Guiding A New Generation Of Talent

A discussion with?Sunil Kumar, Provost and Senior Vice President at Johns Hopkins University & Incoming President of Tufts University

I recently had the pleasure of speaking with an old friend of mine from school,?Sunil Kumar, who is the Provost and Senior Vice President at John Hopkins University and incoming President of Tufts University . In our conversation, Sunil and I discussed his career path to academia, mentors he’s had along the way, as well as what can be done to foster the next generation of talent.

Here’s a snapshot of topics we discuss in this episode:

Charting his path

Sunil sparked an interest in academic research while at the Indian Institute of Science. His passion for engineering stems from his love for math and solving problems. Pursuing a career in academia meant he could use his mathematical skills, with the autonomy of researching whatever he wanted, without the constraints and expectations of a traditional corporate job. The academic world has also given him the opportunity to partner with colleagues of all different expertise and help mentor and support students to achieve their goals in academia – more on his mentorship shortly!?

Taking notes from India’s ability to foster talent:

India is known for producing talent that specializes in STEM. As an educator and academic leader now, Sunil shares what the world can learn from India. For example, in India, the government highly invests in learning and training institutions, which was necessary for the country's progress and has contributed to the country's growth. India’s commitment by local and federal government and investment in STEM institutions, combined with emphasis in education in general, is a good example for other countries looking to boost their skilled labor workforce to keep up with the rapid pace of technology innovation.

The evolution of teaching:

In many ways, academia has changed a lot since Sunil entered the field, in particular, Sunil has seen a shift in who he is teaching. The classes have evolved to be more inclusive of different backgrounds and he believes that diversity in the classroom brings new perspectives for the benefit of all students’ experience. Despite this shift, there are still some areas that have remained consistent, including the actual course content and materials. Academics tend to overemphasize memorization of textbook materials, but in today's world, this is less important. Instead, higher learning should be focused on teaching people to think differently, to synthesize, to create and even to dream. However, this change comes slow in the classroom and at universities. At? 瞻博网络 , I’ve seen the importance of employees thinking differently, and this needs to be instilled early on.?

His approach to mentorship:

Several mentors and mentees have contributed to Sunil’s time as an academic. A coworker at Stanford taught him that the hardest thing for someone to learn is the ability to put their work in the context of others. Sunil often reflects and asks the question “why?” in his research and career. In academia, you have so much freedom that you can stop whenever you want, but his mentor helped him calibrate to push forward, despite roadblocks.

In his role as a mentor, Sunil takes a similar approach, encouraging students to practice difficult tasks, while advising them along the way. He shared in our conversation that “you have to let them stumble and guide them along the way...stumbling around may lead them to discover something new.”?

What industries can learn from universities:

Nearly half of the graduating class at John Hopkins University is comprised of women. The key to the university’s progress is reevaluating how talent is assessed. The university looks at applicants holistically, considering every aspect of their life, rather than just SAT scores and grades. This same approach should apply to the private sector where companies can move beyond resumes and specific skill sets to instead emphasize the upside of applicants and their overall potential and growth opportunities.

Thank you again to Sunil for joining me in this valuable conversation about how to foster the next generation of talent. You can learn more by listening to our conversation?here?(also below) and check back soon for more episodes!?