India, July 24 -- For decades, higher education has been built around a familiar formula. Students spend years mastering theoretical concepts, specialise towards the end of their courses and only encounter the realities of the workplace shortly before graduation. This model has produced generations of skilled professionals, but it is increasingly being questioned in a world where technology evolves faster than curricula and employers seek graduates who can contribute from their very first day at work.

The conversation surrounding education is, therefore, shifting from what students learn to what they are capable of doing with that knowledge. A degree remains valuable, but it is no longer viewed as the final measure of readiness. Employer...