Indians donate millions to U.S. Universities, forget India
The steady upward trend in tuition costs at U.S. universities and colleges seem to offer very little hope for students seeking higher education from the 20’s and beyond. Some speculating costs for median sized regional colleges could reach upwards of $80,000 in by 2035
so its interesting to note it wont be for lack of alumni donations:
Top Indian industrialists are funding alumni base of Harvard University, reveals a recent survey by the U.S. News Short List. Meanwhile, the Indian universities are suffering from lack of contemporary IT infrastructure, absence of best practices and low student gross enrollment ratios (GER). Yet, the top industrialists choose to invest westward instead of directing their funds on Indian universities. As per the news survey conducted annually among 1,800 schools and reports of two-year alumni, Princeton University was rated on the top, making it the most loved university for donations. It is also to be noted that unlike Indian universities, which are largely funded by tuition fees, western universities are mostly funded by donation. For example, only about 20 percent of Harvard expenditures are met by tuition fee collections while nearly 50 percent comes from donation. A significant amount of the donation comes from its alumni base.
its unsettling to consider that donations recieved overall by American Universities seem to rise in parallel to overall tuition fees
Its also unsettling to think that what this article is suggesting is in complete contrast to the claim outsourcing, child and cheap labour, and limited workers rights - that globalization has a “drag up” up effect for second and third world nations
While i wont bemoan donations to American education institutions (even if their adage appears to be “to who much is given much will be requested”) - if education is the key to first world aspiration, then we must demand more Indian education funding capital stays with Indian Institutions.
although an answer as to why may be easily conjectured:
A number of studies that are conducted to study alumni donation patterns reveal some relevant questions being asked like the age of the donor, what affiliation the donor has and what is the motivation of the giver. A few studies seem to suggest that some alumni donate with the hope that their children would get an easy passage into the same Ivy League institutions.
and this:
Many reports in fact throw up facts on how Indian universities do not rank in any of the International quality surveys. Further statistics also stress on the immediate need to build hundreds of new universities and to increase gross enrollment ratios at Indian colleges. Another reason for the donations to universities abroad is that the Indian entrepreneurs feel that Indian universities do not have the ability to utilize the funds well.
sadly, the solution may be much more elusive :
India 83rd corrupt Nation In the Global Corruption Index, a survey of 133 nations conducted by Transparency International (an anti-graft watchdog), India stood 83rd in the world, alongside Malawi and Romania. India recorded a score of 2.8 out of 10. Last year, India’s score was 2.7 out of 10, but it stood 71st in a list of 102 nations, unlike 133 this time.