‘Spain and Estonia are emerging study destinations for Indian students’

An alumnus of Apeejay School of Management (ASM), 2000-02 batch, Prashant Kumar has achieved excellence throughout his two-decade-old career in the field of education. In his current role, he assists global universities in their “India-focused” academic collaborations. He tells us more about his work in an interview.

Excerpts:

Tell us about your time at ASM.

It was truly a golden time of my life, especially when you get to explore in your youth. Erstwhile Apeejay School of Marketing (in my times) was an established name in Management education, and I was lucky to have made it. Our then director late professor Lalit Lal was an institution in himself from whom I had so much to learn. As for my achievements, I remember having secured the first position in an essay competition. I also served as the president of the Students’ Council and was the only student to have majored in International Business in my batch (International Business – major, Marketing – minor). Today, I look forward to every available opportunity to give back to my institute.

Also Read: Steady rise in availing education loan to study abroad: Finance Ministry

Can you tell us in detail about the work you are doing at present?

Since 2013, I have been working as an independent consultant assisting overseas universities in their India-focused operations as part of their international cooperation strategy. I help achieve Excellence Through Internationalisation (ETI). I carry about 19 years of experience in the education domain with rich exposure to both domestic and international markets.

My last assignment was at the IIT Council Secretariat (MHRD+IIT Delhi) where I was part of the administrative team for implementing recommendations of the Kakodkar Committee to make IITs world-class and more relevant to society. The internationalisation of IITs was a key component of my work. Prior to that, I was at IIT Kharagpur as the very-first executive officer (Institutional Development) in the Office of Alumni Affairs & International Relations (AA&IR). I also served FORE School of Management (Delhi) and IMT-Dubai in the past.

Having expanded my scale over time, my services now cover overseas education, project management and strategic consulting targeting institutes, organisations, and governments looking to enter international markets through academic collaboration and initiatives.

Some of my prestigious existing/served clients include Embassy of Finland, Tallinn University of Technology (Estonia), University of Tartu (Estonia), Aalto University (Finland), University of California, Davis (USA), Fort Hays State University (USA), and Reliance Jio, to name a few.

What impact did Covid have on your work?

In 2021, I co-founded ‘AROMA’ with my wife wherein we supply fresh home-cooked food to homes, companies, hostels and homestays. We serve quality breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, and sweets. It’s a bootstrapped venture. We are now in the expansion stage and may attract debt and equity soon; we may go international too if things go well. Overseas student housing and food are great investment options.

But this downturn proved as a blessing as now my both consulting and food ventures are following an upward trend.

How have academic ties between India and other countries evolved? Which country do Indian students prefer the most now?

India remains a cost-effective destination, especially for Africa. But with the effective implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP), education in India has started evolving. Of late, Baltic and Nordic countries (wherein I micro-specialise), Mediterranean Europe and UK have been really active on this front. The US, Canada, France, Germany, Australia, and New Zealand continue to be favourite study destinations for Indian students. Spain and Estonia are emerging countries for many nowadays.

What trends do you predict?

Overseas education would be very affordable in the coming times. And sooner or later, India would compete or surpass China in terms of student outflux. At the same time, India has great potential to become a favourite study-abroad destination if international partnerships can be strategically steered.

You have worked across domains in the past two decades. What are your takeaways from your professional journey so far and what advice would you like to give students and young professionals?

My lessons –

a) Fortune favours the brave (always try something new and prove your worth).

b) Create options that help in diversifying your risks; never be dependent on a single source of income so that you are prepared to face adversities.

c) Explore an overseas opportunity; try to spend at least a few years abroad as it helps you grow faster and makes you competitive.

d) Have an industry mentor and always follow his or her advice.

e) Networking is a must but connect with people who really matter. Be intelligent in making your choices; the alumni of your past institutions are the most reliable and easiest sources to network.