HED - Business School of the Year 2019

INDIA EDITION Connecta

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CHITKARA BUSINESS SCHOOL THE GENESIS OF MANAGEMENT PRODIGIES

Dr. Madhu Chitkara, Vice-Chancellor, Chitkara University

NOVEMBER 2019

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Higher Education Digest November 2019

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Higher Education Digest November 2019

Connecta

November 2019

Vol - 1 Issue - 9

B-Schools of the Year, 2019 Special (India Edition) Editor in Chief

Dr. Manoj Varghese

Managing Editor Rose Mary

Consultant Editors

Dr. Johny Andrews Anjana K Shyam S

Jessica Jo Stanly Lui Emma James

Editorial Enquiry: editor@highereducationdigest.com

Art and Design Ajay K Das

Sales & Marketing

Jyoti Kumari Prathyoosh K Shaji

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Divya M Milan Bharati

Sales Enquiry: sales@highereducationdigest.com

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Higher Education Digest November March 2019 2019

EDITOR IN CHIEF’S NOTE

Managers, Choose Your Alma Mater Wisely!

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BA graduates spend lakhs of rupees on their management education but after graduating most of them earn a measly salary, that too only when they can find placements. Maybe this is why last year around 101 management institutes had asked the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), the apex body of technical and management institutes, voluntary closure. These institutes struggle with vacant seats and a dip in campus placements. A decade back, management studies in India were largely restricted to IIMs and some top private institutes. However, in later years, the demand for management graduates rose with a rise in the economy.

This led to a spurt in new private and government-backed institutes. But due to the absence of competent faculty and industry training facilities, reports suggested that most B-schools began churning out graduates who were far from being job-ready.

5 We all knew this, yet somehow, there still are bungling and unequipped institutes out there, claiming to provide matchless education. These institutes do not realize that they are in effect playing with the lives of the students.

Through this issue, we would like to call out these spurious institutes, by naming some of the best B-Schools in the country. The institutes that we mention in this issue are not only meritorious but also regard young managers as the promise of a fruitful nation. The names we have mentioned in this issue have certainly made a niche for themselves. As a magazine that regards education as one of the pillars that balance the country, we intend to do our due diligence in helping young and aspiring managers out there to choose their alma mater wisely. We also hope this issue will help all the concerned stakeholders to have a sound understanding of the current B-School scenario.

Dr. Manoj Varghese

Higher Education Digest November 2019

ADVISORY BOARD

Dr. Ajay Shukla, Ph.D, MBA, BE. Co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer at Higher Education UAE

Dr. Kuldeep Nagi, Ph.D, MBA, BSc. Program Director of Ph.D, Recipient of Fulbright Fellowship Award & Dan Evans Award for Excellence and Writer columnist.

Dr.Varughese K.John, PhD, MBA, MPhil, MCom, LLB. Researcher and Data Analyst in Social Science

6 Mr. Sreedhar Bevara, MBA, B.Com Senior General Manager: Panasonic Middle East & Africa, Thought Leader, Speaker & Author of ‘Moment of Signal’ (Amazon’s International Bestseller)

Mr. Amulya Sah, PGD PM & IR, PG Diploma in PM&IR (XISS Ranchi) Senior Director HR. Head HR group Samsung R&D Institute India,Transformative HR Leader, Change agent, Digitization facilitator, Engagement architect, Trainer and Diversity champion.

Major General (Rtd.) Dr. Sunil Chandra, VSM (Vishishta Seva Medal), Ph.D, M. Phil, MA, M.Ed, PGBDA Ex-M D Army Welfare Education Society, ExCOO GEMS Education - India, Ex- Addl Dir Gen - Army Education, Mentor - Adventure-Pulse

Asst. Prof. Dr. Suramya Mathai, Ph.D,M.Ed,MA,BA. Teachers Training Expert, Writer, Author, Speaker & Social Worker

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Higher Education Digest November 2019

MANAGING EDITOR’S NOTE

Indian B-Schools, Rising from the Ashes 8

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ndia is known for its affinity for churning out management professionals by the thousands and has therefore been a playground for scores of institutions claiming to provide the best of the management education. Unfortunately, these graduates lack the necessary skillset to make a mark for themselves in the corporate world and so slowly fade away, picking up any and every job that comes their way. They spend their hard-earned money only to have a useless certificate that will not grant them their dreams.

Their educational institutions, on the other hand, rake in the moolah, while falsely advertising their so-called legacy. This dismal situation cannot be left unnoticed and unattended anymore, and this is precisely the subject that we have tried to tackle through this issue.

We believe that the mark of any successful B-school lies in the quality of values it delivers to the rest of the world. An ideal institute should provide an environment that is conducive to learning, where students can get ample opportunities to learn, experiment, and apply the knowledge and skills that will help them explore their career in

Management and Entrepreneurship. The relevance and importance of an au fait B-School in the current educational setting is paramount. We have a couple of proficient names in this issue that we hope will raise a beacon to their peers.

We have also covered, the story of a young and brave lady, Dhanya Babu, who has beaten all odds and followed her dreams of becoming a Criminologist. She recently presented a paper at the American Society of Criminology Conference, 2019. Her story is a mustread to anyone who wishes to take a career in law and order. For a field where not many women find the pluck to venture into, her grit and determination is worth applauding.

We also showcase several informational reads authored by stalwarts from both the industry and academia. We hope you will find the articles and the stories covered in this issue illuminating and significant.

Cheers!

Rose Mary

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Higher Education Digest November 2019

Cover Story

CHITKARA BUSINESS SCHOOL 10

THE GENESIS OF MANAGEMENT PRODIGIES

Dr. Madhu Chitkara, Vice-Chancellor, Chitkara University

Higher Education Digest November 2019

22 - 26 ANIL SURENDRA MODI SCHOOL OF COMMERCE

Realigning Management Education to IR 4.0

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32 - 37 GL BAJAJ INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT AND RESEARCH

Crafting Tomorrow’s Managers Today

52 - 57 JK BUSINESS SCHOOL

Delivering Excellence in Management Education Since Inception

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58 - 63 REVA UNIVERSITY’S SCHOOL OF COMMERCE AND MANAGEMENT STUDIES

Underlining ‘Ethos’ in Management Education

66 - 69 SYMBIOSIS CENTRE FOR DISTANCE LEARNING

Imparting Quality Education Beyond Geographical Lines

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SYMBIOSIS SCHOOL OF BANKING AND FINANCE

Presenting Game-Changing Avenues In BFSI Education

Higher Education Digest November 2019

YOUNG ACHIEVERS

ACADEMIC VIEW

MENTOR’S MANTRA

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Importance of Teaching Life Skills in Classrooms

Before You Decide On Which Course To Take in University

Shalini Jaiswal, Director Academics, Maple Bear South Asia

Dr. Timothy Hsi, Founder and Principal, Abundanz Consulting Pte Ltd

INDUSTRY PERSPECTIVE

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28 - 30 Tell Me Something About Yourself Trupti Srikanth, Story Coach for Educators, Storywallahs

70 - 77 CriminologyThe Road Less Taken

84 - 86 Why Building an IoT Ecosystem in Universities is a Key Component for Fourth Industrial Revolution Dr. Mazlan Abbas, CEO, Favoriot

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Higher Education Digest November 2019

When Managers Become Leaders

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ducation is an investment. As with every investment, one must be mindful of the returns that are expected from the investment. The fee charged by a B-School for an MBA degree can vary, but the average allinclusive fee for a two-year MBA program from any top-rated Indian business school exceeds INR 16 lakh.

Therefore, calculating the Return on Investment (ROI) on your management education is imperative to making an informed choice. Having said that, pursuing an MBA degree is not just about the amplitude of the MNCs that approach the School during the recruitment season or the salary package the said MNCs provide. It is also about gaining personal growth, adding value to society, and building a strong network.

B-Schools are contemplating tweaking their curriculum to include subjects that will offer environmental, social, and governance values to its students in the long run.

Several B-Schools in developed countries have already made a great deal of changes to their pedagogy and teaching-learning methodologies. India has been testing the waters for a while now, and some major-league players have attempted to refine their educational programs.

Ignoring these obvious players, how has the rest of the B-Schools fared?

It is good news that several institutions have adopted tools like virtual reality and augmented reality for immersive and interactive education to foster selflearning, thus giving students the opportunity to learn by doing. These Schools are also taking active steps to collaborate closely with the Corporates, furthering the future management leaders’ ability to gel with the corporate world. These collaborations surpass geographical boundaries, helping students to gain a global understanding of the field they are about to step in.

We at the Higher Education Digest met with some of these game-changers and gathered the various ways in which they were championing Management Education in India. This led us to compile a list of “10 Must-Watch B-Schools of the Year, 2019�. Our panel of experts laboriously studied, in detail, the colleges for their competence with respect to their performance in pedagogy, placements, and the quality of education.

We believe that it is of paramount importance that these names be listed as it can nudge their peers to evaluate themselves and take leaves from these seasoned institutes so that tomorrow India can churn out some of the best management visionaries the world has seen.

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Institute Name Anil Surendra Modi School of Commerce

City

State

Mumbai

Maharashtra

Chandigarh

Punjab

Pune

Maharashtra

Greater Noida

Uttar Pradesh

Great Lakes Institute of Management

Chennai

Tamil Nadu

JK Business School

Gurgaon

Haryana

Behra

Punjab

Bengaluru

Karnataka

Lavale

Maharashtra

Elaiyampalayam

Tamil Nadu

Chitkara Business School

Symbiosis Centre for Distance Learning GL Bajaj Institute Of Management And Research

LM Thapar School of Management REVA University’s School of Commerce and Management Studies Symbiosis School of Banking and Finance Vivekanandha Institute Of Information And Management Studies

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ACADEMIC VIEW

Importance of Teaching Life Skills in Classrooms Shalini Jaiswal, Director Academics, Maple Bear South Asia Responsible for the implementation of the Maple Bear program (preschool and elementary) in existing Maple Bear schools in South Asia region and also in setting up of new centres, Shalini began her career by teaching in Delhi Public School. From being the Primary teacher section in charge in Chinmaya Vidyalaya she moved on to be in the core team for developing and implementing experiential learning modules in the classes. Today, she is also responsible for developing and implementing the ECE teacher training program in India. Shalini graduated from Mumbai University and was the winner of The Foundation Principal Galby Gold Medal (1989) of the University of Bombay and Lotus Foundation Prize (1989) of the University of Bombay. After her postgraduation in Textile Chemistry, she did her bachelor’s in education from CCS University, Meerut

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The primary hope of education is that the learner will acquire knowledge, understand what has been acquired and make informed decisions in the application of that knowledge to solve problems

urrent 21st-century literature indicates that our future citizens need to be multi-literate, creative and innovative (Shifting Minds. 2012:4). Learning is a complex system of interactive processes. There is no recipe. Global research in learning has identified competencies our youth will require for success in the modern world of ever-increasing change. Writing, speaking, and computing are just a few of the necessary skills for students. Leadership skills, cooperation techniques and analysis are also important ingredients for student success. Confidence in speaking, discussion, debate, writing, and problem solving provide a good start to providing a foundation for acquiring the skills.

School curriculum should incorporate strategies that require higher-level thinking skills such as inference, prediction, analysis and critical thinking. With the use of critical thinking strategies, students develop skills such as reasoning, questioning and investigating, observing and describing, comparing and connecting, finding complexity, and exploring viewpoints.

Problem solving is an important element of all content areas.

The elementary years are a time when students begin to develop their academic self-concepts and their feelings of competence and confidence as learners. They are beginning to develop decision making communication and life skills as well as character values. The knowledge, attitudes and skills that students acquire in the areas of academic, career and personal/ social development during these elementary years serve as the foundation for future success in their school and community and prepare them to be effective global citizens.

It is important that children should be taught to access information and activate prior information. Teachers should assist students in making personal connections and making meaning of the new material and integrating these learning with what they already know. Facilitating the transfer of knowledge and skills to real-life situations is important. Children should be encouraged to think and ask questions when they don’t understand. Developing personal goals and assisting them in the achievement of these goals. Teaching and instilling the value of routines and schedules and the importance of following them. Teaching students to work cooperatively, reflect on their classroom experiences and share them with peers’ teachers and parents.

Placing more responsibilities on students as they mature is important. These responsibilities include leadership roles in school, student voice, higher-level thinking skills and greater control over personal and academic goal setting.

The educators are not only responsible for the academic achievement of their students, but are also caregivers, who

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provide nurturing, positive relationships to the students. Educators need to engage students fully in the learning process (Parsons and Taylor 2011). The curriculum should emphasize on relevance of the learning to the students. Activity-based learning is often project-based and/or performance-based giving purpose to the work of the students.

To help children with life skills schools should believe in a “growth mindset”. When the school inculcates this as a practice child start to enjoy learning.

They understand that progress takes time and they keep trying until they succeed.

This helps them achieve success in any area as they grow. The students don’t hesitate to ask for help, they are ready to put efforts and love taking new challenges.

The children are no more afraid of failures and view mistakes as opportunities.

Students, as individuals and global citizens, are required to make decisions, and increasingly, the types of issues they face demand an ability to apply scientific processes and products. The decisionmaking process involves identifying the issue, gathering data, generating possible courses of action, evaluating alternatives, and making a thoughtful decision based on the information available. Students should be actively involved in decision-making situations as they progress through their education.

Confidence in speaking, discussion, debate, writing, and problem solving provide a good start to providing a foundation for acquiring the skills.

Students become independent in their own learning, where teachers assume the role of facilitators, guiding them through their learning process.

Emphasis should be on the relevance of the learning to the students. Activitybased learning is often project-based and/ or performance-based giving purpose to

Higher Education Digest November 2019

the work of the students. The curriculum should be based on making connections, constructing knowledge by building on prior knowledge and involving students in meaningful tasks that relate to real life. By involving children in projects, they are practising their organizational, collaborative and time management skills.

The primary hope of education is that the learner will acquire knowledge, understand what has been acquired and make informed decisions in the application of that knowledge to solve problems. The process necessitates thinking. Thinking is the contextual connection between the relevant pieces of knowledge; thinking connects the dots. With reading and writing, if the learner is unable to make connections between the content and their life, the content loses meaning.

Questions are the root cause for a lot of innovations of the twentieth century.

According to Berger, questions are a method of survival, not just fanciful innovation. Berger & Johnston argue that ambiguity breeds “a certain level of productive chaos”. They also stress that our world is going to get more ambiguous in the coming years. As open-ended questions and situations require innovative problem-solving strategies, a little bit of ambiguity can make for a more thoughtful environment in which t work. Schools should provide an environment where students can develop the ability to see relationships between subjects, content and skills as well as between school and life outside of the classroom.

It is very important for children to be prepared for ever-changing future. In today’s world things are changing at a very fast pace. To be able to adapt to new situations, work collaboratively, think out of the box, use failures as learning milestones are important skills the learners should have to succeed in future.

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ANIL SURENDRA MODI SCHOOL OF COMMERCE

Realigning Management Education to IR 4.0

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leader is one who can not only envision a better world but also lead his people to successfully realize this vision. Shaping such leaders is not an easy task, much less so when it comes to managerial leaders. The skillset that is required by a competent manager will only keep growing with the changing industry requirements, especially as we are witnessing the fascinating dynamics of Industrial Revolution 4.0. So how does one cope with these demands?

How does one realize their dream of becoming a proficient manager in a global setting? Enter, Anil Surendra Modi School of Commerce.

Under the aegis of SVKM’s Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies, Anil Surendra Modi School of Commerce (ASMSOC) was established in 2007 to impart management education of the highest standard. ASMSOC aims to impart domain knowledge and focus on developing competencies and various skills so that students can embark on their respective managerial career paths and assume leading roles in the corporate world.

Redefining Teaching Methodologies ASMSOC firmly believes that teaching is student-centric and a participative process; therefore, at ASMSOC most of the learning takes place through student participation and other methods like case studies, experiential learning, project presentation, working on data obtained from e-resources and online databases, making videos, and peer learning, where buddy groups are formed. Each division is comprised of 50–55 students and has a faculty mentor who gives them personalized attention. The School identifies fast learners and encourage them to write research papers and participate in various co-curricular activities hosted by universities and colleges across the country. Slow learners, on the other hand, are gently guided and are benefitted with special bridge lectures.

Moreover, to ensure that ASMSOC graduates are ready to fit in corporate circles, ASMSOC hosts several workshops relevant to Analytics and Machine Learning. The students are also trained to work on Bloomberg terminal.

Correspondingly, ASMSOC students must undergo a compulsory internship for a period of two months at the end of the second year and soft skills training at the end of the fifth semester.

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ASMSOC’s Social Responsibility Forum and Enactus associations have contributed to the society by means of organizing training sessions for the local people for job orientation, computer literacy programs for slum children, and empowering women via self-employment

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ASMSOC houses various associations that provide students with an avenue to further their inter-personnel, negotiation, and oratory skills and develop a positive attitude and mindset. For instance, The International Linkage department of NMIMS constantly works on promoting students to study abroad in the US, European, and Australian Universities. In this respect, ASMSOC have signed an MOU with the University of South Florida, State University of New York – Albany, USA, New South Wales University, Australia, where students can pursue their studies for the third year of BBA after they complete two years at ASMSOC. Likewise, ASMSOC is laying the groundwork for an association with E&Y to train students for their forensic and fraud detection department.

Speaking about associations, ASMSOC’s Social Responsibility Forum and Enactus associations have contributed to the society by means of organizing training sessions for the local people for job orientation, computer literacy programs for slum children, blood donation sessions, and empowering women via selfemployment using projects like Lekhni and Neev.

Programs Offered Currently offering BBA, B.Com. (Hons.), B.Sc. Finance, M.Sc. Finance, and MMS programs, ASMSOC designs the respective curriculum for each program keeping industry and professional requirements and global expectations from graduates. Since ASMSOC’s Board of Studies comprises stalwarts like Ms. Ashu Suyash, CEO, CRISIL; Mr. Vijay Chandok, MD and CEO, ICICI

Higher Education Digest November 2019

Securities Ltd.; Mr. Sudhir Soni, Partner, E & Y; Mr. Abhijeet Biswas, Managing Director, 7i Capital Advisors; Mr. Shalin Divatia, Managing Partner, S R Divatia & Co.; and Dr. Ranjan Chakravarty, Senior Professor, School of Business Management, NMIMS, the curriculums are revised and changed almost every year. For instance, the current BBA program offers subjects like Business Analytics, Marketing Analytics, Derivatives and Risk Management, Portfolio and Wealth Management, Digital Marketing, Advertising and Brand Management, which are relevant to the present industry requirement.

Meanwhile, the B.Com. (Hons.) program takes care of professional requirement as per ICA/ CIMA. The B.Sc. Finance program, on the other hand, is highly finance-oriented, including subjects like Business Valuation, Debt Market, Derivatives, Financial Modelling, Econometrics, Business Analytics, and many more. Similarly, every semester almost 5%-10% of the lectures are conducted by industry senior executives (CFO, Head of Sales, VPs and HRs). The School also calls upon several industry professionals to evaluate the students’

Prof. Sangita Kher Dean, Anil Surendra Modi School of Commerce

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The X-Factor Without a doubt, the cornerstone for a successful educational institution is its team of faculty. This is clearly visible at ASMSOC. Highly motivated and incentivized to undergo faculty development programs, the ASMSOC faculty team attends university-conducted SAS certification programs so that they can train the students in Analytics. SAS is a US-based analytics company that issues international certification. Currently, ASMSOC houses 7 SAS-certified faculty members.

The team strives constantly to upgrade their qualifications. For instance, the team of 48 savors the fact that 14 of them have Ph.D., 6 are almost there and the rest on the way!

The ASMSOC faculty team also contributes to ABDC journals and Scopus Index journals among many others. The team also works closely with the students to write research papers and get them duly published.

Higher Education Digest November 2019

research paper presentations and business plans. After one such evaluation session, Mr. Vetri Subramanium, Head of Equity Funds, UTI Asset Management tweeted thus, “Top Notch Knowledge & Understanding of the Subject, more than I had at their age! Skill level Rising.�

Favoured Recruitment Destination Thanks to the innovative teaching pedagogy, ASMSOC students turn out to be out-of-box thinkers. Combine this with the very effective entrepreneurship cell, students are encouraged to bring out new and creative ideas. In addition to the ASMSOC incubation center for encouraging start-ups, the campus also houses an Atal Incubation Centre of the University too. Therefore, in the last 3-4 years alone, ASMSOC has witnessed the birth, rise, and the steady growth of 45 start-ups.

What is more is that all these efforts that the institute takes into shaping global managers can been seen being paid off when recruiters like Aufklaren-IIMUN, Barclays, Verity, Tresvista, Future First, Media.net, Ernst & Young Services Pvt. Ltd, CATKing, AufklarenIIMUN, Zycus Infotech, Aer Media, India Bulls, Mahendra Realtors, Learning Mate, Tata Strategic Management Group, Axis Securities, Piramal, Wipro, Motilal Osawal Securities Ltd., and CitiBank come to ASMSOC to recruit the cream of the crop.

Moving forward, Anil Surendra Modi School of Commerce intends to be AACSB- certified and plans to begin another Research Centre, publish more International Research Papers, attract global students, and have a faculty exchange program with Reputed B-Schools around the world.

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INDUSTRY PERSPECTIVE

Tell Me Something About Yourself Trupti Srikanth, Story Coach for Educators, Storywallahs An Engineer by education and a Storyteller by passion, Trupti believes that stories have the power to entertain, educate, heal and influence change.

Driven by this belief, she not only tells stories, but also works with organizations and helps them discover and use the power of stories in their personal and professional lives. Skilled in Interactive Storytelling, Finding-Crafting-Telling stories from life and Coaching, she tells stories, trains and coach educators in leveraging the power of stories in the classroom, and curates and crafts biographical stories from life. An advocate of the need to create awareness on Mental Health, she often uses stories to initiate conversations around the same

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Higher Education Digest November 2019

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t’s “that time of the year” again.

Ripped jeans make way for crisp white shirts, pant suits and sarees.

Talks of aptitude tests, group discussions and interviews fill the hallways and corridors.

There is a sense of eager anticipation mildly infused with nervous excitement in the air.

Industry experts from organizations across different geographies and sectors land on your campus with fetching job offers.

It’s “that time of the year” again.

You, on your part, aced the aptitude test and the technical test; you even came out of the group discussion with flying colours. The only thing that now stands between you and the job that you have your heart set on, is the final interview with the representatives of the organization.

The interview is a crucial checkpoint on your path to a job that you desire.

How can you transform this checkpoint from a hurdle to an opportunity?

How can you use the opportunity to convince your interviewer about your abilities?

How can you make the facts stated on your resume interesting enough for your interviewer to choose you?

“Facts don’t persuade; Stories do!”

As humans, we are hardwired for stories. Hence, when we communicate information through stories, we stand a better chance at being understood and appreciated. This holds good for our responses during job interviews too.

Here are some suggestions on communicating through stories during a job interview.

1. The Origin Story A friend once told me that during her growing up years, her family moved around a lot, thanks to the nature of her father’s job which involved frequent transfers (her father was a pilot in the Indian Air Force). And she attributed her ability to easily adapt to changes, to those frequent moves. The same friend also told me that her sense of discipline and respect for rules stemmed from the disciplined upbringing she received from her father who was a stickler for rules.

• Where did you grow up and what is the gift that you received from the place(s) that you grew up in?

• Who did you grow up amongst and what is the gift that you received from the people that you grew up with?

The place(s) we grow up in and the people we grow up with play a vital role in shaping not only our outlook towards life but also our values, beliefs and thought processes, which are critical for the culture of any organization.

By letting your interviewers in on this aspect of your life, you are offering them a peek into who you are as a person, something your resume won’t.

2. The Turning Point Story Many years back, when my children were four, we had to move to another country on work. We panicked. The kids neither spoke nor understood English, which was going to be the language of communication at school.

We had to help them learn the language and soon.

So, I began reading stories aloud every night at bedtime in English, translating it into the mother tongue for the understanding of my children.

This developed into a routine that we immensely enjoyed. While I began to discover and embrace the storyteller in

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The place(s) we grow up in and the people we grow up with play a vital role in shaping not only our outlook towards life but also our values, beliefs and thought processes, which are critical for the culture of any organization

Higher Education Digest November 2019

me, my children eagerly lapped up all that was coming their way. Gradually the need for translations waned and in three months from the time I had first started reading to them, my children could understand and speak English.

This was a major turning point in my life. The entire exercise helped me realize how much I enjoyed telling stories and understand how powerful stories were in learning. It also built in me, a sense of curiosity that led me deep down the path of stories and storytelling.

What event(s) led you to pick a particular career path? What is the story behind you choosing a particular area of specialization? In other words, why did you choose to do whatever it is that you do or want to do?

Our lives are filled with multiple turning points that steer us towards goals, realizations, epiphanies, callings. These experiences validate our choices and decisions. They tell the story of why we do what we do. And in doing that, they demonstrate purpose and our commitment towards it. So, this is a story your interviewer definitely needs to hear from you.

3. The Achievement/Failure Story Remember that one time when you led your college team to a win in the inter-college singing contest?

How about the time you topped the mock aptitude test that the college conducted? And the time when as an 8-year-old you won your first prize ever?

Do you also remember that time in your first year of college when you failed your physics paper? And the time when you went on stage to deliver a speech and failed miserably at it?

If we were to transpose our lives onto the screen of a heart rate monitor, with the peaks representing our achievements and the troughs representing our failures, the result would hardly be a straight line.

It would be a series of peaks and troughs. And these are stories waiting to be told. While the achievement stories showcase your strengths and capabilities, the failure stories bring to fore your ability to handle defeat and learn from it. So why not share them with your interviewer and help them get an insight into your abilities?

So, as you prepare for “that time of the year”, jog your memories, find the stories, craft them well.

And when opportunity presents, tell with an air of confidence and preparedness, and walk away with that envelope that reads “Offer Letter” and has your name on it.

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GL BAJAJ INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT AND RESEARCH

Crafting Tomorrow’s Managers Today

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ne of the most obvious challenges that B-School graduates face today is the lack of the necessary skill set. Meeting the corporates’ demand for excellent talent in the changing business environment has made it challenging for any B-school to deliver. But not for GL Bajaj Institute of Management and Research (GLBIMR). GLBMIR deftly identifies the future requirements of the business world and nurtures talents that can meet those. “A future manager cannot just be a dynamic corporate leader. They should also be a responsible citizen and a powerful member of society.

At GLBIMR, we emphasize on the all-round development of everyone that walks in through our gates,” says Dr. Ajay Kumar, Director, GLBIMR. In 1997, several philanthropic creative thinkers and scholars banded together to establish the GL Bajaj Group.

The main aim of the Group was to impart value-based education in a thought-provoking and novel milieu, that would ensure the overall development of its students. It is under this umbrella that the GL Bajaj Institute of Management and Research, in 2007, embarked on the journey to promote higher education in NCR. GLBIMR draws inspiration from Late Shri Ganeshi Lal Bajaj. Donning various hats like freedom-fighter, philanthropist, and dedicated social worker, Ganeshi Lal was a multifarious personality, revered for his benevolence and penchant for hard work. As GLBIMR enters into its thirteenth year of establishment, the institute is quite proud of its excellent academic activities and stellar track record of proffering exemplary education to future managers for the past decade.

Periodical Pedagogical Tweaks Currently, GLBIMR offers AICTE-approved PGDM courses. GLBIMR consistently brings about changes in the curriculum and adds innovative practices based on the present requirements of the corporate sector. “To ensure

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industry-ready and ethically competent managers, the curriculum is revised annually with relevant inputs from the industry, alumni, and external experts from academic institutions and industry. GLBIMIR’s innovative curriculum features many domain concentrations that enable students to get in-depth exposure to a vertical or sector. These concentrations consist of both regular courses taught by in-house faculty and workshop courses taught by industry practitioners,� adds the Director.

GLBIMR also ensures constant guidance and monitoring of the growth of the student through a strong mentor-mentee relationship. An individual faculty member is identified right from the start of the course as the faculty mentor of the student who, through a process of constant communication and personal interaction, will ensure the transformation of the student to a budding executive by establishing a dynamic relationship. For Summer Internship and Dissertation, students may have different mentors belonging to his/her areas of specialization. In respect of Summer Internship and Dissertation, the student shall also have an Industry Mentor from the organization they join.

Not restricting to books and blackboards, GLBIMR utilizes corporate mentoring, management games, role plays, formative online quizzes, mini-projects, Open-Book class tests, experiential learning/exercises, and case study analysis for better knowledge transfer

Higher Education Digest November 2019

Dr. Ajay Kumar, Director, GL Bajaj Institute of Management and Research

In 1997, several philanthropic creative thinkers and scholars banded together to establish the GL Bajaj Group. It is under this umbrella that the GL Bajaj Institute of Management and Research, in 2007, embarked on the journey to promote higher education in NCR

Thanks to the innovative and stimulating pedagogical tweaks and the hugely qualified faculty of 32 members, of which more than half are Ph.D. holders, ensure that the students are fit to face any challenges that come their way. A strong testimony to the efficacious pedagogy is the sheer number of corporate giants like Byjus, Flipkart, HUL, ICICI, Bata, Decathlon, American Express, HDFC Bank; Ashiana Housing Ltd.; Mansukh securities, Oyo, and ITC that flock around GLBIMR during the recruitment season.

Not Just Books and Blackboards Apart from the usual group discussions, assignments, and live projects that are customary of every B-School, GLBIMR also ensures corporate mentoring, management games, role plays, formative online quizzes, mini-projects, Open-Book class tests, experiential learning/exercises, class room lectures delivery through audio-visual aids, team presentations, and video cases and case study analysis. It is also worth noting that the institute has designed the WEBSIM software that facilitates students to go through their course material like PPTs, Videos lectures (Impartus) articles, etc.

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Furthermore, GLBIMR hosts Ted Talks and technical skills development sessions. One important aspect of the pedagogical innovation adopted at the institute is Rolling Assignment, where students are given a particular organization as a case and they are required to collect relevant information (as suggested by the faculty) about the organization that related to the management topics and units being covered in the class.

Along the same lines, GLBIMR also encourages Think-pair-share (TPS), a collaborative learning strategy wherein students work together to solve a problem or

36 Mr. Pankaj Agarwal, Vice Chairman, GL Bajaj Educational Institutions

Higher Education Digest November 2019

answer a question about an assigned reading. This strategy requires students to think individually about a topic or answer to a question and share ideas with classmates. The ensuing discussions maximize participation and engage students in comprehending the reading material.

Moreover, the students, to get the make and feel of the market, are sent to various markets in groups to conduct a variety of primary surveys related to their subjects.

This has been adopted to give them practical exposure to the market as well as inculcate research interest among the students.

Thanks to the innovative and stimulating pedagogical tweaks and the hugely qualified faculty of 24 members, of which more than half are Ph.D. holders, ensure that the students are fit to face any challenges that come their way

The X-Factor Corporate Interface Series Under CIS every student will be provided with the opportunity to attend prestigious corporate events organized by professional bodies like AIMA, ASSOCHAM, FICCI, CII, NIESBUD, PHDCCI. After the events, the students must submit a brief report of the event to the CIS chairperson, which is then evaluated with the help of faculty members.

The evaluation criteria are based on report format, content, report language, student’s behavior, level of interactions, and presentation. The best reports are then selected from each event. Based on the overall ranking, the top students are awarded as a star of the performance.

Global Talk Series Global Talk Series provides global exposure to the students by showcasing key business and management practices. One such session was held in September 2019, on Entrepreneurship. Mr. Naveen

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Pathak, Senior Partner, Entry India LLC, USA presided over the session. Similarly, in August 2019, Dr. H G. Parsa, Professor, Daniels College of Business, University of Denver, Colorado, took a session on Pricing strategies; Mr. Ashish Patel, Director Morgan Franklin Consulting, McLean, VA, USA had delivered a 1-week lecture session on Strategic Management in February and September 2019; and Dr. Philippe Bouvier, Lyon, an international academician of repute from University of France on February 2019 have also given shared their experiences with the GLBIMR students.

Global Linkage Program GLP program arms the PGDM students with the global best practices and shapes them to be managers with an international outlook. Under this program, GLBIMR has signed an MoU with Cengage for ED2GO online courses in partnership with the University of Texas at Arlington, where the students will get an opportunity to study courses on Data Analytics, Digital marketing, etc. with the renowned International University.

Close Industry Networks It is because of these initiatives that GLBIMR can preserve close relationships with the industry.

These fortuitous industry affiliations have greatly helped the institute. For instance, earlier this year, in June, GLBIMR was named “Best Industry Interface Institute 2019” by Integrated Chambers of Commerce and Industry (ICCI).

Moving forward GLBIMRs future Strategic Plan 2020-2022 identifies the following broad targets- like Research Conclave February 2020; International Conference, Global Management Day, and Media Conclave, etc. GLBIMR will also work for international collaborations and global accreditations like AACSB, AMBA, etc that will facilitate student/faculty-exchange programs and joint-degree programs with foreign Institutes/Universities.

Given the track record of GL Bajaj Institute of Management and Research, Greater Noida, it is no wonder that GLBIMR is already a synonym for quality management education in India.

Higher Education Digest November 2019

MENTOR’S MANTRA

Before You Decide On Which Course To Take in University Dr. Timothy Hsi, Founder and Principal, Abundanz Consulting Pte Ltd A counsellor educator, psychotherapist, and coach, Dr Timothy Hsi is the Master Instructor for Knowdell’s Job and Career Transition Coach Certification workshops and a NCDA Instructor for the Facilitating Career Development programme.

He is also the Founding President of the Career Development Association of Singapore (CDAS). He recently achieved the “Outstanding Career Educator” Award at the 2018 Asia Pacific Career Development Association (APCDA) conference

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Higher Education Digest November 2019

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n my years of providing career coaching, education and guidance to students (& adults), I have often asked the question “how do you know which higher education course/university to take/apply to?”

I have found that an estimated 1 out of 2 individuals actually have no idea how best to choose a higher education course for their educational progression.

Here are some of the usual reasons I hear or encounter from students.

“My parents will decide for me”.

“I’ll apply for the ‘xyz’ course because I will get a high paying job upon graduation”.

“Most of my friends are going to this university/school, so I will join them”.

“It’s the easiest course in this university” “The university is closest to my home” “It doesn’t matter what course, as long as I graduate with a degree” Enrolling in university is an extremely important point in a young person’s life. So is choosing the right course. A wrong academic choice not only brings about a lot of doubt about their capabilities (especially if they are not doing too well in school), it may also create a situation where there are too many graduates with the wrong set of skills or knowledge out in the market which has no need for their training.

A 2017 Forbes article highlighted that 1 in 3 university graduates are not working in jobs which they studied for. Up to 43% of these graduates found themselves in jobs which paid similarly to those without a degree!

If you’ve read up to this point, you may be asking yourself, “so what must I do to ensure that I choose the right course?”

There are 2 things all students (and parents) should do to ensure that you’re on the right track.

1. Find out more about your Career Attributes. Career attributes are facets or characteristics of ourselves that predetermine us towards certain types of job roles or industries.

In my practice, I operationalise career attributes as ‘VIPS’.

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Values—Values are cognitive structures and beliefs which motivate us to behave in certain ways. Values give us purpose in life and govern the way we function within our families, community and society. It is important that we figure out what our values surrounding careers are.

Knowing our top values will enable us to have clarity around the kind of work we are motivated to engage in because those same values will be the ones that determine whether you bounce out of bed every morning, eager to go to work or you drag yourself out, dreading the idea of stepping you’re your office.

For example, if ‘working on the frontier of knowledge’ is an important value for you, you will definitely find yourself highly motivated should you be working as a scientist or a researcher. However, you will be very de-motivated should you find yourself working in as a sales manager for a beverage company because this role has very little alignment with your personal career value.

Interest—Career interests are areas of work that individuals are particularly

Higher Education Digest November 2019

Knowing your top values not only help you realize the kind of work you like, they also determine whether you bounce out of bed every morning,

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drawn to. According to Holland (1985), all individuals have a preference for certain types of work which are categorized as RIASEC. Realistic – individuals with this preference tend to prefer work that gives them the chance to be handson and be physically involved while actively utilizing skills, strength or coordination.

Investigative – Individuals with this preference prefer work that utilizes their powers of thinking.

They enjoy learning new things, analyses facts and data in order to understand and solve problems.

Artistic – Individuals with this preference are ‘creators’ in that they have an artistic bent and enjoys creation, design and generally does things differently.

Social – Individuals with this preference prefer to work with other people and are engaged in activities such as helping, healing or developing others. Some examples of roles are teachers, counsellors, doctors, nurses, etc.

Enterprising – Individuals who are ‘enterprising’ have tendencies that motivates them to engage in activities such as leadership, entrepreneurship which utilizes their influencing abilities.

Conventional – Individuals with ‘conventional’ preferences prefer to work in environment where things are in order, follows processes and rules, favours repetition and is detail oriented.

Personality—Every individual has a combination of characteristics or qualities which makes them unique.

These characteristics form an individual’s distinctive character or personality.

Numerous models have been presented in the field of personality research, but for the purposes of this article, readers could consider their personality

Higher Education Digest November 2019

along the lines of extraversion-intraversion. If you are an extroverted individual, the kind of job options should be aligned to your personality. Imagine the pain experienced should an extroverted individual find themselves in a job which deals only with tasks and numbers with very little interaction with people.

Skills—Skill refers to the ability to apply knowledge obtained either through study or experience and using the know-how to carry out tasks involved in a particular job. There are two types of skills that individuals will obtain over time namely; technical skills and transferable skills.

Technical skills are skills which an individual will gain through training obtained from school or university (e.g. accounting skills learnt from accounting school or teaching skills learnt from schools of education).

Motivated skills are skills which individuals bring from one job to another (e.g. communication skills, IT skills, research skills) and these skills are gained through work experiences or even participation in clubs and other non-academic activities.

The VIPS which I have just explained forms the basis of your career attributes. Once individuals understand and are clear about their career attributes, making a decision about courses to take in university becomes slightly easier. They are now able to make an informed decision regarding their future career and the type of courses that supports their career journey.

2. Seek the help of a Career coach or counsellor who will work with you to figure out your career attributes and enable you to make the informed decision/choice regarding the higher education course that is aligned to your ultimate career pathway.

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CHITKARA BUSINESS SCHOOL

THE GENESIS OF MANAGEMENT PRODIGIES

By Rose Mary

Higher Education Digest November 2019

43 Dr. Madhu Chitkara, Vice-Chancellor, Chitkara University

Higher Education Digest November 2019

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t speaks volumes about the educational institute when its students are recruited by corporates around the Globe. Attracting the attention of global corporate leaders is not an easy task, but this is not the case for Chitkara Business School. Under the aegis of Chitkara University, Chitkara Business School (CBS) is one of the A-listers when it comes to shaping proficient managerial wizards.

Some of the big names that approach the School for recruitment are Trivago; DHL, Germany; Arabian Gulf Steel, Abu Dhabi; Radisson Blu, Landmark, Dubai; Shangri La, Muscat; Deloitte; Evalueserve; eClerx; Mondelez; Kellogg’s; Bombay Stock Exchange; Tata Croma; Wipro; WNS; Allstate; Ocwen; Ameriprise; Redington; Quark; and Fortis.

Chitkara University, with the vision of promoting academic excellence and expanding the realms of knowledge through innovation, has been bringing dynamic changes into the lives of its students as well as the Industry. The University was founded

by Dr. Ashok K Chitkara and Dr. Madhu Chitkara, who now act as Chancellor and Vice-Chancellor, respectively. These visionaries, rather than sitting simply at the head of the table, have been handson leaders since the beginning. Passionate teachers for more than 40 years now, their effective leadership has enabled the University to bring in laurels after laurels.

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Higher Education Digest November 2019

Not just in the industry, CBS graduates do marvels for the society too. Through the NSS and working with many NGOs, they take up projects to spread awareness regarding various social problems

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The Inception and Growth Chitkara University, to actively participate in eradicating the lack of skilled management professionals in the country, established the Chitkara Business School (CBS) in 2008.

Since then, the School has turned heads with its industryled curriculum and development of managerial skills among the students. For more than a decade now, the School has been offering undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral programs in the field of business. “Our strength lies in our faculty team of 65 exceptional minds and our industryrelevant curriculum. Industry-required skillset is a huge part of our curriculum. We run programs in Marketing, Finance & Banking, Investment Banking, Healthcare, Healthcare IT, Event & Planning Management, Pharmaceutical Management, Sales & Retail, Supply Chain and Logistics Management, Human Resource Management, Business Analytics, Rural Management, and BFSI. Thanks to our Industry partners, E&Y, KPMG, Safeducate, Frost & Sullivan, Fortis, Bombay Stock Exchange, Future First Academy, Wizcraft, ACCA, CMA, and CISI, we are always abreast of the current industry standards,” says Dr. Madhu Chitkara, Vice-Chancellor, Chitkara University.

She further adds, “Our associations with the Industry partners are not limited to A4-size paper agreements. It goes beyond it. For instance, while our Supply Chain students are trained by Safeducate, the Healthcare students are prepared by

Higher Education Digest November 2019

Since its inception, the School has turned heads with its industry-led curriculum and development of managerial skills among the students

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Higher Education Digest November 2019

Fortis and Frost & Sullivan. Meanwhile, our Marketing students are prepared by leading FMCG firms and the Finance and Banking students are trained by Future First, Moody’s, CISI, KPMG, ACCA, and CMA. Our Sales and Retail students are trained by Future Group and other major retail companies, Business Analytics is managed by Ernst & Young, and Investment Banking students are trained by a team of CFOs.” Instead of tooting their own horn, CBS lets their students’ accomplishments do all the talking. Student achievements do not lie, and the School’s placement records speak volumes of the pedagogy followed at CBS. Including case-based discussions, simulation exercises, role plays, short projects and internships, exposure programs, and lots of guest sessions from experts, the CBS curriculum is truly made by the Industry, for the Industry. “We help our students in every step of their professional development.

The X-Factor They are put through personalized mentoring and grooming. While our faculty act as the ‘Primary Coach’, helping them excel in their academics through intense coaching in the classrooms, our Industry faculty fill them with weekend classes, short seminars, workshops, live projects, and internships,” adds Dr. Madhu.

The faculty team at CBS, as mentioned earlier, is a team made of some of the brightest minds in academia. A prime testament to this is the 63 Ph.D. holders. Nevertheless, CBS ensures that the team is given the best of the environment and resources to keep themselves updated and upgraded. Moreover, the team is truly incentivized for the research work they do. They are encouraged to travel, teach, and practice besides research. CBS

While there are educational institutes that promote entrepreneurial skills, only a few can boast of a fully operational incubation center. Chitkara Business School is one of these select few. Chitkara University incubation initiatives, Chitkara University Research and Innovation Network (CURIN) and the Chandigarh-based Chitkara Innovation Incubator have researchers, faculty, and aspiring student entrepreneurs working across various disciplines to extend the boundaries of knowledge so that their projects can be executed. Similarly, E-Braille Slate is a project devised by DAT for making education for the blind painless and comfortable. The project, under the supervision of Chitkara University Centre for Research and Innovation (CURIN), has a huge social impact as it benefits the visually impaired community on a global scale. This project was especially applauded by the Jury and the present audience.

Likewise,

Chitkara

University’s

Centre

for

Entrepreneurship Education & Development (CEED) has been igniting young minds to nurture the Nation’s vision of ‘STARTUP INDIA -STAND UP INDIA and EARN WHILE LEARN’. The journey has just begun with firm footholds to conquer the plethora of opportunities wherein students, faculty, alumni and community entrepreneurs get the belongingness of a company. “At CEED, we are on a mission to increase our ecosystem’s productivity by simplifying the task of connecting people with the right opportunities.

Broadly speaking, we believe in first creating value within the ecosystem, and then sharing that value with our ecosystem partners, mentors, investors, and startups. With a State-of-the-Art Incubation Space of over 15,000 sq. Ft., located at just 1 km distance from Rajiv Gandhi IT Park, Chandigarh, our startup family has 59 dynamic tech startups which actively engage with each other to share success stories, failure lessons and sometimes, long-lasting friendships. Currently, more than 100 student startups are operational, and the university is very rigorously building an ecosystem for budding entrepreneurs,” says Dr. Madhu.

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Chitkara Business School has proven that it means business when it comes to educating young managers. It certainly won’t be a tall claim to say that the School is all set to redefine managerial education.

understands and acknowledges the fact that the faculty must be at its best if the students stand any chance of excelling in their education. Therefore, the School encourages the faculty to venture into entrepreneurship and experience the practice so that learning within the classrooms are more practical.

The faculty are also enabled to travel abroad and teach at foreign universities (CBS’s international partners). Likewise, they are funded for sponsored projects abroad under the ‘Transnational Education and Research’ scheme.

Managers with Moral Compass Due North Not just in the industry, CBS graduates do marvels for the society too. Through the NSS and working with many NGOs, they take up projects to spread awareness regarding social problems. To this extent, all MBA students spend at least one month as an internship with NGOs and social organizations to

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understand social problems and suggest solutions. All these activities assure that CBS graduates showcase experiential learning, tolerance, business communication, subject knowledge, professional attitude, social reasoning, and global acumen.

Looking back, Chitkara Business School has indeed been one of the fastest-growing Business Schools in the country. However, the School has no intention of resting. CBS is planning to launch multidisciplinary programs in business and integrated programs across the segment. “We all know that the world is changing as we speak, so does the requirements of the Industry. Therefore, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Financial Technologies, Data Analytics, Rural Finance & Management, Event Planning Management, Sports Management are some of the upcoming areas that we plan on incorporating into future programs. We would also like to enter into Executive Education programs in the future,� says Dr. Madhu.

Setting several huge milestones in a span of 10 years is no mean feat, and Chitkara Business School has proven that it means business when it comes to educating young managers. It certainly won’t be a tall claim to say that the School is all set to redefine managerial education in India.

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Higher Education Digest November 2019

JK BUSINESS SCHOOL

Delivering Excellence in Management Education Since Inception

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Higher Education Digest November 2019

I

t is a universally acknowledged fact that for B-Schools to shape young energetic managers the industry should play its part by co-functioning with knowledge creators to facilitate the creation of a bi-directional channel for knowledge transfer. Organizations and entrepreneurs should provide opportunities for research to contribute inputs for curricula development and collaborate with academia to share live project experience with students. All these activities can be seen in full swing at JK Business School.

Established in 2006, JK Business School (JKBS) has set its vision on providing high-quality management education.

Currently offering Post Graduate Diploma in Business Management (a two-year, credit-based, full time, rigorous and content-rich, autonomous management program) and Bachelor of Business Administration, JKBS missions to develop technology adept and socially and environmentally responsive change managers for business, globally. While the Post Graduate Diploma course is AICTE approved, the BBA course is Affiliated to Gurugram University.

JKBS ensures that the industry plays an important role while designing the curriculum. This is why the JKBS curriculum reflects the adoption of the latest practices and technology advancements, with a student-focused learning pedagogy. “We constantly strive to prepare our PGDM students to develop multi-discipline business skills as per requirements of the current business environment through a regular infusion of latest ideas and skills that can help them to become successful manger in their life. By using modern methods of teaching, we help them to learn to adapt and successfully face every challenge in their business career.

PGDM program being delivered at JKBS is more of the training rather than conventional teaching methodology.

Industry experts design the curriculum keeping in the mind

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the challenges today’s businesses are facing.

It helps us foresee the industrial/business requirement in the future, and train our students are per requirement. We introduce our students to real-time issues/challenges that the businesses are facing. The core pedagogy adapted is that of hands-on experience by way of case studies, applications involving real industry data, live projects and extensive corporate connect by way of veterans from the industry handling the academic delivery,” says Dr. Sanjiv Marwah, Director JK Business School.

Being a part of a large business house has enabled JKBS students to enjoy a unique advantage of learning about all business tools and techniques from professors with vast theoretical and practical knowledge, which is regularly polished and upgraded through constant interaction with the practitioners of business in various field. Moreover, holding various faculty development programs, workshops, constructive feedback mechanisms, research activities, and, networking with industry comentors of students, JKBS ensures that the faculty is updated with the latest and modern teaching pedagogies, industry trends. Therefore, the highly experienced faculty finds no qualms when it comes to expertly guiding the students.

Add to this an excellent infrastructure including residential accommodation, a Jio Wi-Fi campus,

The X-Factor There is only so much that a textbook can teach students, especially when a barrage of information is being added to the business community by the minute. So how does JK Business School enable students to stay afloat of the information deluge and cherry-pick threads of vital information? Here is how: JKBS uses Moodle, a learning platform designed to provide educators, administrators, and learners with a single robust, secure, and integrated system

to

create

personalized

learning

environments. It provides the most flexible tool set to support both blended learning and 100% online courses. JK Business School has been one of the pioneer institutes in India to adopt blended learning in the classrooms and allows students to get upto 20% credits through MOOC courses.

Likewise, IIMBx Foundation-MOOC & IIMBInnovation and Entrepreneurship also come into play, thanks to the MoU that JKBS has signed with IIMB. The tie-up enables students to avail a one-year online certificate program as part of the “IIMBX School Partnership Program.

Moreover, to understand how the cogwheels turn in a real business setting JKBS entrusts its students with various Live project opportunities with companies like Safe Express, Republic Motors, United Colors of Benetton, Aditya Birla Group etc.

Alongside live projects, understanding the importance of Internship opportunities in the lives of the students, the School offers the RTT Summer Internship program. The students are given a venue to practice various management

Higher Education Digest November 2019

principles in the corporate world and learn the skills required/demanded by corporate so that they have a better chance of fulfilling their career dreams.

But merely sending students for internships will not promise concrete returns. Therefore, the School tracks the progress of each student in real-time. The RTT Summer Internship Initiative is to take the Summer Internship experience to a next level using Google Drive, where weekly assessments are carried out, timely guidance, via Google Sheets, is provided, and personal

Dr. Sanjiv Marwah, Director, JK Business School

visits are undertaken by faculty mentors. This initiative is a collaborative effort of Industry and Institute to impart a great learning curve and help students cultivate practical and efficient skill-sets demanded in the industry.

It is also important to mention the various technological innovations that the School has utilized to expedite knowledge transfer.

For instance, the School employs a Virtual Simulation program to enable young aspiring management

students

to

practice

management

skills.

Working

on

their

artificial

intelligence, the students can use the simulation model upto 5 times a year. It allows for Single Player Mode, where one student can play individual simulation against AI Bots 3 times a year, and Workshop Model, where the faculty runs the simulation program along with the curriculum. The students are then ranked using a Balance Score Card.

JKBS is also the only management School in Gurugram to team up with AIMA for its online business simulation program, Bizlab.

An expert in the area of Strategic Management and Customer Retention, Prof. Marwah has authored many Research papers and articles that are presented and published in various National and International conferences. He is a member of Strategic Management Forum, an IIM consortium supported organization. He has, under his leadership, led JKBS to successful NBA accreditation. Prof. Marwah has been closely associated with Sauder School of Business (University in Vancouver, British Columbia), Lincolnshire and Humberside University, U.K., Thames Valley University, U.K., Singapore Management University, Kathmandu School of Management, California State University and Philadelphia University, USA. He was invited to speak at the prestigious Oxford Debate at Oxford University on September 27, 2019.

He is also the recipient of Rashtriya Gaurav Sammaan - 2015

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a 9 am to 9 pm learning environment, a library that opens till late evening on all seven days, and a 24/7 access to a digital library, you have a winner in JK Business School!

JKBS is diligent when it comes to shaping students into true global managers. Hence, JKBS graduates step out of the campus after being thoroughly groomed through various personality enhancement programs, high profile management conferences and student-led activities of contemporary importance in the corporate world. However, a crisp white shirt and a briefcase do not mean you are the changemaker that the corporate world is looking for. It also asks for compassion and social responsibility.

JKBS does wonders when it comes to giving back to the society. For instance, via its CSR division, the School has taken up several noteworthy initiatives like JKBS Outreach Program in the Damdama Village, where the students organized a complete health

Higher Education Digest November 2019

Being a part of a large business house has enabled JKBS students to enjoy a unique advantage of learning about all business tools and techniques from professors with vast theoretical and practical knowledge, which is regularly polished and upgraded through constant interaction with the practitioners of business in various field

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check-up camp. Another such initiative is he regular evening classes for the underprivileged children. No wonder industry giants like HDFC Bank, TLC Group, Oyo Room, Byju’s, Learning Route, NIIT Technology, SS Globe Op, and Safe Express insist on having JK Business School as their go-to when it comes to recruiting proficient and capable managers.

Charting future plans, JK Business School intends to collaborate further with the Industry and launch several skill-based courses. Along the same lines, the School is also planning to introduce more courses in Fintech, Financial engineering, and Sustainable Management. Similarly, updating its current Digital Marketing and Business Analytics curriculum by working closely with the Industry and government bodies is also in pipeline. One major project that the School is working on is partnering with Ivy league business schools to launch management programs.

JK Business School has already proved that it has a no-nonsense approach when it comes to delivering results. One can easily forecast that the School is on its way to greater heights.

Higher Education Digest November 2019

REVA UNIVERSITY’S SCHOOL OF COMMERCE AND MANAGEMENT STUDIES

Underlining ‘Ethos’ in Management Education

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L

ately, there have been several economic developments that have directly impacted the global business domain. These, in turn, have pressured B-Schools to undergo massive transformation to support the varying demands of the market.

One major change that the world has witnessed is the demand for sustainability, environmental and social accountability, and ethical practices among management graduates. Today, management leaders are expected to make a difference in the world; therefore, it is time that business programs start focusing on shaping ethical leaders who are environment and community conscious.

The X-Factor Starting your own venture sounds glamorous but one must understand that creating a business and becoming a household name depends not on the logo or a slogan. It is how one functions and makes decisions. Running a business is an empathyled,

process-driven,

and

knowledge-intensive

discipline. REVA University’s School of Commerce and Management Studies understands this and also the statistics that many graduated now aim to become the next top gun. So, the School also offers an undergraduate program in Entrepreneurship (in association with EDII, Ahmedabad), where students with an entrepreneurial aptitude and zeal are guided to start an enterprise of their own.

The program

provides opportunities to learn in E- Labs and with a structured curriculum. Classes are taken by those faculty members who have immense experience in Entrepreneurship. It is noteworthy that these students come from all walks of life, some with no business background. This ensures that anyone who has the right idea, and who can work hard for it, can make a name for themselves.

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60 In this light, let us reflect on a story of 800 management students from Bangalore who arranged a voting awareness campaign as a movement towards nation-building. About 200 of their faculty members supported them in this enormous initiative that was named JAGRUTI –I. The students visited 1,50,000 houses from the Byatarayanapura Constituency and used Google forms to collect the details of voters.

The students then used this data to help the BBMP in adding and eliminating the voters from the list.

These students, who took up this initiative to help the society and the country, were from REVA University’s School of Commerce and Management. The Governor of Karnataka awarded the University for the exemplary work done to create voting awareness among the citizens. This is but only one of the many examples that prove that students who graduate from REVA University’s School of Commerce and Management Studies are better equipped to be leaders as they showcase strong human values, ethics, and commitment.

The School has, since its inception, been a wizard at foretelling the requirements of the global business

Higher Education Digest November 2019

community. It has been successful in all its endeavors because of Dr. P Shyama Raju’s, the founder and Chancellor of REVA University, firm belief in perfection at all levels. Practicing what he preaches, Dr. Raju has always had a no-compromise take on the commitment, involvement, and ethics. Moreover, the Vision and Mission of REVA University center around creating leaders with moral and ethical values who can lead the society in the right direction.

Courses Offered Currently, the School offers B.Com (Industry Integrated) and B.Com (Honors) under its UG programs, M.Com under its PG program, and Ph.D. in Commerce under its Research Program. The School of Management Studies, on the other hand, offers BBA (Industry Integrated), BBA (Honors), and BBA (Entrepreneurship) under its UG program, MBA under its PG program, and Ph.D. in Management under its Research Program. All UG and PG courses are provided as Industry Integrated Programs. The curriculums are well blended with all functional areas and certificate courses carrying credits. These

61 REVA University’s School of Commerce and Management has, since its inception, been a wizard at foretelling the requirements of the global business community. It has been successful in all its endeavors because of Dr. P Shyama Raju’s, the founder and Chancellor of REVA University, firm belief in perfection at all levels

Dr. P. Shyama Raju , Chancellor,

Reva University

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certificate courses are selected based on the assessment of skill sets required for Commerce and Management graduates.

The university understands that not all students are the same. Depending on their grasping power the School categorizes the students into Advanced, Average and Slow learners and accordingly modifies assignments and the mode of classroom teaching. “We also have a student mentoring system in place wherein each faculty (mentor) is assigned approximately 15-20 students to counsel matters related to academics, co-curricular, and various extra-curricular activities. The students are also engaged in collaborative, interactive, and activity-based learning methods that bring together all categories of learners to share their knowledge and expertise and also involves all the stakeholders in the process of learning,� says Dr. Shubha A, Director, REVA University’s School of Commerce and Management Studies.

Before the School sends its students for Summer Internships to gain practical exposure, they are taken to various Industry settings to visualize the actual environment that exists beyond the classrooms. Moreover, various industry experts are regularly invited to share their experiences with students.

The students are also engaged in collaborative, interactive, and activitybased learning methods that bring together all categories of learners to share their knowledge and expertise and also involves all the stakeholders in the process of learning

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Housing A Brilliant Faculty Team The faculty team at REVA University’s School of Commerce and Management studies keep themselves abreast with recent updates in their areas of expertise.

They attend Faculty Development Programs organized by reputed universities and institutes to update their knowledge base. For the benefit of the faculty members, the school also organizes various FDPs and FIP. The faculty team carry out cutting-edge research and utilize the outcomes of these researches for the benefit of the student community. The team plans their course (which includes the concepts, contents, pedagogies, and all other necessary inputs required to enhance the learning process) before the commencement of semester, submit it for amendments that pour in from Industry experts, Bankers, Auditors, and Recruiters, and make necessary changes before finally delivering it in the classrooms.

The faculty uses a variety of methods to ensure that the students fully grasp the ideas presented in the classrooms.

Some of which are Case Studies, ICT based teachinglearning ( Digitally enabled classrooms ), Online sessions, Business Models, Self-Learning tools, MSLA (Moderator supported learning approaches ), activity-based learning, Flipped classrooms, Videos, Critical analysis of Minimal posters, and Online courses (self-learning ).

Blueprint For The Future With corporate giants like KPMG, E&Y, Procter and Gamble, Thomson Reuters, Amazon, Wipro, Marico, Mc Donald’s, 99Acres, Fidelity, Concentrix, Stanza Living, and D MART swooping in to recruit the creme le creme, the School has created remarkable placement records by grooming the students for the challenging corporate life.

Moving forward, REVA University’s School of Commerce and Management Studies intends to achieve global accreditations like AACSB and ACBSP, improve their academic ambiance, and strengthen research, industry linkages, and international collaborations.

Higher Education Digest November 2019

SYMBIOSIS CENTRE FOR DISTANCE LEARNING

Imparting Quality Education Beyond Geographical Lines

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t is the 21st century and technology has created waves so unprecedented that it seems almost unbelievable to see these changes in our daily life. Technology has revolutionized the education to such an extent that a classroom now means a student, teacher, and an internet chatroom. Distance education has been a boon for a lot of aspiring learners who struggle because of geographical constraints. However, several of these distance education institutions have, over the years, been pegged down as unreliable and phony. It is in this unfortunate scenario that Symbiosis Centre for Distance Learning holds the torch to its peers.

Symbiosis Centre for Distance Learning (SCDL) currently offers Post Graduate Diploma, Diploma, and Certificate programs across industry sectors including Business Management, International Business, Information Technology, Data Science, Banking and Finance, Supply Chain Management, Customer Relationship Management, Insurance Management, Education Management, Business and Corporate Law, and Entrepreneurship Development.

Since SCDL offers distance education, it has the liberty to reach out and onboard the best of academic resources for teaching, evaluation, e-Learning, and self-learning material preparation from top management institutes as well as from the industry. Since SCDL maintains fruitful collaborations with the Industry, the institute finds no roadblocks in partnering with local, national and international organizations to offer corporate programs.

Some of the leading organizations that have collaborated with SCDL to offer corporate programs are IBM, Cognizant, Infosys, Wipro, Ranbaxy, Collabra, Aditya Birla, Bharti Retail Pvt. Ltd., Wall-mart, Vodafone, and Cipla. Moreover, the curriculum is designed and constantly updated through the Board of Studies comprising expert faculty and industry and having several years of experience. Therefore, one can compare the SCDL curriculum with that of any full-time management institute and see for themselves that SCDL is in all aspects numero uno!

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However, the Board of Studies does not limit themselves to designing the curriculum, the seasoned experts also conduct virtual classes for the students. SCDLs academics department, as mentioned earlier, is a fine blend of experts from academia & the industry. Experienced visiting faculty is mainly drawn from the industry who provide useful insights into real-world situations and help students chart a successful career path. SCDL ensures that its faculty members attend workshops and training programs to seek innovative teaching methodologies and implement efficient learning systems for the benefit of students.

The faculty members also engage in research and attend national/international conferences to remain in constant touch with recent developments in the industry. “The teaching methodology incorporated at SCDL includes all the latest developments in business. The teaching staff ensures they address the challenge of putting theory into practice. This ensures that what students learn at Symbiosis Centre for Distance Learning is always current and up-todate,� says Dr. Swati Mujumdar, Director, SCDL, and ProChancellor, Symbiosis Skills University, Pune.

SCDL is quite proud of its graduates who have been placed at various positions with corporate giants like Aramex, Aztec Soft, Bosch Ltd, Capgemini, Capita, Doodle All, Enthrall Technologies Pvt. Ltd, ENyota Learning, Eternus Solutions, Euro Kids International Ltd, Exult, Harbinger Group, HDFC Bank Ltd, IIBM Jet India, KGC Logistics, LIQVID, Mercedes Benz, MSK Worldwide, NIIT, Overnite, Reliance Retail, Rohan

68 Dr. Swati Mujumdar, Director, SCDL, and Pro-Chancellor, Symbiosis Skills University, Pune

SCDL maintains fruitful collaborations with the Industry, and has partnered with local, national and international organizations to offer corporate programs

Higher Education Digest November 2019

The X-Factor Since SCDL’s students are mostly working

professionals

who

have

face

time constraints to sit through long lecture sessions, SCDL offers a “Blended Learning” methodology,

combining

all

the

three

forms of learning, Published/Printed SelfLearning Material/Books, Digital e-learning and Faculty Interaction, Chat Sessions & Online Classroom Facility. SCDL has been able to connect faculty and students through the use of ICT, wherein tutors use online chats and online classrooms to stimulate discussions. These sessions allow students to interact with faculty and clear their doubts immediately. This also facilitates the students to attend online lectures from their place of work or home,

The faculty members also engage in research and attend national/ international conferences to remain in constant touch with recent developments in the industry

have peer interaction and even replay an archived lecture. Similarly, Symbiosis World Campus’ is a powerful web portal that forms the center of learning with facilities like - Assignment Submission, ComputerBased Examination, and E-Mentoring, etc.

In addition, the highly interactive e-Learning content

is

a

supplementary

learning

methodology to improve the understanding of concepts through case studies and practical examples, thereby bridging the gap between the book and the classroom.

Along the same lines, SCDL offers Modular Course

System

with

Credit

Banking

Facility thus providing Flexible Pathways of Learning. It is also worth noting the SCDL aims at imparting quality education to one and all without any bar whatsoever. Hence, it provides fee concessions to those aspiring graduates who are not able to pay the tuition fee upfront.

Builders, Sakal Media Group, Sharada Infosys Pvt. Ltd, Shri Krishna Agro Equipment Pvt. Ltd, SRV Media, Star Union Dai-ichi Life Insurance Co.Ltd., Symantec Corporation Ltd (R and D), TAS India Pvt. Ltd., Tata Sky, TCS, Wipro BPO Solutions Ltd.. It is no wonder that the SCDL alumni database showcases around four thousand alumni students, who act as SCDL’s ambassadors. SCDL makes it a point to share the graduates’ success stories through the prospectus and website every year, thus inspiring future graduates.

Having won awards like the Maharashtra Government’s IT Award for Human Resource Development through quality Distance Education and innovative use of ICT, which was presented by the Hon’ble Chief Minister of Maharashtra and being nominated for the Institutional Excellence Award by the prestigious International Council for Distance Education (ICDE), an apex body promoting open and distance education in the world, SCDL is proud to be an educational institution that harbors the true spirit of learning. Symbiosis Centre for Distance Learning eagerly looks forward to imparting innovative teaching methodologies and implement effective and efficient learning systems for the benefit of students.

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YOUNG ACHIEVERS

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H

ercule Poirot and Sherlock Holmes were real-life wizards at reading criminals and understanding their psyche. They could forecast crimes and help the police to intervene at the opportune moment, whether the police actually complied or not is for another day. Anyone reading their stories would be excited and spurred to choose a career in criminology and help the enforcement officials track down felons and

wrong doers. The crime statistics in India, specifically, is appalling, yet no student wants to take up courses that can potentially improve these dismal numbers.

For instance, Not a single student has enrolled for a master’s in criminology from one of the top universities in India, Bangalore University. The officials had set the intake number to 20 and are disappointed at the zero number of students turning up. Given the poor

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Dhanya Babu

response, university authorities are in two minds whether or not to continue the program.

It is in this unfortunate state of affairs that stories of young, fearless and zingy individuals like Dhanya Babu become an inspiration.

Hailing from Irinjalakuda, a small town in the Thrissur district of Kerala, India, Dhanya is a brilliant student. Whilst in college, Dhanya beautifully juggled her studies with various responsibilities that were handed over to her like leading several social events, being the prominent voice in student bodies, and heading the National Cadet Corps of her college. If you

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would assume that these responsibilities would weigh a person down with options, Dhanya’s response will prove to you otherwise; “The myriad of opportunities that were offered to me gave me the space to decide, choose, and carve a niche in the direction I always wanted to take.

I wanted to become a criminal investigator. I have always been passionate about a career in investigations. Since childhood I’ve admired officers investigating crime scenes, interrogating criminals, and helping victims. The choices I made in my education eventually helped me fulfil this passion.”

IPS or Criminologist?

After earning her Bachelor’s in Economics from St. Joseph’s College Irinjalakuda, she took a train to Delhi in the hopes to become an IPS officer. “I did not know about the wider scope of Criminology and the only job I knew back then which was related to investigations was the Indian Police Service. So, I spent more than a year in Delhi preparing for civil service exams; that is when I met a friend who told me about the field of Criminology,” says Dhanya.

After learning more about the Master’s course offered by the University of Madras in Criminology and Criminal Justice, Dhanya soon enrolled herself at the University. It was there, while carrying out her thesis, that she got a first-hand experience of what she was going to get involved in. Dhanya’s thesis was on the study of examining the existence of social exclusion of LGBTQ persons in Chennai and to explore the various forms of discrimination and violence based on sexual orientation and gender identity. As a part of this study, she interviewed 52 individuals from the LGBTQ community. “During the interviews, they shared their stories with me. One transgender woman in Chennai said “When I told my dad how I feel being like a woman he beat me and forcibly shaved my long hair. From that day forward my family members stopped talking to me. One day they tried to poison me, but failed. Then they compelled me to commit suicide, but I couldn’t do it. I ran away from home out of fear and to save what was left of my self-pride.” Hearing this I felt an urgent need to put an end to this crime and started researching on what can be done,” says Dhanya.

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Although several priorities changed for Dhanya over the years, she has not given up on making the world a better place for the LGBTQ+ community. Her research topic for her doctoral studies is ‘gender-based violence towards sexual minorities’.

After graduating from the University of Madras in 2014, she was employed in the same department as a research associate for a project of Transparency International, an international organization that works on combatting corruption across the world. During this period, she also attended a post-graduate diploma course in Victimology and Victim Assistance by the World Society of Victimology from TIVI Mito, Japan. Fuelled by the impulse to delve further into the field of Victimology, she joined International Justice Mission, Bangalore, as a human trafficking investigator in 2015 January.

It was in this role, that she was assigned to document undercover evidence of trafficking, exploitation, and compelling bonded labour cases. Maintaining rapport with the victims and at the same time strategizing plans for intervention and rescue were her primary duties. “During my work, our team was involved in rescuing hundreds of people from slavery and trafficking. Working in this field made me more curious about crimes that transcend borders like human trafficking, drug trafficking, and terrorism. In

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2016, as I joined my spouse in the United States, I took that as another opportunity for an endeavour in the continuum of knowledge-seeking,” says Dhanya.

New Country, New Possibilities!

Soon after her Master’s from Madras University, Dhanya flew to the US with her husband, Peterson Pius. There she enrolled in John Jay College, NY, to complete her 2-year Master’s degree in International Crime and Justice. “I am presently pursuing a doctoral degree in Criminal Justice. I am going to try my best to complete the doctoral program in 5 years since my fellowship for the is a program offered for 5 years. A doctoral degree in Criminology is something I wanted to do since I started my studies in Chennai. To enter into a fully funded doctoral program in the United States, you must get acquainted with the education system here, make good connections in academia, get referrals from professors who are renowned in the field and more importantly have a strong research experience. This led me to take up my second Master’s degree from John Jay College.

International Crime and Justice program appeared to be a very specific and attractive program. Pursuing this degree also helped me fulfil the requirements of the doctoral program,” informs Dhanya.

75 When asked why she chose John Jay College of Criminal Justice, she replies that the college was once called the COPS College. “John Jay is one of the most diverse and inclusive colleges in the country. I was instantly attracted by the varied range of criminal justice programs that the college had to offer.

Being located at the heart of Manhattan was an additional advantage,” says Dhanya. “As a student who was completely new to the American system of education, the professors and the students were willing to help me adapt to the system. In the second semester of my program, I was able to get an on-campus job as well. John Jay is also open to unpopular opinions. There was this one time that I questioned and criticized the US policy regarding international law in a class with 90% Americans and they were open for a healthy discussion.

The college also conducts Job and Internship Fairs every semester to meet the career development needs of students and alumni. Law enforcement agencies from across the country will be present at these career fairs including the FBI. Many of my classmates have had the opportunity to carry out internships at various departments of the United Nations (UNO) in New York. The employment prospects to criminologists are not limited to jobs in law enforcement agencies and international organizations, but also has a scope in private companies like

Dhanya with her mentor, Dr. Mangai Natarajan

Higher Education Digest November 2019

Facebook and Amazon, as well as compliance officers and investigators.”

Perseverance and Planning

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Although it looks like she had a cakewalk to her dreams, it is not so. “I was in Seattle when I decided to apply to John Jay College of Criminal Justice. I was on an H4 Visa back then, which is also called the dependent visa. I transferred my visa to an F1 visa that allows foreigners to pursue an education in the United States. H4 visas are infamous for being depressing since it restricts the visa holders, from working or even owning a social security number or a bank account. Moreover, many of the new immigration policies by the present administration in the United States have created concern over the United States’ image as a welcoming destination for international students.

Even though international students with valid visas do not have to worry about deportations, minor negligence in maintaining their full-time statuses in the program can be a reason enough to take away your F1 visa status. International students like me are watchful about the continuous immigration policy changes these days like never before,” she informs.

In addition to the visa processes, she had to write the GRE and the IELTS exams. The most time-consuming documentation that she had to provide for admissions were the university transcripts from her previous colleges in India.

Most of the universities in the US require one to have it directly sent from the previous universities to the one you are applying to. “Having my official transcript sent from the University of Calicut cost me a lot of time and money,” she says.

Dr. Mangai Natarajan, The Beacon Given her experience in the criminology field, we asked her about her role model. She credits her family for the various values that she learned, “Virtue of selflessness and strength from my mom, resilience from my dad, passion from my brother and hard work from my husband. My husband has been very supportive of my dreams. In fact, he sponsored my tuition, which amounts to more than $30000. For international students on an F1 visa, it takes a few semesters to find an on-campus job (The visa will not allow you to work outside campus).

It was important for me to get financial support to pursue my education. However, If I must name one person in the field of criminology that I look up to and admire, it would be my present thesis advisor Dr. Mangai Natarajan. She is one of the first women from India to pursue criminology. She was able to

Higher Education Digest November 2019

defy numerous gender and racial stereotypes, migrate to the United States at a very young age, pursue a doctorate in the field, conduct numerous criminological researches with a continuum of excellence, and is now imparting that knowledge to her current students,” says Dhanya.

Commenting on the teaching-learning methodologies followed in the US and India, Dhanya comments, “Since I have done Master’s from both countries, I can safely say that the learning experience in NY is entirely different from that of India. Academic experience from India has been theoretical, you are brilliant if you can memorize the concepts and duplicate them on to the answer sheets. In NY it is not only enough that you read a lot of books and research papers, but the assessment criteria is based upon how productively you can use what you learned in a reallife situation. In the entire two years of my course work, I have only had two exams, that too open book exams. More emphasis is given in learning through group discussions, presentations, research papers, and creative assignments.

For example, during the first semester of my program, I had an assignment where I had to take a picture of a potential crime situation and create crime prevention plans for that situation using the theories that we have studied in the class.”

Dhanya advices that students hoping to study in the US must diligently plan ahead and to do their research before applying. Each university and college have different requirements. Some colleges might require GRE. While some require TOFEL as proof of language proficiency some may also ask for IELTS. She also stresses on the time required for colleges in India to send transcripts to the

US. While arranging finance for your college tuition, keep in mind the cost of living in the city you are applying to.

For example, studying in a college in NY might be more expensive than studying in Florida or Arizona.

Why A Criminologist, Though?

As a parting note Dhanya says that Criminology is a very interesting subject to pursue and as it is intellectually stimulating. “Even though criminology as science is comparatively new in India, it is widely known in the United States and has its various specialized subsets like victimology, forensic science, Cyber Forensics, Forensic Psychology, International Crime and Justice, Human rights, etc. Considering all these subsets will give you the opportunity to go into the specific field of criminology that you are passionate about. Even though the field of criminology has a glamorous façade created

by TV series, it is very different from what you see on TV. Real-life criminologists are the people who work with law enforcement officers in investigating crime patterns, studying crime motivations, creating crime prevention policies, and do researches using crime statistics, etc.

Most of the crime scene investigations are carried out by forensic scientists which is a different branch of criminal justice science. Having said that, criminology is still a very fast-paced and exciting subject. You have to have a very special personality to pursue this subject; a personality that is compassionate and caring to work for social justice at the same time a personality with the physical, emotional and mental strength to constantly deal with or read about situations of victimization and crime,” she concludes.

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SYMBIOSIS SCHOOL OF BANKING AND FINANCE

Presenting Game-Changing Avenues In BFSI Education

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n the era of Industrial Revolution 4.0, those working in the banking and finance world have realized that they need to reach the balance of providing customers the technology needed to stay competitive without losing that “personal touch”. Banks and other financial institutions are looking for eligible graduates who can achieve this balance and sync with the rapidly changing industry requirements with ease. To materialize such exceptional professionals, educational institutions must ensure a robust curriculum that caters to the “now” requirements of the industry. The students must be provided with an avenue to imbibe qualities that can reflect well in a professional setting. This could be one reason why industrial giants like Axis Bank, JP Morgan Chase, ICICI Bank and Ujjivan Small Finance Bank, HDFC Bank, Capital First, Federal Bank and Aeon Credit Services flock towards Symbiosis School of Banking and Finance (SSBF), offering SSBF graduates with profiles like Global Finance and Business Management Analyst, Relationship Manager, Wealth Manager, Credit Manager, Operation, Sales MSE, Channel Officer, Retail Branch Banking, etc.

If this does not prove that SSBF is a game-changer in its domain, then maybe this will: Mr. Hardik Mehta, an SSBF alumni, is now holding a managerial position in the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).

Established in 2010, SSBF caters exclusively to the needs of the Banking, Finance and Insurance (BFSI) sector for the students aspiring to make a high-flying career in this domain. Always mindful of the industry requirements, SSBF was, till 2013, centered around shaping reliable professionals by offering full-fledged residential MBA in Banking and Finance to cater to the Public sector banks.

After 2013, according to directions of honorable Bombay High Court, SSBF shifted its focus from public sector banks to private sector companies in the BFSI domain.

Around-The-Year Updated Curriculum A constituent of Symbiosis International (Deemed University) (SIU), SSBF offers a full time, two-year residential MBA program in Banking and Finance that focuses on preparing students to be industry-ready professionals who stand out in the BFSI sector. Understanding that there are various roles in the BFSI industry like Financial and Business Analytics to Credit Management and Asset and Wealth Management, SSBF changes its program structure yearly, thus making it

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Dr. Manisha Ketkar, PhD, FCMA, MBS, Director and Professor, Symbiosis School of Banking and Finance (SSBF), Pune A Commerce graduate and a Fellow Cost Accountant (FCMA), Dr. Manisha Ketkar has completed her Master’s in Business Studies (MBS) from the University of Pune.

She has done her PhD in ‘Study of supply risk management practices’ with Symbiosis International (Deemed University) under the guidance of Dr. O. S. Vaidya from IIM Lucknow.

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An expert in arenas like Cost & Management Accounting and Supply Chain Management, Dr. Ketkar brings to the table over 29 years of experience. She has presented papers in International Conferences and to her credit has published several papers.

Having handled the operations of a business unit of a pharmaceutical multinational for over 16 years, she joined the Symbiosis family in 2006. Her passion for education can be seen in her interactive teaching approach. She is well-known for her innovative approach to improvements, from student related matters to process reengineering.

in students and professionals of the BFSI Sector by developing their competencies, skills, and values by offering an environment conducive to research and innovation, internationalization, and fostering sustainable business strategy. It also intends to provide a teaching-learning environment that appreciates and encourages socio-cultural diversity amongst students, faculty, and staff. Aiming to contribute to community development by spreading financial awareness and education to the economically deprived section of the society, SSBF also works towards ensuring the holistic development of students. Preparing students to confidently face the conundrums that Industry revolution will bring, SSBF has a trusted team of faculty experts who have not only served in the industry but are

Higher Education Digest November 2019

also committed to excellence in teaching and research.

These experts ensure that the classroom environment is interactive where participative learning permits a free flow of ideas between faculty and students.

Since Banking and Finance is a specialized domain, the role of faculty member does not limit to taking classes but one that of a facilitator, imparting and building the theoretical foundation of the field and stimulating learners to think critically in practice. Given the number of qualified and experienced academicians that SSBF has appointed as its teachers, there exists a healthy faculty-student ratio. The focus of mentoring at SSBF is on psychological support, advancement in the academic career and professional development of the mentee.

Impelling Student Exchange Programs Along the same lines, SSBF has in place student exchange programs with international universities like Berlin School of Economics and Law (BSEL), Germany; Macquarie University, Australia; Leibniz University, Hannover; University of Bremen, Germany; Steinbeis University, Germany; and Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. SSBF’s semester exchange programs expose students to multifaceted learning approaches and generate interest in cross-cultural and global issues unleashing them to new knowledge horizons. Besides, SSBF’s student organization, Corporate Interface Team, invites industry experts to deliver guest lectures to share their knowledge and experience on varied topics such as Data Analytics, Growth and prospects in the banking industry, Cryptocurrency, Financial Journalism, and Budget Analysis, etc. which helps students to keep themselves updated.

Similarly, SSBF also has signed an MoU with BAIF for the field visit where students interact with the community in the rural areas and understand ongoing projects, facets of microfinance and their business model for livelihood. SSBF has also partnered with the Association of International Wealth Management of India (AIWMI) to offer the prestigious global certification- Certified Credit Research Analyst (CCRA). The tie-ups maintained by SSBF further help in facilitating the teaching. “We are an educational partner to Bajaj Finserv, as a part of which, they offer a certification program in Banking, Finance, Insurance

81 Established in 2010, SSBF caters exclusively to the needs of the Banking, Finance and Insurance (BFSI) sector for the students aspiring to make a high-flying career in this domain

The X-Factor One of the leading B-Schools in adopting innovative

practices

of

Information

and

Communication Technology (ICT) and Automation, the institute leverages various portals and platforms to groom students in current tech trends like Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Internet of Things (IoT) and the practical implementation of it in the industry. Likewise, the students are introduced to various technological tools and platforms like Bloomberg, Capitaline, R programming, SQL, Advance Excel, etc. which help them familiarize themselves with technological advancements.

SSBF has also partnered with

EduCBA (Online training provider) to provide 700+ online modules in the finance domain to the students to have an edge over other MBA students. It ensures to gain additional knowledge on various aspects of the Finance domain and gives the students an edge over other MBA graduates.

Higher Education Digest November 2019

and Business Communication for fresh graduates and final year students who are seeking jobs after their graduation.

SSBF has developed content for all the modules and conducts Train The Trainer programs to run this certification program PAN India. SSBF has designed the curriculum and deliver the program in batches. We have developed training and student manuals for Certificate Program in Banking, Finance, and Insurance (CPBFI).

SSBF runs this program along with Bajaj Finserv under their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) head,” says Dr. Manisha.

Likewise, SSBF has also collaborated with the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) to develop content for National University Student’s Skill development, a project initiated by TISS to increase the employability of the university students by imparting knowledge and skills.

SSBF has also conducted training programs for Bank of Maharashtra, Union Bank of India, Dena Bank, Bank of Baroda and Yes Bank

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Recognizing And Empowering The Deserving Providing avenues for underprivileged students to pursue their career, SSBF has signed an MoU with CRIF High

Higher Education Digest November 2019

Mark for giving scholarships worth Rs. 1,00,000 to deserving students based on their academic performance and the family’s financial condition. SSBF also recognizes outstanding students and award them with trophies for their achievements.

Moving forward, SSBF plans to provide more industry-relevant certifications to the students, upgradation of program structure based on technological changes and industry needs and will continue to organize sessions of industry experts. “We are in the process of designing Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) for effective dissemination of finance knowledge across varied segments. SSBF also would like to establish itself as a distinct training provider for conducting various domain, managerial and leadership programs for corporates in the BFSI sector. SSBF is in the process of signing an MoU with the Indian Institute of Banking and Finance (IIBF) and other corporates for conducting training programs for aspiring minds and upskilling existing human capital in the BFSI industry,” says Dr. Manisha. Soon, SSBF would also be seen organizing BFSI Leadership Summit to showcase the capabilities and training infrastructure to the top leadership in the BFSI sector.

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Higher Education Digest November 2019

INDUSTRY PERSPECTIVE

Why Building an IoT Ecosystem in Universities is a Key Component for Fourth Industrial Revolution Dr. Mazlan Abbas, CEO, Favoriot Co-founder and CEO of Favoriot Sdn Bhd, Dr. Mazlan is currently one of Global Vision Board Member. Before Favoriot, he spent 2.5 years as CEO of REDtone IOT and 8 years in MIMOS Berhad as Senior Director Wireless Communications Cluster. He also spent 13 years in CELCOM (mobile operator), handling many senior management positions. Prior to Celcom, he spent 10 years as an Associate Professor at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia. He is currently the Adjunct Professor for Universiti Malaysia (UniMY) and Universiti Teknologi Petronas (UTP). Dr. Mazlan is a frequent speaker in many major & established IOT, Smart Cities and telco conferences locally and globally. He sits in Industry Advisory Panel (IAP) for several local universities

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In reality, no single company has the strength and competencies to deliver end-to-end IoT solution on its own

I

oT has hit the Malaysian scene in a big way 3 or 4 years ago (since 2014). All of a sudden there’s a huge surge of seminars, conferences, and exhibitions related to Smart Cities and IoT topics. Bear in mind that the word “Internet of Things (IoT)” has been coined by Kevin Ashton since 1999 and it took more than a decade to really take off! It seems that he public and the industry are trying to grasp the concept, benefits and the impact of IoT. However, the topics of IoT in the early days are very general and people are getting restless and want to know more how it will impact their individual business or industry vertical with real success stories.

Since the last 2 years, we received a lot of inquiries regarding how to start their IoT journey, how to start developing their business case, developing IoT solutions and selling IoT products. The interest in IoT courses increased multi-fold when the government is currently pushing the agenda of Industry 4.0. That’s when we realized we have not been nurturing the enough “IoT talents”. Many of the local Universities are planning to revise their syllabus contents and some even wish to introduce “IoT” courses or programmes (Diploma, Degree or Masters).

Our recommendation for any University who wishes to join the Industry 4.0 or IoT wave, they must nurture the next generation talents in preparation for Jobs of the Future with the following framework: 1. Introduce the Concept of IoT or 4th Industrial Revolution in the first year first semester. Give the students the big picture and the necessary technology components in the whole IoT value chain and infrastructure. Show

the students how the subjects are inter-related to their course. Many just take for granted and did not realize the importance of their subjects until they reach the final year when trying to develop their Final Year Projects.

2. Introduce the Concept of 7-Layers of OSI. This will make the students understand the importance of PHY layer (fixed or wireless), MAC layer (Protocols such as Zigbee, WiFi, etc), Network Layer (IP), Transport (TCP), Session layer, Presentation Layer and finally the Application Layer.

Traditionally, Faculty of Electrical/Electronic Engineering and Computer Science, have different weightage (depth) when covering courses related to the 7-layers. Students from Engineering will have more focus on Layer 1-4 whereas Computer Science will focus on Layer 3-7. But when learning topics on IoT, all of the students must be aware all the 7-layers.

3. IoT Value Chain. In reality, no single company has the strength and competencies to deliver end-to-end IoT solution on its own. Thus, the need for them to partner with various parties who specifically focused on different areas such as Chipset, Device, Networking, Middleware, Cloud, Applications, Big Data Analytics, System Integration and Solution Selling. Thus, Universities need to cover all aspects of contents to cover this value-chain.

4. Hands-on IoT. However, many are still missing the key component i.e. Hands-On experience with Practical experiments using an IOT middleware. Learning how to use Raspberry-Pi and Arduino (stand-alone) is still insufficient. Sensor data need to be sent to an IoT middleware that sits in the Cloud. Application developers can use the necessary API to connect the sensors and

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extract the data that has been stored to derive further insights or create specific IoT solution on their Smartphones or Computers.

Thus, lab sessions using an IoT middleware must be introduced in their curriculum to make it more complete.

Why Many IoT Final Year Projects Are Below Expectations?

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People are very excited and keen to know how to start their IoT journey, how to develop their business case, and develop and sell IoT solutions and products

Even though many Universities have started to offer IoT as their Final Year Projects, there’s still one important element missing in their syllabus i.e. IoT Middleware. This piece of technology is one of the most important parts of the IoT value chain. In fact, it’s the one that creates an IoT ecosystem that brings multiple stakeholders together – the chipset, device, connectivity, cloud, big data analytics, applications, etc.

Below are some of the current pain-points faced by the Students, Lecturers, and Universities: 1. An incomplete IoT Lab which only focuses on either standalone Arduino or Raspberry Pi devices without connecting to an IoT platform 2. Students have to do their own research on hundreds of IoT middleware before choosing one for their Final Year projects.

Wasting a lot of time and unable to complete the actual hands-on project in due time.

3. Many IoT projects cannot complete on time because students are busy either developing their own “middleware” or server or busy in troubleshooting the connectivity between the sensor device and the server.

4. If projects are completed, many left idle and unable to continue because data and source code are not managed properly.

The IoT projects will never improve because no enhancement can be made to previous projects.

5. Students have to use their own pocket money or use the project fund allocation to subscribe to the IoT platform since the University is not providing any such facility.

How IoT Ecosystem Can Solve the Issues?

The University need to find ways to manage and control the project in a more systematic manner. In the industry, we normally managed via an IoT platform that connects the ecosystem of players such as developers, applications and stakeholders. The Universities should do the same which can bring many benefits such as: 1. Proper management of Sensor Data and Project continuity 2. Standardizing tools and platform for students 3. Providing better and complete IoT lab facilities 4. Create better and holistic IoT talents for jobs of the future – 4IR-ready.

Only with the understanding that the knowledge gained from previous batch of students and staffs, the University can increase their value for the upcoming Digital Era.

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Higher Education Digest November 2019

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Higher Education Digest November 2019