Improvising academic research in an Ayurved Institute: A promising experiment

Abstract

Research is most essential for professional development and growth of a sector particularly in the field of healthcare delivery. After more than 5 decades of expansive institutionalization ayurvedic education – learning and training – is faced with competitive capabilities. In a highly dynamic environment of career opportunities academic institutions are acquisitive to academic research for identity and sustainability. Academic research as a part of higher education in Ayurved has been a challenge due to several reasons, paradigm difference being the main. A pioneering effort undertaken by an Ayurvedic institute to improve its academic research performance with outsourced professional help had remarkable success. The activity driven by an expert with a change mechanism model with teacher, faculty as a focus, identified core issues and helped address it within the prevailing structure in a systematic manner. It innovatively developed measurable performance parameters for individual growth and outcome parameters for the institutional gains. It effectively helped bridge the gap between two parallel streams of principles and practices for research. The attempt elucidated the significance of academic research as an essential tool of learning and training beyond a mandatory requirement thereby evolving positive environment for research. This successful experiment could be utilized by other institutes and could be modified for its wider application for sustainable gains in terms of knowledge and competitiveness for acquiring academic professional efficiency in field of Ayurved.