Dr. Suresh V. Garimella / University of Arizona

Dr. Suresh V. Garimella is an Indian American academic, engineer and higher education leader, currently serving as president of the University of Arizona. An alumnus of IIT Madras, he went on to earn his M.S. from Ohio State University and Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley.

A distinguished researcher in thermal sciences and engineering, Garimella has authored more than 625 research publications and holds 16 patents. Before joining the University of Arizona, he served as president of the University of Vermont and held several senior leadership positions at Purdue University.

Elected to the U.S. National Academy of Engineering in 2025, Garimella brings a unique perspective on higher education, research, innovation and India-U.S. academic collaboration.

From IIT Madras to the presidency of the University of Arizona, Garimella’s journey reflects academic excellence, research leadership and a deep connection with India. In this exclusive conversation with India Abroad, he shares his perspectives on the evolving landscape of higher education in India and the opportunities ahead.

1. The Personal Journey to Systemic Insights

Your journey from a non-graduate family to IIT Madras to Berkeley to leading a top global university is remarkable. When you look back, what was the decisive factor — family, individual determination or the Indian education system itself? And critically, what does your experience reveal about what Indian higher education gets right, and what it dangerously gets wrong for the millions who don’t make it to an IIT?

Answer: I have been fortunate throughout my life to benefit from all three. My family instilled in me the belief that education can transform lives. My teachers challenged and inspired me, all the way from first grade, through high school in Kendriya Vidyalaya-Malkapuram, and later. The opportunities provided by institutions such as IIT Madras opened doors that changed the course of my life.

My experience also reminds me that talent is distributed much more broadly than opportunity. One of the great assets for Indian higher education is the deep respect Indians have for learning and academic achievement. India produces extraordinary students, faculty, researchers and entrepreneurs who can compete successfully anywhere in the world.

The next challenge is ensuring that excellence is not confined to a relatively small number of institutions. Every capable student should have access to a high-quality education that prepares them for meaningful careers and lives of purpose. That has been one of the motivations behind my work with the Confederation of Indian Private Universities (CIPU). We are working to share best practices, strengthen institutional leadership and create a culture of excellence that extends across the higher education system rather than remaining concentrated in a handful of universities.

2. Structural Fault Lines in Indian Higher Education

India has over 1,000 universities and 42,000-plus colleges, yet employability, research output and global rankings tell a sobering story. Where do you see the deepest structural fault lines — is it governance, funding, curriculum design or the gap between the National Education Policy 2020’s vision and ground-level implementation? And what needs to change most urgently?

Answer: India has made remarkable progress expanding access to higher education, and the National Education Policy provides an ambitious roadmap for the future. The next phase is implementation. In my view, several priorities must advance together. Universities need governance systems that encourage agility and accountability. They need to invest in faculty development and leadership development at every level. Student success — not simply enrollment — must become a defining institutional priority. Research and innovation, especially when they address pressing social and economic needs in India today, should be viewed as essential missions alongside teaching rather than optional activities.

One lesson we have emphasized through CIPU is that institutional transformation comes from university leaders learning from one another and focusing on measuring outcomes. That collaborative model was the motivation behind my convening an early Visioning Workshop in Washington, D.C., that brought together educational leaders from India and the U.S., followed by planning workshops in Pune that ultimately led to the creation of CIPU.

3. The Access-Excellence Paradox at CIPU

CIPU champions quality and relevance through India’s leading private universities, yet private education is, by definition, expensive. The students who need the best education most — first-generation learners, rural students and young women from Tier 3 towns — are precisely the ones beyond reach. How does CIPU reconcile excellence with access? Should the sector adopt a sector-wide financial aid framework, or is technology the real equalizer here?

Answer: A truly excellent university expands opportunity while maintaining high expectations, something that land-grant universities like ours have accomplished well in the United States.

Technology has an important role to play by expanding access to high-quality instruction and lifelong learning, but technology alone is not the answer. Institutions also need strong student support systems, partnerships with industry and philanthropy, flexible educational pathways and a commitment to student success. Specifically, with the growing wealth in Indian society, I hope there is greater appetite to support precisely the extent of access you are asking about. And industry could and should do more to help train the very workforce that represents their future.

Ultimately, the measure of excellence must be how effectively universities help students graduate prepared to contribute to their communities and economies, to helping lives and livelihoods. This is what I would assume will get India to that Viksit Bharat ideal.

4. Beyond Grades: The Missing Social Dimension

Indian higher education has perfected the architecture of academic and extracurricular success, but there is a glaring absence — the social profile: empathy, civic consciousness, ethical reasoning and emotional literacy. Why has Indian education been so reluctant to engage with this dimension? And can universities genuinely cultivate not just brilliant minds but humane citizens without this?

Answer: Universities have a responsibility to educate the whole person, not simply prepare students for their first job. Many have commented on the importance of educating the whole student — one could draw inspiration on this subject from John Dewey, the famous educational reformer, who was a graduate of the University of Vermont where I had the honor of serving as president, all the way to Steve Jobs, the modern-day oracle.

Academic excellence remains essential and will need continued focus and improvement in Indian higher education. But students should also graduate with the ability to work across disciplines and cultures, communicate effectively, solve complex problems, lead with integrity and contribute positively to society.

Universities have a unique opportunity to expose students to diverse perspectives through research, community engagement and experiential learning. High-impact practices like internships with companies and nonprofits, service-learning experiences, and even study abroad where feasible, are shown to help develop the whole person. They help develop empathy and ethical reasoning alongside technical expertise.

5. Generation Z and the Leadership Dialogue Gap

Gen Z students in India are globally connected, acutely aware of climate change, AI disruption and social justice, yet feel their universities are preparing them for a world that no longer exists. There is also a visible tension between institutional authority and student agency on campuses. What does this dialogue gap look like from your vantage point, and how should universities navigate it while maintaining their role as free spaces for inquiry?

Answer: Today’s students are entering a rapidly changing world shaped by artificial intelligence, geopolitical change, climate challenges and technological disruption. Universities must evolve just as quickly.

Students deserve institutions that listen carefully, encourage thoughtful dialogue and prepare them for uncertainty rather than a single career path. At the same time, universities have an obligation to preserve academic rigor, intellectual curiosity and evidence-based inquiry.

The most successful universities create environments where differing viewpoints can be discussed respectfully while remaining focused on their educational mission.

One of the most fulfilling activities for me in this regard was teaching my class on civil discourse at the University of Vermont. Here’s an article I wrote about it:

Teach students to argue. Our democracy depends on it.

When you allow students the freedom to explore knotty issues on their own, gather diverse perspectives from a range of sources, and discuss among themselves in an environment free from judgment, you’d be surprised at the thoughtfulness and depth of the discourse that emerges.

6. Psychological Health and Student Well-Being

Mental health among young Indians on campuses is a silent crisis — anxiety, performance pressure and isolation are rampant, yet most institutions treat it as a “soft” concern. At the University of Arizona, student well-being is an institutional priority. What would you tell Indian university leaders about the connection between well-being, learning outcomes and institutional excellence?

Answer: Student success depends on far more than classroom instruction. Students learn best when they feel supported, enabling them to thrive academically and personally.

At the University of Arizona, we have made the success of every student our North Star. That includes advising, career preparation, research opportunities and study abroad, as well as investing in students’ health and well-being. Beginning this fiscal year, we made counseling services available to students at no cost, removing a financial barrier to care and making it easier for students to seek support when they need it.

Supporting student well-being is an essential part of academic excellence. When students feel connected and healthy, they are better able to learn, persist through challenges and achieve their full potential. Universities should view these services as investments in student success.

I recall the extremely competitive atmosphere at IIT Madras, even four decades back. And to address the pressures on fellow students, some of us started a peer counseling service. I am not sure how many universities and colleges in India prioritize such efforts, but they can be profoundly meaningful.

7. Research, Innovation and India’s Knowledge Gap

India’s R&D investment hovers around 0.64% of GDP compared to the U.S. at 3.5%. But this is not just a funding issue — it is also about institutional culture. What structural and cultural changes are needed to transform Indian universities from degree-delivery machines into genuine engines of knowledge creation and innovation?

Answer: Research excellence begins with culture.

Funding is certainly important, but universities must also create environments that reward curiosity, collaboration and long-term thinking. Faculty need opportunities to pursue discovery. Without adequate infrastructure and support systems, it is unfair to expect faculty to succeed. I remember a conversation with a university overseas where they were discussing lofty commercialization goals — and yet, they had no institutional structure to support even patent filing or faculty entrepreneurship.

The reward structures at universities should also adapt to recognizing real knowledge creation, innovation and impact, rather than some mechanical metrics. This adaptation has been a challenge all over the world, and I am afraid most universities are not there yet.

Students should also be introduced to research early in their education. And besides government funding, universities must learn to establish meaningful, mutually beneficial partnerships with industry and with philanthropy. This will expand not only the funding pool but the societal impact of the work.

At the University of Arizona, we have chosen to focus our research enterprise in areas where we believe we can make the greatest difference, including space science, artificial intelligence in health care, mining and critical minerals, fusion energy and arid-region agriculture. Every university should identify its own distinctive strengths and build around them.

8. Global Partnerships and the India-U.S. Academic Bridge

You have spent decades at the frontier of American higher education while maintaining deep connections to India through CIPU. Beyond delegation visits and memorandums of understanding, what does a truly transformative India-U.S. academic partnership look like on the ground? And what can Indian universities genuinely learn — and what must they reject — from the American model?

Answer: The strongest international partnerships are built around shared priorities. Being a proud product of Indian education, it has been my honor and privilege to remain engaged with institutions in India for the last few decades, most recently culminating in the creation of CIPU.

When institutions collaborate on governance, improved systems, research, faculty development, student success and workforce preparation, everyone benefits. That philosophy has guided the work that ultimately led to CIPU.

First, there is a role for individual partnerships — both at the faculty-to-faculty level and at the institutional level. Without a nucleus of faculty moving a partnership forward, success is unlikely. I also believe partnerships can move beyond individual institutions. By connecting networks of universities that share common goals, we create opportunities to exchange ideas and successful approaches, improve leadership, strengthen research and accelerate innovation on a much larger scale.

These partnerships should be reciprocal. India has much to teach American universities just as American institutions have experiences that may benefit India. The objective is to learn from one another while building on each nation’s own strengths, culture and priorities.

I wrote about the importance of identifying the value proposition for both sides up front in building any partnership:

Expanding the Global Reach of the Twenty-First-Century Research University

9. The Vision for India’s Higher Education Future

India aspires to become a global education hub within a decade — attracting international students, building world-ranked universities and stemming brain drain. Given where the system stands today, is this realistic? What are the three non-negotiable conditions that must be met? And what is the single most urgent reform that no one is talking about loudly enough?

Answer: I believe in establishing ambitious goals and in inspiring people to reach them.

I am not an expert at all aspects of the Indian education system. For example, K-12 education is critical if universities are to build on students graduating from high schools. True universal access to high-quality schools should be a non-negotiable goal.

Beyond that, India possesses extraordinary talent, a growing economy and a broad commitment to education. If universities continue strengthening institutional quality while encouraging research, international collaboration and student success, India can join the world’s leading destinations for higher education.

Success will require thoughtful and stable policymaking and regulatory and governance reform, and sustained investment in people, institutional leadership and research infrastructure. It will also require greater collaboration among universities, stronger connections with industry and government, and a relentless focus on student outcomes and societal impact. Universities should continually measure themselves by the value they create for students and society.

10. A Message to the Next Generation

You began as the child of a first-generation family, found your path through education and now lead a global research university while guiding India’s private university ecosystem. What is your message to a 17-year-old in a small Indian town who is ambitious and hungry but feels the doors of quality education are not meant for someone like them? What must change for that door to truly open?

Answer: Never underestimate what education can make possible.

Every step of my journey was made possible because my parents, teachers, mentors and educational institutions believed in my potential.

Your background does not determine your future. Curiosity, persistence and a willingness to keep learning will open doors throughout your life. If you can, find a mentor who can help you in your journey — a teacher, a sibling, a parent, a neighbor who believes in you. We could all use a leg up when we need it most, so don’t be shy to ask. And above all, do not give up hope.

Our responsibility as educators — and indeed, as governments — is to make sure those doors are open to every talented student, regardless of where they begin.

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