Long-term program
'We have come to this world to accept it, not merely to know it. We may become powerful by knowledge, but we attain fullness by sympathy. The highest education is that which does not merely give us information but makes our life in harmony with all existence. But we find that this education of sympathy is not only systematically ignored in schools, but it is severely repressed. From our very childhood habits are formed and knowledge is imparted in such a manner that our life is weaned away from nature and our mind and the world are set in opposition from the beginning of our days. Thus the greatest of educations for which we came prepared is neglected, and we are made to lose our world to find a bagful of information instead. We rob the child of his earth to teach him geography, of language to teach him grammar. His hunger is for the Epic, but he is supplied with chronicles of facts and dates…Child-nature protests against such calamity with all its power of suffering, subdued at last into silence by punishment' Rabindranath Tagore, Personality,1917: 116-17
OAR offers year-long research-oriented education for undergraduate and graduate levels by following OAR's core principle and interest. The program does not intend to supply employabilities to the current job market. It has been excellently performed by most educational organisations, and as a result, generated the current human capital formations or in other words brain-drain. OAR wants to create future leaders who will create intellectual growth of a country, make a sustainable and educated society. Therefore, the program will create innovative job creators. In short, the long-term program is meant to nurturing India's creativity, research and innovation. Hence, OAR awards no degrees or diplomas but attempts to provide an idealistic atmosphere where creativity is sought for educated minds.
Who can apply?
Anyone can apply for the long-term program with their curiosity-driven research questions. Someone attending an OAR workshop and continuing the research will have a high chance of getting selected to this program. Hence, joining OAR workshops are recommended but it is not mandatory.
Creative-thinkers has an age limit of 25 years, irrespective of any career stage, academic disciplines, nationalities, and genders.
What is the selection process?
Step 1: Creative-minds send us their questions and short research proposals. They will be invited for Step 2 within eight weeks if their research questions are curiosity-driven and applications read enthusiasm.
Step 2: In Step 2, OAR wants to know about their basic problem-solving skills. OAR asks simple questions which enable them to think. If OAR selects them in Step 2 they go to the next level within four weeks.
Step 3: Personal interview to discuss the project with OAR mentors. In this step, if we find the project is not truly the applicants the application could be rejected. We do not encourage pre-discussed projects with another guide. However, if OAR mentor is convinced with the idea and sufficient explanation is given about the support/pre-discussion/collaboration to design the project, we may also consider the project. The main criteria are you should be fully open to OAR about the project. This process takes place for four weeks.
Step 4: We email the selected creative-minds the details of arrival and other necessary information about the program.
Step 5: Selected candidates pay a nominal program fee and accept the terms and conditions. Financial assistance will be available if needed.
How is the program structured?
The long-term-fellows admitted to this program will be provided personalised resources so that their independently proposed research problem can be solved. The program will have a higher value than any conventional degrees. The program aims to purely encourage in solving independently designed research problems similar to OAR short term program but in a longer time scale.
They will be admitted to the program with two mentors, one will be from OAR core members and another from outside OAR. The procedure to select a non-OAR mentor will be provided once they arrive at OAR CCMB Hyderabad. The general criteria are several non-OAR mentor's names can be nominated by the long-term fellow, and OAR Board of Heads will review the nomination.
Besides designing a custom-tailored course-structure to solve the research questions, there will be some general courses mandatory for all long-term fellows. They are philosophy of Rabindranath Tagore, critical-thinking, peer-instruction, creative-writing, good academic practice, and socio-economy of a low-income country. The personalised courses for their research will be designed with the mentors.
The fees will be nominal to cover the long-term fellows' administrative paperwork? The fees structure will be provided very soon on our website. Twice a year the fees will be collected from the stipend.
A monthly stipend will be awarded based on the your performance. You will be provided with a research budget, travel allowance, and IT budget.
The expectation from long-term fellows is to be creative-thinker and produce research outputs of excellence per year of your justified choice. The long-term fellow must attend/present their research to two international conferences every year.
What are the prospects?
Certainly, mainstream jobs will be open to long-term fellows. However, the program is not designed to serve that purpose; not serving the conventional academia but definitely to serve it for betterment. We are certain that your questions will be different when you are in OAR long-term program as you have already experienced in the workshops.
We are not interested in offering a degree. It is a research job where you are provided with a livable stipend in Hyderabad to think critically. If one wants a degree at the end and move elsewhere after the tenure of the long-term program, OAR will provide a certificate and letters stating the equivalence of the program to conventional PhD degree, similar to Sri Aurobindo International Centre of Education, Pondicherry. If you are looking for a degree OAR cannot serve your need. However, if you are not looking for one and interested in research as a byproduct we can think of collaborating with a university as CCMB does but OAR will not be interested to pursue it initially as a primary criterion. OAR will also offer you a research position after your tenure, depending on your performance and interest. OAR will grow to be a large research campus in India where education can be the open end and not spending resources for job-oriented education.
Sub-header by Vinitha Johny