Page 54 - EducationWorld March 2023

People

quired wide and enriching business and promoted Educorp Con-
experience in the US, Mozambique, sultants (ECC). She started
Kenya, India and London. ECC by developing software
In 2018, Biswas signed up with for IT behemoth Microsoft
Harvard Business School (HBS) Inc’s children’s products, a
where the Early Steps Academy proj- bundle of products for Apple,
ect was conceptualised. “I became among other digital learning
aware that good quality education is products and services, while
the prerequisite of personal and na- simultaneously designing
tional development,” recalls Biswas. curriculums and pedagogies.
In 2020, she joined the manage- In 2018, she was ap-
ment consultancy firm Bain & Co in pointed Senior Innovations
Houston (USA). A few months later, advisor at UPenn GSE and
she quit and returned to India in was assigned responsibil-
2021. ESA was registered that very ity to design and develop
year. Kurshan (left): teaching ’em young innovative curriculums for
Direct talk. ESA’s global curriculum edupreneurs in the UAE,
— “one curriculum for the world” Edupreneur India and China.
— delivered centrally, acquaints Direct talk. “Modelled on UPenn
children with a diverse menu of con- programs innovator GSE’s acclaimed advanced degree
temporary subjects including entre- program in Education Entrepreneur-
preneurship, cryptocurrency, climate ship, our interactive online schools’
change, space tech and applied math. ennsylvania (USA)-based development program blends
They are taught through the case BARBARA ‘BOBBI’ KURSHAN UPenn’s education, business, design,
study methodology which combines Pis senior innovations advisor and engineering curriculums and
classroom concepts and application. of the UPenn Graduate School of research, to develop thoroughly con-
The global curriculum was incubated Education’s Global Entrepreneurship temporary scalable schools. Designed
in Harvard. & Innovation Certificate program. in a high-flex model with six custom-
“In schools worldwide, children According to her, this is a pioneer isable modules, the program uses
are learning the curriculum their online program for education lead- UPenn’s lean startup curriculum,
parents were taught, a generation ers, administrators, edupreneurs, design thinking, and project-based
earlier. Therefore, it’s difficult to researchers and investors. learning. The entrepreneurship and
encourage children to learn how to Newspeg. Last December, Kurshan innovation certificate programme is
think and question independently. was in Bengaluru to lead a two-day custom-made for entrepreneurs in
The objective of ESA’s supplemen- Innovation and Entrepreneurship education, researchers and investors,
tary after-school programme is to Conclave for School Leaders hosted and people interested in enhancing
boost children’s confidence in the by the top-ranked K-12 Inventure learning outcomes in formal/infor-
real world by introducing them to a Academy. The conclave attracted mal education,” says Kurshan.
range of modern subjects and 21st school leaders, subject and cur- Future plans. With the first UPenn
century skills that also develop skills riculum development experts from GSE conclave in India receiving
that employers will value in the across India. UPenn’s objective is to acclamation, Kurshan believes that
future,” says Biswas. generate awareness about the Penn GSE’s business is set for growth.
Future plans. Encouraged by the GSE Entrepreneurship & Innovation “There’s new and spreading
excellent public response to ESA’s Program. awareness of the critical importance
global curriculum, Biswas is bullish History. A math, computer science of well-trained teachers to improve
about the future. and curriculum alumna of Tulane learning outcomes in India’s K-12
“By the end of 2023, our target is (New Orleans) and Virginia Tech education, especially schools. Go-
to double the number of ESA online universities, Kurshan began her ing forward, I intend to continue
subscribers by reaching children career in 1976 teaching at her alma our efforts to improve the learning
in 100 countries. Moreover, during mater. After a three-year teaching outcomes of the world’s largest child
the next five years, we will develop stint in Virginia Tech, she moved on and youth population which exceeds
course content in languages other to serve in leadership roles in edtech the total population of the US,” says
than English,” says this go-getting companies, for-profits, non-profits, Kurshan.
edupreneur. private equity firms and educational A bearer of gifts indeed!
Paromita Sengupta (Bengaluru) institutions. In 1986, she went solo Paromita Sengupta (Bengaluru)

56 EDUCATIONWORLD MARCH 2023