How IISc broke into the global top 100

Bengaluru-based research institution was once headed by Nobel Laureate C V Raman

The global alumni of the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) met in Bengaluru in June to discuss how the venerable century-old institution could improve its stature globally. The institute’s students are among the most sought-after by global firms largely due to its focus on research and emphasis on basic science and engineering.

It is also a cradle for India’s science and technology research, with students and professors solving critical problems for space, military research and environment studies. With all these, the institute was not considered among the top tier in global rankings and IISc officials found the reason for the low rankings. The IISc was not providing data required by global ranking agencies such as Times Higher Education or or Quacquarelli Symonds.

“We have not been providing complete data to the ranking organisations. So we formed a committee a few months back and engaged a consultant to send the data to these organisations,” Anurag Kumar, the soft-spoken director of the IISc, told the alumni gathered at the J N Tata Auditorium on the campus.

The results are showing. On Thursday, the IISc broke into the list of top 100 universities, ranking 99, compiled by Times Higher Education, among the world’s most prestigious ranking systems for research-intensive universities. In July, the research institution, which was once headed by Nobel Laureate C V Raman, was ranked fifth among 404 universities in Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, (BRICS) nations.

The story of how IISc was founded is part of the India’s scientific research folklore. Swami Vivekananda prodded J N Tata to fund the research institute in Bengaluru with land gifted by Krishnaraja Wodeyar, the monarch of Mysore, in 1898. The institute on 371 acres of land — much of the land still retains the flora and fauna of Bengaluru — has produced some of the finest brains from India.

“I was happy, at last it had come in the first 100 and I hope it will move forward to come within the first 50, but coming within the first 100 is the first step,” says Kota Harinarayana, an alumni who designed the light combat aircraft Tejas.

To move up the ladder, IISc still has a lot of work to  do. First, getting more international students, currently constituting only about one per cent of its over 3000 students. It also needs to add more female students and improve its current 1:5 female to male student ratio.

Phil Baty, editor, Times Higher Education World University Rankings, said: “This year’s standout success story has to be India, making its debut in this prestigious engineering and technology ranking, which represents the top few per cent of world universities for these subject disciplines.”

The IISc has 420 faculty members split equally between its Bengaluru and Challakere campuses. The institute on average receives Rs 350 crore in funding from the government each year in addition to Rs 220 crore through sponsored research.

“You can see that there is a wide amount of investment now not only from the government but also from the private sector. The private sector will not invest unless they know it is a top-class place, because they provide hundreds of crores of rupees,” Harinarayana said.

The second IISc campus at Challakere is located 220 km away from Bengaluru and is spread over 2,000 acres. The campus was part of an expansion of the IISc at the end of the last decade to increase the number of students passing out as well as courses offered. There are plans to install a synchrotron, a large, high-energy electron accelerator, at its more expansive new campus.

While traditionally the IISc focusses on theoretical research and caters largely to top talent in the information technology pool, there is a newfound rigor to promote entrepreneurship.

“They are pushing more towards entrepreneurship. When I studied there, the focus was on theoretical science and technology. Entrepreneurial culture was lacking back then, but there is definitely a focus on that now,” says Aravind Murthy, co-founder of Chatimity and alumnus of the IISc.