THE QUEST FOR EXCELLENCE - British Council · THE QUEST FOR EXCELLENCE The Skills Revolution in the UK and South Asia 23-24 September 2013 London, UK. ... Gavin Dykes, Cellcove Speaker

3

4

THE QUEST FOR EXCELLENCEThe Skills Revolution in the UK and South Asia

23-24 September 2013London, UK

I am delighted that the British Council and the RSA are working together on the South Asia Policy Dialogue on Skills. Both organisations bring extensive knowledge and understanding to this dialogue helping to inform, shape and define policy through creating a convening space for ideas and a forum for active discussion.

Skills development in one of the defining issues for South Asia. How to unlock the latent potential of millions of young people entering the workforce is a key challenge for all national governments. With a potential demographic dividend emerging in South Asia, skills development has the capacity to improve the lives of millions of people and to transform economies. Over 4 million students are enrolled in skills programmes in South Asia but demand far exceeds supply. India alone is seeking to provide training for over 500 million young and this will require new modes of delivery and realignment of service provision. This challenge will form the focus of the Policy Dialogue. The UK has much to share from its own experience on skills moving from a state led approach to one that balances the public and private sector with an emphasis on employer ownership of programmes. The themes of the Policy Dialogue apply as much to the UK as they do the countries of South Asia. We are extremely fortunate to have an excellent range of speakers, facilitators and publications. I am looking forward to the discussion and meeting you at the event

From a UK perspective, we know that the ‘skills challenge’ is a combined problem of certain types of skill apparently being under-achieved or under-supplied, and others being under-utilised. Achieving a better match between supply and utilisation demands a higher quality of provision across the board.

In reviewing the future prospects for the UK skills and further education sector, we know that there is much to learn from other parts of the world, including the dynamic and diverse economies of South Asia, which in many cases appear better attuned to meeting the demands of European consumers and business sectors than their own economies.

We are therefore delighted to be partnering with the British Council on this important seminar and I look forward to what will certainly be a rich and stimulating discussion.

Messages

Martin DavidsonCEO, British Council

Matthew Taylor CEO, RSA

1

Monday 23 September 2013DAY 1

08.30 - 09.00The Great Room

Registration

09.00- 09.15The Great Room

Opening and welcomePeter Upton, Country Director, British Council, Pakistan & Strategic Lead on the South Asia Policy Dialogue Series and Matthew Taylor, CEO, RSA

09.15 -10.15The Great Room


11.00 - 11.30Benjamin Franklin Room

Coffee and networking

11.30 -12.45 The Great Room The Tavern RoomParallel 1 Youth Unemployment and Skills Mismatches: A lost generation?Speaker 1: Paul Comyn, ILOSpeaker 2: Dr Allah Bakhsh Malik, Federal Secretary, Ministry of Commerce, Pakistan Speaker 3: Dr. Aminullah Amin, Member, National Council on Higher Education, Afghanistan Speaker 4: Ajay Mohan Goel Director, Skills Development Network, Wadhani Foundation, IndiaFacilitator 1: Michelle Potts

73 million young people globally are estimated to be unemployed in 2013 (ILO). Youth unemployment is most marked in OECD countries with unemployment at 25%, of which10% are NEETs (those ”Not in Education,Employment or Training”) and rising. In the developing economies in South Asia there is a different profile. Youth unemployment rates are lower but more young people are caught in a low skills, low pay poverty trap of insecure and sometimes hazardous work. Unemployment is not an option, the poor must work. 19.5% of the population in South Asia are aged between 15 – 24 and estimated to increase by 12.1 million by 2015 (ILO). Skills deficits are putting a whole generation of young people at risk, yet this could be a demographic dividend contributing to growth and prosperity. What skills do they need? Can enterprise training and microfinance help people to create their own jobs and employ others? How can skills training be made more accessible, productive and equitable?

Group discussion with Facilitator 1 Michelle Potts Agreed action points and issues to feedbackRapporteur: Sarah Parvez

Parallel 2 Skills Standards – securing quality and relevance. What are the key policy levers?Speaker 1 Professor Mike Campbell, Labour market analystSpeaker 2 Dr. Gazi Mahabubul Alam, Professor, University of Malaya and Adjunct Professor, University of Dhaka Speaker 3 Imtiaz Gillani, VC University of Engineering & Technology, PakistanSpeaker 4 Sarah Gillinson Innovation Unit, UKFacilitator 2: Louise Bamfield

Employer surveys by the World Bank since 2000 reveal that skills constraints are hindering productivity, and these are more often cited by firms in newer faster growing sectors which are using new technologies. What are the key policy changes which can secure relevant and quality skills, just in time? The OECD has identified these 3 policy areas as crucial for the success of national skills development strategies - developing the relevant skills required in the real economy; activating the skills supply by ensuring TVET institutions or the private sector can respond with relevant course and curricula; putting the skills to effective use to avoid skills mismatches and poor economic performance. What are the most effective ways of implementing these? Which are the greatest challenge to implement and why?

Group discussion with Facilitator 2 Louise Bamfield Agreed action points and issues to feedbackRapporteur: Manjula Rao

Opening Plenary 1A Global Skills Marketplace: Challenges and OpportunitiesSpeaker 1: Sir Geoff Hall, Foundation for Education and SkillsSpeaker 2: Professor Rakesh Basant, Chairperson, Centre for Innovation, Incubation and Entrepreneurship (CIIE), India

Speaker 3: Nosheena Mobarik, CBI

Chair: Ismail Badat, British CouncilQuestions and Discussion 30 minsRapporteur: Sarah Parvez

Research and Analysis - Key Trends in South Asia Presenter: Peter Upton, British CouncilReview of the EIU report on Skills followed by Q&APanellist 1: Peter Upton

Panellist 2: Professor Rakesh Basant: Chairperson, Centre for Innovation, Incubation and Entrepreneurship (CIIE), IndiaPanellist 3: Paul Comyn, ILOFacilitator: Louise BamfieldRapporteur: Manjula Rao

2

Monday 23 September 2013DAY 1

12.45 -14.00Benjamin Franklin Room

Lunch and networking

14.00 -15.00 The Great Room The Tavern RoomParallel 3 Reaping the demographic dividend - Are skills the new global commodity? What price for skills?Speaker 1: Moira McKerracher, UKCESSpeaker 2: Mr. Salahuddin Kasem Khan, Managing Director, A K Khan & Co. Ltd. & Co-Chairman, Executive Committee, National Skills Development Council (ECNSDC), BangladeshSpeaker 3: Hina Tayyaba, Principal, Pakistan School of Fashion Design, Pakistan

Migrants play a vital role in the social and economic development of the country they work in, in the supply of both high end skills and low end skills in industries such as health and social care, IT, hospitality and construction. But global competition for talent and skills can collide with restrictive immigration policies such as in the UK. What are the challenges and benefits of a managed skilled migration policy both inward and outward? What are the implications for national skills strategies and investment?


Parallel 4 Engaging industry in skills developmentSpeaker 1: Pauline Tambling, CEO, Creative and Cultural SkillsSpeaker 2: Ms. Tahsinah Ahmed, Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), BangladeshSpeaker 3: Virginia Isaac, CEO, Inspiring Futures Foundation

Skills shortages and mismatches, and low skills levels result from poor communication between labour market needs, employers and training providers. The capacity of an education and training system to respond to labour market needs and changes in occupations will depend on social partnerships between employers, small and large, trade unions, agencies providing labour market intelligence, government ministries responsible for education and training, and advisory bodies such as Sector Skills Councils. Can Sector Skills Councils bridge the skills gaps between employers and skills providers, and contribute to growth and social inclusion? What are the challenges in engaging employers to invest in enterprise and skills, and improve the skills of the workforce?

Group discussion with Facilitator 2 Louise Bamfield. Agreed action points and issues to feedbackRapporteur: Manjula Rao


Review point and feedback from Facilitators on parallel group discussion





Networking event – Reception at the RSA

Plenary 2: Panel Discussion Skills for Economic Growth, Prosperity and Social InclusionPanellist 1: Michelle Selinger, CISCOPanellist 2: Nosheena Mobarik, CBI Panellist 3: Paul Comyn, ILO

Panellist 4: Ahmed Nawaz Sukhera, CEO, SMEDA, Pakistan Panellist 5: Kalsoom Lakhani, Youth speaker, invest2innovate

Chair: Kerry-Ann Hoad, British CouncilQuestions and Discussion Rapporteur: Sarah Parvez

3

DAY 2Tuesday 24 September 2013

08.30- 09.00The Great Room

Registration

09.00-10.00The Great Room

Introduction to Day 2 Peter Upton Country Director, British Council Pakistan & Strategic Lead on the South Asia Policy Dialogue Series

Plenary 3Moving to a Demand Led Skills System. The role of National Skills Strategies

Speaker 1: Professor Mike Campbell, labour market analystSpeaker 2: Gavin Dykes, Cellcove Speaker 3: Louise Bamfield, RSAChair: Matthew Taylor, RSAQuestions and DiscussionRapporteur: Manjula Rao

10.00-10.30The Benjamin Franklin Room


10.30-11.30 The Great Room The Tavern RoomParallel 5 Lifelong Learning – meeting the demandSpeaker 1: Michelle Selinger, CISCOSpeaker 2: Mr Mohan Lal Grero, Monitoring MP, Ministry of Youth Affairs and Skills Development, Sir LankaSpeaker 3: Martin Doel, CEO, Association of CollegesFacilitator 1: Michelle Potts

According to the EFA Global monitoring report 2012, 91 million young people in South and West Asia lack basic literacy and numeracy skills. The challenge of providing second chance education is far greater than recognised; low levels of basic education are the main reason young people are in poorly paid employment and caught in a poverty trap. But it is not just basic education – this is a world where adaptability is crucial for acquiring new knowledge skills and attitudes in a wide range of contexts. Competitiveness and productivity will depend on an adaptable as well as a skilled workforce. Investing in access to lifelong learning will be critical for upskilling, reskilling and the development of transferable skills. New paradigms of learning cities and learning communities are emerging with the learner as consumer picking and choosing where and what skills to learn. What does this new model look like and how will it be delivered?


Parallel 6 Knowledge Economy or Know How Economy? Speaker 1: Tom Bewick, Co-founder, Director INSSO Ltd.Speaker 2: Dr. Bhawani Subedi, Executive Director, Training Institute for Technical Instruction (TITI), NepalSpeaker 3: Dr Mona Khare, Professor, Department of Educational Planning, National University of Educational Planning and Administration, IndiaFacilitator 2: Louise Bamfield SA, The Skills Challenge in the UK (Think Piece)

Skills matter – in increasingly knowledge intensive economies, human capital is a critical factor for competitiveness and growth bringing with it a talent war for knowledge workers. With the growth in knowledge economies has come a boom in higher education with upward pressure from a growing middle class seeking graduate status for their children. Governments in South Asia have allowed rapid expansion in private sector higher education to relieve that pressure. But while unprecedented numbers of aspiring young graduates are entering the labour market, many are unable to find jobs commensurate with their knowledge and skills. Young people are questioning the relevance of their education, the lack of political will to tackle jobs and skills, and expressing their frustration on the streets. What changes are needed in higher education and the perceptions of technical and vocational training? Can a free market meet the demand, maintain quality and prepare young people for the realities of working in a knowhow economy?

Group discussion with Facilitator 2 Louise Bamfield. Agreed action points and issues to feedbackRapporteur: Manjula Rao

11.30-12.00 Comfort Break

4


Plenary 4From Bricks to online click Speaker 1: Gavin Dykes, CellcoveSpeaker 2: Michelle Selinger, CISCOSpeaker 3: Dr .Sunil Jayantha Nawaratne and Professor L. Ratnayake, Ministry of Higher Education Sri LankaSpeaker 4: Geoff Hall, Foundation for Education and Skills

Globalisation and technology is transforming the world of work. Learning and work are increasingly intertwined. This is precisely what it means to have a knowledge economy or a learning society, with new knowledge and skills being developed on the job. If work is bound up with learning then learning needs to be bound up with work. How does the entire education system need to change to support this transformation of work and technology? Does this signal the end of the traditional university and college? Or is a new paradigm for lifelong learning emerging?

Chair: Ismail Badat, British CouncilAgreed action points and issues to feedbackRapporteur: Sarah Parvez

Introduction to open session after lunchJoe Hallgarten, RSA


Lunch and networking


Open SessionJoe Hallgarten, RSARecommendations for action


Dialogue Close Peter Upton, British Council Country Director Pakistan and Strategic Lead on the South Asia Policy Dialogue Series

DAY 2Tuesday 24 September 2013

5

Paul Comyn is a Senior Vocational Training and Skills Development Specialist in the Decent Work Team for South Asia at the ILO. He has over 20 years experience in TVET and skills development as a technical specialist and consultant in the public and private sectors across a wide range of industries. He has international experience in a number of countries including Australia, New Zealand, China, Papua New Guinea, Fiji and all SAARC member states. He

has a PhD in vocational education and training policy and has authored various journal articles and book chapters. His interests include industry engagement in skills development and vocational education and training policy. He has been working for the ILO for five years and is currently based in New Delhi as the Vocational Training and Skills Development Senior Specialist for the South Asia region.

Martin Doel has been the Chief Executive of the Association of Colleges (AoC) since 2008. AoC’s role is to represent and support the interests of Further Education, Sixth Form and Specialist Colleges and to provide them with a range of support services. Martin served in the Royal Air Force in a range of operational support roles, culminating in his appointments as the Director of Training and Education for all 3 Armed Services, working in the Ministry of Defence; the MOD is

the largest employer of apprentices in the UK. He has published articles on military assistance in humanitarian aid operations, strategic planning enterprise education and apprenticeships. He was awarded the OBE in 1998 for his work in support of operations in the Balkans and for his contribution to Anglo-German relations. He holds a Master’s Degree with Distinction from King’s College, London and a First Class Honours Degree in Education from King Alfred’s College Winchester. He is a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and Royal Aeronautical Society and serves as a Trustee for the Aspire and Achieve Foundation and as a member of several advisory Boards.

Tom Bewick is the co-founder, executive director and chief economist at INSSO, since 2011. Before that he was the chief executive of the UK sector skills council for the creative and cultural industries. He has spent most of his career working in skills, employment and entrepreneurship education, advising governments and corporations, on successful workforce development strategies. These days he can be found working in many

parts of the world – in China, America, India, North Africa and the Middle East – advising on a variety of education and labour market reforms. An active trustee, he serves on the boards of Future Brilliance Foundation, Afghanistan organisation. Tom was elected Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts in 1999, and holds both a BSc. (Hons) and MSc. from the University of Bath and Ljubljana University, Slovenia.

Professor Mike Campbell is a national and international labour market expert. Until 2011 he was Director of Research and Policy at the United Kingdom Commission for Employment and Skills (UKCES), advising the UK Government on Skills and Employment Policy. He was previously Professor of Economics and Public Policy at Leeds Metropolitan University and established the Policy Research Institute. He was advisor to the UK Leitch Review of Skills,

a member of the Migration Advisory Committee, the OECDs Skills Strategy Advisory Group, and the European Commission Expert Group on New Skills for New Jobs. He has several publications to his name including “Learn to Succeed: The Case for a Skills Revolution” (Longman).He now works for international agencies, including the European Commission and the International Labour Organisation. He co-authored the new Urbact report ‘More Jobs: Better Cities’. He is a member of the Leeds City Region Employment and Skills Board and Visiting Professor at Durham Business School. He was awarded the OBE in 2004.

UK Speakers

Mike Campbell

Paul Comyn

Martin Doel

Tom Bewick

6

Sarah Gillinson is Managing Partner of Innovation Unit. She leads our work on local government, supporting innovation in local authorities and our Radical Efficiency programmes, which support and challenge leaders to grow different, better, lower cost public services. Sarah worked in partnership with NESTA to develop the Transforming Early Years programme, which developed new service models in six areas across the UK. These models

generated better outcomes for families and average cost savings of 25%. She is one of our most experienced innovation coaches. In 2012 Sarah co-wrote a book for the Worldwide Innovation Summit on Education: Learning a Living; innovation in education for work. Sarah speaks regularly at national and international conferences and has been published widely on innovation and public services. Prior to joining the Innovation Unit, Sarah was Director of Strategy for the New York Public Library (NYPL) system. Sarah has also been a senior researcher at Demos, where she focused on independent living, further education and innovation in public services.

Virginia Isaac is the Chief Executive of the Inspiring Futures Foundation. Inspiring Futures has been providing careers information, education, advice and guidance to young people all over the world for the last 70 years. Its service comprises psychometric profiling, guidance and advice, skills training and insight into employment.Prior to joining IFF, Virginia was Director of Marketing & Communications and

then Business Development at the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS). She was also acting Chief Executive. In addition, she spent 18 months at the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education. Before that, Virginia was a founder Director of Brecon Waters – a multi-million pound water bottling company and also spent time running a small organic farm. Virginia is a Governor of the University of Wales: Trinity St David, and an advisor to the Welsh Language Commissioner. She is active in the sustainability movement.

Geoff Hall was appointed Interim Chief Executive Officer for the Education and Training Foundation in June 2013. Geoff is currently Chair of the Information Authority, an independent, sector-owned body that sets and regulates data collections and standards within the further education and skills sector. He acts as a consultant to various Further Education organisations.He was Principal and Chief Executive of New College Nottingham, and retired

in July 2011. Prior to NCN, he was a National Director at the Learning and Skills Council and the Further Education Funding Council, with responsibilities for funding and data. He was Director of Education in the London Borough of Bexley, has authored a number of publications about leading change in the FE sector and contributed to several publications including “Global review of Community Colleges, Technical Colleges and Further Education Programs” .Geoff was awarded a knighthood for services to further education in the 2012 New Year Honours List.

Gavin Dykes is Program Director for the Education World Forum which takes place annually and that in 2013 brought together 85 Ministers of Education and representatives from over 90 countries to share experience and debate policy challenges and practice for education and technology supported learning. Gavin acts as a consultant and advisor on innovation, education and the

use of technology for learning. His clients have included the OECD, the World Bank and UNESCO, governments and commercial corporations. He is currently Secretary General for iTEC’s High Level Group. iTEC is a four-year European Commission project to develop and mainstream innovative technology based practice across Europe’s schools. He is Senior Director for International Relations at the New Media Consortium (US), Chair of Education Fast Forward’s international debates (UK) and a Partner of Collaborative Impact (US), a social enterprise establishing international collaboration to address major social and education challenges. Gavin is an RSA fellow.

Gavin Dykes

Sir Geoff Hall

Sarah Gillinson

Virginia Isaac

7

Michelle Selinger is the Director, Education Practice at CISCO Consulting Services. She specialises in education transformation in all areas of formal learning and skills development. She has worked with K-12 education systems in Australia, Egypt, India, Israel, South Africa, the United Kingdom, and the United States to develop a vision and strategy for new pedagogical models, collaboration scenarios among schools and the wider community, new designs in learning spaces, technology integration, and blended learning. At the tertiary

level, she has worked on strategy development with vocational education and universities in the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Australia, and India, as well as developing new technology-enabled research models. Michelle is currently advisor to the South African government on national e-skills development. She works with a number of international agencies, including UNESCO, is a member of the Australian Federal Minister of Education’s Digital Education Advisory Group, and chairs the governing body of Buckinghamshire University Technical College in the UK.

Pauline Tambling is Joint CEO of Creative & Cultural Skills, a UK-wide skills council. She set up the National Skills Academy Creative & Cultural in 2009. Previous roles have included Executive Director Development for Arts Council England, and Director of Education at the Royal Opera House. Her responsibili-ties at Arts Council England included Education and Learning, Diversity and Audience Development as well as setting up the Arts Council’s Creative Part-

nerships programme linking creative people with schools in 26 disadvantaged areas of England. She was also Execu-tive Director for Research and Development, and Director of Education and Training.She was Head of Education at the Royal Opera House from 1983 to 1997, responsible for a wide ranging education programme of schools performances, events and projects. Pauline has an M.A. from Leeds University. Her publications include Performing Arts in the Primary School (Blackwell 1990), Orchestral education programmes: intents and Purpos-es: (with John Harland) and various academic articles. She has also devised two television series for BBC2.

Nosheena is Chair of CBI Scotland (the Confederation of British Industry) and a member of the Council of CBI Scotland. She is Joint Chief Executive of M Computer Technologies, a company which develops business management solutions for the retail sector. Nosheena is also Chair of the Pakistan Britain Trade & Investment Forum, a vehicle to increase bilateral trade and investment which has the support of both the UK and Pakistan governments.

She convenes the Scotland Pakistan Network to promote business links and cultural exchanges between the two countries. In June 2013 she was appointed to the Commission on future devolution in Scotland by the Scottish Conservative Party. Nosheena has a B.A. Honours degree in Economic and Social History from Strathclyde University, and an honorary degree from Edinburgh University. She is listed as one of the 50 most influential women in Scotland. In 2004 she was awarded the OBE for Services to Business and holds the Tamgha-i-Imtiaz (Medal for Excellence) awarded in August 2012 by Pakistan.

UK Speakers

Michelle Selinger

Pauline Tambling

Nosheena Mobarik

Moira McKerracher is Deputy Director at the UK Commission for Employment and Skills, a social partnership led by Commissioners from large and small employers, trade unions and the voluntary sector. Its mission is to raise skills levels to help drive economic growth and create more and better jobs. It aims to ensure that good market intelligence drives increased investment to achieve greater impact on skills, jobs and productivity.

Moira leads the UK Commission’s policy work. She has a particular interest in employer-led initiatives to support youth employment and measures that incentivise greater employer investment in skills. Moira has led the production of a series of publications on youth employment: www.ukces.org.uk/ourwork/youthemployment as well as reports on Employability and Career Guidance. Moira previously worked at the Scottish Qualifications Authority. As Head of their international arm, she led work to support the VET systems of developing and transition economies. She was also responsible for National and European Qualifications Framework developments.

Moira McKerracher

8

Dr Louise Bamfield is Associate Director of Education at the RSA. She is currently working with a number of Local Authorities to support improvement in education and learning, as well as jointly leading an inquiry with the British Educational Research Association on the contribution of research to teacher education and improving student outcomes. Previously, she has worked: for the UK Government’s Child Poverty Unit, where she was responsible

for developing the UK Child Poverty Strategy; as Head of Education at the children’s charity, Barnardo’s; and as Senior Research Fellow at the Fabian Society, where she led the Society’s work on promoting the ‘life chances’ of disadvantaged children and young people. She is a sub-editor of Political Quarterly and editor of the ‘Impact’ series on behalf of the Philosophy of Education Society of Great Britain. She holds a doctorate in the philosophy of education from the University of Cambridge.

Joe Hallgarten is Director of Education at the RSA, leading a programme of policy research and practical innovations, and with oversight of the family of RSA Academies. Joe taught in primary schools for five years before joining the Institute for Public Policy Research as head of education, researching a wide variety of education issues. Joe then spent six years as Learning Director for Creative Partnerships, a creative learning programme operating

in thousands of schools across England, and winner of the 2011 World Innovation Summit for Education (WISE) award. He has also been an advisor to the Department for Education’s Innovation Unit and the Prime Minister’s Strategy Unit, a consultant for London 2012’s Olympic education programme, and a Fellow in Cultural Policy on the Clore Leadership programme. Joe has published articles on a diverse range of education and cultural issues. He is a founding trustee for The Ministry of Stories, a children’s creative writing centre in Hackney, London.

Joe Hallgarten

Louise Bamfield

9

Professor Hina Tayyaba, has been working as Acting Vice Chancellor of Paki-stan Institute of Fashion & Design (former Pakistan School of Fashion Design) since 2011. Earlier she was the Principal of Pakistan Institute of Fashion and Design (PIFD) from 2001 to 2011. She has Masters degree in Textile De-sign from Philadelphia College of Textile & Science (Philadelphia University), Pennsylvania, U.S.A in 1998. Professor Hina Tayyaba has strong linkages with Academia, Government and Industry. She has initiated new programs in the

field of Textile Design, Furniture Design, Gems & Jewelry, Leather Accessories & Footwear Design and Fashion Media Studies. She has traveled extensively to various international institutions for the development of the above programs and their curriculum. In 2011, she was awarded the Le grade de chevalier dans l’ordre des Arts et des Lettres, by Ministry of Culture and Communication, French Republic for her efforts. Professor Hina Tayyaba was the convener of National Curriculum Revision Committee (NCRC) for finalisation of the curriculum for Fashion and Design education.

Hina Tayyaba

Regional Speakers

Professor of Economics and Chairperson, Center for Innovation, Incubation and Entrepreneurship (CIIE) at the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad. Current teaching and research interests focus on firm strategy, innovation, public policy & regulation. Recent work has focused on capability building processes in industrial clusters, FDI in R&D, academia-industry relationships, strategic and policy aspects of intellectual property rights, incubation models for innovation driven start-ups, emerging entrepreneurial patterns and eco-system in India and economics of strategy. Was a member

of the Indian Prime Minister’s High-Level Committee (also known as Sachar Committee) to write a report on the Social, Economic and Educational Conditions of Muslims in India. In continuation of this work, part of his current research focuses on issues relating to higher education with a focus on affirmative action. He has taught at Universities abroad and worked as a consultant to several international organisations.

Rakesh Basant

Ajay is Director – Skills Development Network at Wadhwani Foundation, a phil-anthropic organisation, which he joined about one year ago. Ajay and his team is supporting three state Governments of Haryana, HP and Karnataka, imple-ment Vocational Education in around 240 government schools under NVEQF and centrally sponsored scheme of GoI. He is also working with MHRD for Design and implementation of scheme for Community Colleges. He also looks after an initiative for mainstreaming educated PwD (Persons with Disabilities)

youth into organised sector jobs. Earlier Ajay worked for 24 years in NIIT Limited, a global talent development or-ganisation. In his last role he was Senior Vice President and Head of “English and Professional Life Skills” business. He has handled various roles in NIIT including Head-Corporate Development, National Channel head and International Operations Head for Education Business. Ajay holds a B.Tech (Punjab University, Chandigarh) and MBA from XLRI.

Ajay Mohan Goel

Peter is Director of the British Council in Pakistan and other posts in the British Council included Director Hong Kong and South China, Director Nigeria and Di-rector Thailand He has undertaken a wide range of regional roles for the Brit-ish Council including Global Lead for the Internationalising Higher Education Portfolio, regional lead for Education in South Asia and in Sub Saharan Africa leading on governance programmes. Peter joined the British Council in 1999 as Director of the Education and Training Group of British Council with respon-sibility for the British Council Global Education Portfolio. His work included

leadership of the UK National Agency for Socrates and Leonardo and the development of international programmes on behalf of the UK. Peter has worked in education for the last 22 years and has been a member of a range of inter-national and national strategy groups for government . He also led the UK National Commission for UNESCO. Prior to joining the British Council Peter was Chief Executive of the SSAT ( Specialist Schools and Academies Trust) and has served as Principal of two Community Colleges. Peter regularly presents at international conferences.

Peter Upton

10

Engr. Syed Imtiaz Hussain Gilani became Vice Chancellor of University of Engineering and Technology, (UET) Peshawar in 2004. Previously, he has held senior positions at various national and International levels. In a career of almost four decades, Imtiaz Gilani has established a reputation as an educa-tionist and administrator. Besides this, he is intensely involved with the Higher Education Commission, Islamabad, Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Planning Commission, and considered as one of the most authoritative voices

in formulating public policy for Higher Education (HE) in Pakistan. As Chairperson Central and Provincial Vice Chancellors’ Executives Committee, he has been raising the financial and policy issues, faced by Universities and harmoniously taking them to policy makers. As technocrat, advisor and educationist, he has served twice as Provincial Minister for Information, Public Relations, Science and Technology from 2007-2008, and Minister for Education, Information, Sports, Tourism, Archives from 1999-2002 in the interim government set-up of Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Recently, he has established a unique niche of expertise at University in hydroelectric and solar energy, and got it accepted at International level.

Tahsinah Ahmed gained her Masters of Social Science in Public Administration from University of Dhaka. She has over 15 years of professional experience in the field of education and capacity development working for international development organisations, including a bi-lateral donor agency (Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation/SDC), the UN (UNESCO) and international non government organisations (ActionAid, Save the Children). Her experiences range from working extensively at the grass roots,

developing and implementing modules for providing education services to disadvantaged groups, to representing the international donor consortium on education and leading policy dialogue and reforms at the national level. At present she manages the Skills Development portfolio in SDC (www.sdc.org.bd), providing financial and technical support to the Government of Bangladesh and Non Government Organisations which are providing equitable access to quality education and sustainable livelihood opportunities, in partnership with multilateral and bilateral agencies.At the national level she has served as the elected Chair of the Local Consultative sub Group on Education / ELCG (www.lcgbangladesh.org). This forum has extensive involvement at the national level in policy advocacy and program development. She is also the Chair of the Skills Development Working Group in Bangladesh.

Prof. Gazi Mahabubul Alam is an internationally recognised Bangladeshi Academic who is currently working with the University Of Malaya, Malaysia. He is an education economist with a specialisation on Skills development. He received the award for best scholar in the field of education economics from Science Digest in 2012. Lately, Gazi received the best presenter award from the Finance, Economics and Global Business Research Conference, Miami, Florida for a paper entitled: The role TVET for the Deployment of

Maldives. Gazi has published a significant number of articles in international journals which have been cited on many occasions, ‘The Role of TVET on National Development of Bangladesh’ and ‘The Role Agriculture Education on National Development of Bangladesh’ are just two examples. As part of his career with the International Labour Organisation (ILO), Gazi was one of the main contributors in drafting Skills Development Policy in Bangladesh. He moved to the United States for further studies. In 1999, he received his MBA in Business Research after which, he moved to the UK. In 2003, he received his MA in International Education and Development from the University of Sussex, followed by a Ph.D. in Education Policy and Administration from The University of Nottingham in 2007

Gazi Mahabubul Alam

Tahsinah Ahmed

Engr. Syed Imtiaz Hussain Gilani

11

Regional Speakers

Mr. Salahuddin Kasem Khan is the Managing Director of A.K.Khan & Co. Ltd. Chairman of Coats (Bangladesh) Ltd, Chairman A.K.Khan Jute Mills and Director of Bengal Fisheries Ltd. He graduated from the University of Punjab in 1968 and did post graduate legal studies in London. Mr.Khan was appointed as Honorary Consul General of the Republic of Turkey by the President of Turkey in 1984. He has held many public and private offices including Founder-Director of the Chittagong Stock Exchange; Member National Council for Industrial

Development(NCID), Chairman, Chittagong Skills Development Centre (CSDC), Co- Chairman of the EC National Skills Development Council (NSDC) to name a few. Mr.Khan has been recently nominated to the Academic council of the Madina Institute Leadership and Entrepreneurship. Mr.Khan holds a longstanding commitment to the gradual realisation of the IFTA and an Islamic Common Market. Member of the International Advisory Panel of the World Islamic Economic Forum (WIEF)Foundation whose patron is the Prime Minister Of Malaysia.

Associate Professor Dr. Aminullah Amin has been professor of Kabul University since September 1971. He is member of the Governing Board of South Asian University, member of Master Board/ Kabul University/ University of Massachusetts and member of the National Council on Higher Education.He has got his Bachelor and master degrees in Math and Educational Psychology from the University of Hawaii-USA and his PhD in Administration, Curriculum and Educational Psychology from University of Nebraska- Lincoln- USA. He worked as Institutional Governance Advisor, Chief Operation Officer

in Afghan Technical & Vocational Institute, Manager-Education Save the Children, Ed. National Project Officer- UNDP, Programme Specialist, UNO/ESSP, Dean, College of Education, Kabul University, and Deputy Minister Education. He has published many articles. He was involved in the development of Basic Competencies of Learning for Afghan Refugee Children in Pakistan. He has carried out some educational research studies and supervised many academic research projects.

Dr. Allah Bakhsh Malik is a Chevening Scholar and did his Masters Degree in Development Economics from Cambridge University UK and PhD in Development Economics. He was conferred UNESCO Diploma for leadership role for promotion of education and skill development with Honourable Mention and Confucius Award. He is Charles Wallace Trust Fellow and Post-Doc Visiting Scholar at Teachers College, Columbia University USA. He is also a Law Graduate with Post Graduate Diploma in Economics, Development and Financial Management.

Dr Malik is a senior officer of Pakistan Administrative Service and currently serving as Federal Additional Secretary, NTC Ministry of Commerce and Textile Industry. He served at various key positions including Secretary Literacy and Basic Education with skill development components, Secretary Youth Affairs Department, Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the Punjab Education Foundation and Punjab Small Industries Corporation. Dr Malik has experience of several decades on various aspects of education sector and skill development, policy formulation, strategic innovative interventions, planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation. He is visiting faculty to national and international institutions. His work has been extensively published.

Salahuddin Kasem Khan

Dr. Aminullah Amin

Dr. Allah Bakhsh Malik

12

Sardar Ahmad Nawaz Sukhera, has over 30 years of working at various key positions in the Government of Pakistan, was appointed as CEO SMEDA, the lead SME development agency of the Government of Pakistan at the beginning of this year. Before his current assignment, he has held key positions including Faculty Member and Head of Economics & Finance Department at the School of Public Policy, Government of Pakistan, the center of excellence for educating senior government officials, Principal Secretary

to Governor of the Punjab province and Additional Finance Secretary (Budget), Govt. of the Punjab. Sardar Ahmad Nawaz Sukhera earned his Masters in Strategic Management/International Development from Harvard University, USA and Masters of Arts in Development Economics from Williams College, USA. He also holds a Bachelor of Science (Hons.) degree in Economics; Industry & Trade from the London School of Economics. Earlier, he completed his schooling at the Aitchison College, Lahore.He has been trained in Investment Appraisal & Management and Infrastructure in Market Economy at Harvard University, and Budgeting & Financial Management in Public Sector at Duke University USA. With his intellectual leanings and academic bent, he taught an undergraduate course in Economics at the Harvard University. With his strong leadership qualities, he has been instrumental in bringing about a paradigmatic change in public sector management practices, in his various roles as a public sector official.

Dr. Bhawani Shankar Subedi has background in TVET management and leadership. He holds M. Phil. in leadership studies and Ph. D. in Education. He is currently the executive director of Training Institute for Technical Instruction, TITI- Nepal. His publications include over a dozen articles on transfer of learning and workplace education, published in international journals, including those from UK, Australia and India. He has previously contributed as a resource person in regional and international conferences held in Nepal, India, Thailand, Malaysia and the Philippines on themes such as

TVET teacher education, sustainable education for development and quality education. His professional assignments as a researcher, trainer or team leader included services to various national and international agencies operating in Nepal and elsewhere. In connection to his training, education and assignments; he has visited countries such as USA, Australia, Italy, Philippines, Indonesia, Bhutan, Singapore, Thailand, Hong Kong, Malaysia and India.

Dr. Mona khare, is Professor in the Department of Educational Planning, at National University of Educational Planning and Administration, New Delhi, India. She holds a doctorate in Economics and specialises in Regional Planning and Economic Growth. She is associated with the Govt. of India as member of various Committees and discussion forums related to education including, UNESCO, SAARC, Commonwealth etc. With more than 20 years of teaching, training and doctoral research supervision and consultancy experience. She is a regular speaker and chair at conferences and seminars globally.

She has to her credit publications in journals and magazines of national and international repute. She is on the editorial board of international and national journals, Fellow, International Congress of Environmental Research, Vice President of M.P. Economic Association and is currently the Associate editor of the Indian Economic Journal. She has been twice conferred with the YOUNG ECONOMIST AWARD by the Indian Economic Association and has been awarded ‘Prashasti Patra’ by the Directorate of Higher Education, Govt. of Madhya Pradesh for praiseworthy contribution in their Distance Education Programme ( EDUSAT) programme. With over 28 years of experience in training, education and research,

Dr. Bhawani Shankar Subedi

Dr. Mona Khare

Sardar Ahmad Nawaz Sukhera

13

Mohan Lal Grero completed his graduation in 1980 with an Honours Degree in Engineering. Apart from academic and literary interests, Grero showed interest and skill in aviation and obtained his Pilot licence in 1986. In 1991, Mohan Lal Grero obtained the Executive Diploma in Business Administration (EDBA) from the University of Colombo. In 1993, Mohan Lal Grero took another giant step towards the education by initiating the Lyceum International School.

At a time when there were major concerns over the standard of discipline among children attending such schools, Mohan Lal Grero undertook the onerous task of introducing English education to students of middle class and lower middle class backgrounds and upbringing, whilst maintaining the highest standards of education in a truly Sri Lankan environment. As an eminent educationist, who has traveled widely overseas explicitly for the purpose of studying systems of education overseas, he has acquired & extensive knowledge in methods & systems of education in other countries. In 2009, he was entered the Sri Lankan parliament. Consequently, he assumed duties as Monitoring M. P. of the Ministry of Education on December 13, 2011. In the same way, he was selected as Monitoring M.P for the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Skills Development on July 12, 2012.

Prof. Ratnayake received his B.Sc. Eng. Degree Sri Lanka, Katubedda Campus in 1973. He received a Colombo Plan Scholarship to follow his Master Degree programme in the University of Birmingham in 1976. Later he had a training in the West Glamorgan County Council in Swansea and in the Transport and Road Research Laboratory in Crowthorne, England for a period of 12 months.He is a Chartered Engineer and Fellow of the Institution of Engineers Sri Lanka (IESL) and he was the President of the IESL in 2002/2003. He became an

International Professional Engineer in 2006. He is a Member of the Chartered Institute of Transport and Logistics, London since 1985. He was elected as a Fellow of the National Academy of Sciences in 2005. Currently he is a Senior Professor of Civil Engineering at University of Moratuwa and the Project Director of the HETC Project funded by the World Bank. He is also an Adjunct Professor of Civil Engineering at the University of Calgary, Canada. He was the Vice Chairman of the University Grants Commission from 2001 – 2006, Dean of the Faculty of Engineering, University of Moratuwa from 1995 – 2001. He was the Head of the Department of Civil Engineering, University of Moratuwa from 1989 – 1994. He has worked as a Visiting Professor at the Utah State University in 1994 to 1995 and University of Calgary in 1985 to 1986. He has published over 100 papers in reputed journals and international conferences.

Dr Nawaratne received his first degree from the University of Sri Jayewardenepura winning the top of the batch award in 1977. He received a Japanese Government Scholarship to follow his master degree at the Kagawa University and received his PhD in Management from Keio University in Tokyo in 1993. Prior to his appointment as the Secretary of the Ministry of Higher Education in May 2010, he functioned as the Director Human Capital, Youth Development and Rural Network at Cargills Ceylon PLC., a leading FMCG

conglomerate in Sri Lanka. He has held many top level positions in the public and private sector such as the Chairman of the Centre for Strategic Management (Pvt) Ltd, Director General of the Sri Lanka Samurdhi Authority, Advisor to the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development, Secretary of the Ministry of Samurdhi, Rural Development and Parliamentary Affairs, Chairman/Director General of the National Youth Services Council, and Founder Chairman of the Video Team (Pvt) Ltd. He is also a visiting Faculty member and a Master thesis supervisor for MBA programmes of state universities and education institutions and holds honorary positions as the Director in many NGOs and has represented Sri Lanka in various international conferences organised by the World Bank, ADB and UNDP.

Dr Sunil Jayantha Nawaratne

Prof. Lakshman L. Ratnayake

Mohan Lal Grero

Regional Speakers

14

27-28 November 2013 Dubai, UAE21ST CENTURY UNIVERSITIESThe future of Higher Education in South Asia

9-10 January 2014 Mumbai, IndiaHIGHER EDUCATION AND EMPLOYABILITY:A new paradigm, a new challenge – South Asia and UK perspectives

22-23 February 2014 Dhaka, BangladeshDANGEROUS DEMOGRAPHICSWomen, Leadership and the Looming Crisis in Higher Edu-cation

6-7 May 2014 Lahore, PakistanRESEARCH AND RELEVANCEResearch networks, talent management and the quest for international relevance

Upcoming events as part of

15

This event forms part of the British Council’s UK – South Asia Season 2013 which promotes opportunities to connect, create and collaborate in the fields of education and culture.

www.britishcouncil.org/press/south-asia-season

16

Documents

THE QUEST FOR EXCELLENCE - British Council · THE QUEST FOR EXCELLENCE The Skills Revolution in the UK and South Asia 23-24 September 2013 London, UK. ... Gavin Dykes, Cellcove Speaker