Academically led, but run on business principles - our visit to Bennett University

“Academically led, but run on business principles”.  Around the world it is possible to find Universities that will talk of themselves this way, but the statement is not always borne out in practice.   In our visit to Bennett University in February 2023, we were struck by how intrinsically blended the two are in this context. 

As a Private university, its objectives are clear: it is professional and well-organised from top-to-toe.  Everyone we met was well rehearsed and on-brief.  But at the same time, it does not seem a place of micro-management; the sense of business thinking sits wholly alongside a commitment to empowering academics for innovation and the pursuits they love most.  Research sits healthily in the culture, like the R&D arm of a business.  We observed it to be a place where staff and academics work hard and are committed but where they are accordingly free to develop new curricula and cultivate new ideas and thinking. 

Bennett University was founded in 2016 and is an entity wholly owned by the Times Group of India; the badge of the brand is a particularly powerful asset. Vineet Jain is the Managing Director who oversees the growth of the University from the business side, and as far as we can see he is an engaged steward. The Vice-Chancellor is Professor Prabhu Aggarwal, who grew up as an academic leader in the North American system – where he oversaw the MBA programme at William and Mary College – prior to returning to India in 2011.  Amongst other things, he was instrumental in developing OP Jindal university in Chattisgarh prior to joining Bennett. Aggarwal’s international experience has been invaluable in developing the perspective and profile of the University. 

There are now 6000 students at Bennett, of whom 5000 live on the 40-acre campus in Greater Noida.  A further 30 acres are earmarked for the institution as it continues to grow. The campus is generously spread out, with excellent facilities and – like so many institutions in the country – the area in use is surrounded by construction sites as new academic buildings and residencies are brought on line to meet demand.

A visitor might be excused for thinking that the location is currently a long way from amenities, resources and a sense of buzz.   But it is also a mark of forward planning, as the campus sits 15 minutes’ walk from a metro extension that will open in 2024, and will be close to all of the connectivity provided by the new international airport.   It is said that as many of 12 universities are also likely to set up in the near vicinity in the coming years, cementing the status of the area as an academic city. 

Students are enrolled in programmes across six schools covering Computing, Engineering, Liberal Arts, Management, Law and Media.  Partnerships with industry and a focus on practice and employability are pivotal to everything.  There is huge pride taken in placement success – with one student in the current engineering batch having achieved a 1.2 crore salary, and many others close behind.  

Innovation is at the heart of life at Bennett – we spoke for example to Professor N. Latha, recently appointed Head of a new department of Biotech.   After 32 years at University of Delhi, she told us of the attraction of moving into an entrepreneurial environment that is willing to invest.  In its infancy, the department has nine faculty – several with international postdocs – and 30 students across three programmes at UG and PG level. There are already 15 PhD enrolments. Numbers are expected to double with the next intake, and there are several new labs in development. The ability to partner directly with industry in a private context is highly attractive (the final semester of the BTech is an internship), as is the newly opened up opportunity for privates to bring in research funding from traditional sources.  Similarly, the Dean of Liberal Arts, Dr Om Prakash Dwivedi, spoke about a new Medical Humanities Laboratory being developed from his school but working across many disciplines of the University.  This is a University that is really willing to invest in new ideas. 

Students come across at Bennett as being happy and engaged. We spoke to several and heard how there is a good ethos of support, buddying and mentoring.  To a person they spoke of their enthusiasm for the practice based nature of the curriculum. The only concern we picked up on – and it was a small one – was a desire that the liveliness of the campus be worked on. From time to time it is apparently a little quieter than ideal for student desires, and a little far from the sort of distractions they may be seeking. This may become less important as the city around develops and the overall connectivity of the location improves.

It is clear that, in its first seven years, Bennett has achieved a massive amount. It has put in place a strong curriculum and is getting right the student experience and a culture for innovation.  Research is developing fast, with applications, income, outputs and PhD supervisions all on the increase.  

The trick for Bennett will be to hold this balance as it grows. There is so often a tension between quality and quantity as Universities develop, and if the student numbers grow to a level of 20 lakhs as some predict, it will be important to put in place a culture that ensures research. As Universities grow in scale, it becomes important to make sure that the recruitment of students ensures a calibre that motivates the best researchers to stay. These things create a virtuous circle.    

We look forward to seeing how this professionally run University flourishes over the coming years.