Pune: FLAME University and leadership for equity jointly convened a national research symposium on 'Rethinking Educational Transformation: Systems Change for a Better Future'. Education is a fundamental pillar of any society, and change in education systems is the most important way to leapfrog our way into creating a more rigorous and equitable educational environment for future generations. The symposium was a step in this direction, with the aim of generating evidence-based insights on achieving large-scale systemic change in Indian education.

The symposium featured noted stalwarts, business leaders, and celebrated academicians who shared their insights and learnings on the emerging trends in the public education system of India. Some of the key speakers and attendees included Prof. Karthik Muralidharan, Tata Chancellor's Professor of Economics, UC, San Diego, and Founder, CEGIS India; Anu Aga, Director of Board, Thermax Ltd; Meher Pudumjee, Chairperson, Thermax Ltd; Prof. Padma M. Sarangapani, Chairperson, Centre of Excellence in Teacher Education, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai; Prof. Milind Sohoni, Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay; and Dr. Ghulam Omar Qargha, Fellow, Global Economy and Development, Center for Universal Education, The Brookings Institution, among others. Participants in the symposium had a chance to familiarise themselves with seminal research undertaken by leading national and global institutions.

At the event, leading Indian universities and research institutions pioneering studies in the sector presented their work, including Prof. Ankur Sarin from IIM Ahmedabad, who spoke on systems change and action research, and Janak Nabar, CEO, Centre for Technology, Innovation, and Economic Research, who discussed the role of technology and research in transforming higher education in India.

Representatives of UNICEF and The Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab, Reshma Agarwal and Rhea Handa, respectively, shared their professional learnings on gender stereotypes in education and ways of scaling low-cost, high-impact best practices in the sector. 

Sharing his thoughts on the systems change efforts at scale in the education sector, Prof. Kartik Muralidharan said, "Philanthropists, NGOs, and Universities should invest resources and efforts towards research and action in systems change, which can help identify and act on binding constraints to transform public education systems."

The symposium provided an important opportunity for sector leaders and academic experts to exchange ideas on the future of education systems in 21st-century India and also explore innovative research and evidence-based practices implemented by different organizations. Overall, the symposium saw more than 100 individuals from over 30 organizations attend the sessions over the course of two days.