Importance of research in universities

What is it about?

This article, examining the interface of research university and knowledge society, argues that India will have to build a strong research base in its universities since a modern research-oriented university is the mother of knowledge society—a society in which knowledge industry plays a vital role in enhancing its power and wealth. Universities play an important role in sustaining the knowledge society as well, since the universities, through their research activities, train students who are capable of original thinking andbecome the next generation’s elites, that is,scientists, engineers, teachers, industrial entrepreneurs and political leaders, enabling society to adapt to rapid changes. Furthermore, taking the USA as a paradigm of knowledge society, it asserts that the countryhas become rich and powerful by promoting scientific research in its universities. Concurrently, while appraising India’s progress towards knowledge society, the articleconcludes that if India aspires to be a world power in the 21st century, it will have to become a knowledge society by promoting research not only by guaranteeing substantial financial support, but also by regenerating a research culture and ceaselessly transmitting it among the coming generations of students.

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Why is it important?

The article highlights the fact that those countries like the USA who have promoted research in their universities have become wealthy and powerful. It is, therefore, argued in the paper that contemporary India needs to promote research culture in its universities for the continuous supply of well-trained researchers and innovators in every field to become a powerful and developed nation.

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