri-
Flagship Scholarship Award/Key Benefits Remarks
mary purpose for going to Australia as a
Endeavour Awards Full support: AUD 4,500 as To undertake a Masters or PhD either student should be to study,” says Kelly
(Postgraduate travel allowance; AUD 4,000 by coursework or research in any field
Awards and Research as establishment allowance; of study in Australia for up to 3 years
Raj, Counsellor, Education, Australian
Fellowships) monthly stipend of AUD 2,500 High Commission.
www.endeavour.dest. and tuition fees of up to AUD
gov.au 12,500 per semester. Research Tax File Number
Fellowships do not cover tuition
fees You should obtain a Tax File Number
(TFN) from the Australian Tax Office if
Endeavour Executive Award includes AUD 5,000 as For high achievers in business, indus-
Awards travel allowance, AUD 5,000 as try, education or government from you are going to work in Australia. You
www.endeavour.dest. establishment allowance and a participating countries including India. may also need a TFN to open a bank
gov.au monthly stipend of AUD 2,500 Focuses on building skills/knowledge. account. In addition to supplying your
for 1-4 months on a pro-rata Professionals with 5/10 years of work
basis. experience need to be nominated. name, current address and date of birth,
 Source: Australian Education International, Australian High Commission in India
you may also need to supply your date
of arrival in Australia, your passport

62 careers 360 october 2009

 Visa Guidelines
An Offer of Acceptance from a CRICOS
registered institute is required;
visit www.cricos.dest.gov.au
Financial support/Medical Check up – an
applicant must demonstrate their financial
ability to study in Australia and medical check-
up is mandatory . More details on
website, www.immi.gov.au
English language proficiency
For further information refer to:
www.studyinaustralia.gov.au/Sia/en/
StudyGuide_pdf.pdf).
Study Melbourne Victoria website has infor-
mation for students regarding safety which is
accessible to parents and students alike.
ww.studymelbourne.com.au/livin_in_mel-
bourne/personal-safety.
and proof of enrolment. Your TFN is
valuable. Don’t share it with friends and
don’t provide it on the internet when
applying for work. Keep it secure.
Cost of living
An average international student in
Australia will spend about AUD360 a
week on accommodation, food, clothing,
entertainment, transport and telephone.
Remember, this figure depends on your
location, lifestyle and even your course.
You should seek further information on
living costs from your institution. Details
on the tuition fee can be obtained from:
http://www.studyinaustralia.gov.au/
Sia/en/StudyCosts/TuitionFees.
Visa requirements
Before you receive a student visa, you
will have to show that you have enough
money to pay for living expenses, educa-
tion costs and travel for the duration of
your course. You can offset your living
expenses by working part-time while
you study, but you shouldn’t rely on your
wages as your only source of income.
Health insurance
Australia has a special system of
health cover for international students
called Overseas Student Health Cover
(OSHC). You will need to buy OSHC
before you come to Australia. The
Department of Immigration and Citi-
zenship requires you to maintain OSHC
for the duration of your student visa in
Australia. Your OSHC will help you pay
for any medical or hospital care you may
first person Sukun Chopra
Avoid unfamiliar
and isolated areas
I
have been studying in Sydney for
the past one-and-a-half years. For
me, it’s certainly been a great experi-
ence. Asians are in large numbers, but
there are migrants from Europe and
America, too. It’s a truly multicultural
country.
On a more casual note, Oz (Aus-
tralia) is a pretty cool place and the
Aussies are warm-hearted. It’s easy
to get along with people here. Frankly,
they respect you if you respect them.
Oh yes, that reminds me in Aussie
land we Indians are addressed as
Currys! Please don’t take offence to
that; it’s just a fun way of addressing
us. Much like how we colloquially
address our own brethren from dif-
ferent parts of the country: ‘Punjus’,
‘Gujjus’, ‘Bongs’!
So, if you do come across someone
calling you Currys, just laugh it off.
The most important thing we Indians
need to learn is to take less offence
about light-hearted issues.
Now, how do you tackle the issue
need while you’re studying in Australia
and it will contribute towards the cost
of most prescription medicines, and an
ambulance in an emergency. Also speak
to the University or College.
Finally, is it safe?
“It is unfortunate that there are some
who are always going to be boorish in
every society. We cannot lose faith in a
nation because of them. More stringent
steps do need to be taken to ensure that
they do not become the dominant force
by the government and individuals in
63 careers 360 october 2009
Psychology
student at
University of New
South Wales
of recent racial attacks? Personally,
I haven’t faced any sort of racism. Just
to clear a misconception for people in
India, there’s a tendency to blame the
white Aussies, but what people don’t
consider is that several other races
reside here. In a majority of cases, the
accused have mainly been Lebanese
gangsters.
Sydney is a reasonably safe place.
As is with any city in the world, there
exist some areas which might not be
too safe. In ‘such’ circumstances try
remaining calm, and not show fear
since that is the opportunity ‘they’
look for! My personal advice would be
to avoid unfamiliar and isolated areas
in the first place.
So, if you come to Australia make
the most of it. Get sporty, become
involved in water sports. There is a lot
of water here! Remember, before you
come here, keep your mind open and
make sure you return with beautiful
memories after making friends from
all over the world!
society who can stand up against these
bullies. However, should we let a few
boorish people dictate that the entire
nation is racist? The choice is for you to
make,” says Natasha Chopra, Managing
Director, The Chopras, a New Delhi-
based education consultant.
Kelly Raj says that Australia is safe and
tolerant. But as with anyone coming to a
new place or when undertaking any sort
of travel, it is essential that international
students are aware of the local condi-
tions and customs and know what to do
if there is a problem.
PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION UPDATE

THE NEW
THE
FACE
NEWOF
FACE
PROFESSIONAL
OF PROFESSION
UEI Global, aims to provide globally recognized
courses to the Indian youth. It provides an oppo-
rtunity to obtain Indian and UK Degrees offering CEO Vision
We have all heard the conventional wisdom that
career building and skill enhancing education. It’s
education leads to employment. And, of course,
program suite includes professional Degrees in
every institute talks about “plac-ement assistance”
BBA, Hotel Management (the student has an option
and so on. But talking to the students passing out
to choose from National & International Degree),
from many such institutes often reveals a very diffe-
Retail Management, Aviation Management, English
rent picture. At UEI Global, we don't just talk about
for Communication and Life Skills and Persona
placement. We guarantee it. We commit to providing
Development.
at least 3 interview opportunitiesfor each eligible
For it’s Degree programs, UEI Global has alliances
student who is pur-suing their graduation with us.
with the top National & International Universities
We are a partner of Osmania, Bharathiar and Pondi-
including Osmania University - Hyderabad, Bhara-
cherry Universities. Our students earn these reputed,
thiar University Coimbatore & Pondicherry Unive-
UGC approved degrees in fields ranging from Hotel
rsity - Pondicherry, University College of Birming-
Management, Aviation and Tourism to Business
ham, City College of Norwich and City College of
Management. We know that you don't
Nottingham based in UK. It also has developed pro-
just study to get a degree, or even just a
fessional International Certificate and Diploma in
job, but a career. And our pro-mise to
alliance with the Hotelschool the Hague, The Neth-
you is an education and a career.
erlands one of top hospitality management school
and a member of the “Leading Hotelschools of The - Chetan Mahajan
World”,Changi International Airport Services (CIAS),
Singapore and the Finishing School, London. UEI Global has a unique program architecture which allows
students to pursue a National Degree or opt for a pathway to an international Degree (after completing 2
year’s course with the institute in India).
The faculty at UEI Global are judicial mix
of hospitality instructors and professionals,
management and technical experts. The core
team on Hospitality Management has been
trained at the Hotelschool The Hague, Neth-
erlands and are being complemented by ins-
tructors from a number of adjunct faculties
from industry and academia including project
planning, finance, marketing and business
development. The em-phasis on faculty sele-
ction is huge and they are handpicked from
the industry and trained on international sta-
ndards with global exposure.
With world class infrastructure, UEI Global
aims towards developing and honing the skills
of their students through engaging learning
methodologies. All the institutes are equipped
with brand new labs, a state-of-the-art kitchen,
a training restaurant, air-conditioned and Wi-
Fi enabled classrooms. Their faculty to student
ratio is 1 to 30.
UEI Global has a well defined placement str-
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the students gain practical experience while
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that students enter the industry as soon as they
have completed the course. UEI Global’s stu-
dents are already working in top companies
 UEI Global Institutes

NAL EDUCATION
EDUCATION Agra: 817/1 Kaveri House, Mau
Khandari Crossing, NH-2, Khandari
Like Taj Group of Hotels, Marriott Hotels, Reliance Retail, Bangalore: Plot No-17, 3rd Floor,
Intercontinental Hotels, Spice Jet and many more. 1st Cross Road, 5th Block, Koramangala
UEI Global today has 19 institutes across 15 cities. The student Chandigarh: SCO 210-211, 4th Floor,
has a flexibility to choose the location of convenience. UEI Sector 34-A
Global also offers transfer facilities to it’s students within these Dehradun: 1/10, Saharanpur Road
19 locations. Their plan is to scale these locations to 60 by the Faridabad: Crown Plaza, Sector- 15 A,
year 2012. Delhi Mathura Road
In today's competitive world, having a winning edge over the Ghaziabad: B-08, Rajnagar Distt Centre
rest is of vital importance. UEI Global aims at bringing out the Gurgaon: Basement, Building No.6,
best in students who aim high in life. The unique offerings in SCO Complex, Sector 14
the programs will instill the competitive advantage and confi- Indore: 1st Floor, Saket Tower, Geeta
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Placements with Academicians Speak.... Prithvi Raj Road, C-Scheme
UEI Global “What our society will be tomorrow Jalandhar: 3rd Floor, Rampa Centre,
depends on what our children are Model Town Market
Devyani International
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 Cover Story Foreign Education
VOCATIONAL
COURSES ARE IN
With its welcoming policies and safe environment,
Canada is an ideal destination for quality education
E
ducation in Canada is different in
that more than 60 per cent of the
3,500 Indian students that went
to Canada last year opted for postgrad-
uate diploma courses, in other words,
vocational courses. These courses are
popular as most students have employ-
ment in mind.
Maria Mathias, director, Canadian
Education Centre, says that these voca-
tional courses are highly specialised in
nature. Pointing to the prospectus of
a top college in Canada, she says that
there are specialisations such as Net-
working and Business.
“In India while there are many voca-
tional colleges and institutes offering
good courses, few Indian students apply
to these courses. This is because in India
vocational study is looked down upon,
when in fact, it is one of the most job-ori-
ented and useful education that parents
can encourage their children to opt for.”
Doctoral studies are also on
“At the same time, there’s a slight rise in
the number of students applying for post-
graduate degrees,” says Mathai. Most of
the applications are for engineering or
MBA, hospitality and animation. And
now the Canadian government wants
to make research attractive. “You see
not many are aware that Blackberry and
Maple are inventions from Canada!”
The Canadian Government has
recently introduced The Vanier Canada
Graduate Scholarships (Vanier CGS)
programme to attract and retain world
class doctoral students, offering them a
significant financial award during their
studies at Canadian universities.
Vocation-oriented courses offered in Canada are very popular
as most students have employment upper most on their mind
canada
“Vocational study in
India is looked down
upon. In fact, it is one
of the most job-
oriented offerings”
Maria Mathai,
Director,
Canadian Educa-
tion Centre, India
This academic year, Canadian Educa-
tion Institution is expecting some 4,000
students to enrol in Canadian universi-
ties and 15,000 students by 2014. “The
United Nations has rated Canada as one
of the best places on the globe to live,”
says Mathai. “And a degree or a diploma
from a Canadian Education Institution
is universally recognized for its high aca-
demic standard.”
Visa Guidelines
Letter of Acceptance from University plus valid
passport. An education loan helps. However, if
you do not take one then, carry:
Bank Statement, latest Income Tax Return
statement. Liquid assets, all investments,
including Mutual Funds.
It takes one to two days to get the visa;
however, medical check-up could take longer.
Indian students are expected to undergo
Tuberculosis test. For more details log on to
www.vfs-canada.co.in
66 careers 360 october 2009
Job opportunities are aplenty for students in
one of the coolest places to study
Cost of living and part-time jobs
The expenses are in the region of Rs. 3-4
lakh per year; however, in big cities such
as Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver it
could go up to Rs. 4.5 lakh that is 9,000
to 10,000 Canadian dollars. Therefore,
keep a budget of 500-900 dollars a
month. If you are planning to take pri-
vate accommodation like many students,
do rent a house close to the campus.
There are plenty of on-campus and
off-campus jobs available in restaurants,
shops and libraries. Students are allowed
to work 20 hours per week and full-time
during vacation. Minimum wage is 8
dollars/hour. Therefore, if you work 20
hours you could earn 160 dollars a week.
This can easily take care of food, travel
and the rent. And even a visit to the local
restaurant once a week! And this is non-
taxable income
New work visa policies
Students in their final semesters should
start looking out for a job as the post-
(
graduate work visa takes 90 days to
 first person Faisal Nayeem

Scholarships
Flagship Scholarship
Commonwealth Schol-
arship & Fellowship Plan
www.csfp-online.org
Trudeau Foundation
Scholarships http://
www.trudeaufounda-
tion.ca/trudeaufounda-
tion/program/
Source: Ministry of HRD, Govt. of India and British Council, New Delhi
process. However, now with two years
of degree programme, the student can
obtain three years of work permit to
work anywhere in Canada, irrespective
of the province.
Medical insurance
Most Canadian institutions offer man-
datory health insurance which is inclu-
sive in the fee structure outlined at the
time of admission However, if a student
has not taken a medical insurance from
Award/Key Benefits Remarks
Intends to cover full cost of Focuses on postgraduate scholarships
education at both Master’s and Doctoral level.
Annual stipend of $40,000 Supports doctoral candidates pursu-
to cover cost of tuition and ing research in any of the four themes:
reasonable living expenses; human rights and dignity, responsible
annual travel allowance of citizenship, Canada in the world, and
$20,000. Tenable for 3-years people and their natural environment.
Advice to Indian students
Don’t carry books. There are six-floor
libraries there. Carry daily wear such
as jeans and T-shirts and light woollens
but do not buy heavy woollens from
India. The Canadian winter is different
from India’s. So save money to buy win-
ter wear from Canada. However, socks,
caps, gloves can be bought from India as
they are much cheaper.
Dry food items are allowed such
as namkeens and biscuits but do not
Clean Country
T he best thing about my flight
was Air Canada flying right over
icy Greenland for hours! I could see
the Greenland shore approaching
towards my seat window like an
approaching train station.
Here, people are very kind and
helpful. The university has a very
beautiful campus with the pictur-
esque Rideau river and canal on
either side, some great buildings and
of course, the lovely red O Train.
Ottawa’s so clean as if it’s all been
washed with Surf Excel:)!!
But here’s the difficult bit: living
here is expensive compared to India.
A bus ticket for 150 bucks, a coffee
for 80 rupees! How I miss BMTC,
the autos and all the Shanti Sagars
of Bangalore! Everyone works
and studies and cooks here! I sure
have a lot to learn and a long way
to go.
Faisal is a BCom student at ,
Carleton University, Ottawa
Popular among Indian students
UNIVERSITIES
University of Toronto
University of Waterloo
McGill University
University of Alberta
University of British Columbia
VOCATIONAL COLLEGES
Humber College
Centennial College
Seneca College
Sheridan College
Fanshawe College
Source : Canadian Education Centre, India

his/her institution, it is advisable to get carry them in your hand-baggage, put

one before boarding the flight to Can-
ada. Some Indian insurance providers
cover both travel insurance and medical
insurance as part of their policies and
are very advantageous for students trav-
elling abroad. Students may also opt to
get a Canadian Health Insurance upon
arrival in Canada if he/she so desires.
them into your check-in baggage. You
wouldn’t want sniffer dogs chasing you
and the whole airport looking at you
only to discover that there’s masala pea-
nuts in your hand baggage.
Write down the important dates on
a calendar. This will take care of any
unnecessary stress down the line. Use
study and research skills workshops,
advisors, tutors, and course unions.
Talk to your professor when you have
questions about course material or
assignments. This can save you time
and frustration. Learn the basics of aca-
demic integrity and avoid plagiarism. Go
to the library!

67 careers 360 october 2009

 Cover Story Foreign Education
Romancing
Sciences
Language is a deterrent and the diaspora is small,
but France stills holds a charm for many
F
rance is getting students’
attention with their number
going up to 1,757 in the current
year from last year’s 958. And
the 150-odd scholarships did help. Part
of President, Nicolas Sarkozy’s agenda
during his visit to India last year was to
treble the number of Indian students to
4,000 by year 2012, says Alain Perrier,
press counsellor, Embassy of France.
Application online
One such initiative in this direction is
that now students need to make only
one electronic application to apply to
up to 20 institutes of higher learning.
Launched in 2007 it is a completely
dematerialised process, in which the
student sends no papers to France.
Instead it is the nearest CampusFrance
office (http://www.campusfrance.org/
en/index.htm) in India that checks the
veracity of the e-file and validates the
information for universities.
Grants and scholarships
The Indo French Consortium of Uni-
versities (IFCU) was created in 2008 to
offer dual master’s degrees or joint PhD
research projects. Today, joint degrees
in nuclear technology, nanotechnology
and synthetic chemistry are on offer.
French and Indian companies also offer
co-financed scholarships. French
firms such as Thales, Orange, DCNS,
Alten, Neemrana group, Michelin and
Krishnakriti Foundation have offered
scholarships to Indian students.
“We are hoping that by more bilateral ties we can create more
opportunities for Indian students in France”
France
Learn French before you go
The medium of instruction for most
French universities is French so learn
French before you go to France. Even
though your course may be entire-
ly taught in English, it will help your
journey of personal and professional
advancement. A common advice to
aspirants is to become members of
the Alliance Française library and the
French Information and Resource Cen-
tre. Both have a wealth of information
on history, habits, art, cinema, comic
books. A French tutor programme is also
on at over 30 institutes of higher educa-
tion in India.
Though associated with arts, France
is emerging as a popular destination
Popular among Indian students
UNIVERSITIES
Madhu Kapparath/Outlook Group
ISEP
Grenoble Graduate School of Business for management and sciences studies.
IESEG Lille
And creative fields like architecture,
design, cinema and animation studies
ESCP-EAP
also attract students to France.
ESSEC
SUBJECTS Work opportunities
Management Studies
Perrier says that Indian students choose
Grandes ecoles (elite universities) and
Science & Technology
these institutes generally have very good
Life Sciences industrial placement services. In fact,
Fashion & Luxury students have the option of doing course
Political Studies/International Relations
internships in any of the 25 Schengen
(
states. For example, a student who’s
Source : Inputs from Embassy of France in India
68 careers 360 october 2009

Visa Guidelines
An online application dossier
Visa interview
Submission of passport along with admission
letter, financial statements, accommodation
proof, medical insurance, academic records,
travel itinerary, and processing fee
Scholarships
Flagship Scholarship
Scholarship Programme
of the French Embassy
in India. www.india-
campusfrance.org
Erasmus Mundus
Scholarship. http://
ec.europa.eu
Source: Inputs from Embassy of France in India
ART STUDENTS flock to France, but science and
management too are gaining popularity
studying in France on a long stay visa
for a master’s course can choose to do
his/her internship in Germany or Italy.
Also, now students get a one year visa
instead of three months’ visa that had to
be converted upon arrival to a tempo-
rary residency.
Questions for visa interview
The interview is known as No objec-
tion certificate interview. Students are
quizzed on basic questions such as study
project, motivation to choose France,
their future study project, their plans to
continue into research, financial impli-
cations, and family background. Level
of language proficiency is also assessed
during such interviews.
Medication and insurance
The French state gives medical insur-
ance through her social security system.
Therefore, if a student falls sick, he or
she is sure to get good treatment, and a
reimbursement of up to 70 per cent of
the medical expenditure is borne by the
French state. However, it is advisable to
get a three-month medical insurance
from India as it is a mandatory visa
requirement. After the three-month
period, the student is covered by the
French social security system.
Living and eating
Depending on the city, the cost of living
varies from 500 to 600 euros per month.
Those with a student visa can work up to
20 hours a week. As salaries are good,
they can earn around 600 euros a week.
In fact, many Indian students cook their
own meals. And on days when you wished
to take a break from cooking, then there
are plenty of French bakeries.
Award/Key Benefits Remarks
Living expenses (615 Euros Indian students enrolled in a regular
per month)/air ticket/social
security coverage
programme in France mainly in Audio-
visual studies, Design, Journalism, and
French language
Tuition fees (1,200-1,600 Euros For study in various programmes at
per month) depending on joint partner universities in the European
master’s or doctoral course Union
69 careers 360 october 2009
Interview
JÉrÔme Bonnafont
Ambassador
of France
France
grows on you
I nitiatives taken by France to pro-
mote higher education for Indian
students.
Q. Efforts are on, still only a few
subjects are taught in English...
A. At this point it is not possible to
change the entire higher education
system, but we do have the provi-
sion of using English as a medium
of instruction for a few specialised
courses. So my suggestion would be
that Indian students should study
French language for a year. Besides,
learning French or any other foreign
language opens up different employ-
ment opportunities. You can work in
any French company in the world.
Q. The number of Indians work-
ing in France seems to be less.
A. Yes, the Indian Diaspora is small,
I agree, but we are changing that by
encouraging students to stay back
and work. One such initiative in
this direction is giving students a
six-month extension on their visas
to look for a job after completion
of degree or course. And if they
do find a job, they can stay back
and work. Many come back and
work in French companies. There
are 100,000 Indians working with
French companies in India alone!
Q. Any advice to the students?
A. The first few months are always
tough for anybody, but France
grows on people and they fall in love
with the country, the people, and its
culture!
 Cover Story Foreign Education
going the
Research way
Famous for its efficiency and precision, Germany boasts of some of the
best institutions for fundamental scientific research
T
here are nearly 4,000 Indian
students in Germany. Germa-
ny’s strength in higher educa-
tion has been in combining
education with research at the bach-
elor’s level. “In German education insti-
tutions both professors and students are
involved in research right at the begin-
ning of their course,” says Christiane
Schlottmann, director, DAAD, Delhi.
Only a few Indian institutions such
as IIT and the Indian Institutes of Sci-
ence Education and Research (IISER)
at Pune follow this pattern. Right from
school to master’s level education, Indi-
an students are usually told what to
do by their teachers or their parents,
observes Schlottmann. Thus students
tend to depend more on teachers than
they should, and self-study is limited to
a few hours in the library.
Traditionally, German universities
have been state funded, and hence
education has been free. It’s only since
the last three years since some universi-
ties have started charging 500 euros per
semester as tuition fee,
Close links between industry
and academia
Most of the German education institu-
tions are heavily funded by industries.
Visa Guidelines
Cover letter from applicant
School Leaving Certificate (Secondary School)
Letter of admission
Proof of paid study fees, if applicable
University Certificates (Degree Certificates
and Mark Sheets Proof of Language Proficien-
cy TOEFL / IELTS, not older than 12 months)
This document is mandatory for the visa pro-
cess, even if it is not required by the German
University. For details refer to: www.vfs-germa-
ny.co.in or www.new-delhi.diplo.de
70 careers 360 october 2009
germany
High technology
students will get a
cultural high too
Another attractive feature of education
in Germany is the active participation
of small to medium enterprises in uni-
versity research projects. Companies
such as Siemens and Mercedes-Benz
are involved in university research.
Mandatory internships
For science and engineering students, it
is mandatory do to internships during
vacation. “Industry experience is impor-
tant, in fact, now, in many universities
internships for humanities too have
been made compulsory.” While students
are expected to find internships oppor-
tunities on their own, the university sup-
ports them in their search.
German education in English
There are 300 International degree pro-
grammes which are entirely or partly
taught in English. These courses are
offered in various disciplines, especially
 Working in Germany
Popular among Indian students If you come from a country which is
“Don’t base your not a part of the European Union, such
Universities Students
RWTH Aachen 134
decision entirely on as India, you are allowed to work for
only 90 days in a year. And then in cer-
University of Duisburg-Essen 119
rankings; the subject tain Federal states, foreign students are
Technical University of Berlin 93 you want to study allowed to work in the semester vaca-
tion. Basically, it isn’t tough finding a job
University of Stuttgart 89 should decide the as a student, but students are advised not
Technical University Dresden 82 university you choose” to work too many hours.
Subject area Students The course and study is quite intensive,
and since the tuition fee is subsidised by
Mathematics, Natural Sc. 1,393 Christiane
the government, students are expected
Schlottmann
Engineering 1,187 to study well. As per migration law right
Director,
Law, Economics, Social Sc. 462 DAAD now, after degree students can extend
their visa by one year to look for a job,
Medicine 195
and if they find a job within that one year
Language, Cultural Sciences 164 they can apply for a work permit.
Source: DAAD, New Delhi
tuition fees, you should still contend Visa interview
with spending about 660 euro every The purpose of the interview is to gauge
in engineering, natural sciences, com- month. However, that is the minimum communication skills and see how clear
puter sciences and economics. There and hence keep in mind that the expens- student is about his/her study plans. So
has been a growing interest in arts; es could up to 700-750 euros. Students answer to the best you can, and avoid
however mathematics, engineering, should carry prescriptions if they are limiting your answers to just a few
biotechnology, renewable energy and on medication along with the basic words. They simply want to see how
ecology-related disciplines are among first aid kit. Health insurance is com- keen you are on studying in Germany.
the popular courses. pulsory. German as well as foreign stu- Appointments have to be scheduled
Though several Master’s and PhD pro- dents are basically insured with a public with VFS Global Services (www.vfs-
grammes are being taught in English, health insurance company. It costs less germany.co.in)
universities are now introducing Eng- than 50 euro.
lish as medium of instruction for a few Documents for admission
Bachelor’s degree programmes, as well. Saving money Firstly, the visa. For students there are
But even then, Schlottmann says that Each university town will have second- three types of visa: a language course
it’s always good to know a bit of German hand shops selling equipment, furniture, visa, a study applicant’s visa and the
language as it helps understand the cul- computers etc. Many students like to go visa for study purposes or the student
ture of country. to the flea market (Flohmarket) where visa. Only the last one entitles you to
you can rummage around in boxes of a longer stay in Germany as a student.
Living in Germany books or records, haggle over the price What’s also important is your passport
Germany is an expensive country. How of a cupboard or leather jacket. If you and other original certificates.
high the cost of living is depends also on refer to shop and barter from home, you
the city you decide to study in. Though can find small ads and auction portals on On arrival
most universities do not charge any the internet as well. Register yourself at the Resident Regis-
teration Bureau (Einwohnermeldeamt)
and the Office for foreigners’ Affairs
Scholarships (Ausländeramt). At the Office for for-
eigners’ Affairs you must prove that you
Flagship Scholarship Award/Key Benefits Remarks can bear the financial cost of your stud-
Master’s Scholarship for Stipend of Euro 750 per To pursue Master’s in select ies. The residence permit is valid for one
Public Policy and Good month; air fare; exemption German Universities in public year and has to be renewed every year.
Governance http://newdelhi. from payment of university policy, governance, international
daad.de/mainFrame/home/ tuition fees; study relation, administration public
Usually the German authorities
PPGG.pdf and research subsidy management or civil society require officially translated documents
WISE-Working Internship in A monthly stipend of UG students from select Indian
done at specific offices. But make sure
Science & Engineering http:// Euro 650 to cover living universities willing to do 2-3 you do not hand in original documents,
newdelhi.daad.de/main- expenses; Euro 600 for months internship at education/ always provide certified copies instead.
Frame/home/WISEfinal.pdf travel; health insurance research institutions in Germany
And do not forget to wish the author-
Source: DAAD, New Delhi
ity Guten Morgen. Nothing like a little
mother tongue to ease things.

71 careers 360 october 2009

 Cover Story Foreign Education
the dutch
odyssey
Different formats, diverse offerings
T
he Netherlands offers a wide
variety of study options to stu-
dents with 1465 courses being
offered in English as medium. Accord-
ing to the Neso (Netherlands Educa-
tion Support Office) Desk India, 500
Indian students went to the country
for the September 2008 intake. The
courses applied for in the order of pop-
ularity are engineering, management,
biotechnology, architecture & urban
planning, agriculture-related studies,
dairy-related studies and social sci-
ences. Adds Amita Patel, Education
Promotion Officer, NBSO- Neso Desk
India, “The Dutch universities are
showing some interest in India and
they are looking at the possibilities
of starting programmes in Manage-
ment and IT.”
Popular universities
Delft university is high on the popular-
ity chart. “Out of the 14 students from
Ahmedabad who left for the Netherlands,
12 went to Delft,” says Patel. The two
scholarships which Indian students can
avail of (set up by Nuffic) are NFP and
HSP. Details of other scholarships can be
found out from www.grantfinders.nl.
the Netherlands
first person rohit gupta
Tulips in
my life
W hen you arrive at Amsterdam
airport you will realize that
you can take a train to anywhere in
the Netherlands, which is the most
comfortable and economical mode
of transport. An OV-chipkaart that
lasts one year and gives you 40%
discount on every travel is a must
have. Come prepared for rains in
the Netherlands. Buy at least one
good raincoat. Having a bicycle is a
necessity for students. If you want a
second-hand bike, buy it from a shop
selling one. A friend of mine got
a bike from a ‘friendly’ gentleman
for 20 euros but his happiness was
short-lived when he was locked up
for having a stolen bike. There are
low lying country, high on education shops carefully hidden in Den Hag/
Rotterdam, that sell ‘imported’ stuff
Visa information from India and the UK such as dals,
When a student applies for a course of spices, namkeen, Haldirams’ sweets
study, he/she is given a MVV- which and Maggi to satisfy your Indian
is given for a long stay (usually for taste buds. Always wear a smile and
the duration of the study). Upon be prepared to say ‘hui’/ hi to people
completion of the course, they can you meet. It makes your day brighter
get a one year extension by submit- when people acknowledge it.
ting the degree at the immigration Dui(Bye)….
Rohit studies computing at
Technische Universitiet Delft
Popular among Indian students
universities
department. The average tuition fee for
Maastricht University
an academic year for a UG/PG course
Fontys University, Venlo* is 6.4-8.5 lakh rupees. Cost of living
Saxion University, Enschede* varies from 35,000-50,000 rupees
Delft University of Technology
per month.
Zuyd University
Job opportunities
Subject area Students holding a Schengen visa have
Economics a wider scope of finding a job. Students
Behaviour & Society
can work 10 hrs per week. However,
academicians insist that the study pro-
Technology
grammes are very stringent and the
Language & Culture students rarely get time to work while
Health care pursuing their education. For more info
please visit www. nesoindia.org and
Source: CFI, Nuffic *University of Applied Sciences
www.studyinholland.nl
72 careers 360 october 2009
 Cover Story Foreign Education switzerland

Swiss dreams
It is known for tourism and hospitality education

S
witzerland has 12 doctoral degree-
granting research universities
offering a wide range of educa-
tional opportunities to international
students. Out of these, the two Fed-
eral Institutes of Technology are world
leaders in science and engineering
education and research. Apart from
these, applied education programmes
are offered by the seven universities
of applied sciences and the 15 teach-
er training colleges. While the aim of
the doctoral degree-granting univer-
sities is teaching and basic research,
universities of applied sciences and
teacher education place a stronger
emphasis on knowledge that can be
transferred to industry and economy as
well as applied research and develop-
ment. All these institutions are largely
publicly funded.
Cost of education
Swiss tuition fees are comparatively low
with higher education being publicly
funded. Most Swiss Universities charge
year. The living expenses are between
CHF 18,000- 28,000 per year (depend-
ing on the location of the university and
personal demands)
Swiss alps provide a pristine atmosphere not
Trends just for skiing but learning as well
Switzerland has for long been a pre-
ferred destination for students to pursue
their education in Hotel Management.
Popular among Indian students
It has specialised institutes in the areas UNIVERSIties
of international affairs, public adminis- University of Bern
tration, finance and hotel management
University of Basel
as well. According to Mr. Mattia Celio,
Science and Technology Consellor, University of Fribourg
Embassy of Switzerland, “The past few University of Geneva
years have seen students going to the University of Lausanne
country to study sciences especially in
SubjectS
disciplines such as biotechnology, pho-
tochemistry, biomedical engineering, Biotechnology
material science and nanotechnology. Photochemistry
Language studies is another popular Biomedical Engineering
area of study.” Over 500 Indian students
Material Science
were enrolled in Swiss Universities for
Bachelor’s, Master’s and research pro- Nanotechnology
grammes as of December 2008 (exclud- Source: Inputs from DFA Federal Department of Foreign
ing those pursuing their education at the Affairs, Embassy of Switzerland

between US$ 800-1,200 per academic private schools).

Scholarships, living expenses
Through the Federal Commission for
Scholarship for Indian students in European Union Scholarships for Foreign Students
(FCS), the Swiss Government grants
Flagship Scholarship Award/Key Benefits Remarks foreign students scholarships to pur-
Erasmus Mundus Tuition fees and living expenses Various programmes at partner
sue their Higher education (master’s,
Scholarship http:// depending on type of programme: universities in the European Union PhD or post-doctoral) at Swiss Univer-
ec.europa.eu/education joint master’s or doctoral sities. This opportunity is also offered
Netherlands Fellowship Intends to cover the cost of living, Masters’, PhD and short-term to Indian students. The living expenses
Programme www.nuf- visa fee, travel, insurance and courses. Target group, however, are may range from US$ 14,000-23,000 per
fic.nl/nfp such expenses mid-career professionals year, depending upon the location and
Italian Government Euro 700 per month (approx) is To pursue specialized PG courses individual requirements. For foreign
Scholarship (nor- given for both staying expenses in Fashion Design, Italian language, students, the number of weekly work
mally under the cultural and course fee for a 12-month Economics & Management, Cultural
exchange programme) course. 50% reduced support for Heritage & Restoration, ICT, Envi-
hours is generally limited to 15, but this
www.education.nic.in courses of 3 or 6 months ronment, Energy and Biotechnology depends on the canton (in Geneva, for
example, you can work up to 30 hours
Swiss Government CHF 1920 per month for PG stu- Graduates from all disciplines
University Scholarships dents. Generally, Swiss academic with the opportunity to pursue per week).
www.swissuniversity. institutes exempt term fees, but postgraduate studies or research in Notwithstanding this, studies in Swiss
ch/info-3.htm not necessarily enrolment fees Switzerland universities are very demanding in time
Young Guest and NOK 12,000/15,000 per month PhD students and younger and require dedication. Thus students
Doctoral Researchers’ for PhDs/post-doctoral research- researchers from 25 countries, do not generally have time for work
Annual Scholarships ers: Also settling-in expenses of including India for research stays in
or YGGDRASIL mobil- NOK 10,000. Indian grant recipi- Norway of one to ten months in all alongside their studies. As far as visa
ity programme www. ents may apply for up to NOK subjects and disciplines formalities are concerned, students can
forskningsradet.no 7,000 for air fare get more information by visiting www.
eda.admin.ch/newdelhi .

73 careers 360 october 2009

 Cover Story Foreign Education
Italian DElights
Land of creativity welcomes technology as well
T
hough known as fashion’s mecca,
Italian universities traditionally
have been intellectually diverse.
In fact, the world’s oldest extant univer-
sity still stands tall at Bologna. Thanks
to globalisation, Italian universities are
now offering new courses in English in
fields such as design, fashion technology,
architecture and urban planning, bioin-
formatics and biotechnology, business
administration and economics. Poly-
technic of Turin and Milan, Universities
of Bologna, Perugia and Venice have the
maximum number of Indian students.
Life in Italy, is animated and event-
ful. “The country innately stylish and it
kind of rubs on to you,” says Surender
Chauhan, who studied in Polytechnic of
of Milan. Italy is still not in the horizon
of Indian students and only 300-odd
onwards Norway
Cold country, warm people, fascinating programmes
Popular among Indian students
UNIVERSITies
Norwegian University of Sciences (NTNU)
University of Adger (UiA)
University of Bergen (UiB)
Norwegian University of Life Sciences
(UMB)
University of Oslo (UiO)
Subject area
Agriculture
Language
Philological Science
Communications
Information Science
Source: Inputs from Royal Norwegian Embassy in India
student visas were granted for studying
in Italy last year. Students are increas-
ingly going on scholarships for subjects
such as biotechnology and bioinfor-
matics (33 last year and 80 this year)
besides specialised master’s courses in
economics, engineering and science and
technology. Most of them were in the
Faculties of Architecture, Urban Plan-
ning and Engineering (Chemical, Civil,
Systems Engineering). Only a few of
them have received Italian Government
scholarships.
To make the country more attractive to
students, the Italian Ministry of Foreign
Affairs offered scholarships under the
Cultural Exchange Programme to aspir-
ing young Indian students in the fields of
biotechnology , economics and manage-
ment, fashion technology, environment
K
nown as the Land of the Mid-
night Sun, with its winters
stretching to four-five months,
Norway could be very forboding for
an average Indian student. But the
quality of education far exceeds the
discomforts. “It is one of the few coun-
tries in the world where one has the
freedom to pursue even not so popular
research issues,” says Prof. Govindan
Parayil, until recently professor at Uni-
versity of Oslo.
Out of the 12257 international stu-
dents, just about 59 are of Indian origin.
But Indians form the third biggest group
of foreign PhD students in Norway. The
Norwegian higher education sector
consists of seven universities, six spe-
cialised university institutions, 24 state
university colleges, two national acade-
mies of the arts, and 29 private colleges.
74 careers 360 october 2009
italy
Popular among Indian students
universities
Polytechnic of Turin
Polytechnic of Milan
University of Bologna
University of Perugia
University of Venice
Subject area
Design, Fashion Technology
Engineering
Business Administration
Architecture & Urban Planning
Bioinformatics, Biotechnology
Source: Italian Embassy Cultural Centre in India
and Italian language and culture (1 each
of 700 euros/month for a year). The
cost of living depends on the town. In
Milan, for instance, the costs are very
high, but with a scholarship of 700 euros
a student can afford it.
University of Oslo (www.uio.no) and
Norwegian University of Science and
Technology (www.ntnu.no) are the
highest ranked universities in Norway.
Others include Norwegian University
of Life Sciences (UMB), University
of Agder (UiA), University of Bergen
(UiB), University of Stavanger (UiS)
and University of Tromsø (UiT).
However, students should chose their
university depending on their field of
subject. Norway offers master’s pro-
grammes in disciplines such as agri-
cultural sciences, language and philo-
logical sciences, communications and
information sciences, to name a few. As
a welfare economy, Norway Universi-
ties do not charge tuition fees. Through
various fellowship programmes, schol-
arship schemes or student loans, inter-
national students can receive funding
for a full degree or a limited number of
semesters. However, living expenses in
Norway, especially in Oslo, are high-
er than in many other countries. For
more information visit www.studyin-
norway.no
 Cover Story Foreign Education
For that MBBS degree
Known for teaching Marxism for generations, it is medicine all the way now
E
ach year nearly 1,000 students
go to Russia to study, and of that
more than 800 to study medi-
cine. The other very popular subject of
study is aeronautical space engineering.
Go to state universities only
Elena Barman, head of education sec-
tion, Russian Centre of Science & Cul-
ture (RCSC) says, go only to state uni-
versities, the private ones are expensive.
The state universities’ fees are subsi-
dised by the government. The average
tuition fee for medicine is Rs. 2 lakh per
annum and as MBBS is for 5 years and
8 months, the total fee comes to around
Rs. 12 lakh. The tuition fee includes
hostel stay and health insurance, which
includes treatment and consultation.
When to apply
A good time to start applying is May of
the same academic year as there are no
qualifying examinations or competitive
tests. The academic session starts in
September but some universities start
as late as December.
Just your class 12 mark-sheet
Admissions are based on the 12th stan-
dard marks for bachelor’s degree pro-
grammes. The minimum eligibility for
medicine and engineering is 50 per cent
in PCB (Physics, Chemistry and Biol-
ogy) and PCM (Physics, Chemistry and
Mathematics).
Register at the Medical Council
of India
Dr Dinesh Singla, a graduate from Tver
State Medical Academy, says that Indian
students should register themselves with
the council when they get the admission
letter from the academy. For registera-
tion you need to bring along your letter
of acceptace issued by the university and
the mark-sheet. Once the degree course
is finished, you can appear for the exam
to qualify to practise in India.
As all the Russian universities are
listed in the MCI Act 1956 and World
Health Organisation, Indian students
Popular among Indian students
universities
Tver State Medical Academy
Tver State Technical University
Kazan State Medical University
People’s Friendship University of Russia
Russian State Medical University
Source: Russian Centre of Science & Culture, India
are eligible for registration with the
Medical Council of India.
Degrees taught in English
Since 1991 many Russian state universi-
ties have been using English as medium
of instruction, but Indian students can
opt for Russian medium if they wish to,
the advantage being the Russian medi-
um course costs less.
75 careers 360 october 2009
russia
Indian students prefer Russia for MBBS
No work visa but still can work
The student visa does not allow students
to work unless the work is related to the
student’s field of study. For example,
after the third year, medicine students
can work as doctors’ assistant and are
paid a weekly salary.
HIV test
Indian students have to undergo an HIV
test before applying for the visa, and
on arrival at the academy the students
have to undergo Tuberculosis and Hep-
atitis tests.
Moscow and around
Moscow is a major tourist attraction and
thus expensive, which is why the RCSC
advises students to go to universities
closer to Moscow but not in Moscow. In
places farther from Moscow the cost of
living is around $100 while in Moscow it
would be $250-300 per month.
How safe is Russia?
As there have been instances of racial
attacks in Russia, RCSC advises stu-
dents on the dos and don’ts to follow
when in Russia. In fact, once students
arrive at the academy they are briefed on
safety issues. Students should return to
the hostel premises latest by 9 p.m., and
not to step out after 10 p.m., and avoid
desolate patches.
“When the colour of your skin is dif-
ferent there can be issues. I am here in
India and I know the places to avoid
after dark. So it is better to be careful,”
says Barman.
Salads, Borsch and coats
There’s plenty of variety of breads
which students must try. Salads and
borsch (vegetable) soup are good
options for vegetarians, though Indian
food is available.
As for winter clothing, buy it only from
Russia. “Russian winter can get as cold
as -25 degrees, India’s winter in com-
parison is pleasant,” says Dr. Singla.
 Cover Story Foreign Education new zeland

Catching up
with high technology
Known for its immigrant–friendly image, the country is increasingly
becoming popular as an affordable education destination

F
or nation associated with a
laid back life style and located
far and beyond, New Zealand
has fired up the Indian stu-
dents imagination by being an acces-
sible country for immigration purposes.
According to the New Zealand Ministry
of Education statistics, there are 6,040
Indian students studying in the country
in 2008 and this year it will be 7,000.
Jugnu Roy, Business Development
Manager, New Zealand Trade & Enter-
prise says while for the past few years,
primarily applications were for post-
graduate courses, of late, there’s been
a rise in the number of applications for
undergraduate courses, as well. Nearly
50 per cent of the students opting for
New Zealand are now class 12 pass outs.
As the numbers have risen unexpect-
edly, it is taking more time for issuing
visas, explains Roy. New Zealand, an island nation, offers a lot to
Popular among Indian students explore for an inquisitive student
Strict regulatory norms universities
New Zealand has a safe and friendly Investing in doctoral studies
environment to study and parents do not AUT University To make doctoral studies attractive,
need any kind of assurance, says Roy. Lincoln University there is a PhD policy which sets tuition
Also, higher education is inexpensive Massey University fees for international students studying
compared to other countries, where the PhDs (and their families) at the domes-
The University of Auckland
average tuition fee costs between Rs 3 tic fee rate, making doctoral study in
lakh to 7.5 lakh (NZ$ 10,000 – 25,000) The University of Canterbury New Zealand much more affordable for
per annum. Subject area those studying at this level.
Besides, there’s a well established Code Engineering and Related Technologies The tuition fee comes to Rs 3-4 lakhs
of Practice for the pastoral care of inter- Health
per annum and the upper limit to finish a
national students. All universities are PhD is four years. The government funds
Natural and Physical Sciences
recognised by the New Zealand Quali- the New Zealand International Doctoral
fications Authority (NZQA), barring a Business, Management and Commerce Research (NZIDRS) Scholarships. More
few colleges. Student must go to website Information Technology information is available at www.newzea-

(
www.nzqa.govt.nz for a full list of the landeducated.com/scholarships
Source: New Zealand High Commission, India
recognised education institutions.

“It is one of the few countries in the world where the tuition fees for
doctoral studies is uniform for both foreign and domestic students”

76 careers 360 october 2009


Scholarships
Flagship Scholarship Award/Key Benefits
New Zealand Interna- Full tuition fees for 3-years
tional Doctoral Research full-time doctoral study; living
Scholarships www.new- allowance of NZ$20,500
zealandeducated.com per annum
New Zealand Govern- Air Travel, study material,
ment Scholarship tuition fee, internal travel relat-
ed to studies and medical care
Source: Inputs from New Zealand High Commission in India
Management on top
The most popular subject choices for
Indian students in New Zealand are
Business, Management and Commerce.
Other popular subjects include Informa-
tion Technology; Engineering and relat-
ed Technologies; and Health courses.
Food, Hospitality and Personal Service
courses are also relatively popular.
The last two years have seen applica-
tions for Nanotechnology and Biotech-
nology going up.
Paying fees in advance
You’ll need to pay fees in advance
because proof of payment is required to
get a student visa or permit. However,
if you cancel before the course starts,
most or all of your fees will be refunded.
This may apply if your visa is not grant-
ed or you are transferring to another
institution. If you cancel in the first week
or so of the course, only part of your
fee will be refunded. Beyond the first
week or two, you probably won’t get
any refund.
Part-time work
Students are able to work part time if
they are enrolled in a long term course.
Number of hours a student can work
on part-time basis is 20 hours per week
during term time and full-time dur-
ing vacations. Student Job Search is a
national organisation that helps stu-
dents find work. It has offices on most
campuses. For jobs such as working in
a restaurant or bar, you could expect
to earn about NZ$10.25 to $15 an hour,
before tax, which is Rs. 307.5 to Rs. 450
an hour.
You must pay tax if you stay in New
Zealand for more than 6 months (183
days) in any 12-month period, even if
Remarks
International students who must
ensure that academic supervision
for doctoral studies is available
Those willing to pursue PhD in opted
subjects: education, primary health,
and sustainable rural livelihood
Visa Guidelines
A recent passport-size photograph
Letter of Acceptance
Evidence of payment of the fee or exemption
from the fee (not necessary if your application
is being approved in-principle)
A written guarantee from an institution or
person that suitable accommodation is avail-
able to you in New Zealand
Temporary Entry X-ray Certificate and your
chest X-ray plate
Evidence of sufficient funds
A return air ticket to your country, or evidence
of sufficient funds to buy one
Valid passport
If your application is approved, your passport
must be valid for 3 months after your planned
date of departure from New Zealand.
Complete list is available on
www.immigration.govt.nz
For more information:
http://newzealandeducated.com/in/
you’re a student. Employers will deduct
PAYE (pay as you earn) tax from your
wages or salary. You may be entitled to
tax rebates. For full tax information see
http://www.ird.govt.nz/.
Working after finishing degree
The duration of a student visa is ini-
tially for one year and extended for the
duration of the course. International
students can avail of a 12-month job
search visa after completion of course
and they usually get a two-year work
permit if they get a job in the area of their
course study.
Clothing and cost of living
It is advisable to carry light woollens
from India. New Zealand is in the south-
ern hemisphere, so January and Febru-
ary are the warmest months, autumn is
from March to May, winter is from June
77 careers 360 october 2009
to August, and spring runs from Septem-
ber to November. In winter you’ll need
warm footwear for wet weather, woollen
sweaters or other warm garments and a
windproof jacket and waterproof coat.
In summer, you’ll need a sunhat or cap,
a long-sleeved shirt or blouse made of
cool fabric suitable footwear for outings
to the beach and the bush. And people
are encouraged to ‘slip, slop, slap’ - slip
on a long-sleeved shirt, slop on some
sunblock, and slap on a hat - to protect
them from cancer-causing sunburn. It’s
easy to get sunburnt in New Zealand,
even on cool or cloudy days, as the sun
in New Zealand has strong UV rays.
People are warm and welcoming.
The cost of living is anywhere between
4.5 lakh to 6 lakh (NZ$ 15,000 – 20,000)
per annum. Dairy products, fruit and
vegetables are abundant and inexpen-
sive so you save money by planning your
food budget.
More information can be found at
www.newzealandeducated.com
Health services
For courses longer than 24 months,
you’ll also need to provide medical and
x-ray certificates, including tests for
tuberculosis that are less than 3 months
old. If you’re over 17, you’ll need a police
certificate to show that you are of good
character.
There is usually a charge for interna-
tional students to access health services
in New Zealand.
Preparing for New Zealand
There’s a lot to explore in New Zealand.
“It offers the best adventure sports in
the world,” says Roy. Water sports and
tramping (hiking) are very popular. As
New Zealand is a small country with
only four million population distances
aren’t much. Being an island country,
there are mountains and beaches every-
where. Students can avail of discount
cards for travel and travel cheap.
You might like to bring your national
costume to wear at functions organised
by your educational institution or
local community. Even recipes for tra-
ditional dishes from your country are
a good idea. Peaceful, clean and unaf-
fected by the recent bourghoua about
racism the country is a very attractive
destination for Indian students.
 Cover Story Foreign Education singapore

global courses near home

This small island is dotted with world class universities and institutions

V
anita Sinha got through INSEAD,
of course, she was thrilled to bits,
but she wasn’t offered a place in
France its primary campus, but in the
satellite campus at Singapore. Now her
parents were thrilled to bits. Singapore
is just four hours from India.
At the moment, there are nearly 97,000
international students from 120 nations
studying in Singapore. While there are
only three local universities 16 leading
international universities have set up
their centres in Singapore.
Industry-relevant education
Singapore’s education institutions main-
tain strong links with industry to ensure
that courses stay industry-relevant. For
example, DigiPen Institute of Technol-
ogy that offers animation courses has a
tie-up with LucasArts.
Low cost of living
School and tuition fees in Singapore
are competitive and the cost of living
in Singapore is significantly lower than
that of many developed countries. And
to make education more affordable, the
government provides tuition grants to
Popular among Indian students
UNIVERSITies
National University of Singapore (NUS) *
Nanyang Technological University (NTU)*
Singapore Management University (SMU)*
Foreign campuses
INSEAD
Duke University
SP Jain Centre of Management
Source: Singapore Tourism Board * State Universities
international students enrolled at the
public universities and polytechnics.
Scholarships too are available but in
limited numbers.
Part-time work and work permit
A work permit is not required but stu-
dents are only allowed to work a maxi-
mum of 16 hours a week during term
time. Students start looking for jobs
while studying, however, in the event a
student does not get a job by the time
he or she finishes his degree, the student
can apply for a one month Social Visit
Pass to the Immigration and Check-
points Authority (ICA) in Singapore.
This gives a student a month to look for a
job. Granting of social visit pass and the
duration is at the discretion of ICA and
varies from case to case.
Applying for Visa
The institute will assist the student in
applying for the student pass. The Stu-
dent Pass application must be submitted
at least two months before the course
commencement date. The student will
have to log on to the SOLAR system
from the Immigration and Checkpoints
Authority (ICA) website with your
assigned SOLAR application number.
The SOLAR Application number will
be issued to the student once the stu-
dent has been accepted by the school.
Student’s Pass applications submitted
via SOLAR are processed in three to
10 working days. Upon the approval of
the Student’s Pass application, the
student will receive an In-Principle
Approval letter from the Department of
Student Development. For more details
log onto www.ica.gov.sg/services_cen-
tre_overview.

ACCREDITATION AGENCIES AT A GLANCE

COUNTRY Name of the agency Website
USA The Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) www.chea.org
UK Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education www.qaa.ac.uk
Australia Commonwealth Register of Institutions (CRICOS) cricos.dest.gov.au
New Zealand New Zealand Qualifications Authority http://nzqa.govt.nz/
Canada Association of Canadian Universities + Provincial Charter www.aucc.ca
Germany Agency for Sciences and Engineering www.asiin.de
The Netherlands The Accreditation Organisation of the Netherlands www.navo.net
Russia Education Ministry of Russia http://eng.mon.gov.ru/
Singapore No central authority (Singapore Class- a private initiative) www.spring.gov.sg
Switzerland The Conference of Cantonal Education Ministers http://edkwww.unibe.ch
Italy Department of Education and Sciences www.irlgov.ie/educ
France Education France www.education.fr
Norway Norwegian Agency for Quality Assurance in Education www.nokut.no

Source: Respective country web sites and inputs from embassies

78 careers 360 october 2009

 Cover Story Foreign Education
...And finally
we thought this might be of use when you arrive
W
e tend to seek compatriots wherever we
go, so try and mingle with people of dif-
ferent nationalities. You become more
tolerant. And if some of your non-Indian flat-mates
don’t offer what they have cooked, it’s okay. That’s
how they have been brought up, but being an Indian,
you can always offer what’s on your plate.
And parents needn’t worry that their child will get
spoiled by the open societies of foreign countries.
Studies are so rigorous that rarely does a student
get the chance to become spoiled. If the student is
working part-time, then life can be hectic. Besides,
you would have to do everything yourself, right from
cooking to making your bed, to laundry.
Yes, you will get vegetarian food; daals, rice, atta,
pickles, are available everywhere in the world. And
yes, you can carry a pressure cooker. But carry a
small one.
When you arrive at the airport, just be calm. There
have been instances of students forgetting the name
of their university or tripping over their luggage.
The unfamiliar sights and sounds may make you
Corbis
nervous. Take a deep breath, and keep all your
documents ready for the immigration officer.
And, let’s face it; the first few months are tough. It’s
not easy living in a foreign country. It’s the time you
regret your decision the most and you miss home.
Such reactions are natural, as you are away from
home probably for the first time. But within months
the perspective changes, you get excited about your
new life, the new place, new friends. But make sure
you don’t miss the orientation day at the university,
no matter how low you are feeling. It’s a wonderful
chance to know your classmates and professors.
Take full advantage of the facilities at the univer-
sity, it’s included in the fee. Go to museums, the
cultural centres, theatre, and picnic in the parks.
Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Dr. Manmo-
han Singh, all went abroad to study. It changes your
worldview.
So good luck and safe journey!
With inputs from
Dr Nimesh Chandra & Shalini Gupta,
Feature RJ, DJ & VJ
Jockeys: The
Movers And
Shakers
Did video kill the radio star? Definitely no. FM radio is
on a high, but there is equal space for RJs, VJs and DJs
by Urmila Rao
I
t was a totally different era when
radio listeners tuned in to All India
Radio’s (AIR) musical programmes
on Vividh Bharti. Binaca Geet Mala
ke doosre paidan per… Ab suniye Chitra-
pat Sangeet, Fauji Bhaiyo ke liye….. Pre-
senters intoned formal scripts, talked
bare minimum, never joked on air or
talked about local issues. But the year
2003 changed the radio listening habits
of people. That year three private radio
stations were launched in Delhi whose
character was phenomenally different
from AIR’s austere nature.
radio jockeying
High on entertainment, the new FM
stations were and still are chatty, infor-
mal, play latest numbers and distribute
gift hampers at the drop of a hat. Pre-
senters are perky. From show hosts they
have graduated to a fancy label, Radio
Jockey’s or RJs.
“Now the entertainment quotient has
gone high,” says Rana Barua, National
Head, Marketing and Programming,
Radio City.
Mehak Ankar, a Radio Meow RJ,
echoes the same sentiment. Regarding
the temperament of the FM channels,
she says, “AIR was simple but private
stations are about glamour, show biz and
run as a business house.” And she has
been on the job for five years.
The new format, flavoured and funky,
seduced listeners to such an extent that
radio listening is back in vogue. The
glamour, monetary benefits and the
fame attached is so strong that quite a
lot of youngsters now seek a career in
this profession.
If you are one of them, then the first
question on your checklist ought to be:
Do I have the required aptitude, atti-
tude, voice and the skill to be an RJ?
Rajesh Thakur/Outlook Group
Talent holds the key
“A good voice is a fundamental necessi-
ty,” says Barua. Besides, a pleasant voice,
spontaneity, wit and humor are the other
essentials. But are they enough? No,
knowledge of music is extremely impor-
tant. One also has to be adept at voice
modulation, diction as well as in han-
dling radio consoles. “Being yourself
while you are presenting the show is Siddharth Vohra of Radio City. “How
a characteristic central to a good RJ,” long can you pretend to be someone
maintains Delhi-based RJ Sid a.k.a else?” he asks.
Each show slotted at a specific time
carries a personality of its own because
of the listeners’ profile. So the content,
Rocking RJs make tone and tenor of an afternoon show
it a much sought after are different from one in the evening,
and highly paid which targets office-goers. So, in order
to sound natural, it is important that an
job as lakhs of RJ should host a show closest to his or
listeners her temperament. Being an RJ involves
a lot of hard work, commitment and
tune into FM radio active mindset. “There is lot of money
riding on RJ.”
80 careers 360 october 2009

siddharth vohra
Super prime time jockey, Radio City.
Spontaneity and originality is a
must for RJ
How to land the right job
To join the pack, here’s what you need
to do: make a demo CD, the duration of
which should not exceed 3-5 minutes.
Distribute it to the radio stations of your
city. Choose a current topic for the demo
CD. “The recruiters basically want to see
your presentation style,” says a popular
RJ. Make follow up calls. If there’s an
opening or you are an outstanding tal-
ent, you will be called for an audition.
You will have to record a couple of links
and appear for an interview. “We check
the voice quality, the body language,
demeanour, spontaneity and originality
of the candidates,” says Barua.
Once the RJ is selected, he or she has
to undergo a minimum of 4-8 weeks of
training. Sitting in the studio and strik-
ing a conversation with lakhs of listen-
ers is a cultivated habit which requires
grooming. Before going live on air
trainees record dummy shows and later
graduate to pre-recording stage. Once
the interns acquire enough confidence,
they are, at the outset, entrusted with
only graveyard shows or with small slots
when the listenership is minimal.
Prime time radio stars
The star RJ of the station gets to host
the super prime time show, the slots of
which are 7-10 in the morning and 5- 9 in
the evening. The prime time or the drive
time is the time-band when listenership
peaks. Sid speaks of his choice of timing.
“Rather than morning, I prefer doing
evening drive because then I get atten-
tive listeners,” confesses the evening
jockey of Route Number 911 show.
Going up the ladder
The key ambition of a jockey is to host
the super prime time show. Once the
RJ has done that, he can move on to
become a producer and then executive
producer of the shows. The following
stop is that of a Programming Head
after which the target could be that of
the Regional Head. National Program-
ming Head is the top position that an RJ
can move up to. However, even in their
current jobs, RJs don’t let monotony
set in. They are free to take up indepen-
dent assignments. It could be dubbing,
lending voice for adverts and jingles or
doing voice-overs, or even emceeing for
a show. But such assignments need com-
pany sanction.
It pays to be garrulous
The freshers are paid anywhere between
Rs. 10,000- 15, 000. The salary is parallel
to any basic industry, says Barua. It can
go as high as Rs. 100,000 or above for
the exceptionally talented. Sid remem-
bers the exact net figure of his first salary
while he was in Kolkata with another
FM station. “Rs. 5, 618,” he smiles.
81 careers 360 october 2009
check list
for dj aspirants
Questions to ask if you want to make Djing as
a profession.
Do you have passion for music? Music that
■■
goes beyond Bollywood songs?
■■ Are you the networking kind? Do you have
the ability to chose and network the right
people who can advance your career?
■■ Do you possess the knack of judging the
guests, their would-be song tastes, in order
to play the right kind of music for them?
■■ Do you have enough fluency in conver-
sational English and the confidence to
connect with the crowd and handle them?
■■ Are you ready to invest big? Five lakh
rupees on equipment for starters and in
return a mere Rs. 5,000-6,000 per night?
Pains and gains
Like any other work, RJing too packs in
sweet and sour punches. “I once got a 10
per cent discount on apparel shopping,”
recounts Sid remembering the sales-
man who recognized him by his voice.
Getting up in the morning for super
prime time show is a challenge for a lot
of RJs, especially during winters. While
an envious salary is quite an attraction,
the preparation for a show which lasts
hours can be exacting.
The professional schools
Going to an institute for RJ training
is helpful only to the extent of getting
some exposure. “Some of the institutes
are run by ex-programming heads or
ex-RJ’s so the learning is there,” says
an insider. But institutes can’t prom-
ise placements. However, the chances
of getting a job as an RJ are higher
when compared with aspirants with no
exposure. Sid, a mechanical engineer
by qualification, says that undergoing a
15-day of course helped him to get hold
of the right industry people. “It gave me
confidence to speak publicly.” Once in a
while a promising candidate gets picked
up from a professional school on recom-
mendation.
Disc Jockeying
It’s mega reunion of one of the Delhi’s
popular schools, Air Force Bal Bharti.
Guys donning casuals and women in
their cocktail dresses shake themselves
Feature RJ, DJ & VJ
to the throbbing music. Some gyrate,
others flail their hands, a few twist out
of sync. And amidst the whirling, swirl-
ing and head bobbing, some attempt
group dancing. This is what DJ Karan’s
music can do to people. They just can’t
remain seated. Almost everybody from
the crowd of more than 200 wants to be
on the dance floor to the pulsating music
he is playing. He switches pace seam-
lessly from Bollywood’s latest numbers
to retro Dekha na hai re socha na hai re,
of the ‘70s. English music, Punjabi hip
hop, rock, trance and other music forms
find place in between.
Without a pause, he blends some music
while playing a few others exclusively.
There isn’t a song demand. Now, that’s a
compliment to a DJ who seems to know
the taste of his wide-ranging audience.
“Knowledge of music should be intrinsic
to a DJ,” emphasizes the 29-year-old
Karan Rane who started in UK as a DJ
way back in ‘96.
The underscoring qualities
The profession seems fascinating; rock-
ing night life spiked with heady cocktails
and jovial company. Not really. If you
don’t have the natural inclination, then
the spill over on your long-term career
will be disappointing. Your interest
should go far beyond Bollywood music
says Karan. “That provides a DJ the cut-
ting edge,” he says. Equally important in
this profession is to be technically sound.
A DJ should be able to play at right deci-
bel levels without being obscenely loud.
A good verbal skill with fluency in Eng-
lish is yet another underscoring factor.
When a DJ has to address the crowd, he
should be able to speak without fum-
bling. Ability to judge the party crowd,
play music according to their tastes
and handling the not-so-sober crowd
with ease are all characteristics that a
DJ should be endowed with. Having
played in a host of countries including
the UK, US, Holland, Belgium, France,
Luxembourg and Malaysia, Karan isn’t
dj KAran Rane
Freelancer
Knowledge of music is intrinsic
to a DJ
coaching
Myth and reality
This is a jockeying of a different kind, one that
doesn’t require equestrian skills but capabili-
ties probably tougher than that. Would enroll-
ing in an institute make you a popular. Well, only
if you bust the popular misconceptions.
The institute will get me a job: No. It will not.
Institutes will train you in basics, will famil-
iarize you with the concepts and help you in
contacting people and may arrange for some
interviews.
Higher the course fee, greater the learning:
Not necessarily. The questions, therefore, to be
asked are; who is the faculty, how much time
will he devote towards teaching, what extra
exposure is being provided with increased
fees? Do your research and go for reputed insti-
tutes which are famous through word of mouth.
A lot of schools opened by ex-industry people
provide quality learning.
I will be completely groomed: Schools will not
do that for you. In order to groom your person-
ality or inculcate the traits intrinsic to jockeying,
you have to put in your effort too. For instance,
how to write a relevant script, how to modulate
your voice, when to sound sombre and when to
take a jibe without sounding offensive and so
on, all this comes from you. Institutes will intro-
duce you to basic do’s and don’ts.
Heavily advertised institutes are good: Most
students tend to believe that institutes that put
up flashy adverts in newspapers or hoardings
are more credible than the ones which don’t
tom-tom. Avoid getting smitten by tall claims
or impressive-sounding faculty names. Most of
the time, famous names are incorporated only
with the aim of drawing the students.
Check if these big names really take
classes or are mere trophy guests.
The courses are accredited: Most of
the courses are neither accredited nor
recognised for further studies in the
country or abroad. However, some of
them may be industry–recognized,
which will help you in getting a break.
82 careers 360 october 2009
shy admitting that the crowd in Delhi
needs special handling skills.
Work is music
A DJ plays in a club or in a private
event. Usually the club provides the
stage and the required paraphernalia, in
which case the only investment required
from the DJ is music CDs. Amateur DJs
should carry as many song numbers as
possible, with as many varieties as pos-
sible. Any kind of demand may crop up
anytime from the audience. “One person
may want Electronica to be played, the
other Punjabi music.”
High end investment
In order to get started, what one needs
is the start-up equipment. The starter
kit required for Djing includes a sound
system, two turntables, lighting equip-
ment, a wide-ranging music library, a
mixer, a microphone and headphones.
The minimum investment for this basic
setup runs up to three-four lakh rupees.
The cost can escalate if one chooses to
buy premium equipment, upgrade the
kit or add more accoutrements.
Be the best
A certain image is part and parcel of this
profession. A DJ’s dress sense should
manifest that he is stylishly different.
Keep your eyes and ears open to what is
happening at your competitor’s den. “So,
go clubbing,” advises Karan. Network-
ing is another aspect native to this pro-
fession. The concept of out of sight, out
of mind works full force in the intensely
competitive industry. There is really
no fixed salary; therefore good social
networking skills become imperative to
a professional’s survival. A DJ should
always play in good clubs as it gives him
good name and instant publicity.
Feature RJ, DJ & VJ
JUhi pande
VJ, Channel V
Shelf life is not limited anymore for a VJ
Lucrative sector
At the entry level, the income is Rs.
6,000- 8,000. But after three-four years
of experience, the earnings can go up
to Rs. 20,000-25,000. A DJ extraordi-
naire can charge even up to Rs. 50,000-
100,000 or more per night. “This is just
the fee, minus the equipment,” apprises
Karan.
DJ schooling
Sadly, no professional course may help
you make a mark in this industry. The
training institutes are mostly run as
business entities; any one is free to enrol.
There is no entrance exam or inter-
views to screen the right candidates. A
guaranteed job is not on the offer list.
The expense of a DJ course is anywhere
between Rs. 15,000- Rs. 50,000 for a
three to six months course.
Video jockeying
She was 24, model manager with Elite
Model Agency, Mumbai when she was
pursued relentlessly by Channel V to
join them. After much persuasion and
cajoling, Juhi Pande left her job to turn
to be a video jockey or VJ. Five years
later, 50 and more shows old, this peppy
VJ is a household name, popular among
youngsters and every bit as enthusiastic
regarding work as she was on day one.
Luck provided her entry into the coveted
field but if you want to become a VJ,
then read on.
Must-haves for a VJ
“It important that you have social skills,
are able to talk effortlessly and comfort-
able with people,” says Juhi, narrating
the must-haves. Not a bit exhausted after
completing her latest show Exhausted,
she goes on to describe the other attri-
butes. Having common knowledge about
everything helps as one is able to man-
age an easy conversation with guests and
callers, she says. But what differentiates
a good VJ from an outstanding VJ is his
or her comfort level with the camera,
superior verbal skills, ability to handle
phone-in callers, interviewees and peo-
ple in general. “Sometimes one has to be
ready to put in 16-18 hours a day as well,”
Juhi tells VJ aspirers. Since there are no
institutes which grooms aspirants with
There is really no fixed
salary; therefore good
social networking
skills become
imperative to a
professional’s survival
84 careers 360 october 2009
Attributes
of a good VJ
■■ Have some knowledge of interesting topics,
events and happenings around you.
■■ A deep familiarity with Bollywood music;
additional information of the film industry,
interesting anecdotes and trivia help to
build up a great show.
■■ Fluency in Hindi and English. A superior
verbal skill helps maintain a fluid show.
■■ Ability to handle people smartly. Be nice,
snippy without being offensive.
■■ An overall groomed personality. It means
you should have the right measure of
confidence, you are appealing and
your networking abilities are strong.
“It is extremely important that a VJ finds
comfort in his/her own skin in front of
the camera.”
these attributes, the cutting edge can be
drawn only with self-teaching. The rest
comes with experience. However, magic
comes in to play only if one has innate
abilities. The competition is cut-throat,
as ‘everybody wants to get recognized on
the streets’, says Juhi.
Limited shelf life?
As age and looks are two major aspects
in this glamorized profession, how long
can one continue? With VJs now turning
into show hosts the career span of the
professionals has widened, says Juhi.
“The shelf life is not limited anymore.”,
she says. With channels opting multiple
show formats, work for talented VJs
abound. There are shows based on real-
ity, travel, cookery and shows for chil-
dren and others. This has given a boost
to VJs who double up as presenters.
Salary levels
At the entry-level the income is any-
where in the range of Rs. 30,000 or
more. There is no upper limit. “If you
appeal to viewers, are high on popularity
chart, your performance is exceptional,
then channels have the ability to pay
exceptionally well,” says Juhi.
Her advice to the wannabe VJ’s? Go
for it only if you have the required quali-
ties, live your dream but have patience.
Most importantly have plan B ready.
As for her, “It’s been a great ride so far.
I am havin’ a blast,” chirps the VJ in her
archetypal conversation lingo.
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Campus Review IMT, Ghaziabad
Where management
remains at the core
Consistently ranked among the top 20 B-schools of the country, this 30-year-old
delivers bankable education in management and information technology
Fast Facts
Courses: PGDM, PGDM (IB), PGDM (Finance),
PGDM (HR), PGDM (Executive), PhD
No of Seats: PGDM: 120 others: 60 each
Campuses: Ghaziabad, Nagpur, Dubai,
Hyderabad (2010), Admission: CAT/GMAT,
GD, Interview Placement Services: Available
(claims 100% placements) Collaborations: 45
active MoUs Fees: Rs.6-8 Lakhs
by B Mahesh Sarma
“W
e have a certain com-
petence in postgradu-
ate management edu-
cation only, as of now,”
said Dr.Anwar Ali, Director, IMT when
I quizzed him why they have not joined
the chorus to be a ‘Deemed University’.
It is this ability, at least so far, to appreci-
ate and stick to its core competency that
makes IMT score consistently among
the B-Schools of the country.
Launched in 1980, as a stand-alone
AICTE approved B-school at Gha-
ziabad, under the aegis of “Lajapat
Rai Educational Society” with a PG
Diploma course (both full-time and
part-time) IMT in a span of 30 years,
has grown to three campuses, with mul-
tiple programmes, but all within the
realm of management.
What is on offer?
The flagship course is the Post Graduate
Diploma in Management, with 120 seats.
Following a trimester system, the course
demands completion of 240 credits to
earn a PGDM. The students have the
possibility of focusing on either mar-
keting or operations research streams.
There are four named specializations
as well, in Finance, International Busi-
ness, Human Resources, and Informa-
tion Technology. Anuj Kalra, a first year
student proudly claims they are one of
the few management institutes that offer
Operations Management as a speciali-
sation; though he concedes the number
of takers are relatively less. The offer-
ings in different campuses are provided
in the table below.
Infrastructure and resources
The campus at Ghaziabad is the oldest
and the most well known. Built over 30
years, it is a conglomeration of buildings,
developed as and when the need arose.
Agrees Dr.Ali, “Unlike the Nagpur cam-
pus, which is built recently and hence
is integrated in every respect here we
have evolved with time.” So classrooms
are spread out, exam halls co-exist with
dorms and hostels sport a very lived-
in look. Says Manav Metha, a second
year student, “We wouldn’t have it any
other way. Compared to the soulless
glass and chrome edifices our place has
character.” But plans are afoot to build
a totally integrated academic complex,
with “state-of-the-art facilities,” Prof.
B.D.Singh, Dean, MDP, intones. In
terms of learning resources, the cam-
pus is well endowed and being aware of
Programmes /Seats at a glance
Campus MBA PGDM* PGDM
(Exe)
Ghaziabad 360 60
Nagpur 300
Dubai 60
*PGDM also includes named awards in IB, IT etc.
86 careers 360 october 2009
an MBA aspirant’s propensity to post-
pone to next week what can be done
tomorrow, the library is open 22 hours
a day, 365 days a year. And a running
feud between a sleep-deprived (mostly
self inflicted) MBA and the librarian is
visible from the stern warnings in the
notice board threatening dire conse-
quences in case students walk into the
library in unacceptable wear and use it
as an emergency sleeping pad.
Academics and beyond
Teaching at IMT is primarily lec-
ture-based, and like any other good
B-School, it has its share of projects and
case-based learning. With about 56 out
of 58 faculty having a PhD, IMT does
appear to meet the criterion for a good
school. When queried about the need for
a PhD, the responses came thick and fast.
Manav was first off the block, to vocifer-
ously assert that it is not the right ques-
tion. Learning from practioners, some-
one from the trenches, as Neha Goel a
HR student puts it, matters a lot to them.
“Have a balance between academics
and practioners,” says Ashish. But as
everyone acknowledges the actual
learning happens with the ‘crowd’, the
kind of peers one has, and students
are proud of their peers. With over
80 percent of the student population
dominated by engineers, though diver-
sity does appear lacking, the learning
seems great at least with those I met.
PGDM
(PT)
Getting on board
60 Entry into IMT is slightly difficult. With
over 15,000 applicants vying for nearly
800 plus seats, they have a success rate
of 1:19. Routinely only 90 percentile
or above scorers in CAT are invited for

On their way for the day’s worth of management gyan. Classes at IMT run throughout the day
the selection process and are assessed
on the basis of a Group Discussion and
Interview. Says Dr. A.M.Sherry, Direc-
tor, Admissions, “The fact that more
than half of my last year’s batch has at
least two or more years of work experi-
ence is proof enough of the value that an
IMT degree offers.”
Collaborations
“We are doing innovative projects, which
even IIMs don’t consider.” The excite-
ment in the voice of Dr. Jayanti Ranjan,
chairperson, International Collabora-
tions, is palpable. With over 45 opera-
tional MoUs, and 20 more in different
stages of completion, she has reasons
to be proud of. “The ability to experi-
ence for oneself the reality of a foreign
business environment is priceless.” says,
Rajeev Viswanath But only some things
in life are priceless. Though tuition
is free, you do pay for living, travel
and incidental expenses. The experi-
ence would set a student back by any-
thing between 2 lakhs to 8 eight lakhs
depending on the city and location you
choose to go.
Where does it all lead to?
The most crucial benchmark for a
B-School is its placements and the aver-
age salary. IMT scores on both counts.
Erasmus Mundus Individual
Mobility Programme
IMT, a member of a consortia, led by Vrije
Universiteit Brussel, Belgium, was recently
awarded a multi-year project, to facilitate flow
of researchers at various levels to promote
joint academic collaboration.
Spread over four years (2009-2013), the
project envisages nearly 240 individual
mobility flows at all levels of academia from
undergraduates to teaching staff. Prof. Jayanti
Ranjan is very proud of the fact that IMT won
the project in the face of stiff competition from
the likes of IIM,B.
According to Prof. Ranjan, the project would
allow nearly 15- 20 researchers, both at
Master’s and post doctoral levels to pursue
either a study/research programme in any of
the 63 partner institutions.
Even in a bad year like 2008, they claim
to have achieved 100 percent placement
and the average salary is Rs. 8.09 lakhs.
The number of MDPs too is an indica-
tor of the output and standing of the
institute. And MDPs too have posted a
decent growth rate with nearly 2 crores
of rupees worth of earnings expected in
the current academic year.
Good is the enemy of great
IMT, Gaziabad, has the unique distinc-
tion of being a consistent Tier- 1 School.
87 careers 360 october 2009
Rajesh Thakur/Outlook Group
Take any ranking, it would always be
between 10- 15 in the general category
and within the top 5 in the private school
category. With an average salary hover-
ing around 10 lakhs, it is a good school to
be in. Are they happy being where they
are, I query. A pensive Director, after
the customary comment about how
rankings are just a number, acknowl-
edges they would prefer to be at the top
at least among the private schools. But
to do so, would mean they have to over-
take the likes of XLRI, SP Jain, MICA
and NMIMS. But more than that it
would also mean overtaking some of the
new IIMs, that have retained the brand
value, just by association. Such a vision
would demand quite a bit of restructur-
ing and changes on all fronts, some of it
more subjective than objective.
Previous Campus Reviews
Amrita University
Jadavpur University, Jadavpur
IIIT, Bangalore
TERI University, New Delhi
Indian Statistical Institute, Kolkata
Manipal University, Manipal
www.careers360.com
Scholarships japanese Fellowships

In the name of
the Rising Sun
The only scholarship in the world that permits scholars
to stay and study with their families in tow

Fast Facts
Participating Instituions: All National Universities and some private universities For: Students,
researchers, teacher training Website: www.in.emb-japan.go.jp/, Study in Japan, Selection
process: Screening of applications by the Embassy of Japan, English test by Ministry of Human
Resource Development, interview at Ministry of Human Resource Development of candidates
followed by final interview at the Embassy of Japan

by Bharti M. Borah would have to get in touch with the local

Embassy of Japan/Japanese Consulate.

“
I
must thank Radio Japan,”
Shamshad Ahmad Khan is very
emphatic. The research officer
at IDSA, did part of his PhD
from Tokyo University on a Mombo-
sho scholarship. Staying in Samastipur,
before the advent of TV, Shamshad
used to listen to Radio Japan and write
to them regularly, an expensive hobby
at that time. But the interest stuck on,
he enrolled for a PhD at JNU and got
a full fellowship to study at Tokyo.
Interest in Japan is a crucial element
they look for, Shamshad says. And in this
case Radio Japan was the connect. Mon-
bukagakusho, commonly referred to as
Monbusho or Mombusho, is a Japanese
government scholarship through which
72,000 foreign students from over 160
countries have benefited.
Out of a total 62 fellowships available
for Indian scholars, 33 are for research.
At the undergraduate level there are
3, technology studentships (about 3),
professional training college —Senshu-
gakko—(about 8), Japanese studies
(about 8) and teacher training (about
2). The newly launched Young leaders’
programme me has six places at the
master’s level.
How to begin?
In order to apply for this scholarship you
Students from western India would head
on to Mumbai. Chennai is the place for
southern India. Students from eastern
parts must head to Kolkata and rest of
India must approch New Delhi.
The scholarship amount changes every
year, so watch out for the exact amount
you would receive. You can opt for the
academic session beginning in April
or October. You must submit the pre-
liminary application in the month of
April, with June being the time when
you appear for the written test and inter-
views. In September your application
is sent to the Ministry of Education,
Culture, Sports, Science and Technol-
ogy (MEXT) and by January/Febru-
ary students are informed whether they
have been granted the scholarship or
not. Usually in the first week of April
selected students head to Japan. Some
opt to join the session in October as they
still need to appear for examinations
in the month of April and await their
results from Indian Universities. For the
categories of Japanese studies, Teacher
Calendar for 2011
April 10 Apply
June 10 Written test
September 10 Final evaluation in Japan
February 11 Results
training, students and Young Leader’s
programme, the application periods
differ (See Table).
Qualifications required
Nationals of any country that has diplo-
matic relations with the Japanese gov-
ernment, can apply. Age is dependent on
the category in which you apply, but gen-
erally you must be less than 35. Appli-
cants need to have completed 16 years
of schooling for all graduate courses and
18 years for a doctoral course. Subject
and fellowship details are available at
www.jasso.go.jp/cgi-bin/user/univ_
search.cgi.
Selection and recommendations
Selection is done in various stages
and suitable guidance would be pro-
vided throughout. Be clear on all the
information, sites are self-explanatory
Remember, when you have been granted
the Mombusho, you would receive the
money after opening an account in the
Japan Post Office after reaching Japan.
Ensure you carry $1,500 when you land
in Japan so that you can bear the initial
costs smoothly, this process takes any-
where between 15-20 days after arrival.

88 careers 360 october 2009

 Courtesy: Osaka University

Monbukagakusho Scholarship
according to categories
Category Age Value No. Applica-
(Yen/ tion
month) period
Below
Research 152,000 33 May-June
35

UG 17- 21 125,000 3 May-June

Technol-
17- 21 125,000 3 May-June
ogy
Profes-
sional 17-21 125,000 8 May-June
Training
Japanese January-
18-29 134,000 8
Studies February
Young
Below August-
Leaders’ 257,000 8
40 October
scheme

Students who have been selected as

International students in Japan
College/University Website No
Tokyo Institute of www.titech.ac.jp  1038
Technology
Tohoku University www.tohoku.ac.jp  1149
University of Tsu- www.tsukuba.ac.jp/  1222
kuba
Nagoya University www.nagoya-u.ac.jp   1253
Kyoto University www.kyoto-u.ac.jp/  1291
Kyushu University www.kyushu-u.ac.jp  1297
Osaka University www.osaka-u.ac.jp  1390
University Tokyo www.u-tokyo.ac.jp  2138
Airfare is provided from the nearest
international airport in your country to
Narita International Airport. Travel to
the airport in your country and to your
university in Japan is not borne by the
scholarship amount.
A visit to Mombusho Scholars Asso-
ciation of India is advisable, and their
guides are quite useful. Some Japanese
universities require you to sit for an
Examination for Japanese University
(EJU) test is conducted twice a year in
June and November in New Delhi. Write
to the university directly, find out if you
need to appear for EJU and take short-
term courses in Japanese language.
Classroom experience at Osaka University,
Toyonaka Campus, Japan
Additional fellowships on offer
The Japan Student Services Organiza-
tion (JASSO) provides programmes for
short-term study and student exchange
programmes. The Japan Society for the
Promotion of Science (JSPS) promotes
an avenue for young researchers to
explore joint research with colleagues
at Japanese universities and research
institutions. People belonging to any
country that has diplomatic relations
with Japan can opt for post doctoral fel-
lowships for foreign researchers.
Why Japan?
Dr. Jai Gopal, presently a scientist at
the Ministry of Earth Sciences in Japan,
had the opportunity to study at Kyoto
University. The civic sense, cleanliness
and safety of living in Japan is a cher-
ished memory for him. Dr. Gopal said,
“Japanese are wonderful people, there
is no tension in living in Japan even if
you don’t know the language.” The sheer
efficiency is a lesson in itself, but more
than that the ability to merge eastern
and western values is their true message
asserts Shamsad.
Mombushu scholars require to acquire a
College Student (ryuugaku) visa prior to
arrival in Japan. In addition, it is advis-
able to get health insurance since medi-
cal treatment in Japan can be costly.
You cannot apply for scholarships if you
happen to belong to any of the following
categories:
●● Being active in military
●● Unable to travel on the alloted days
●● Awardees within the last three years.
An experience to remember
Choose Japan as a country for higher
studies, to have a glimpse into a rich
culture. You might face difficulties in
terms of eating habits but cuisines of all
kinds are available. An unique feature is
that a Mombushu scholar can also take
dependents including parents to Japan,
though no additional amount is paid.
Most universities offer childcare facili-
ties and Japan offers a lifetime learning
experience.
Previous Scholarships
Charles Wallace India Trust
Fulbright fellowships for studies in US
Swedish Institute Scholarships
DAAD fellowship for studying in Germany
www.careers360.com

89 careers 360 october 2009

Book Review the Professional

Manifesto for managing work

Ideas, tools, and issues that contribute to the making of a perfect professional

be read in the order it is written. It can Bagchi’s ten top attributes

be read in any order, reading Bagchi is
such a pleasure. Though there are done
to death advices like ask questions, do
research, and manage time, there are
gems galore. Being comfortable with
limitations, doing what you are good
at, taking charge, value of dissent and
transparency and dealing with personal
pain are some of the exciting reads. Most
of what Bagchi brings to the table is not
new. But the authenticity he imparts to
those ideas, by way of personal practice
is what makes the book worth a read.
One of the best pieces is about being
committed to commitment.
The professional
Subroto Bagchi
Reading The Professional, I instinc-
Penguin tively remembered Ayn Rand and her
Rs. 399 favourite icon Howard Roark. Bagchi’s
217 pages
professional is almost like him, fanati-
cal about integrity, professionally
by B Mahesh Sarma competent, highly efficient, supremely
confident, totally self-aware, but unlike
1. Integrity
2. Commitment and ownership
3. Action orientation and goal seeking
4. Continuous learning
5. Professional knowledge/skills
6. Communication
7. Planning, organizing and punctuality
8. Quality of work
9. A positive attitude, approachability,
responsiveness
10 Being an inspiring reference to others
Integrety is the bedrock of profession-
alism to Bagchi, and he would only see
it in black and white. There appears to
be a singular lack of context in Bagchi’s
narrative. To him it is an absolute con-
cept. But values, morals and principles
evolve and they evolve in tandem with
the society. How much land at what

T
ruisms distilled out of a lifetime’s
experiences come out as a col-
lection in The Professional. The
sanctimonious tone it assumes
in some places is jarring but it is Bagchi’s
by right, due to the sheer diversity and
depth of experiences and views that he
marshals before us.
The book looks at professionalism,
as a sum total of attitudes, attributes
and skill sets, all built over the bedrock
of integrity. Spread over eight sub-sec-
tions, the author warns us that it has to
Roark, humane and politically correct.
One segment, managing complexity,
also shows Bagchi’s erudition. All the
seven pieces are worth a second reading.
The piece on dealing with personal pain
is vintage Bagchi.
If you have very little time to read,
then the 18 pages dealing with New
World is the section you must go for.
Each piece here illuminates the com-
plexities involved in today’s world.
And that brings me to Bagchi’s raison
d’être, integrity.
price is fair for a firm and the soci-
ety? How much of affirmative action is
essential? How far should a firm go, in
protecting jobs? What profit levels are
fair profit levels?
The above questions are not amenable
to answers in black and white. Grey dom-
inates our life, and it rubs off on matters
of personal integrity as well. Equating an
inflated bill or claiming a false tax break
to sexual harassment and punishing all
similarly might look very seductive, but
has no use in the outside world.

Recommendations
Rise of profes- Ethics and pro- Professionalism, True Profes-
sionalism; A fessionalism the Third Logic: sionalism : The
sociological Paperback: 408 On the Practice Courage to Care
analysis pages of Knowledge About Your
Paperback: 327 Univ. of Pennsylva- Paperback: 240 People, Your
pages nia Press (February, pages Clients, and Your
Univ. of California 1988) Univ. of Chicago Career
Press (December 1979) A classic, it deals with the ways Press (June, 2001) Paperback: 224 pages
Bit dry, but impossible to ignore its morality and professional ideals are Is professionalism an alternative to Free Press (May, 2000)
analysis of evolution of the idea. intertwined, rules and ideals. consumerism and bureaucracy? A how to do book in American style.

90 careers 360 october 2009


Research labs prefer people
with master’s in engineering
Q. I am a final year student of BE (CS), is it
a judicious decision to do MTech?
A. It is indeed, subject to your interest in
pursuing specialized and focused study. Look
for good educational institutions having
research facilities.
Q. What is the scope for food technology?
A. You are employed mostly by small and
medium enterprises if you earn a diploma.
Larger corporations seek higher qualifica-
tions. Responsibilities of the food technolo-
gist generally centre on food safety, quality
control, packaging; food preservation and so
on. There are emerging fields such as Food
and Bioprocess Technology that offer jobs
in agri-food industry to improve process effi-
ciency, enhance product quality and extend
shelf-life of agri-food products. Openings are
also there in research laboratories where one
could evaluate and analyze the food ingredi-
ents present in the products. In the govern-
ment sector/PSUs, department of food also
recruit people.
Q. I am doing CA while working as an
internal auditor in the treasury depart-
ment of a leading private sector bank.
Please guide me.
A. Having gained experience in select
financial instruments, you may excel in cor-
porate finance, advising clients on business
transactions, such as mergers and acquisi-
tions, business improvement, or dealing with
insolvency. With many MNCs/TNCs having
global transactions, you may also develop
interest in transfer pricing or industry pricing
regulatory reviews, business process reviews
etc. or for that matter in futures and options.
Q. What are the jobs available for an IT
fresher?
A. The requirements at the entry level are as
programmers or engineer/manager trainees.
Firms with their core activity in engineering,
R&D, networking, semiconductor et al. look
for fresher (s) sound in theory and practical
knowledge of ICT. The other jobs are in start-
ups, internet companies, EDAs and in FMCG
and Banking for their systems operations.
Ask Us Career choice
Q. what’s the procedure to join air force
after BE?
A. Recruitment possibilities are there in the
Indian Air Force in Flying Branch where you
are trained as a pilot; in Technical Branch
where you would deal with sophisticated
equipment at the Air Force station/Aircraft
etc. Also available are positions in Ground
Duty Branch as an officer in the Meteorology
Branch.
Q. Is there a future for MCA?
A. The scope is vast in software and IT ser-
vices. One can render his/her services as
a programmer, analyst, software engineer,
developer, database management specialist,
software application architect, software spe-
cific specialist and a consultant. However,
one is often restricted to move further in areas
such as decision support systems where you
need additional qualification.
Q. I have finished my BE and looking
forward to do my ME Is it good?
A. This would depend on the specialization
you choose. For instance if you focus on met-
allurgy, the options increase for you to find a
suitable job in alloys, thin films or specialized
metals, mechanical metallurgy or ceramics.
The national laboratories and strategic sector
organisations are also recruiting people with
Master’s in engineering.
Q. I am an undergraduate. I want to study
filmmaking and acting in US.
A. While the course fees in the US at institu-
tions such as Harvard, Colombia, Boston,
Nortwestern or John Hopkins University is
Careers360,
anywhere between US$25,000-$35,000, receives hundreds
there are universities where the course fees of questions every
is less than US$10,000. These include: Mis- month. Some select
sissippi State University, University of North
Dakota, Bloomsburg University, College of
answers are pub-
St. Joseph and Pittsburg State University lished here. All the
among a host of others. In India, however, queries are answered
you could consider your options at FTII, on our website. Visit
Pune where you have a Two Year PG Diplo-
ma in Acting (Rs. 1.5 lakhs) and three-year
www.careers360.
PG Diploma in cinematography, direction, com and post your
editing separately at Rs 30,000 each. queries to us
91 careers 360 october 2009
 UN JOBS PSU mdp

Ready Reckoner
A compilation of actionable information, segmented and presented on a thematic
basis and sorted out according to their deadlines
UN JOBS
Programme Institution Location Deadline Website
Consultant – Documentation of ‘40 United Nations Development Programme New Delhi 02/10/09 www.undp.org.in/jobs/
years of UNDP in India’
Programme Officer (Environmental Law United Nations Environment Programme Nairobi 04/10/09 www.unep.org/vacancies
and Conventions)
Editorial Associate - Medicine and United Nations University, International Kuala Lumpur 06/10/09 www.unu.edu/employment/
Health Journal Institute for Global Health
Temporary National Professional World Health Organization New Delhi 06/10/09 www.whoindia.org
Executive Officer Department of Public Information — UN New York 10/10/09 https://jobs.un.org
Deputy Programme Director — Amnesty International Anywhere in UK 11/10/09 www.amnesty.org/jobs
International Mobilization Programme
Human Resources Assistant UNAIDS Geneva 16/10/09 https://erecruit.unaids.org
Humanitarian Affairs Officer Office for coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Multiple 17/10/09 https://jobs.un.org
Regional Programme Adviser UNAIDS Bangkok 17/10/09 https://erecruit.unaids.org
Scientist (Environmental Health & World Health Organization New Delhi 17/10/09 www.who.int/employment
Climate Change)
Project Coordinator, India DanChurchAid New Delhi 25/10/09 dcajobs@gmail.com
Programme Officer United Nations Environment Programme Bangkok 26/10/09 www.unep.org/vacancies

Company/Organisation Position (Vacancies) Deadline Website

JIPMER, Puducherry Staff Nurse (90) 05/10/09 www.jipmer.edu
Indian Institute of Management, Faculty & Non-faculty positions 05/10/09 www.iimk.ac.in
Kozhikode
Jawaharlal Nehru University Faculty (149) 05/10/09 www.jnu.ac.in
United Bank of India Officer (Credit/Forex/IT) & others (total 240) 06/10/09 http://recruitment.
GOVERNMENT JOBS

unitedbankofindia.com
Brahmaputra Valley Fertilizer Managers/Engineers/Administrative officers/ 10/10/09 http://www.bvfcl.com
Corporation Ltd Trainees (61)
Brahmos Aerospace Managers/Engineers/Trainees/Assistants/technicians 12/10/09 www.brahmos.com
Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited Management Trainees: Telecom Operations (250); 14/10/09 www.bsnl.co.in
Finance (50)
Uttarakhand Public Service Commission Assistant Prosecuting Officer (38) 14/10/09 www.gov.ua.nic.in/ukpsc
Intelligence Bureau, Ministry of Assistant Central Intelligence Officer-Grade II/ 18/10/09 Employment News (19-25
Home Affairs Technical (52) September)
Delhi Metro Rail Corporation Customer Relations Assistant (318) 19/10/09 www.delhimetrorail.com
Delhi Metro Rail Corporation Maintainers (961) 19/10/09 www.delhimetrorail.com
Indo-Tibetan Border Police Force, Sub-Inspector (Overseer) (61) 20/10/09 www.itbpolice.nic.in
Ministry of Home Affairs
Pondicherry University, Puducherry Faculty (162) 30/10/09 www.pondiuni.edu.in

92 careers 360 october 2009

 UN JOBS PSU mdp
Institution Name of programme Oct ‘09 Fees (Rs.) In detail
ISB Hyderabad ISB-Kellogg Global advanced management prog 03 – 10 600,000

IPIRTI Bangalore Trouble shooting in plywood manufacture 05 – 06 2,000 National Institute for
XIM Bhubaneswar Role efficacy in managers 05 – 06 8,000 Micro, Small & Medium

Managment deveLopment programmes

IRMA Anand Team building 05 – 08 — Enterprises, Hyderabad
19-23 October 2009, Competitive
ASCI Hyderabad Leadership for managing change 05 – 09 30,000 Advantages for MSMEs of IPR,
Fee: Rs. 15,000
IIM Bangalore Finance for decision making (non-finance mgrs) 05 – 09 60,000
Programme is aimed at all those
IIM Ahmedabad Infrastructure development and financing 05 – 10 70,000 willing to know more about Intellectual
Property Rights with special reference
CFTRI Mysore Thermal processing in food applications 12 – 14 4,494 to Trade Marks and Copy rights.
NITIE Mumbai Knowledge management 12 – 16 20,000

IIM Indore Data mining and business applications 19 – 22 25,000

IIM Calcutta Mergers and acquisitions 24 – 29 30,000

EDI Ahmedabad ICT skills for small enterprise operations (*Dec) 26 – 04* ITEC

IMI New Delhi Supply chain management 26 – 28 25,200

MDI Gurgaon Leadership: building high performing teams 26 – 30 40,000

XLRI Jamshedpur Professional sales management 26 – 30 35,000

IPE Hyderabad Digital image processing 27 – 30 -

IIFT New Delhi Cross-cultural comm & business etiquette in IB 28 – 29 8,500

IIM Kozhikode Accelerating salesforce performance 29 – 31 15,000 [ ]

NMIMS Mumbai Situational leadership for personal effectiveness 30 – 31 6,000

Watch out for Management Development Programmes (MDPs) in November 2009

Institution Name of programme Dates Mainly for whom Fees in

XIM Bhubaneswar Logistics & Supply Chain Management 03 – 05 Senior & Middle-level Managers from any function 12,000

EDI Ahmedabad Entrepreneurial Management 09/11 – Policy makers/Entrepreneurs/Executives incl. from ITEC
18/12 Chambers of Commerce and Industry support
NITIE Mumbai Statistical Skills for Managers 09 – 11 Person with relevant experience & responsible position 12,000

XLRI New Delhi Transformational Leadership 09 – 11 Senior and top management executives with 27,000
independent responsibility for divisions or SBUs
CFTRI Mysore Innovations in processing of rice & rice products 09 – 13 Knowledge of the subject, preferably a basic degree 6,742

IIP Hyderabad Programme on Flexible Packaging 09 – 13 Anyone engaged in packaging industry 5,000

IIM Ahmedabad Small and Medium Enterprises Programme 09 – 21 Entrepreneurs/owner-managers/executives of SMEs 100,000

XIM Bhubaneswar Lab on Entreprenuership 11 – 13 Business ideators/family business members/ 12,000

ex-servicemen/homemakers keen to start own venture
IIFT New Delhi IT Applications in Global Business Environment 12 – 13 Executive officials in international trade using ICT tools 8,500

NMIMS Mumbai Analytical Tools for Marketing Intelligence 13 – 14 Marketing exec willing to learn quantitative techniques 6,000

MDI Gurgaon Competency Building for Leadership Roles 16 – 20 Sr/middle professionals involved in decision making 40,000

IMI New Delhi Workshop on Presentation Skills 16 – 17 Professionals willing to improve their negotiation skills 18,400

ISB Hyderabad ISB Kellogg Global Advanced Management Prog 22 – 27 CEOs, SBU heads having global business exposure 600,000

NMIMS Mumbai Emotional Intelligence - How to Make It work 27 Those interested in improving emotional Intelligence 3,000

IIM Calcutta E-Commerce and BPR for Successful Business 28 – 29 Executives/decision makers from government/ 22,000
Transformation E-business entrepreneurs in E-transforming

93 careers 360 october 2009

Up Close Sanjay Leela Bhansali
I am brutally
honest with myself
A rare glance into Bollywood filmmaker Sanjay Leela
Bhansali’s emotional make-up
Q. How far have you studied?
A. I am a graduate in commerce.
Q. Commerce-why on earth?
A. [Laughs out] Good one. I’ve been
asking myself this question for ever.
Those days Arts was considered a strict
no no. Commerce was the stream which
would get you a job. That was the only
criterion. But honestly I just didn’t
understand it –It was just a waste of
five years… I just don’t have that side
to my brain that economises and plans
and does credits and debits. It all went
haywire. I just sat outside and watched
the sea at Haji Ali... I was at Lala Lajpa-
trai college.
Vinod Chopra… directing the songs of
his film 1942. Even before that I got a
salary from Shukla Das who was with
O&M working on a documentary…
Rs. 1,000/- per month.
Q. How did you spend it?
A. I don’t remember. I don’t spend
money though.
Q. How do you cope with failure?
A. Oh! I get very depressed. I keep
thinking about it. Then I learn so fast
and so much after I’ve accepted it that it
becomes a learning experience for me...
In Khamoshi critics gave me 5 stars etc.
But the common man didn’t accept it
and I knew something was wrong. That
made me think hard over it. I never sit
on a failure. I learn from it. I analyse
within myself what went wrong. I figure
it out because I am brutally honest with
myself. Once I know what’s wrong I
move on. I am a terrific learner. I search
for it inside me. I do not discuss it with
others. There’s a tremendous thought
“A tremendous thought
process, an electric
Atul Loke/Outlook Group
current of thought
runs through me.
I sit and stare into
space for days to
think out what has
happened”
Q. Did you have any career plans
when you were in college?
A. No. I was only studying to get into process, an electric current of thought
the FTII because they asked for grad- that runs through me. I sit and stare into
uates. That was my only purpose of space for days not in bitterness, not in
joining college but then I discovered self pity but only to think out what has
that I’d made a wrong choice in going happened.
for Commerce.
Q. What do you fear the most?
Q. Did you try out anything else to A. Failure and wrong doing, it always
earn an income? rebounds on you.
A. I assisted Deepak, my sister Bela’s
husband in editing documentaries and Q. Is life fun or is there a purpose?
advertisements... A. For me it’s only making movies- my
fun and my purpose. That’s the only
Q. What was your first salary? reason I am alive… the only thing abso-
A. It was one and a half thousand with lutely, nothing else matters.
128 careers 360 october 2009
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