At a time of social, political, and economic shifts across the world, India is faced with the pivotal challenge of addressing the state of its universities. In a region that was home to the leading higher learning institutions during ancient times, the descent in the quality of higher education offered by modern India's universities is yet to create the desired impact. To be effective, universities will need to create institutional ecosystems that are reflective of the complex and interconnected worlds their graduates will live in. India's extraordinary demographic profile creates a compelling need for its universities to reimagine their roles. The contributors in this volume argue for fundamental reforms to bring about a renewed sense of purpose. The chapters are authored by leading scholars in the fields of law, management, educational theory, liberal arts, international relations, and science and technology, and reflect the multiple approaches necessary to address the most difficult challenges in our times. The volume provides international and comparative perspectives on higher education, and will be immensely useful in highlighting issues being faced by Indian universities. About the Author C. Raj Kumar, a Rhodes Scholar, is the Founding Vice-Chancellor of O.P. Jindal Global University (JGU), Sonipat, India, and Director of the International Institute for Higher Education Research & Capacity Building (IIHEd) at JGU. He has held consultancy assignments with the United Nations University, the United Nations Development Programme, and the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. This volume emphasizes the need for fundamental reforms into the existing institutional structure of higher education and their governance so as to infuse much needed dynamism and renewed sense of purpose in the higher education sector in India. The contributors to the volume argue that universities ought to be dynamic institutions where new ideas are exchanged, mistakes made, and lessons learnt. The contributors highlight the fact that the university system in India is based upon a bureaucratic command and control system that constrains the freedom and liberty required for academic pursuit, and disallows flourishing of academic cultures in tandem with the changing demands of India's economy and democracy. This process of learning and constantly reinventing is not possible, if regulations are made with the purpose of exercising control leading to obstacles and hindrances for institution building. The only way for Indian universities to change, the contributors believe, is to expand autonomy, so that universities can find their own space within India. Promoting excellence in Indian universities is not just a goal that is worthy of pursuing, but the authors argue, a policy imperative that needs to be achieved.