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Present
Perfect, Future No More Tense
Long-Term Student
Counseling
Earns Laurels for KIC
KIC's Head Ganesh Kohli says that
highly personalized counseling has
been the hallmark of his institution's
comprehensive guidance programme
for students seeking higher education
abroad. He says KIC has been a trend
setter in student counseling during
its 12 years of existence. Excerpts
from an interview to Indo-Swiss
Business.
What has been KIC's overall
contribution to student counseling
in the 12 years of its existence?
For us at KIC, our role as a counselor
for the student is similar to that
of a doctor for a patient. Just
as a patient relies on his doctor
to cure him, our students rely on
us to help them make the best decisions
for their future. We fully understand
our responsibility and provide a
highly personalized counseling program.
When we started in 1996, there was
little awareness about counseling.
Students often ended up with a career
out of accident. The grades / marks
determined the field of study rather
than the student's interest.
KIC has changed this to a great
extent. We provide a comprehensive
counseling program that involves
aptitude evaluation, course selection,
university selection, application
preparation, application for scholarships
and application for the visa. Our
mission is to help a student find
the right fit program for his background
and interest.
What are the courses most sought
after?
Engineering, Sciences, Business,
Architecture / Design and Hospitality
are the areas that attract a majority
of Indian students.
How demanding and challenging
is student counseling now as compared
to the past?
The challenge has grown bigger with
a dramatic increase in the number
of options available for the student.
Today, you have universities from
all across the world hard-selling
their education to the Indian student.
A counselor's role today is more
important than ever in ensuring
that the student finds the right
fit institution for his background.
Traditionally you have been sending
students to Switzerland to get training
in the hospitality industry.
We have been advising students on
Swiss and American education over
these last 12 years.
India's rise as an economic
power in the last decade has further
boosted the incomes of its middle
class. Is this trend getting reflected
in the number of students seeking
higher education abroad?
Absolutely International education
today is affordable for many more
Indian families. This has resulted
in an increased outward mobility
of students from India. The United
States, Australia, UK and Canada
attract the largest numbers of India
students.
What changes the Indian
education system needs in terms
of quality and orientation to prepare
students for higher education abroad
in a better way?
A more hands-on (practical) curriculum
would help students going abroad.
How do you look at the Indian education
scenario in five to 10 years from
now in terms of demands and challenges?
To bridge the demand supply gap,
there is likely to be a proliferation
of private colleges / universities
in India over the next few years.
In fact, many International institutions
are looking for partners to set
up campuses in India.
With this growth, both in the number
of students and institutions, it
will become a challenge for the
government to ensure that reasonable
quality is maintained and that students
are not taken for a ride.
What difficulties you still face
in sending students abroad, both
locally and overseas?
The quantum of misinformation available
to the students is a worrying factor.
There has been a mushrooming
of counseling institutions. How
harmful is this development to students'
future?
It is a big concern when a businessman
gets into the business of counseling.
It is different when a teacher or
a counselor gets into the business
of counseling. However, I think
the students are also becoming smarter
and know how to find the best advice.
A student can safeguard himself
by being meticulous in choosing
his counselor.
What is your advice to students
seeking counseling, especially in
terms of placements after completion
of studies?
Be Thorough in your research ask
international institutions for information
on alumni, faculty, campus placements,
etc. Also, a student could go on
the company website and look for
names of institutions where the
company recruits. |
