Institutionalizing the concept of a ‘Professor of Practice’

(Mains GS - 2 : Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.)

Context:

• Whenever diverse players from different endeavours come together, institutions and organizations make gains because these joint ventures lead to the creation of a whole new body/ bodies of knowledge.

Creating economic and intellectual value:

• The modern university system, which is a result of large efforts to institutionalize and scale up research and study in many disciplines, keeps evolving.
• Over the years, multidisciplinary studies have seen new disciplines such as biochemistry and computing science, which in turn are spawning dozens of new sub-disciplines including the current rage, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Generative AI.
• While the modern university system has accelerated the growth and the rise of new disciplines across the globe, innovations that bring together academic and industrial research work are creating economic and intellectual value for universities.

Entering a new phase:

• This joint enterprise of academia and industry, for creating innovations that lead to new products, services, platforms and patents, is entering a new phase. 
• This brings us to the next possible evolution of universities, namely, the entrepreneurial university.
• One school of academia maintains that universities should be the fount of new knowledge and research, and any attempt at a commercialization of this vision should not be allowed.
• But, globally, the thinking among new-age universities, and ‘educational entrepreneurs’ is to ensure a fine balance between education and enterprise, where learners pay an optimal price of attaining knowledge, gaining employable skills, or pursuing serious research.

Professor of Practice:

• In India, the University Grants Commission (UGC)’s initiative to institutionalize the concept of ‘Professor of Practice’ is perhaps a right pointer towards an entrepreneurial university.
• The objective behind introducing [the] Professor of Practice (PoP) is to enhance the quality of higher education by bringing practitioners, policymakers, skilled professionals, etc. into [the] higher education system.”
• The UGC’s move clearly shows how universities are best positioned to foster innovation, simply because of the flow of new sets of bright minds every year, seeking to push the frontiers of knowledge further.

Wider benefits:

• The initiative wants to bring industry and other professional expertise into academic institutions through a new category of positions viz. PoP. 
• This will help take real world practices and experiences into classrooms and also augment faculty resources in higher education institutions.
• In turn, industry and society will benefit from trained graduates who are equipped with the relevant skills.
• A PoP is typically an individual with significant experience in their industry, appointed to a faculty position at a university to share his/her practical knowledge and skills with students.
• Unlike traditional academic professors, PoPs are often hired from outside academia, and may not be required to have a PhD or other advanced research degree.
• Based on their expertise and experience in a specific profession or industry, they are expected to bring real-world insights and perspectives to the classroom.

Innovation a continuous activity:

• PoPs can serve as ambassadors for their universities, building relationships with industry partners and helping to connect students with internship and job opportunities. 
• They can also participate in professional organisations and conferences to stay up-to-date on industry trends and best practices.
• Thus, PoPs can reshape a university’s commercial thinking and energise the actions that add vividity to a university’s culture.
• Teaching and research were the foundational pillars of a university in the industrial era.
• In today’s post-knowledge societies, innovation is the third pillar in universities.

Conclusion:

• PoPs will lead to a new generation of ‘entrepreneurs in residence’, showing the way for bright students to create the next Google on campus.