King’s School London, a 200-year-old college, has a long-standing relationship with India. It was one of many first universities to show Sanskrit and Bengali, and has lengthy been educating Indian politics.
“The nice Indian freedom fighter and feminist Sarojini Naidu was one of many first feminine college students of King’s,” shares Kapur.
Because the college experiences a “fast surge” of Indian college students, the aim of Kapur’s go to to Delhi in January 2025 is partly to additional perceive what college students of contemporary day India are in search of from a British schooling.
Over the past decade, the college has skilled “secure” cohorts of Indian college students, first within the tens, then within the a whole lot. “Now, we have now nearly 2000,” says Kapur.
As India’s increased schooling panorama evolves, Kapur is contemplating what younger Indians are in search of – whether or not that’s from the Indian or British increased schooling system.
“There at the moment are terrific Indian universities newly within the personal sector. There has all the time been nice Indian expertise institutes and nice Indian medical institutes, however now there are Indian universities within the liberal arts sector,” he says.
“What’s the differential expertise that King’s provide them? That’s what we’re right here to be taught.”
“Training nonetheless stays the only finest funding for social mobility and financial mobility within the UK,” claims Kapur.
Training nonetheless stays the only finest funding for social mobility and financial mobility within the UK
Shitij Kapur, King’s School London
“Is there an return on funding? Sure. What the following degree query is – ‘is the return on funding the identical for all topics and all universities?’
“Or is it, as in most issues in life, a conditional ticket? That’s the fascinating new proof that’s starting to emerge – that the returns on college schooling are differential. It’s partly the place you go and what you examine. The important factor is for college students to have that info once they make selections.”
Amongst King’s providing to worldwide college students is its Britishness, says Kapur, coupled with a various worldwide pool of scholars.
“What we try to attempt for is a stability. People who find themselves selecting King’s are implicitly and explicitly selecting it as a result of it’s in London, it’s a British college. They select to come back to London for a British schooling.”
King’s at present has college students hailing from 120 international locations – with China and India its largest worldwide cohorts. “For us, a perfect mixture is guaranteeing that our lessons have a mixture of British college students and worldwide college students,” says Kapur.
Moreover, Kapur believes the college’s location within the capital is itself a significant benefit for college students. “There may be simply one thing about being in a big, cosmopolitan, worldwide metropolis that pushes you, challenges you, opens your perspective.”
“Then, there’s, after all, How King’s connects to London,” he provides, utilizing the college’s Civic Management Academy hyperlinks college students to group packages and growth alternatives in native boroughs – an initiative that units out to allow college students to develop the abilities and expertise that may help them in changing into extremely employable, civically minded and engaged residents.
As the desires of employers change, so ought to the approaches and pedagogies of a college, explains Kapur.
Right this moment’s CEOs are in search of graduates who excel in teamwork, talk successfully, and are well-versed in rising applied sciences, with AI ceaselessly topping employer want lists.
“Now, the fascinating factor is after I ask them, ‘so what facet of AI?’ They don’t actually know,” he says.
“They only really feel that this revolution is coming they usually really feel it can change their self-discipline. They due to this fact really feel the younger people who they’re hiring must be very conversant on this, although in the intervening time it’s shifting manner too quick for both them to know and even for us to know precisely.
“What King’s has already completed – not like different universities who had been very strict saying you shouldn’t be utilizing AI – our common place is, sure, you must. And right here is how. And right here is how it’s essential to acknowledge the truth that you’ve used it.”
Going ahead, Kapur desires to see UK employers changing into extra knowledgeable in regards to the effectiveness of the Graduate Route – a sentiment typically shared by others within the UK sector.
“Sure, the paperwork’s slightly totally different. However it doesn’t placed on [the employers] any particular onerous tasks,” he says.
“Our system is secure in the intervening time. [UK education] minister Bridget Phillipson has assured us – as finest as a minister’s assurance works – that the system will keep for the following a few years. I believe college students can depend on it.”