Syed Sulaiman Akhtar
When B. Priestly Shan visited the NASA Headquarters in Washington, D.C., toured start-up incubators at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and explored Seattle’s makerspaces, he observed how U.S. policy, education, and entrepreneurship converge into a streamlined system of innovation. He returned home determined to adapt these lessons for India.
Shan, the vice chancellor of the Bengaluru-based Alliance University, participated in the U.S. Department of State’s International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) on “Excellence in Higher Education STEM in the Quad” in December 2023. Over three weeks, he joined participants from Australia and Japan to study how the United States shapes future-ready talent and develops technology-driven economies.
“These experiences reinforced my conviction that Indian universities must move beyond traditional classroom teaching,” says Shan, “and become engines of innovation, collaboration, and entrepreneurship.”
Innovation triangle
A biomedical engineer with a Ph.D. in signal processing and remote sensing, Shan began his career in a lab. “My background has given me the academic grounding,” he says, “and my IVLP exposure has provided a global perspective.”
In Washington, Boston, Rochester, and Seattle, Shan observed a “triple helix” of government, academia, and industry collaborating effectively. At NASA and the National Institutes of Health (NIH), he engaged in discussions on how STEM education priorities are translated into research opportunities, funding streams, and partnerships that benefit both academia and industry. In Boston, institutions like MIT and Tufts University demonstrated how curricula are co-designed with industry, ensuring that research translates into practice. In Seattle’s Global Innovation Exchange and makerspaces, he witnessed the impact of multidisciplinary collaboration and student entrepreneurship.
What impressed him the most was the ecosystem approach where federal and state governments create enabling policies, universities embed applied learning, and industry offers real-world pathways. “This alignment,” Shan notes, “ensures that education is not just knowledge-driven but also innovation-driven, preparing students for immediate and meaningful contributions to society.”
He adds that with a clear framework, U.S. practices can be adapted to enhance India’s higher education and entrepreneurship landscape.
Adapting U.S. practices
Back in India, Shan implemented several initiatives. Under his leadership, Alliance University launched a technology business incubator, a U.S.-inspired innovation platform that supports student and faculty start-ups from concept to launch.
“The American ecosystem’s integration of policy, purpose, and practice inspired me to craft a similar vision at Alliance University, one that embeds entrepreneurial readiness into research, learning, and student experience,” Shan explains.
Alliance revised its curricula to include certifications with IBM and AWS, offered industry-mentored internships, and launched centers of excellence in areas like robotics, Internet of Things (IoT), immersive technology, and additive manufacturing, which mirror U.S.-style research hubs. “Through ideathons, hackathons, and innovation workshops supported by mentorship and intellectual property rights guidance, we are building an innovation culture modeled on the collaborative spirit I observed during my IVLP program.” The university also launched a Ph.D. program that blends doctoral research with entrepreneurial incubation.
These reflect the American emphasis on applied learning and workforce relevance, principles that have made U.S. universities a global benchmark for education tied to innovation and employability. Alliance University’s initiatives, like the Faculty Development Program and industry co-design of curricula, further operationalize this approach.
“My IVLP visit provided a powerful lens into how aligned ecosystems can spark innovation,” Shan says. “I observed how U.S. institutions integrate incubation and interdisciplinary research. Inspired by this model, I have reshaped our approach to STEM education and entrepreneurship at Alliance University.”
By aligning India’s higher education ecosystem with proven U.S. models, Shan is helping advance a broader shift toward outcome-based learning, applied research, and innovation.
Courtesy: SPAN
