Tilvi: Research Funding Builds World-Class Universities

Prof Vithal Tilvi, Distinguished Astronomer and Professor at the Centre for Research, Development & Innovation, Goa State Higher Education Council, told the ETEducation Chancellors' Conclave 2026 that sustained research funding, advanced scientific facilities and meaningful student experiences are essential for world-class universities.

By Career Ahead AI · India — AI-assisted, fact-verified against cited sources. Readers should verify key facts.

Research funding defines world-class universities

Tilvi cited Harvard's endowment of more than $50 billion as proof of what sustained investment can build. He also pointed to major investments across institutions such as Stanford, MIT and the Texas A&M University System. These universities, he said, can afford the equipment, personnel and programmes that produce world-class research.^¹²

From Mars rovers to Chandrayaan-3

Sharing an experience from his postdoctoral research at Texas A&M University, Tilvi recalled a conversation with a colleague involved in a Mars rover mission. The colleague's work depended on NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, managed by the California Institute of Technology. Tilvi cited JPL as an example of a long-term research partnership.^¹

The colleague's work depended on NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, managed by the California Institute of Technology.

He pointed to missions such as Chandrayaan-3 as evidence of scientific ambition among India's youth. The ambition exists, Tilvi suggested, but it needs the same sustained investment that fuels U.S. research institutions. That investment, he said, is what turns ambition into achievement.^¹²

Investment precedes rankings

India now has 52 institutions in the QS rankings, up from 14 a decade earlier. But Tilvi argued that rankings are not the goal. Most ranking systems place significant emphasis on reputation surveys, research publications, citations and internationalization.^¹²

Institutional reputation accumulates slowly and cannot be manufactured through publicity campaigns, he said. World-class universities are built through sustained investment in doctoral programmes, faculty, research and global collaborations. The rankings follow once that investment takes root.^¹²

Faculty, autonomy and governance

Faculty quality is the single most important determinant of long-term institutional excellence, Tilvi said. Yet only four or five private Indian universities offer faculty salaries and research support comparable to the IIT system. This gap, he suggested, limits India's ability to retain and attract top researchers.^¹²

Autonomy, when combined with accountability, creates the conditions necessary for ambition and innovation, he argued. Governing boards function as custodians of institutional purpose, ensuring that autonomy serves the institution's mission. The combination, Tilvi said, is what allows universities to take risks and innovate. These remarks were published on October 23, 2026, and last updated on July 6, 2026.^¹²

Choose Universities With Strong Funding

Because world‑class universities arise from sustained research funding and advanced facilities, candidates should weigh doctoral programmes at institutions that receive major investments such as Harvard’s $50 billion endowment, Stanford, MIT or the Texas A&M system. Those schools can afford the equipment and global collaborations that drive high‑impact publications, citations and international visibility, the very metrics that ranking systems reward. Selecting a university with a proven funding pipeline therefore maximises the chance of producing research that meets the standards of top rankings.^¹²

Faculty, autonomy and governance Faculty quality is the single most important determinant of long-term institutional excellence, Tilvi said.

Faculty quality remains the single most important driver of long‑term institutional excellence, yet only four or five private Indian universities match the IIT system in salaries, benefits and research support. Job seekers aiming for research‑intensive roles should therefore target those rare institutions or negotiate for comparable packages, because adequate compensation directly fuels the autonomy and accountability that enable ambitious, innovative projects. Aligning career moves with environments that invest in faculty ensures participation in the kind of sustained research ecosystem highlighted by leading scholars.^¹²