A Dean’s dilemma in India’s AI Economy

The dean of a university expressed disappointment when his daughter chose to join an AI startup immediately after her undergraduate degree, rather than pursue a Master's degree. This decision was not surprising given the traditional hierarchy in Indian academia, where a Bachelor's degree is good, a Master's is better, and a doctorate represents the highest level of intellectual achievement.

The longer a person spends studying, the better their prospects and professional security are generally believed to be. The daughter's choice was seen as a recognition of something that universities have been slower to acknowledge - in parts of the emerging economy, another degree is not always the most valuable next step.