Higher Education Digest – June 2022 – India Edition – Must-Watch B-Schools in India – 2022

INDIA EDITION

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MUST - WATCH BUSINESS SCHOOLS IN INDIA - 2022

COLLEGE SPOTLIGHT AMITY SCHOOL OF HOSPITALITY

MUST WATCH ANIMATION AND GAMING INSTITUTE OF THE YEAR 2022 CG EDUVERSITY

Central Institute of Business Management, Research and Development (CIBMRD) Gian Jyoti Institute of Management and Technology

Prof. Mohua Banerjee, Director, IMI Kolkata

Institute of Management Studies (IMS), Ghaziabad

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Praxis Business School Ramaiah Institute of Management Studies (RIMS) School of Business Studies (SBS), Sharda University

PREPARING THE NEXT GENERATION OF INDUSTRY LEADERS

Higher Education Digest JUNE 2022 June 2022

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Higher Education Digest June 2022

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Higher Education Digest June 2022

June 2022

Vol - 4 Issue - 8

Must - Watch Business Schools in India - 2022 (India Edition) Head of Advisory Board Dr. Manoj Varghese, Ph.D

Managing Editor Sarath Shyam

Consultant Editors

Roshni Rajagopal Dr. Johny Andrews Komal Banchhor Anjana K Suchita Gonsalves Anuja Mulmule Editorial Enquiry: admin@highereducationdigest.com

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Ajay K Das Manjunath R Rohith Poojary

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MANAGING EDITOR’S NOTE

The Value of MBA in 2022

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n engineer with an MBA degree is a deadly combination. If they come with IIT - IIM graduates tag, then no questions asked; they are in for the leadership role. However, in today’s changing business scenarios and volatile job market, is taking an MBA or any other business specialization worth it in 2022? The demand for seats at reputed business schools and recruiters’ rush to hire graduates from there shows a big yes to MBA/PDGM holders. The possibilities of a quick high-paid career progression and advanced skills earned in this master’s program mean an MBA is still the dominant degree at the postgraduate level.

However, not all business degrees can guarantee you the dream job or salary you are looking for. Like any other career or business, if the program you chose has not been upgraded in line with the changing preference and priorities of the market, you might come out as an outdated candidate who is ill-suited for the modern-day jobs. So, it is a no-brainer to find a program that helps you fulfill your career goals while

balancing the essential aspects of your life during your time as a student.

What specialization do I choose? Should I go for a traditional one or something trending in the coming year? The doubts are genuine given the time and money that these courses demand. A common opinion is to go for digital and data-related branches, as the technology sector will likely see the most significant growth in MBA hiring.

To help the students ponder their business degrees and where to take them, we have come up with a special issue featuring ‘10 Must-Watch B-Schools in India - 2022.’ These colleges know how to make agile leaders and attract arrays of employers, even during the toughest of times. On the cover, we feature International Management Institute, Kolkata (IMI-K), a premier b-school offering significant opportunities for students to learn, grow, and most importantly, develop and hone multiple skills across various management disciplines.

Enjoy Reading.

Sarath Shyam

Higher Education Digest June 2022

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

Dr. Varughese K.John, PhD, MBA, MPhil, MCom, LLB. Former Program Director, MS in Management Program, GSATM - AU

Mr. Dean E. Hoke, M.S, B.A Co-Founder of Edu Alliance, LTD, UAE and Managing Partner of Edu Alliance Group, USA

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

Mamta Thakur

Major General (Rtd.) Dr. Sunil Chandra, VSM (Vishishta Seva Medal), Ph.D, M. Phil, MA, M.Ed, PGBDA

Former CEO ( ASEAN), Arc Skills

Ex-M D Army Welfare Education Society, ExCOO GEMS Education - India, Ex- Addl Dir Gen - Army Education, Mentor - Adventure-Pulse

Dr. Venus M. Alboruto, PhD, Master Teacher, Researcher, Innovator, Trainer.

Higher Education Digest June 2022

Shanthi Rajan (MSHRM, FHEA, AMCILT) Director, Institution Development, University of Stirling, RAK Campus, UAE.

Dr. Kuldeep Nagi, Ph.D, MBA, BSc.

Dr. Hans A. Andrews Ed.D.

Distinguished Fellow in Community College Leadership, Olney Central College, Illinois,USA

Former Program Director of Ph.D, Recipient of Fulbright Fellowship Award & Dan Evans Award for Excellence and Writer columnist.

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Dr. Khyati Shetty

Ph.D (Marketing)., SFHEA (UK), MBA (Marketing), PGHRM, BA (Marketing & Economics)

Mr. Sreedhar Bevara, MBA, B.Com CEO at BMR Innovations, Ex Senior General Manager at Panasonic, LG, The Hindu, TATA, Author: Moment of Signal & The Roaring Lambs, Motivational Speaker & Leadership Consultant.

Dr. Manoj Varghese, Ph.D

Senior Director - Global Partnerships, Advisory & Consulting - Connecta®, Head of Advisory Board Higher Education Digest® & K12 Digest®, Adjunct Faculty - Assumption University, Former CIO - Athena Education, Former Global Director Technology GEMS Education

Higher Education Digest June 2022

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C OV E R S TO R Y

PREPARING THE NEXT GENERATION OF INDUSTRY LEADERS Higher Education Digest June 2022

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C O N T E N T S

UNIVERSITY/COLLEGE SPOTLIGHT

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AMITY SCHOOL OF HOSPITALITY

Making World-class Hospitality Professionals

MUST WATCH ANIMATION AND GAMING INSTITUTE OF THE YEAR 2022

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CG EDUVERSITY

A One-Stop Destination for Animation & Multimedia Courses

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CENTRAL INSTITUTE OF BUSINESS MANAGEMENT, RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT (CIBMRD)

BUSINESS SCHOOLS

Trailblazers in the Education Domain

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GIAN JYOTI INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT AND TECHNOLOGY

Reshaping the Business Education Landscape

Higher Education Digest June 2022

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BUSINESS SCHOOLS

IMS GHAZIABAD

Sculpting Better Leaders Today for Tomorrow

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PRAXIS BUSINESS SCHOOL

Building Digital Leaders of the Future

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RAMAIAH INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT STUDIES (RIMS)

Creating Better Employability Opportunities in the Management Education Domain

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SCHOOL OF BUSINESS STUDIES, SHARDA UNIVERSITY

Opening the Doors to Endless Opportunities in Management

Higher Education Digest June 2022

CONTENTS C O N T E N T S

MESOR’NT AMNTR

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Regulating the Indian EdTech Industry

Dr. Sanjay Salunkhe, Chairman & Managing Director, Jaro Education

4 Important Coaching Trends to Look Out for in 2022 and Beyond

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VIE EICM

Anish Rakheja (Coach Anish), Founder & CEO, Krescon Coaches

How Has Interactive Learning Paved Its Way in the Virtual Classroom

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Dr. Nachiket Bhatia, CEO, DBMCI

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SU Y TR PECTIVE IND RS PE

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Tips and Tricks on Keeping Students Busy with Innovative Learning During Summer Vacations

Preethi Vickram, Founder, Tapas Education

Assessment Tools Essential for Filling the Learning Gap for Students in India During the Pandemic

Yuvraj Krishan Sharma, Co-Founder & CPO, KOMPANIONS

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V RY TI T S EC U D SP N I ER P

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Building Blocks of a Career in the Events Industry

Amit Relan, Co-Producer, Woot Factor Brand Architects

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Five Ways in which Virtual Events Can Enhance Your Learning Experience

Nishchal Dua, Director of Marketing, Airmeet

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Scaling Online Education with Synchronous Learning and RealTime Engagement

Ranga Jagannath, Senior Director - Growth, Agora

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Higher Education Digest June 2022

How Finnish Curriculum Focuses on Quality Education Rather Than Rote Learning

Shashank Goenka, Managing Director, Goenka Global Education

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Amazing Opportunity for Teachers and School Leaders to enhance their knowledge through FREE Teachers Academy masterclasses from international education experts !!!

For more details and registration www.teachersacademy.com

Higher Education Digest November June 2021 2022

MENTOR’S MANTRA

Regulating the Indian EdTech Industry Dr. Sanjay Salunkhe, Chairman & Managing Director, Jaro Education

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ndia’s EdTech industry has seen incredible growth after the unprecedented pandemic. The industry has not only bloomed and has also added four more unicorns, bringing the total number of EdTech companies with a valuation of over $1 billion to 6. A phenomenal outcome is that the EdTech companies have raised more than $4.7 billion in funding, accounting for more than 10% of the total funding of the year 2021. Moreover, in recent times, the industry has also attracted criticism, thus, necessitating to channel a regulatory ‘Self Code of Conduct’ to avoid tarnishing the overall ecosystem.

Now, a new policy for regulating the EdTech industry has been welcomed by a group of like-minded edtech companies that have formed a new self-regulation body. Yes, India’s EdTech companies recently adopted new guidelines to conduct quality business practices — India EdTech Consortium — under the aegis of the industry body Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI). Thus, sustainably contributing towards developing learning curve measurement and fair practices to protect learners’ interest. Setting up an independent grievance redressal will provide a platform that serves both students and businesses at scale.

Setting up an independent grievance redressal will provide a platform that serves both students and businesses at scale

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Dr. Salunkhe is a first-generation entrepreneur and has over three decades of experience in EdTech, HR and Banking in India and globally. He is recognised as one of the highly respected and influential veterans in the online education space in India. Dr. Salunkhe holds a doctorate degree in ‘Change Management and its Impact on Achieving Business Results’. He has done his MBA and LLB from the University of Mumbai.

For his significant contribution to the education industry, Dr. Salunkhe has been honoured with numerous awards. He was recently felicitated with the ‘Education Evangelists of India award by ‘Great Place to Study’.

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If the focus is on skilling a candidate via excellent education, placements will enable as a by-product

Higher Education Digest June 2022

The Indian economy has benefited immensely from the EdTech industry. From enabling quality education at home to meeting the ever-changing skill demands of India’s rapidly developing markets, it has proven its capabilities and strengths by providing students with an equal opportunity to learn and grow, benefiting millions of them across the country.

Through self-regulation, the focus should be on solving the various legitimate issues that can help the sector to scale and provide more quality education with all fair practices to adopt.

Edtech firms must ensure that only ethical business practices are taking place in the industry. For which it should focus on three major pillars. The first pillar should focus on transparency on information that is being provided through the advertisements. It should be more transparent and accurate, and not mislead the learners into joining the program. The second pillar must focus on emphasizing ‘upskilling and skill-building’ as key factors, qualify deliverable, handholding support for learners to engage using a virtual learning platform rather than placement. Today’s market has a massive skill gap; numerous businesses are searching for skilled personnel. If the focus is on skilling a candidate via excellent education, placements will enable as a byproduct. The third pillar should focus on the delivery of the program which means the program should be strictly delivered by the institutions so that the academic rigour can be followed.

As we are in the middle of the digital revolution that India was longing for, it was the high time for the EdTech companies to recognise the prevailing problems and come together to find a solution. To ensure the future of this burgeoning industry and a digitalised India with equal educational opportunities, the government, corporates and edtech should work together to ensure that the quality of education should be at par with global standards with a motive of accessible to all at affordable cost. We hope that the code of conduct drawn up by the IEC addresses the grievance redressal to help the learners to study using the online education ecosystem.

As the industry people, we hope to see many positive changes that these regulations can bring to the industry. This two-decade journey hasn’t been easy for the country; the sector faced many obstacles but have yet to overcome some of them. We simply hope to see a brighter future for the industry, which has provided opportunities to millions of students, provided a source of income for lakhs of Indians, and contributed billions of dollars to the country’s economy.

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Higher Education Digest June 2022

COVER STORY

PREPARING THE NEXT GENERATION OF INDUSTRY LEADERS

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uccessful business schools make students industryready by inculcating the habit of innovative thinking, hands-on knowledge of theoretical concepts, sharpening of communication skills, and delivering quality results. International Management Institute, Kolkata (IMI-K) is one such example of a premier business school in India.

Speaking about the establishment and the mission behind IMI-K, its Director, Mohua Banerjee, reveals, “The founders of IMI have built IMI Kolkata with a clear objective to promote significant opportunities for students to learn, grow, and most importantly, develop and hone multiple skills across various disciplines of management.” Since then, the institute has successfully produced socially sensitive, globally aware, and value-driven individuals capable of providing leadership.

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Higher Education Digest June 2022

Equipped with state-of-the-art infrastructural, academic and residential facilities, IMI Kolkata offers not only a scholarly and professional ambience, but also a fulfilling campus life, necessary for an all-round development of the student.

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Versatile Campus, Placement Drives & Multiple Scholarships IMI-K houses world-class faculties, efficient management, a robust environment, and cooperative mentors. Guest lectures by none other than corporate leaders are organized at regular intervals who share their journey and experiences with students. Case-study-based modules help students grasp the concepts and push their learning beyond textbooks to real-life situations.

Since its inception, IMI-K has maintained a track record of 100% placements. Prominent recruiters such as Amazon India, HDFC, Tech Mahindra, Deloitte, TCS, Godrej, etc., have recruited IMI-K’s students and offered high salary packages.

IMI-K also offers substantial scholarships to exceptional students based on merit and social & religious categories. With the financial burden off their shoulders, students can solely pay attention to academics and enjoy the co-curricular activities conducted at the campus. All these factors contribute to the holistic development of students at IMI-K.

Building Entrepreneurial Spirit in Students IMI-K understands the necessity of building entrepreneurial spirit in students right from the beginning to consider entrepreneurship as a sustainable career option. Owing to this, IMI-K has drafted its own policy to motivate & support its students and faculty members to engage in entrepreneurial activities in line with the National Innovation and Start-up Policy for Students and Faculty put forth by the MHRD, GoI in 2019. IMI-K also organizes business clinics, expert talks (The Corporate Gyan), live projects, industrial tours, summer internships, and seminars so that students gain confidence and seek insights on how to think outside of the box and come up with innovative ideas just like the real-life entrepreneurs.

Some of its faculty members have also undergone innovation ambassador training conducted by MoE’s Innovation Cell & AICTE. Currently, two successful start-up ventures initiated by its students are carving a niche in the industrial landscape. SunEncore started by Nimesh Shukla, provides solar power plant installations for rooftop and ground,

Higher Education Digest June 2022

ABOUT

PROF. MOHUA BANERJEE DIRECTOR, IMI KOLKATA

Professor Mohua Banerjee, Director, IMI Kolkata, is a Professor of Marketing with over sixteen years of teaching experience. Having completed her Ph.D. in Commerce from the University of Calcutta, she has taught in India and as a Visiting Professor in foreign universities. She is an Independent Director in manufacturing companies. Professor Banerjee has been involved in Retail Management curriculum development for the National Skill Development Mission, NITTTR, Ministry of HRD,

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Government of India.

She has qualified in the IICA’s (Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs) Proficiency Assessment Test to be an Independent Director and serves on the Board of Directors and Governance Committee of Electrosteel Castings Ltd. She is also serving on the Board of Srikalahasthi Pipes Ltd. Professor Banerjee has received the “CMI Level 3 Award in First Line Management” from Chartered Management Institute (CMI) UK, and has been conferred the “Certificate in Corporate Governance” by the School of Corporate Governance & Public Policy, IICA. She has been awarded Prof. Indira Parikh – 50 Women in Education Leaders Award from the World Education Congress.

Higher Education Digest June 2022

23 mounted, domestic and commercial purposes. Ritesh Kumar Mohanty, Tanushree Roy, and Aman Natesh Limje led start-up Promotus in Automation Technology with expertise in Retail, Electronics, Packaging, FMCG, and F&B segments. It offers a platform for companies to explore and connect with the Indian market, which results in their business expansion.

Innovation Fuelled Learning Research & innovation being its foundational pillars, IMI-K has designed robust policies which enable students to bring out their creative sides and aim high. Prof. Mahua says, “At IMI Kolkata, we innovate and encourage our students to achieve.” Over the years, many of its PGDM students have participated in the business plan and innovation contests and performed well.

Today, some of IMI-K’s alumni are successfully running their own start-ups and are thankful to the institute for offering them opportunities that led them to start their own ventures at a young age. Its key opportunities driving innovation and research acumen in students include an E-Cell, Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, National Innovation and Start-up Policy (NISP) under

IMI-Kolkata has Centres of Excellence aimed at fulfilling the gap of research, engagement and capacity building in the areas of Healthcare Management & Research, Supply Chain, Financial Markets, Retail, Corporate Governance and Social Responsibility and Asian Studies.

Higher Education Digest June 2022

the Ministry of Education, and Institutional Innovation Council (IIC) under the MoE’s Innovation Cell.

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Conducting Research for Knowledge Creation and Dissemination “Research is a major priority at IMI-K. Our full-time faculty members have been consistently working on creating new knowledge and aim to contribute new insights to the national and international academic communities and provide innovative content for teaching,” shares Prof. Mohua. All the appointed staff members come from a strong academic background.

Through IMI-K’s initiative, the faculty members are given national & international research exposure through seminars & 5-days conferences. Moreover, they receive funding from the industry through consultancy and research grants.

In 2021, an online research colloquium was launched, while in 2019, two conferences in the Marketing and Finance & Economics area titled ‘MARCON’ & ‘FINECON’ were organized, respectively. During these conferences, keynotes speeches were given by renowned professors from international universities. Students, faculty members & participants also got an opportunity to present their research through poster presentations, slide presentations, and talks. Through faculty training, conferences, and guest lectures, IMI-K encourages and supports research to bring about change.

Collaborations Leading to Global Multicultural Exchange Prof. Mohua reveals that IMI-K’s academic collaborations with many business schools and universities abroad reveal a critical dimension of the B-school’s international focus. In seven years, IMIK’s graduates have shown evidence of becoming world citizens.

IMI-K has collaborated with various prestigious universities in North America, Europe, and Asia to promote global multicultural student exchange programs.

Through its partnerships, Indian students get exposure to the international curriculum and best practices, while foreign students visit IMI-K’s campus and learn about its cultural heritage, values, and academic offerings.

Not long ago, two of its students got to see Université Gustave Eiffel, France.

What makes these programs extra special is the opportunity for students to form connections with their global counterparts and gain new perspectives on research and curriculum early. This is highly crucial for career development. Likewise, the faculty members at

Higher Education Digest June 2022

The academic block of IMI Kolkata is centrally air-conditioned with spacious lecture theatres, equipped with the latest audiovisual teaching aids and wireless laptops for students to access the IMI-Kolkata intranet.

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IMI-K also get a chance to educate & communicate with the overseas students and enhance their teaching approaches and skillsets. Many foreign faculties have also taught at IMI-K and participated in the activities conducted by the B-school, thus bringing diversity to its educational system.

Tackling the Pandemic Times The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the educational system in India and across the globe. At IMI-K, advanced initiatives were taken a right from the start to continue practical and experiential learning for its students. Classes were conducted online via zoom during the total lockdown period, for which 10 zoom licenses were purchased. Its recordings were shared along with separate problemsolving discussions every 5 sessions per course. Moreover, supervised examinations were conducted online.

After the lockdowns lifted, IMI-K switched to hybrid mode. Students are divided into small batches to facilitate hands-on exercises as per the course requirement; digital whiteboard and zoom /MSteams /Google meet platforms are being leveraged by faculty members for delivering

Higher Education Digest June 2022

lectures in online format & providing students with seamless learning experience. Additionally, students are given access to the online university library, R&D journals, and several databases. Live projects, webinars, summits, and guest lectures are organized to bring practical orientation to the class, whereas more case-based studies are introduced, such as Harvard Business School cases and Ivey cases, to give experiential learning to students.

Preparing Students for Industry 4.0 Environment IMI-K has introduced courses on cloud computing, analytics, AI & ML, and IT in keeping up with modern times. Apart from this, the premier B-school institute also organized a business summit to industry 4.0 applications and supply chain 4.0 that gave students an even better idea of what industries expect from fresh graduates in 4.0 environments.

The future looks bright and exciting for IMI-K and its students in the coming years, making it one of the mustwatch Business Schools in India.

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Amity School of Hospitality prepares dedicated industry professionals to meet head on challenges of the dynamic and sensitive needs of the hospitality industry

Higher Education Digest June 2022

COLLEGE S P OT L I G HT

AMITY SCHOOL OF HOSPITALITY MAKING WORLD-CLASS HOSPITALITY PROFESSIONALS

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he outbreak of COVID has resulted in health risks for the guests and employees of the travel and tourism industry. Besides, the travel restrictions worldwide created havoc resulting in the closure of many hospitality units and job losses. The aftereffect of COVID will continue to affect the industry for the next two years or so. However, history says that the hospitality industry has the power to rebound very fast. New skillsets may be required to address the changing needs of the industry. Technology interference will be significant. Cost and financial control will be the key to success. Hence, the key will be skills like customer experience management, soft skills to handle business, emotional intelligence, safety and hygiene, menu engineering, revenue management, data analysis, and digital marketing. Offering students everything that needs to make a prolific career in the hospitality and tourism industry is Amity School of Hospitality, which is a part of the Amity University Rajasthan.

Amity School of Hospitality (ASH) was established in 2007 to set a benchmark in hotel management studies by providing a multidimensional approach to students and nurturing future global leaders. “Our vision is to be a global hospitality school and provide with value-based contemporary education thrust

Higher Education Digest June 2022

ABOUT

PROF. (DR.) SANJEEB PAL, DIRECTOR, AMITY SCHOOL OF HOSPITALITY, RAJASTHAN

Prof. (Dr.) Sanjeeb Pal is an accomplished and dynamic professional with over 22 years of crossfunctional experience in the Hospitality Sector & Academics. In 1998 he passed out from his Hotel Management School in Kolkata and worked for various brands like Taj, Holiday INN, Ramada Hotels & Resorts, Swosti Group, Sarovar Group at different Managerial levels. Since 2005 he has been actively involved with Academic Administration, liasoning with National and International Universities. He took over as the Principal of Kohinoor Group’s Hospitality School and is credited with refurbishing, repositioning, and re-branding the group’s Hotel School through various affiliations from UK &

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USA. He is passionate about teaching, mentoring, uplifting teammates’ morale, and grooming the younger generation for the challenges of tomorrow.

A Ph.D. in Hotel Management & Tourism, and author of 3 Books, Prof Pal, has published several research papers in Hospitality & Tourism. He is the recipient of several awards like Man of Excellence Award 2021, Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Education Excellence Award”, 2018 and “Best Educationist Award” 2017 for “Outstanding Achievement and Remarkable role in the field of education.” He is a member of the Institute of Hospitality (UK), Member of Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW) -Travel, Tourism & Hospitality Community, GSTC (Global Sustainable Tourism Council) the USA, Life Member of ITHC (Indian Tourism & Hospitality Congress), Vice-Chairperson of “Indian Society for Training & Development,” Jaipur and Vice President of Society of Hospitality Educators. (SHE). Presently he is the Director – School of Hospitality Management at Amity University Rajasthan.

Higher Education Digest June 2022

on innovation, research and productivity blended with modernity and tradition,” shares Prof. (Dr.) Sanjeeb Pal, Director, Amity School of Hospitality, Rajasthan.

ASH believes in strong collaboration with the industry, both national and international. The institute has an Industry Advisory Board chaired by industry professionals and members from different hotels in India like Novotel,

The hospitality industry’s most sought after programs draw hospitality professionals to Amity Campus to pursue certification in a wide array of specialties

Marriott, Radisson, Oberoi, etc., and academicians and ASH alumni. The Board meets every six months to discuss the developments in the industry, and the suggestions are then implemented in Academic delivery. It also has MoUs and partnerships with the premier hotels and resorts in Jaipur to ensure industrial internships, placements, and guest lectures from the industry. They also conduct several webinars with celebrity chefs and renowned members of the Hospitality fraternity to disseminate the knowledge and trends of the industry. Chefs like Parvinder Bali, Chef Ashish Bhasin, (Late) Chef Saundarajan, Chef Saby, Dr. Sudhir Andrews are a few prominent personalities involved in knowledge sharing with the students. ASH also has strong ties with international speakers who regularly conduct guest lectures for the students.

On the flipside, Amity University enjoys the liberty and flexibility to update its curriculum as per the needs of the industry. The university has a strong Industry Advisory Board chaired by industry members, alumni, and academics. The Industry Advisory Board (IAB) suggestions are discussed in the Board of Studies meeting, and the curriculum is updated every 6 months

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Higher Education Digest June 2022

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Higher Education Digest June 2022

Amity fosters the creation of new knowledge by bringing faculty together with partner and sponsor firms to define, conduct and disseminate research on concerns of timely importance to the industry

if required. ASH has also included skill-based modules in its curriculum to provide its students the necessary knowledge and exposure.

Campus and Life At ASH Amity University Rajasthan (AUR) is a clean green campus situated amidst the mountain ranges of the Aravali with a manmade water-harvesting lake contributing towards the conservation of natural resources. AUR is a fully residential and hi-tech institution with airconditioned Amphitheatre style classrooms. The campus has a Wi-Fi facility for speedy access to the internet. The premises are a home away from home for students with all facilities. Through its excellent sports facilities, Amity offers opportunities to students for regular on-ground work-out, lifestyle management, and interaction. It is one of the very few Universities in Rajasthan that provides its students a chance to learn the elite and the very famous game of Golf. The university has a well-equipped gym and develops a wooden floor dance room, yoga room, and music room with instruments like harmonium, guitar, tabla, keyboard, drums, etc. This creates a perfect atmosphere for the all-around development of the student. Another significant feature of Amity is the Mentor-Mentee system, where each student is assigned a faculty member who works as the student’s mentor till he passes out. Besides this, all students at ASH must be members of clubs/committees of their choice. This allows them to further their interests and improve their organizational skills.

The university has made a benchmark for itself by offering Academic and Non-Academic support. It firmly

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At ASH, apart from giving the students an opportunity to test out the theoretical concepts learnt in the classroom, the summer experience gives an insight into the working of the real organizations

believes in the holistic development of the students, and hence the entire campus is built into eco the vision of Amity Group. The Hospitality campus houses kitchens, bakery, confectionery, training restaurant & bar, housekeeping lab, front office lab, model hotel room apart from air-conditioned classrooms with all modern teaching aids, IT lab, language room, and private study room. The ASH Building also houses the central library, 3 restaurants, a gym, dance & music room, snooker/ billiards room, and other non-academic facilities. “ASH follows a 50-50 System of evaluation wherein the students are evaluated continuously to help them grow and develop as per the industry standards,” adds Prof. Pal. The University believes in the Holistic Development of the students. Staring from Military Training of a week to participating in various university events, the students are

Higher Education Digest June 2022

exposed to different avenues where they can showcase their talents through various innovative and creative means. Regular competitions are held within the campus to showcase their talents. This Unique Military training helps the students build Self Control, Team Spirit & Leadership Skills.

Students at ASH get a unique opportunity to Choose from a range of CBCS (Choice Based Credit system) subjects that help them get a separate Certificate apart from the Degree of Hotel Management. Some examples are Food Processing, Web Designing, Fine Arts, Graphics Skills, Journalism, Philosophy, Basics of Fashion Designing, etc. 43% of the students studying at ASH are female. In comparison, 57% are male, which shows the kind of safety and security available within the University Facility. 49% of the students are from within the state of Rajasthan, while 51% of students come from the rest of India. Amity has always been driven by the vision of Dr. Ashok K. Chauhan to develop the next generation of leadership.

As a part of his vision, the Amity Scholarships were instituted to help those who are brilliant in academics and those who deserve world-class education but don’t have the means. Over 50,000 meritorious students have been awarded Amity Scholarships.

Amity School of Hospitality provides placement support to all the students and prepares them to pursue Higher Studies both in India and abroad and become entrepreneurs. The university has a very strong Amity Incubator Cell, which supports the students by providing the necessary skills to become entrepreneurs.

The Student Resource Centre (CRC) helps in placement, and the students are working with major brands like Taj, Oberoi, Marriott, Novotel, Fairmont, Le Meridien, Cox N Kings, Sadguru Holidays -South Africa, Crown Plaza, Hilton, Trident, Holiday Inn, Hennessy Park Hotel - Mauritius, etc. Students are also pursuing Higher studies with LE CORDON BLEU Australia, AMITY International Campuses, and a few other Universities in Europe and USA. Even though the last year, 2021, was very tough for the Hospitality Industry, all the students at ASH got placements and worked with Top brands of the Hospitality Industry.

Amity University has 12 Campuses in India and 13 Campuses Overseas. This allows exposure among various Institutes of the Amity Group. The Course Curriculum, Faculty exchange, exchange of different teaching materials, Academic Calendar, Study Abroad Program (SAP), etc., are all done in sync with the other Universities of the Group. Any Webinar conducted within the Amity Group can be attended by all the

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students irrespective of their campus. This allows the students to attend programs curated and executed by various industry and academic experts.

Faculty and Entrepreneurship ASH has seven regular faculties and around eleven parttime faculties to teach hospitality modules to the new generation. The most unique part of the teaching members at ASH is that all the Faculty Members are Ph.D. holders in their respective areas of specialization. All the faculties at ASH have mixed experience of industry and academics.

The chefs have created a niche market for themselves as they contribute to the local cuisines and are celebrities with many awards and live presentations on different social media channels. The students from day one are introduced to various facets of business and skill research which helps them grow as better and more competent professionals to handle the requirements of a VUCA (volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous) world.

Higher Education Digest June 2022

ASH admits students for its Bachelor of Hospitality Management; first year graduate students for its MTTM; and Research & Development (PhD) based programs each year

The Amity Innovation Incubator is a pioneering concept in the context of Indian Universities, being present at Amity University Rajasthan. The department encourages and incubates technology-based enterprises with innovative products and services. Different competitions are held to submit business proposals screened by Industry Experts and Mentors. The students at Amity School of Hospitality (ASH) are exposed to various entrepreneurship opportunities even during the festive seasons by selling food products prepared and packed at ASH. Starting from getting the raw materials to producing the product and selling, everything is done by the students under the mentorship of their faculties.

Some of the prominent student entrepreneurs are Yuvraj Jain ( J. Oberoi Events), Devvrat Singh (Rawal Mrignayani Hotel), Trishla Jodha (Dastkar Emporium Sawai Madhopur), Tanmay Chaturvedi (Café Tea Estate), Nikhil Sharma (Oklava Restaurant), Surender Shekhawat (Hotel Shiv Palace Jaipur).

“We are well prepared to handle the requirement of Hospitality Industry professionals through our industry-based curriculum and modern delivery technique with all the latest software and facilities,” opines Prof. Pal. The university is currently operating on a hybrid model using the latest Learning Management Software. The university is totally ready with all SOPs to open and run on a physical model. The classrooms are equipped to handle the students using social distances, sanitizers are installed, and all the equipment is adequately sanitized before use. Social distancing and use of Facemask are strictly followed within the campus premises. Weekly Industry exposure will be a part of the curriculum to provide students with parallel exposure to the industry and academics.

The university is also negotiating with the Elite Hotel groups in Jaipur to work out a model of a win-win situation for both the industry and academia. “We are looking forward to more International Collaborations in terms of Twinning Degree offering and internship opportunities for students aboard, once the pandemic settles down,” Prof. Pal concludes.

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ACADEMIC VIEW

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4 Important Coaching Trends to Look Out for in 2022 and Beyond Anish Rakheja (Coach Anish), Founder & CEO, Krescon Coaches

Anish Rakheja, popularly known as Coach Anish, is the Founder of Krescon Coaches. He has industry experience of over three decades -- wherein he has guided and mentored many business leaders and professionals in their journey of creating a legacy that truly matters. An IIT-Roorkee graduate, Anish has completed his MBA from the National Institute Industrial Engineering National Institute of Industrial Engineering.

Following this, he worked for more than 17+ years with globallyrenowned corporates like HCL Technologies and IBM.

Higher Education Digest June 2022

With the help of Legacy Coaching, one can not only achieve dazzling heights of success for himself/herself, but also take meaningful and empowering actions on the front of contributing towards the betterment of others and the humanity

“I

t is not whether you get knocked down; it’s whether you get up!”

This insightful quote by the renowned American soccer coach Vince Lombardi accurately sums up what coaching is all about and the powerful difference that a coach can make in our lives. A coach is like a “speaking mirror” -- who challenges us to hear and face things that we usually are reluctant to acknowledge ourselves, thereby gently but firmly directing us to reaching our fullest potential and unleashing our inner excellence. No matter what age, background or profession we may belong to, coaching can nudge us towards the easiest path towards having a meaningful and impactful existence and creating a Legacy for ourselves.

In the aftermath of the pandemic, not only has the ed-tech or digital/online education space, but also the coaching sector at large has received a tremendous boost and growth momentum. According to a study conducted by International Coaching Federation, the estimated global revenue from coaching has crossed over US$2.84 billion. With coaching rapidly becoming the ‘new norm’ for the professional and business arena in the post-pandemic world, we are witnessing a lot of new trends emerging in the coaching industry in India and worldwide.

Below-mentioned are some of the notable trends that are expected to continue disrupting the coaching ecosystem in the current year and beyond: Legacy Coaching Services Gaining Prominence While organizations may not remember for long a person and his/her position, power or the performance, but we all always remember Legends! And becoming a Legend is only possible when one embarks on and continues the process of a meaningful Legacy Creation throughout his/her life, work and career. This is exactly where the role of Legacy Coaches or Legacy Coaching at large comes in as a crucial factor. With the help of Legacy Coaching, one can not only achieve dazzling heights of success for himself/herself, but also take meaningful and empowering actions on the front of contributing towards the betterment of others and the humanity.

With many individuals, including entrepreneurs, business leaders and professionals, now realizing the significance of creating a lasting impact and eternally meaningful contributions to the society, they are increasingly seeking the help of Legacy Coaches in order to derive optimal guidance and opportunities to discover and uncover their Identity and Purpose and

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to reach the Pinnacle of Leadership – which in turn acts enables a seamless Legacy Creation journey for them.

Family Business Coaching Helping the Business Families to Thrive Amid Uncertainties Business Families are the backbone of the nation’s economy and are today contributing toa significant percentage of our GDP. Unfortunately though, it is a fact most of the Family Businesses shut down before they would even reach the 3rd generation! As a matter of fact, various studies show that only around 1/10th of all Family Businesses make it past the 2nd generation; and with the pandemic-led adversities noticed in the recent times, those numbers were only bound to decline further. But on the positive note, this is exactly where Family Business Coaching came in as a saviour.

Family Business Coaches usually offer personalized services to Business Families, helping them with various aspects vis-à-vis enabling them to survive, thrive and preserve and sustain their Legacies and also helping Family Businesses to become more resilient and immune to stagnation in today’s fast-changing VUCA world, while adopting a structured methodology and framework for doing so. Additionally, Family Business Coaching can also be a great enabler in helping them to effectively manage the next generation’s ambitions, skills, expectations, roles and responsibilities etc., thus paving the way to optimal succession planning so as to ensure the Family Business’ Legacy lives on through the future generations, and that too without having to experience any kind of any inter or intra generation conflict or rivalry.

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Coaching Becoming Relevant for Leadership Pipeline Development& Leadership Transition In the corporate world, developing and nurturing a strategic leadership pipeline is often viewed as matter of utmost importance and priority, and rightly so. Be it in the public sector or private, organizations that strive for impeccable and unstoppable growth, success and excellence cannot and do not take their leadership transition activity lightly. Because whenever a leader or senior manager in an organization steps down from his/her role, someone else has to step in to carry ahead the baton of his/her leadership and Legacy in business; or else, chaos and confusion is likely to prevail and cause downfall or even threaten the existence of the organization. And this is exactly why it makes sense to develop and maintain a long term, strong and robust leadership pipeline within the organization throughout.

But given that leadership pipeline development within an organization is easier said than done, this is where coaches can be of immense help and value.

Higher Education Digest June 2022

Be it in the public sector or private, organizations that strive for impeccable and unstoppable growth, success and excellence cannot and do not take their leadership transition activity lightly

41 Coaches who specialize in Leadership Coaching work with and train a pre-identified pool of potential (wouldbe) leaders on various aspects of strategic operations, leadership skills, conflict management and team handling skills and so on. Having the constant guidance from such coaches enable a person to be prepared, ready and well-equipped for easily transitioning to the leadership role, as and when required. Not only can coaching be an empowering tool in terms of handholding and helping leaders and senior professionals for transitioning-in (stepping into a new role in an organization), but it is also being used increasingly today to provide essential emotional and social support for those leaders who are, or soon will be on the verge of, transitioning-out (moving out or retiring from an organization).

Co-Boarding with Coaches Rising in Popularity Co-boarding is another key trend that is gaining huge popularity off late for leadership transition in medium and big-sized organizations; it essentially refers to a service wherein an executive search firm usually partners with a career coach or business coach to enable seamless transition of a new joinee in a senior leadership role in an organization (for appointing whom the executive

search firm has head-hunted, interviewed and finalized the candidate). Following the person stepping into his/ her new role, he is immediately assigned a coach who can help him, guide him and does everything possible to enable him to settle down quickly and effectively.

And this novel process is what is known as co-boarding with coaches.

Given that a coach, being an independent 3rd party has no hidden agenda, vested interest, or any reason whatsoever to judge in any manner, the executive or leader who has just started his stint in the company can share and discuss his problems or challenges openly and freely with the coach – who always provides a completely safe zone to the coachee for confiding their innermost feelings and enables him/her eventually to come up with solutions and forward-looking approach to efficiently do his/her work. This also takes away the concerned leader/executive’s dilemma to every time go internally to the HR department or the founder/business owner whenever he/she is facing an issue with regards to the transition. In the near future, more and more executive search firms will continue to collaborate with seasoned coaches to add value to their firms’ credibility as well to the external stakeholders.

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CG Eduversity is known for its commitment for quality education in the most affordable fee for animation and multimedia courses in Pune

Higher Education Digest June 2022

M U S T- WAT C H

ANIMATION AND GAMING INSTITUTE OF THE YEAR 2022

CG EDUVERSITY A ONE-STOP DESTINATION FOR ANIMATION & MULTIMEDIA COURSES

D

uring the COVID-19 pandemic, digital advertising, OTT, and gaming platforms witnessed massive growth around the globe.

Thanks to the global consumers who continue to display a huge appetite for engaging, high-quality, and visually creative content.

Owing to this boom, there is a rising demand for gen-next of game designers, VFX, and animation professionals.

Pune, Maharashtra-based CG Eduversity, is fully prepared to address this market demand with its quality education and placement support at affordable pricing. It is a multidisciplinary institute providing courses in Animation, VFX, Gaming and Designing. Operating in the post-pandemic era, the institute’s management has introduced 12 new diploma and certificate programs which can be opted by students under online and offline modes. Moreover, Google Classroom LMS has been initiated where all the essential teaching-learning assets are available just a click away. “We have also created a massive

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video library on YouTube for the masses who could not afford the high fees of colleges after the economic recession,” reveals Priyanka Aacharya, Director of CG Eduversity.

Extensive Flagship Programs & Facilities CG Eduversity primarily offers courses in 3D Animation, Gaming, VFX and Graphics Designing. The institute’s PG Diploma and UG Degrees are affiliated with the university, and it also provides NSDC (National Skills Development Corporation) courses in the field of animation and multimedia. Moreover, CG Eduversity’s courses are popular among students looking to make their career in the animation, visual effects, gaming and comics (AVGC) industry.

In terms of exceptional facilities, CG Eduversity is an Authorized Testing Center for Adobe and Autodesk Certified Exams. It also has set up a dedicated international student welcome centre to look after their comfort. Therefore, there is a great diversity of students making CG Eduversity’s campus truly cosmopolitan by all means.

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CG Eduversity’s Edge Over Competitors Revealing CG Eduversity’s competitive edge over the other institutes, Priyanka says, “Our key focus is to train the student in the art of animation rather than just on software or tools.” She further explains that even though CG Eduversity’s courses are backed with the latest industry software like 3D Max, Maya, Houdini, Golam, Blender, Cinema 4D, Mudbox, etc. The institute primarily focuses on developing the artistic skills of its students. This fantastic initiative was implemented after considering suggestions from various animation and multimedia recruiting companies looking for creative artists rather than software operators.

This is not all. CG Eduversity conducts small batches of classes where UGC approved courses are offered at affordable prices. They also benefit from interacting with industry leaders and seek career support from the institute’s counsellors. These cumulative qualities contribute toward making CG Eduversity unique.

Expert Team of Faculty Members Regarding staff recruitment and selection, CG Eduversity has a strict criterion where applicants are evaluated on various academic and non-academic skills. Candidates applying for the teaching positions must have 3 years of industry experience in their relevant domain with a minimum PG Diploma or Degree in their subject.

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CG Eduversity teaches learners the skills offers Bsc Animation, VFX Courses, Gaming Courses, and Graphics Designing Courses with 100% placement assistance.

Priyanka further asserts, “We are proud to mention that our faculties are the best in their academic qualifications and possess various international certificates from Microsoft, Adobe and Autodesk.”

Taking the Experimental Learning Approach At CG Eduversity, the faculty members apply the learning by doing method to ignite innovation and creative thinking in students. This pedagogy allows students to look for innovative ways to develop ideas and work on team projects while exploring, discovering, experimenting, applying and reflecting on what has been done.

Through CG Eduversity’s monthly portfolio review sessions, students also get the opportunity to showcase their talent and receive feedback from the panel of industry experts. Priyanka considers this entire process valuable as it gives students the scope for improvement and helps in taking their work to the next level.

Higher Education Digest June 2022

Offering a Holistic Environment to Students Since its inception, CG Eduversity has dedicatedly and devotedly worked towards providing the best learning experience to its students. The entire academic year is very systematically crafted with interesting indoor and outdoor activities to achieve this. Moreover, CG Eduversity also hosts annual programmes, sports and cultural fests, industry visits, guest lectures, and competitions that keep the students alive and in action all the time. Students are also taken on various study tours, giving them reallife experiences beyond the classrooms.

“We also arrange social welfare drives such as tree plantation, blood donation, visit old age homes and orphanages to imbibe the emotional connections with the society in our students,” adds Priyanka.

Impressive Job Placement Rates Over the last 5 years, CG Eduversity has witnessed an average placement rate of 98 to 99%. Today, most of CG Eduversity’s students work as Lead Animators, Compositors, Set Designers, Graphics Designers, Game artists, 3D modellers, Web Designers and 2D Animators in companies of repute.

Besides, CG Eduversity’s students are also working on outsourced projects from international studios like Walt Disney, Pixar, Marvel Studios, MPC, DreamWorks etc. “It gives us immense pleasure to see them grow and shine CG Eduversity’s name on a global platform,” smilingly asserts Priyanka. In the previous academic year, the batch was placed by renowned studios like MPC, RedChillies, HMX, Technicolor, and Deluxe at various levels with handsome CTC.

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CG Eduversity provides each of its graduates with access to job readiness training, an alumni network, connections to employers and opportunities to hone new skills.

Higher Education Digest June 2022

Future Roadmap 2022 is a milestone year for Priyanka and the entire team as CG Eduversity celebrates its 5th anniversary.

“We have already developed a roadmap for the next 10 years where Virtual and Online Education will be the Topmost agenda,” proudly remarks Priyanka.

She further reveals that CG Eduversity is set to launch its very own production house where students will get the first priority to work on national and international clients. Moreover, CG Eduversity’s Director Priyanka is also discussing possibilities for future collaborations & signing MoUs with national &international institutes regarding the student exchange program.

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Higher Education Digest November June 2020 2022

INDUSTRY PERSPECTIVE

How to Build a Successful Data Analyst Career 48 Kashyap Dalal, Co-Founder and Chief Business Officer, Simplilearn

Kashyap is an internet entrepreneur with over 10 years of experience in building growth teams and hacking growth across functions. He is passionate about building highperformance teams and enjoys being actively involved in problem solving for business growth. At Simplilearn, Kashyap leads the Global consumer business and the Enterprise business in Europe, APAC and ME markets. Prior to Simplilearn, Kashyap was the Founder and CEO of Inkfruit. com, India’s first co-created products brand. Kashyap scaled the company to a successful exit in early 2013. He began his career with Unilever in Sales and Marketing.

Kashyap is an alumnus of IIT Bombay and IIM Lucknow.

Higher Education Digest June 2022

The field of data science today is quite vast, with a plethora of job profiles and opportunities available to anyone interested in building a career in this field

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B

ack in 2012, the Harvard Business Review described the title of a data scientist as the ‘sexiest job of the 21st century.’ Sure enough, a decade later, the field of data science ranks among the most sought-after options for professionals across a variety of backgrounds. Typically the job of a data analyst today comes with handsome salaries, considerable job security, and a chance to work with cutting-edge technologies. According to Payscale, Data Analysts can earn an annual average salary of USD 61,881. In India, the average salary for a data analyst is about ₹439,260 per year.

What does the job of a data analyst entail? At a basic level, the job of a data analyst is to help businesses make sense of their data and enable better decision making. To achieve this, a data analyst must collect data, process it, and perform the required statistical analysis of data by applying the right algorithms and formulas.

Therefore, the day-to-day work of a data analyst typically consists of gathering and extracting numerical data; identifying trends and patterns within the data and interpreting the numbers. In addition, they are

required to analyze market research and apply insights to guide decisions that drive the business. While the skills required to perform these tasks cannot be gained overnight, patience, hard work, and the right guidance can help steer you in the right direction. Also, a passion for numbers and a knack for extracting useful insights from processed data and presenting them in a useful format are valuable.

Preparing for a Career as a Successful Data Analyst If you are keen to explore a career in data science, it is useful to master Microsoft Excel and build basic skills in SQL, web development, and data mapping. Of course, programming and software development skills are paramount. Some of the required skills include: Programming languages R and Python are perhaps the most popular languages used in data analytics. R is used extensively since it supports statistical computing and graphics. Specifically, skills in Dplyr acts as a bridge between R and SQL;

Higher Education Digest June 2022

In addition, familiarity with histograms, percentiles, probability, ANOVA, data chaining and distribution, correlation, causation etc. is also quite helpful.

Given that data analytics boils down to numbers, advanced knowledge of matrices and concepts such as linear algebra, relational algebra, CAP theorem, framing data, and series is extremely critical.

Machine Learning Machine learning is quickly becoming central to data analytics. So, the ability to drive both supervised and unsupervised learning is crucial. While supervised learning models require the knowledge of tools such as logistic regression, decision trees, support vector machines, and Naive Bayes classification; unsupervised learning use Principal Component Analysis, Singular Value Decomposition, clustering algorithms, and Independent Component Analysis. Machine learning also uses reinforcement learning techniques where the knowledge of TD-Learning, Q-Learning, and genetic algorithms comes in handy for a data analyst.

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ggplot2, a system that helps users build plots iteratively; and reshape2, which is based on meta and cast formats are important.

Python is also popular in data analytics for its ease of use, which makes it suitable for use in large projects.

It’s also ideal for beginners, being one of the simplest programming languages. The presence of packages or libraries such as numpy, matplotlib, scipy, scikit-learn, ipython, ipython notebooks, pandas, anaconda, and seaborn makes Python immensely valuable in the world of data analytics.

Statistics and Mathematics The knowledge of statistics is crucial - whether it is about forming data sets, or an understanding of basics such as mean, median, mode, standard deviation etc.

Higher Education Digest June 2022

Data Wrangling, Visualization, and Intuition Data wrangling involves bringing together all the research data to form a single, cohesive whole. Data analysts must work with SQL and noSQL-based databases to enable this. Once this is done, the data analyst must also find ways to effectively communicate derived insights to stakeholders through visual encoding tools such as.ggplot, matplotlib, d3.js, and seaborne.

In addition, data intuition, which involves anticipating likely questions and blind spots and curating suitable responses is an important part of the role of a data analyst.

The field of data science today is quite vast, with a plethora of job profiles and opportunities available to anyone interested in building a career in this field.

An aspiring professional could consider a role as a Business Intelligence Analyst, Data Analyst, Data Scientist, or Data Engineer. In addition, there are also opportunities to become a Quantitative Analyst, Data Analytics Consultant, Operations Analyst, Marketing Analyst, Project Manager, or IT Systems Analyst among other things.

If you’re interested in building a career in data science, there are several courses available to help build the necessary skill sets, ranging from certification programs to bootcamps that focus on teaching skills such as advanced analytics tools, data visualization tools, and programming tools. With the right training and aptitude in data science, the world is your oyster.

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Higher Education Digest October 2021

Higher Education Digest June 2022

BUSINESS SCHOOLS

T

oday, b-schools in India are looking at aligning their goals with the school’s mission and scrutinizing their purpose, and deciding their contribution to the development of managerial talent.

In this issue, we have identified ‘10 Must-Watch B-Schools in India’ that have managed to

stay strong despite the hiccups caused by the pandemic.

These institutes have ensured that their students are safe and well-trained by moving the classes off-campus and into the virtual space. We recognize their support for the growing economy by bringing efficiency to the current education system.

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Central Institute of Business Management, Research and Development (CIBMRD)

Gian Jyoti Institute of Management and Technology

Year of Establishment: 1994

Year of Establishment: 1998

Location: Nagpur, Maharashtra

Location: Chandigarh, Punjab

Website: https://cibmrd.edu.in/

Website: https://www.gjimt.ac.in/

How to Apply:

How to Apply:

https://cibmrd.edu.in/admission-process-2/

https://www.gjimt.ac.in/admisison-procedure/

Higher Education Digest June 2022

IMS Ghaziabad

Institute of Rural Management Anand

Year of Establishment: 1990

Year of Establishment: 1979

Location: Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh

Location: Anand, Gujarat

Website: https://www.ims-ghaziabad.ac.in/

Website: https://www.irma.ac.in/

How to Apply:

How to Apply:

https://www.ims-ghaziabad.ac.in/ admission/pgdm-admission-procedure#

https://www.irma.ac.in/programmes/ pgdrm-post-graduate-diploma-in-ruralmanagement/admissions/admission-notice

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International Management Institute (IMI), Kolkata

Praxis Business School Year of Establishment: 2007

Year of Establishment: 2010

Location: Bengaluru, Karnataka

Location: Kolkata, West Bengal

Website: https://praxis.ac.in/

Website: https://www.imik.edu.in/

How to Apply:

How to Apply:

https://admissions.praxis.ac.in/

https://www.imik.edu.in/admissions/

Higher Education Digest June 2022

Ramaiah Institute of Management Studies (RIMS)

School of Business Studies (SBS) Sharda University

Year of Establishment: 1995

Year of Establishment: 1996

Location: Bengaluru, Karnataka

Location: Noida, Uttar Pradesh

Website: https://rimsbangalore.in/

Website: https://www.sharda.ac.in/

How to Apply:

How to Apply:

https://rimsbangalore.in/rims-application-form/

https://www.sharda.ac.in/admissions

Symbiosis Institute of Business Management

S. P. Jain Institute of Management and Research

Year of Establishment: 1978

Year of Establishment: 1981

Location: Pune, Maharashtra

Location: Mumbai, Maharashtra

Website: https://www.sibm.edu/

Website: https://www.spjimr.org/

How to Apply:

How to Apply:

https://www.sibm.edu/welcome/mba_how_to_apply

https://www.spjimr.org/admissions

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Higher Education Digest June 2022

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Higher Education Digest March June 2022

BUSINESS SCHOOLS

CENTRAL INSTITUTE OF BUSINESS MANAGEMENT, RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT (CIBMRD) TRAILBLAZERS IN THE EDUCATION DOMAIN 56

W

hen choosing which college to go with, the decision is most likely to favour the college you trust will inspire creativity and pave the path to a successful career. While India is peppered with a myriad of options, it is understandable that most people consider the outcomes and experiences before coming to the final decision.

One prestigious college with excellence and knowledge intertwined with advancing technologies is the Central Institute of Business Management, Research and Development (CIBMRD), situated in Nagpur. Incepted in 1994, the college was established as an offshoot of Vidya Shikshan Prasarak Mandals Academy of Higher Education (VSPM’s AHE), the roots of which are 51 years old.

Padmashri Kamalatai Hospital founded VSPM AHE, which runs over 60 educational institutions, including the prestigious NKP Salve Institute of Medical Sciences and LataMangeshkar Hospital, Nagpur.

The college was built upon the robust foundation of its core values which are listed below: C – Centre of Excellence in Education I – Industry Involvement and Linkages at Each Possible Level B – Building Competencies of Students and Staff M – Managing & Conserving the Environment R – Research-oriented Studies & Activities for Students & Staff D – Developing the Employability Skills of Students

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Central Institute of Business Management, Research and Development (CIBMRD) offers highly advanced and comprehensive programme leading to Masters in Business Administration

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Offering a Bouquet of Services The college is backed by several in-demand facilities that align with the current market trends. The pedagogy at CIBMRD aims at providing sound conceptual knowledge & evoking realistic situations for problem-solving and decision making. “It promotes active student participation in the learning process through intensive classroom discussions.

Field-based projects are also undertaken at every semester level so that the student can get better insights into the business workplace reality,” adds Dr. Amishi Arora, Director at Central Institute of Business Management, Research and Development (CIBMRD).

Additionally, the college also has the Institution’s Innovation Council (IIC) to promote innovation and entrepreneurship within the Institution through multitudinous modes.

In tandem with IIC, the Industry Institute Interaction (III) cell is one of the most vibrant activities of the institute.

At least 10 per cent of the syllabus has to be mandatorily taught by industry personnel to keep up with the continually evolving industry trends. Besides, there are regular mentoring sessions conducted by industry personnel, mostly alumni. “Every second Saturday is reserved for ‘Gyan Ganga’, a platform addressed by alumni for current & past students on the growing trends in the industry. As per AICTE’s guidelines, we have currently 12 MOUs with the industry,” informs Dr. Amishi.

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CIBMRD has an ultra modern, cutting edge computer lab with 24×7 high band width connectivity & numerous networked high-end machines

In conjunction with this, CIBMRD’s Placement cell aims to match the Corporate World requirements with the students’ aspirations, thereby facilitating the achievement of synergy between the two. The college campus is WiFi-enabled, and the library boasts a broad spectrum of books, multiple national and international journals, and magazines that are updated regularly.

Arming Teachers with Knowledge and Power!

Delving deeper into ensuring the faculty is on par with the modern teaching methodologies, the teaching department comprises a balanced mix of academicians, researchers and professionals from both public and private sectors. Their collective in-depth research and managerial experience contribute to the institute’s academic excellence and character. All the faculties at CIBMRD are Doctorate or are pursuing PhD. The concept ‘A student is only as good as his teacher’ can greatly improve the teaching process by ensuring teachers are equipped with the right tools. Keeping this in mind, the institute is actively connected with the Management Teachers Consortium (MTC), a vibrant platform of management faculties across the globe. Thus knowledge sharing and thought sharing is a continuous process through this platform.

Furthermore, the institute has forged a few collaborations with foreign universities in the Philippines, Malaysia and Thailand for joint research among faculties and co-hosting conferences. “The aim is to give the faculties an exposure which may be passed on to the students,” adds Dr. Amishi.

Higher Education Digest June 2022

Lending Students a Helping Hand CIBMRD is affiliated with RTM Nagpur University and follows the curriculum advised by it. Apart from this, CIBMRD offers a plethora of value-added certificate programs. “The certificate programs have been specifically designed to prepare and equip students with the skills required for industry 4.0. Although neither compulsory nor carrying marks in the mark list, these courses are taken up by the majority because students are made to understand that without these, job opportunities are restricted,” elaborates Dr. Amishi.

CIBMRD has established liaison with the corporate companies, industry association and global universities to give its students and faculties a practical exposure

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Higher Education Digest June 2022

The college is also involved in extending a helping hand to deserving students crippled by financial distress. To reduce the financial burden on the different categories of students, CIBMRD offers a myriad of scholarships to its students in the first and second years of the MBA course. Some of the scholarships are offered by SamajKalyan Vibhag, Tribal Department, welfare schemes by the University, scholarships offered by the parent Sanstha, the Best student Award cash incentive, etc.

Response and Recovery to Covid19 Impact So to reiterate, CIBMRD continually strives to stay a step ahead of its peers and industry trends. For instance, the education industry itself was massively impacted by the Coronavirus pandemic, and players within this industry were forced to reinvent themselves to maintain relevance. CIBMRD took on the pandemic while simultaneously ensuring students thrive despite the dire circumstances. The parent Sanstha values the teaching profession and teacher collaboration, and thus it gives the front-line educators autonomy and flexibility to act collaboratively. CIBMRD makes free and open source technologies available to teachers and students.

CIBMRD strives to develop a competitive attitude with sensitivity to tap the creativity of the entire team

During the pandemic, CIBMRD researched new tools for online teaching, received training, and ensured that regular teaching was carried out. Various platforms like Google meet & Zoom provided an opportunity to reach out to experts that could come on as guest lecturers who might have been previously unavailable due to geographic distances.“We cannot return to the world as it was before. While traditional classroom organization has given way to a variety of new ways, we plan to march ahead with the blended way of education, thus leveraging the benefits of connectivity by online mode and at the same time preserving the traditional system too,” opines Dr. Amishi.

Post pandemic, the institute has tried to bounce back to normalcy. However, now that it has roped in technology in a big way, CIBMRD intends to harness the power of emerging technologies and infuse it within its teaching methodologies to drive better student outcomes.

Taking massive strides in this domain, CIBMRD plans to expand its reach in the future. Besides adding to the undergraduate programs, the institute plans to extend its social activities as part of the “academic, social responsibility” program. Dr. Amishi explains as she signs off, “The purpose is to create awareness among the students and involve them in the sustainable development programs of the UN and contribute towards it. Many of our activities are endorsed by the United Nations Academic Impact (UNAI).”

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INDUSTRY PERSPECTIVE

Assessment Tools Essential for Filling the Learning Gap for Students in India During the Pandemic 62 Yuvraj Krishan Sharma, Co-Founder & CPO, KOMPANIONS

Yuvraj Krishan Sharma spearheads Kompanions as a Co-Founder and Chief Product Officer (CPO). He is a spirited and creative person at heart fuelled with a flair for innovation and technology, who continuously excited about the creation of ‘NEW Technologies’. As an entrepreneur, he firmly believes that given today’s volatile status-quo and rapidly changing scenario, students need an advanced technological skill-set to sustain growth to meet the demands of the knowledge-based economy, concepts and businesses. Having decades experience, Mr. Sharma has established himself as an industry experts. Before the inception of Kompanions, Mr. Sharma was associated with companies such as The Curriculum Company, iDiscoveri Education, Career Launcher and Noesis Infoway.

Higher Education Digest June 2022

Learning evaluation tools assist in gathering essential feedback mechanisms in education that allow all relevant stakeholders in the learning process to understand what the student learnt, including which learning resources need more focus

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uring the lockdown, school children studied three to four hours on average. Parents, students, and educators, on the other hand, believe that learning and overall advancement (including social and cultural skills, fitness, and so on) have slowed significantly. Only 60% of pupils have used any remote learning materials, and even among those who have, nearly 80% report learning less or much less than in school. In India, schools were closed in mid-March 2019, affecting roughly 286 million students (48 per cent of girls) ranging from pre-primary to upper secondary education. 6 million children (48 per cent of them are females) were already out of school before the COVID-19 disaster. Given the current scenario, almost all students today study for a few hours every day. On a typical day, 97% of students spend some time researching and learning, averaging three to four hours per day.

Learning Assessment Challenges & Precedence in the Pandemic The method of gathering and analyzing information on what children know, learn, understand, and what can they do to make an informed decision about the next

steps in the educational process. Learning evaluation tools assist in gathering essential feedback mechanisms in education that allow all relevant stakeholders in the learning process to understand what the student learnt, including which learning resources need more focus.

Depending on the goal of the assessment, multiple modalities can get used. Formative assessment, like high-stakes exams and large-scale assessments, is typically carried out by teachers as part of the teaching process and includes everything from teacher observation to constant feedback to assignments.

Formative assessment is very important for understanding each student’s learning requirements and adjusting training accordingly. Furthermore, teachers typically administer summative exams, particularly educational content, and evaluate how students attained the intended learning objectives and acquired necessary knowledge and abilities.

Additionally, the distractor analysis tool helps find the exact error committed by each student. For example, assume that student A made some calculation error; on the other hand, student B misidentified the concept to solve the problem. Finally, to evaluate a student’s learning development level, the teachers need to

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document assessment results through the current academic year. A unified assessment portfolio also helps identify the student’s learning outcome as it helps develop instructional methods based on what works and what does not for them individually. The use of an AI-based assessment method creates a tailormade remedial path. After the learning objectives get defined, parents and teachers can follow a progress report of what the child has learned through the curriculum. Demographic Performance Benchmarking is another method that helps understand the student’s entire demographic age group in his respective age group at a national or global level.

Higher Education Digest June 2022

In the Context of School Closures, How Does Formative Assessment Enhance Learning?

Formative assessment is conducted and given in synchronous and asynchronous modes. Teachers can provide real-time feedback to students in the synchronous method. They work with the student simultaneously (through online platforms like Zoom and Microsoft Teams and directly via phone). Online applications such as Google Classrooms and Moodle can assist teachers in providing feedback to students via questions, tasks, activities, and quizzes in the asynchronous mode when students and teachers are separated by geography and time. Several web

The alignment to review content with the knowledge content that the student should have gained as part of the learning process is linked closely to the validity element

programmes, like Recap: Video Response and Reflection for Education, WURRLYedu, and Screencastify, can be used to record and share performance challenges made by students. Parents, particularly younger pupils, require specific direction on transmitting formative assessment results to teachers. These instructions are usually available in electronic or printed form, or both get emailed or delivered to families or picked up at the school or other specified site. Formative evaluation can be shared even when schools are closed due to a lack of resources or connectivity.

Regardless of how formative evaluation gets communicated, it must be valid, timely, constructive,

and tailored to the child’s learning needs. The alignment to review content with the knowledge content that the student should have gained as part of the learning process is linked closely to the validity element. The timeliness factor relates to the evaluation being used at the right time to take swift action and provide remedial support if necessary. The constructiveness factor relates to the assessment’s ability to provide feedback to the student and for the student to obtain knowledge that assists them in identifying misunderstandings, receiving assistance on how to improve, and comprehending the learning process’s goals. Finally, the specificity of formative assessment indicates its ability to tell teachers and students about whether specific learning objectives are getting met and what needs to get done if they are not. Teachers and parents must access the resources and tools they need to undertake a formative assessment as per these elements, especially in low-resource contexts.

Use of Formative Assessment Tools Teachers and parents can use various resources to facilitate formative assessment in the context of COVID-19. Companies are making their solutions more accessible to a broader group of users during this period. However, when choosing any specific tool, it is imperative to check the contract terms in the currently applicable laws and regulations and their use. Some applications aid in making formative assessment easy.

Questbase is a free online tool for creating quizzes compatible with most browsers and IOS. Woot Math (a free application that automatically generates and assesses thousands of problems to meet each student’s learning needs) are some examples of formative assessment applications. Also, DreamBox Math is an assessment tool that provides math instruction based on performance and allows teachers to design specific activities using the AssignFocus option. In low-resource environments, when connectivity and access to smart devices are not guaranteed, developing printed materials to enhance early reading abilities for younger children and teachers and families.

Although it is currently not possible for teachers and students to engage in the same room in several locations, it is critical for teaching and learning to prevent learning losses and stay on track to reduce learning poverty. Furthermore, a formative evaluation may help all students go forward on their learning path by providing students, their parents, and their teachers with the information they need to support the learning process, even if it gets done remotely.

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BUSINESS SCHOOLS

GIAN JYOTI INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT AND TECHNOLOGY RESHAPING THE BUSINESS EDUCATION LANDSCAPE 66

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n the last decade, business education in India has been expanding exponentially. Students aspire to attain corporate competence from the right combination of rich knowledge of the business world and its dynamics and the required managerial skillsets, all of which can be acquired at a reputed business school. However, the mushrooming of a myriad of management institutes have made it quite arduous for aspiring students to finalize the B-school that meets every requirement on their checklist and nurtures them to achieve professional success.

Not all business schools across the educational landscape are alike. Making an informed decision of selecting the right B-school is imperative in launching successful careers and sculpting business leaders the market demands.

Coming to the fore is Gian Jyoti Institute of Management and Technology, incepted in 1998, a comprehensive suite of offerings such as MBA, MCA, BBA, BCA, B.Com(Hons) and PhD programs in affiliation with IKG-Punjab Technical University, Jalandhar.

The ISO 9001:2000 certified institute, approved by AICTE, boasts of its state-of-the-art infrastructure, city campus located in the Tricity of ‘City Beautiful- Chandigarh’, just 3 km away from International Airport and attracts students pan India along with

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Being North India’s premier destination in the fields of management and computer applications, located in the heart of Mohali City, GJIMT has been setting milestones in academics and placements.

Higher Education Digest June 2022

ABOUT

JASWANT SINGH BEDI,

CHAIRMAN, GIAN JYOTI INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT AND TECHNOLOGY

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Jaswant Singh Bedi is a widely renowned administration and legal professional with more than four decades of experience in the education world.

He is on the board of many associations. He holds various key positions such as Executive Member of Chandigarh Management Association (CMA), Member of Mohali Industries Association and a Member of Confederation of Indian Industry (CII).

Higher Education Digest June 2022

International students from across the globe. 40 years of Academic Excellence, Proven Placement Record, various awards and recognitions, and International Articulations for Global Career opportunities have made GJIMT the hot destination for career building. “GJIMT has achieved excellence in the delivery of skill-based education by establishing a shared vision, continual improvement and commitment for the growth of its human resources to match the need of the industry and society,” says Jaswant Singh Bedi, Chairman, Gian Jyoti Institute of Management and Technology.

GJIMT aims to make value addition to the professional skills of its students from day one by introducing the Employment Readiness Program (ERP).

Encouraging your Competitive Spirit The college was established under the patronage of Gian Jyoti Education Society (GJES), which was brought into existence on the pious day of Baisakhi on 13th April 1974 to impart holistic education through experiential learning.

GJIMT has been recognized as one of the only institutes from Punjab, Haryana, Himachal, and J&K to rank consistently amongst the top 50 B-Schools in India for the last 2 decades. The college is committed to promoting entrepreneurship and honing its students’ skills. Students are taught entrepreneurship by helping them cultivate

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relevant problem-solving skills, displaying how to implement the right solution to a problem encountered.

Students are also encouraged to participate in one of the many business workshops and competitions. Case studies and guest speakers also effectively demonstrate the value of the entrepreneur mindset to the students. The college also has ‘A day with the CEO’, GJIMT series, that assists students in applying, practising, and developing their entrepreneurship skills by spending time in a business environment. The college has established relationships with businesses on a local, regional, and global scale, enabling students from all fields to pursue entrepreneurial opportunities. GJIMT has successfully participated in various B plan pitching competitions, which is the first

Higher Education Digest June 2022

Experts across the country visit GJIMT to share their knowledge and experience with students in National & International Conferences, HR Summits and Distinguished Lecture Series

step toward the student’s entrepreneurship journey.

GJIMT has also consistently participated in the TIE B plan completion organized by TIE global in association with IKG PTU. “GJIMT has collaborated with B-Schools from across the globe, from North America to the UK, Europe, Australia and NZ. The collaborations have helped GJIMT create global pathways, exposing students to different business practices followed in developed countries, interaction with Researchers and faculty, opting for a variety of online courses and pooled resources,” adds Mr. Bedi.

Trailblazers in the business education space, GJIMT has changed the focus of business education to Critical thinking, problem-solving & creativity through various digital tools such as Machine Learning and business analytics. “Readiness to change has been put on the forefront by working on a smartcampus concept to have more diverse virtual learning platforms,” says Mr. Bedi. The college encourages and helps build a creative ecosystem for its students and faculty. This is achieved through diversity on campus, brainstorming events regularly integrated into the semester, strategic focus on team building activities and incorporation of gamification through simulation tools in the curriculum. “Students attend workshops/ Conferences/ open discussion forums/ Business competitions and also have to pick one outof-box online course every semester. Students are also involved in solving the industry problems under the consultancy cell,” reveals Mr. Bedi.

Laying a Strong Foundation One of the critical pillars GJIMT attributes its success to is its faculty members. The faculty is a healthy blend

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comprising academicians, policymakers, bureaucrats and executives. This brings its students a unique mix of academic research and best industry practices.

The curriculum and teaching pedagogy at GJIMT emphasizes the development of student’s skills and abilities, which can help them apply theoretical concepts to the practical problems of the industry and business arena. The faculty uses lectures, case studies, seminars, and assignments. Live projects, cohorts, educational excursions, experiential learning, and industrial visits to ensure learning congruence with the changing business scenarios are carried out. Mr. Bedi opines, “The faculty members at GJIMT follow a learning-centric approach rather than a teaching-centric which makes them unique in the business education system.”

GJIMT has carved a niche for itself in the business education domain. Going a step further, the college has built a massive Alumni base over the last two decades working in top blue-chip companies in India and internationally. This approach aids students with

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GJIMT maintains strong. industry connections that help students to get industry exposure before their final placements.

training, internships, and final placements. Mr. Bedi tells us, “Recently, Bosch not only trained our Training Cell team but also extended their associated group of companies to our students for different openings. Our students every year go for paid Internships to the USA under SWT J-1 US Government sponsored program.” GJIMT has articulation agreements with top B-Schools of Canada, US, Australia, NZ, UK and Europe and promotes various exchange programs. The college also provides consultancy to the industry from time to time and is an active member of TiE, CII, PhD. Chamber of Commerce and various other industry platforms.

Staying Abreast on Trending Technologies GJIMT continually strives to stay ahead of the evolving learning curve and, in doing so, ensures it is in parallel with the various emerging technologies. In fact, GJIMT was the first to adapt MS-Teams as the Student LMS and shifted all learning, year-round events and activities to this virtual platform with 100 per cent success. The faculty and students were motivated enough to adapt to this new virtual platform as they had the experience of blended teaching from day one at GJIMT. All national and international conferences, seminars, summits, and other annual events were conducted online. Mr. Bedi elucidates, “The investment in IT infrastructure and LMS and blended learning practices had paid in a big way during the Pandemic for GJIMT.” A Thriving Future He tells us four trends/changes where the management learning space has to gear itself up in the future. He believes that the future will witness significant use of lean manufacturing strategies that involve minimizing the amount of inventory, companies looking to invest in hybrid infrastructure with high-end technology and Business Intelligence, increased demand for emotional intelligence and preparedness for occupational transitions. Keeping these in mind, GJIMT has added Business Analytics as the dual specialization with Finance, HR, Marketing & Operations and got the MBABusiness Analytics accreditation from the Institute of

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Analytics, UK. New courses such as Electives have been added, catering to Emotional Intelligence and Occupational Transition hurdles. “More of the blended teaching approach has been visualized for future teaching with individualized learning. GJIMT’s education will emerge as more resilient, responsive and dynamic,” explains Mr. Bedi.

Having given us a peek into the future for GJIMT, he briefs us on how the college envisions moving forward. “GJIMT envisages continuing to develop Advanced and Flexible Management Skills, providing access to an extensive Business Network, offering a quality number of opportunities with increased earnings, adding specializations to fit the industry needs and offer intellectually Challenging Programs which are not difficult to Graduate,” concludes Mr. Bedi.

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Powerful protection designed for PC gamers

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NORTONLIFELOCK.COM Higher Education Digest June 2022

INDUSTRY PERSPECTIVE

Building Blocks of a Career in the Events Industry 76 Amit Relan, Co-Producer, Woot Factor Brand Architects

Amit Relan is the Co-Producer of Woot Factor Brand Architects, a full-service Events and Marketing agency with expertise in Corporate Events, Brand/ Product launches, MICE and RNRs, BTL, and Creatives & Design. A self-evolved entrepreneur, Amit’s leadership has been instrumental in building up Woot Factor from the grounds up in an extremely competitive industry, gaining accolades and recognition as one of the most innovative organisers with a slew of successful events under its belt. His inspiring leadership coupled with a never-die-spirit has helped his team overcome multiple challenges through determination, innovation, and sheer hard work.

Higher Education Digest June 2022

The event landscape is ideal for those who enjoy diversity in their job. It tests one’s creativity, technicality and organisational skills

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ith the world turning into a global village and connectivity increasing manifolds the event industry received the necessary boost to kickstart its upward trajectory.

Over the years, there have been a series of challenges, changes and transitions, the virus outbreak being the most recent and turbulent one. Even when the governments worldwide put restrictions on public gatherings, the event sector managed to grow and stay afloat. From live formats; online events to modern day’s - hybrid versions, this industry is known for its flexibility and adaptability to change.

With normalcy slowly returning, the event landscape is expected to grow, generating greater demand for trained professionals with the required skill sets. Before getting into the skills you need for a successful career in event management, let’s understand what this field can offer you.

The event landscape is ideal for those who enjoy diversity in their job. It tests one’s creativity, technicality and organisational skills. As an event manager, you will

have the power to create unique experiences for each of your clients - regardless of whether they are corporate giants, artists, educational institutions, government agencies or individuals looking to host large scale events.

As per reports, it is a fast-growing industry, indicating that the opportunities for future career development will be plenty. Organising a few hit events can help you kickstart the journey and help establish your reputation as a soughtafter event planner in the long run.

Now, the question is - how to make a mark as a beginner in the event sphere?

When you think of duties like selecting food and décor, working with multitudes of people, or operating from exciting venues instead of a work-desk - planning an event sounds like a dream job. However, it is crucial to know that events are much more than these roles.

Organising an event is like building a house. The most critical aspect of developing a robust foundation for any event is chalking out details like the budget, extent, and scope. Before diving into the planning process, make sure

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78 you have taken a client-first approach and spent enough time understanding what they are looking for. A good event planner has a clear picture of the minute-to-minute execution, and at the same time, has the dynamism to handle contingencies efficiently. Here are some skills that will help you flourish in this industry Creativity - In this sector, your primary role is to turn your client’s vision into an enticing reality. By simply carrying out the instructions, you will end up with a bland event. Your ability to think out-of-thebox will add authenticity, zest and passion to an event.

For instance - pick a thoughtful theme for your client’s next AGM, instead of running it like the typical board meetings. Make use of immersive technology to elevate the experience.

Problem-solving - As an event planner, you should be good at thinking on your feet. Even the best-laid plans can go haywire on the main day. However, you must handle each obstacle calmly. Rather than fretting

Higher Education Digest June 2022

about things not working out, be prepared with alternate solutions and ideas to mitigate the situation.

People skills - An event manager interacts with all stakeholders - clients, vendors, and attendees, among others. To put together a successful show, the coordination with all parties involved should be impeccable. Only with strong communication, confidence, understanding and negotiation, you can manage all the people.

Listening - We often indulge in conversations to talk rather than listen. To be a good event manager, you should practise active listening. It will help avoid all miscommunication and encourage a stronger bond with your clients as well as vendors. By paying attention to what your client wants, you will be in a better place to close the gap between expectations and reality.

The event industry is mammoth and constantly changing. In the days to come, the opportunities in this sector will rapidly increase. It is the right time to start thinking about pursuing a career in this space.

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BUSINESS SCHOOLS

IMS GHAZIABAD SCULPTING BETTER LEADERS TODAY FOR TOMORROW 80

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n today’s fast-paced world, businesses need transformational leaders sensitized to local issues, thus equipping themselves with practical problemsolving skills. What makes a great leader today is not just achieving academic excellence but also mindful progress, corporate readiness, a sense of responsibility, a drive for innovation, and a growth and diversity mindset.

IMS Ghaziabad, incepted in 1990, steers away from the cookie-cutter approach adopted by most business management schools where a certain curriculum is blindly followed verbatim.

“We envision being a world-class institution, transforming society through value-based education focusing on management and technology, leading to an all-round development of human resources, knowledge, innovation, entrepreneurship, and research,” professes Dr. Urvashi Makkar, Director, IMS Ghaziabad.

Reshaping the Indian Business Management Landscape With over three decades of glorious academic legacy, IMS Ghaziabad has a three-pronged strategy with an all-encompassing comprehensive approach towards achieving Academic Excellence, Corporate Readiness, and Global Interface, which is interwoven throughout the PGDM Program. The Program has been well-

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IMS Ghaziabad offers full time AICTE approved & NBA accredited - PGDM Programme, which has been awarded the MBA equivalent status by the Association of Indian Universities (AIU)

Higher Education Digest June 2022

Curriculum based on Bloom’s Taxonomy, Experienced and Qualified Faculty, Strategic Location in NCR which is precisely in the heart of an active corporate community, State-of-the-art Campus and Hostel infrastructure, and Highly Equipped Digital Library. ` Continually riding the digitization wave, the institute’s Digital Library comprises a rich source of various online journals, magazines, and other reading materials in the field of Management, IT, and other areas. Courses like Mobile Applications Management (MAM) relevant to the current digital era have been incorporated into the curriculum.

Sh. Naresh Agarwal Former Cabinet Minister, Government of Uttar Pradesh Chairman, IMS Group of Institutions

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received by the students, faculty members, and wellrenowned institutions. It has been approved by AICTE and accredited by the National Board of Accreditation (NBA) and equivalent to MBA by the Association of Indian Universities (AIU). The institute is also accredited globally by ASIC, UK, and is a member of AACSB Business Education Alliance, USA. IMS Ghaziabad is the first Higher Educational Institute in Delhi and NCR to be awarded the elite ISO 21001:2018 Certification, for its conformity to the requirements of the Management Systems for Educational Organisations (EOMS) standard, for its PGDM Two Year Full-Time Program in October 2021. “The institute is being consistently recognized for reinventing management education through a comprehensive focus on Academic Excellence, Global Exposure and Corporate Readiness by eminent bodies like The Times of India, The Week, Outlook, Business Today, BW Business World, Competition Success Review, Education Post, Careers360 and many more,” reveals Dr. Urvashi.

While the nation may be dotted with a myriad of educational institutions, what sets IMS Ghaziabad apart from its counterparts is its consistent record of excellent International and Domestic Placements since its inception, Holistic Development Approach, offering meritorious students Scholarships of up to 2.7 Crore, Competitive

Higher Education Digest June 2022

Creating an Experiential, Fun, and Highly Conducive Environment Much like the famous idiom ‘all work and no play makes Jack, a dull boy,’ IMS strongly believes that introducing elements of creativity and imagination within its teaching and learning process is what helps them cater to the needs of a broad spectrum of learners. “We have embedded several innovative pedagogical tools in our curriculum for inculcating creativity and imagination in students. The activities of the clubs and committees create an environment

Sh. Nitin Agarwal Minister of State (Independent Charge) Department of Excise & Prohibition Government of Uttar Pradesh Managing Trustee, IMS Ghaziabad

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With its internationally acclaimed faculty and teaching pedagogy, IMS Ghaziabad has an allpervasive focus on teaching, training, research and consulting for crafting global business leaders for the 21st century workplace

of collaboration and accountability, encouraging students to work in teams, providing an opportunity to apply their creative and innovative minds,” reveals Dr. Urvashi.

Novel initiatives such as Pre Placement Preparedness Program, Competency Mapping, Personal and Professional Skills Program (PPSP), Placement Readiness & Enhancement Program (PREP), Student Peer Learning Initiatives, have been launched to enhance the self-belief, confidence, ability, and skills of the students. This plays a crucial role in making students corporate-ready and helps ace the selection process. The highly skill-oriented Value-Added Certification Programmes (VA-CPs) and Value-Added Short-Term Training Programs (VA- STTPs) delivered under the umbrella of Skill Enhancement & Corporate Readiness (SECR) impart a distinctiveness to the institute’s unique pedagogy. “Initiatives like Centre for Innovation & Entrepreneurship (CIE), Language Lab, Versant Training for cracking the Big 4, Public

Higher Education Digest June 2022

ABOUT

DR. URVASHI MAKKAR, DIRECTOR, IMS GHAZIABAD

Dr. Urvashi Makkar, with Ph.D. in Marketing and an Executive Program in Human Resource Management from IIM Calcutta, is an academician par excellence.

She possesses Leadership Certifications from Harvard University, UK-India Education & Research Initiative (UKIERI). With an ardor for innovative learning and expertise in transforming Management Institutions by focusing on organizational development, she has created a niche for herself in the management education domain.

She is a vivid researcher and has to her credit 13 books published by renowned publishing houses, including TATA McGraw Hill; more than 80 publications in

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refereed

International/National

Journals

and

conferences; has been a Distinguished Speaker/ Expert Panellist in numerous Summits/ Seminars/ Conclaves; has conducted numerous EDPs/MDPs/ Workshops

and

Consultancy

assignments

of

reputed organizations. In keeping with her journey to contribute in the areas of Research and Consultancy, she is contributing globally in the field of academics as Founder Chief Editor of International Journal of Customer Relations; holding the Chair of Sr. Associate Editor in Editorial Board of IARS, International Research Journal, Malaysia and Member, Board of Editors, International Journal of Environmental and Social Psychology, USA. In recognition of her passion for providing composite and quality education to young minds, she has been elected to the prestigious Council of Management of All India Management Association (AIMA) as Representative of Corporate/ Institutional Members for 2021-2023.

Higher Education Digest June 2022

Speaking Modules, Mentoring Program, Mock Interview Series, programs for Students Outreach and Grievance Redressal, Life Skills Training, Psychological Counseling further support us in our endeavor to develop the students for the corporate settings and sharpen their professional and personal skills,” adds Dr. Urvashi.

The institute is dedicated to broadening every student’s scope of learning and growing. Keeping this in mind, the Special Talk Series initiative has been sculpted into existence. This unconventional initiative consists of deliberations in five different aspects: Global Talk Series, Expert Talk Series, Corporate Talk Series, Alumni Talk Series, and Entrepreneurial

Talk Series. “To further broaden the horizons of our students, we have partnered with reputed Global experts to collaborate with us as Adjunct Faculty for relevant subjects,” informs Dr. Urvashi.

Laying a Strong Foundation Moreover, the IMS faculty acts as one of the key pillars of the institute. The faculty is an amalgamation of a strong blend of academicians, policymakers, administrators, and managers carefully chosen for the positive changes it can bring to the institution and the students who set out to create a life from IMS. Exposed to a high-quality mix of cutting-edge academic

Presently the IMS library has a collection of over 45000 books, subscription of over 10374 national and international journals in both print & online formats and over 8 lakhs ebooks

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research and best practices from the industry, students are benefitted tremendously. In conjunction with this, the institute also invests heavily in its faculty members to hone their skills and continually stay updated with emerging trends and technologies.

The institute encourages its faculty members to keep themselves updated by participating in various FDP/ STTPs and workshops/conferences outside the institute.

The institute also organizes an in-house FDP/Training Program to cater to the development needs of faculty members. The institute encourages faculty members and provides financial support to attend such programs via a comprehensive Faculty Development Policy. Faculty members can also avail seed funding, thus helping them

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30th Annual Convocation with Chief Guest, Dr Harpreet A De Singh; Guest of Honour, Prof Prem Vrat,Chairman, Board of Governors, IIT Dhanbad; Prof K K Agarwal, Chairman, NBA.

Higher Education Digest June 2022

write cases and research papers published in classified journals. Dr. Urvashi proclaims, “All faculty members have been provided with laptops to continue their research at ease and enhance their lecture delivery. Pen Tablets are also offered to faculty members to improve the efficacy of classes. All Staff members have been provided with desktops to support their day-to-day operations.”

All in all, state-of-the-art infrastructure in classrooms, library, labs, hostel, facilities for promoting sports, incampus banking and medical facility, free transportation, and the wholesome cafeteria further boosts the nurturing teaching-learning environment that IMS promotes.

Encouraging students to better carve their career path, IMS extends its flagship training and consulting vertical, Corporate Development and Excellence Center (CDEC), to provide world-class training and consulting services to the organizations by giving bespoke offerings. The institute recently kick-started ‘Peer to Peer Mentoring’ sessions in collaboration with a reputed institute of Delhi University, wherein students of IMS Ghaziabad conducted coaching sessions for their fellow learners. The cumulative wisdom thus boosted creativity and learning for students of both the participating institutes.

Helping Students Become Future-ready Getting placed in a reputed organization is almost every student’s goal while pursuing a professional course. The

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corporate resource center or the Placement Cell of IMS plays a vital role in facilitating students to lead their aspirations to fruition. This center has been designed and developed to bridge the gap between the industry and academia by providing Career Counseling, needbased education, and organization support. To enable the students to meet the ever-changing requirements of the industry, the institute offers corporate-oriented ValueAdded Certification Programmes such as MS-Office by Microsoft Academy, Digital & Social Media Marketing, Yellow Belt Six Sigma, Financial Markets & Google Analytics by MSME, PREP, CMIE Prowess, SPSS, and GHRDC, apart from the curricular activities.

Additionally, the Corporate Resource Centre and the Pre Placement Prepared Committee conducts numerous workshops on Resume Writing, Group Discussions, and Mock Interviews to empower the students towards a bright career. In fact, Covid-19 had a crippling effect on most institutions in India that were grappling to go digital and ensure job placements. IMS handled the situation with

ease. Over 98 percent of the students were placed in elite organizations. “One of the major transformations that we have witnessed is with respect to recruiters visiting the campus. In the pre-pandemic period, we had to limit our pool of campus recruiters due to logistical issues. However, in the post-pandemic period, due to technological facilitation, it is now possible to organize pan India placement drives,” explains Dr. Urvashi.

IMS Ghaziabad utilizes several enabling technologies to facilitate its students and faculty. Video Conferencing facility via Cisco WebEx, ZOOM, and Avaya Scopia app has been initiated for interaction, meetings, interviews, summer placements, group discussions, and campus hiring.

Further helping students get a leg up in the job market and work on their startups, an incubation center is in the pipeline. Once operational, the incubation center will help budding entrepreneurs transform their startup ideas into scalable, profitable, and sustainable businesses. Over the following years, IMS will continue to change lives and bright about a difference in the business world.

Higher Education Digest June 2022

ACADEMIC VIEW

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How Has Interactive Learning Paved Its Way in the Virtual Classroom Dr. Nachiket Bhatia, CEO, DBMCI

Dr. Nachiket Bhatia, the CEO of DBMCI, is widely acknowledged as one of the architects of modern e-learning in the medical sector. Best described as a visionary, Dr. Bhatia has always fostered the idea of “Education for all” and introducing eGurukul is the outcome of that. From dropping MBBS in the second year, helping DBMCI recover from a 5 Cr loss in 2018, and building a 77 Cr profitable business by 2022 to being included in the Forbes Top 10 Most Innovative CEOs the young entrepreneur has come a long way.

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Online learning provides the curious mind of students a safe space to put forth their ideas and opinions

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or a long time, people were fixated on the traditional methods of learning, that is in a classroom with a blackboard. However, with the advent of new technologies and developments, people started to realize the benefits of the virtual classroom. Ever since the outbreak of the Coronavirus, there was no choice but to opt for online learning. As time went by, people began to gravitate towards online learning due to the many benefits it offered. The virtual classroom offers the student a platform to interact with fellow classmates and teachers to clearly understand the topics albeit over the internet.

In such a tech- world, students are able to grasp the same concepts and knowledge in the comfort of their homes. Virtual classrooms allow teachers to interact with the students in an interactive way. It paves way for high interactivity with the use of multiple communication channels like online virtual meeting software, chats rooms, messaging, voice calls, and conferencing options.

Through which learners with varying preferences are all able to benefit equally.

Being in a traditional classroom we all were used to the idea of just sitting and attending the lecture.

However, this is not the case in virtual classrooms, online learning is more interactive as teachers use audio visual components to grasp the attention of the students. Game-based lessons, quizzes, polls, etc. are examples of how Virtual Learning makes classrooms more interactive.

As part of a generation whose ever-present involvement with the internet leads to virtual classrooms being the new normal, virtual classrooms are the norm.

Online learning provides the curious mind of students a safe space to put forth their ideas and opinions.

Along with students, the teachers have also started adopting new and interactive ways of teaching. Virtual classrooms have provided the teachers with a means to separate groups of students in breakout rooms so that they can work together and be interactive.

A Learning Management System provides teachers with the ability to generate reports of assessments and exams instantly and assess the problematic areas of each

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As a matter of fact, interactive learning lets students learn six times faster than other methods

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student. It is possible to give each student individualized attention to bring about better results. In order to reduce costs, educational interventions for remedial coaching can be conducted online. It will allow teachers to direct their attention to teaching activities instead of taking part in clerical tasks such as managing data.

Students nowadays understand more through technology than books. Technology has contributed a lot to the betterment of online education. With Gamification and audio visual components students can easily participate in their online lessons. Today’s students (of all generations!) learn best by combining different multimedia and sensory experiences.

Learning scenarios that encourage participation, choice, collaboration, and discussion are much more engaging than traditional ones. As a matter of fact, interactive learning lets students learn six times faster than other methods.

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Through various strategies and equipments learning through online mode is starting to be seen as more interactive and informative. Being online lets the students access the study material and notes whenever required, this paves way for flexible learning and initially will make the students interact more with the peers as well as the teachers.

One institute that understood the importance and benefits of virtual learning long before covid is Dr. Bhatia Medical Coaching Institute. We at DBMCI, believe that technology and education go hand in hand. The key factor of our organization lies in the hardwork of our faculty members in staying up to date with the latest technologies and trends.

Our R&D team and faculty is always on the lookout for new methods to interact with the students and make them understand the most complex topics in the easiest way possible. DBMCI incorporates the experience, expertise, and deep understanding of examination trends accumulated over many years with the demands of today’s students.

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Higher Digital Education First Magazine Digest August 2021 June 2022

BUSINESS SCHOOLS

PRAXIS BUSINESS SCHOOL BUILDING DIGITAL LEADERS OF THE FUTURE

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he name ‘Praxis’, Greek for the practice of an art, science, or technical occupation, reflects the philosophy of Praxis Business School - to create an educational institution that combines the art and science of theoretical learning with the virtues of practical training.

Praxis Business School was established in 2007 and has campuses in Kolkata and Bangalore.

According to TOI’s 2021 Business School survey, Praxis Business School is ranked 2nd in Kolkata and 4th in Eastern India. The Praxis Data Science program is ranked number one in India (Analytics India Magazine 2021 survey). These achievements are a result of Praxis’ relentless focus on creating resources who will lead India’s transformation in the digital world.

Developing an ecosystem that nurtures future digital leaders Praxis believes that the digital future will be characterized by rapid advancement in technology and increasing dependence on insights from data. Leaders would need to be tech and data savvy, capable of learning on the fly to keep pace with change, able to work with and lead diverse teams, and drive ethical and sustainable business practices in their organization.

The institution has created a learning ecosystem that gives students the freedom to think, question, discuss, debate, absorb, experiment – learn by doing and learn without fear. There is an

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Praxis is a premier business school established with the objective of creating leaders for the digital age. In line with this, Praxis offers Post Graduate Diploma in Management, Post Graduate Programs in Data Science, and Post Graduate Program in Data Engineering.

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ABOUT

PROF. CHARANPREET SINGH, DIRECTOR AND CO-FOUNDER, PRAXIS BUSINESS SCHOOL FOUNDATION

Prof. Charanpreet worked in the corporate world for 20 years, in industries like Cryogenics, Steel, International Trade, Consulting and IT in

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organizations such as British Oxygen, Tata Steel, PwC and Compaq-HP before deciding to pursue his first passion, education. He is a founding member of Praxis Business School. A winner of the Chevening Scholarship for Young Managers awarded by the British Government, Prof. Charanpreet has a keen interest in the areas of Branding, IT, Analytics and Business Communication. He taught at the University of Iowa and has been a visiting faculty at IIM Lucknow, IIM Raipur, IIM Shillong and IIM Udaipur.

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Praxis offers Corporate Training programs in Business Management, Enterprise Data Science & Analytics and Enterprise Cyber Security

equal emphasis on learning hard and soft skills with the objective of making the Praxis student a better learner, a critical thinker and an effective communicator.

The pedagogy at Praxis, including curriculum design, delivery and assessment, is driven by this objective. The programs are co-designed with business leaders to meet the current industry requirements and fine-tuned at regular intervals. Every subject has a strong digital orientation.

Course delivery, executed by the renowned Praxis faculty team, comprises a mix of lectures, case discussions, projects, labs; the emphasis is on understanding concepts as well as their applicability in real-world situations.

The institution also follows a continual assessment process for all its courses using a combination of exams, quizzes, projects, assignments, and class participation.

Students are assessed for their ability to think rather than learn by rote.

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The highly acclaimed Praxis Placement Program is committed to creating high quality placement opportunities for all Praxis students across the renowned PG programs – PGDM, PGPDS and PGPDE

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Programs@Praxis & Merit-based Scholarships The programs offered by Praxis Business School include 2-year full-time Post Graduate Diploma in Management approved by the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), Government of India, 9-month full-time Post Graduate Program in Data Science with AI & ML, 9-month online weekend-only Post Graduate Program in Data Engineering.

Praxis Business School has been a pioneer in teaching Business Analytics and Data Science in India and started its Business Analytics program 12 years ago. Praxis Post

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Graduate Program in Data Science (PGPDS) with AI & ML is ranked No. 1 among all Post Graduate Program in Data Science across the country in Analytics India Magazine’s all-India Data Science ranking (2021). This program equips students with the tools, techniques and technologies to build attractive careers in the exciting world of Data Science.

The Praxis PGDM program is designed to develop managers and leaders in this dynamic, digital-first world.

Staying true to its Digital leadership position, Praxis Business School has crafted its PGDM for 21st Century business professionals offering future-ready Super Specializations:

Business Analytics, Digital Business Management, Consumer Insights and Market Intelligence, Commercial Banking and Project Financing, Financial Risk Management, Digital HR Management.

Students are selected on the basis of their academic and professional backgrounds, their extra-curricular interests and achievements, their scores on the relevant admission tests, their writing skills and their performance in a personal interview.

Praxis Business School offers merit-cum-means based scholarships to incentivize and enable students to become

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98 Praxis Business School is committed to creating leaders for the Digital Future and offers generous scholarships and tuition fee waivers to deserving candidates, across programs who are looking forward to the ‘Praxis experience’ in transforming their careers future leaders. It is worth mentioning that the Praxis Women in Tech (WiT) Scholarships is an initiative to encourage and support women’s participation in Tech and Data careers. This is in line with the institution’s belief that gender diversity in the workforce, especially in Tech, brings immense value to the organization, economy, and society.

A Student’s Life at Praxis Business School The eco-friendly architecture and locale of Praxis’s Kolkata campus with low carbon footprint academic buildings, open hangout spaces, lush green surroundings, and water fountains give students the freedom to think and

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reflect in mother nature’s arms. The whole campus is WiFienabled and lecture-theatres and classrooms are equipped with the latest audio-visual aids. The campus also has a well-stocked library, multi-gym, two day-time canteens, and facilities for table tennis, badminton and a volleyball court. The hostel block is equipped with comfortable and well-furnished single-occupancy rooms, a recreation room equipped with pool table, TT table and TV, and a night canteen on the terrace.

The Praxis campus is abuzz with student activity. On the one hand it has clubs for each functional area like Finance, Marketing, HR, IT and Analytics, and on the other it offers clubs dedicated to quizzing, debating, sports, and other extracurricular activities. Praxis students organize intra-college and inter-college fests such as Spardha, Khoj, and Rang Manch. Through these activities, students understand the importance of teamwork and decisionmaking and create fun-filled memories for life.

Praxis has an active social wing that emphasizes socially responsible events like plantation drives, blood donation camps, and digital literacy campaigns. This is the students’ way of giving back to the society and demonstrating their commitment to the environment.

Recently Praxis Business School hosted Padma Shri recipient & celebrated global Environmentalist activist Shri. Jadav ‘Molai’ Payeng at their campus in Kolkata.

During his TEDx Talk, Shri Payeng urged students to become “environmental leaders of tomorrow” that would help them fulfil their career dreams.

Creating Quality Placement Opportunities Praxis has a formal campus recruitment program and is committed to creating quality career opportunities for its students. The pedagogy ensures that the students are equipped with the knowledge and skills required for today’s digital world.

As part of their preparation for campus placements students are encouraged to understand their skill-sets and map those to the opportunities available. This results in a high conversion during the placement process, as well as a high ‘repeat purchase’ as a large percentage of companies come back to recruit year-on-year. Accenture, PwC, Ernst & Young, KPMG, Nihilent, Genpact, L&T Financial Services, TCS, Colgate-Palmolive, Citibank, ICICI Bank, HSBC, Kantar, Nielsen, Marico, Tata Metaliks, Tata Capital, and Pepsico etc. are some of its recent recruiters.

The highest CTC for the Praxis PGDM 2020-22 batch was 14 LPA and the average CTC was 7.8 LPA. Praxis facilitates a campus summer internship process and ensures that all first-year PGDM students earn internships with reputed organizations and get the

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The Praxis Data Science and Analytics Corporate Training is designed to equip employees across organizations with the tools, techniques and business applications for driving data-driven decision making.

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opportunity to work on meaningful projects. During the summer internship program for the batch of 2021-23, the highest-paid internship offered to students was INR. 75,000 and the average was INR 30,000.

The January-October 2021 batch of Praxis Business School’s PG Program in Data Science (PGPDS) with AI & ML batch achieved 100% campus placement. The highest CTC for Praxis PGPDS was 22 LPA. Sharing his thoughts on the same, Prof. Charanpreet Singh, Co-Founder & Director, Praxis Business School, said, “It gives us a lot of satisfaction to see our students valued so highly by the top corporates of India. After all, it is about putting every student on the path to successful and enriching careers in tomorrow’s Digital Economy.

This is what drives us at Praxis every day. We appreciate our recruiters’ faith in our programs, and we wish all our students’ fantastic careers ahead.”

Commenting on Praxis Business School’s long-term vision, Prof. Charanpreet mentioned, “Our vision is to become a trusted and influential management education institution that is equipped to make a compelling difference to the business world and the community.”

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INDUSTRY PERSPECTIVE

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Five Ways in which Virtual Events Can Enhance Your Learning Experience Nishchal Dua, Director of Marketing, Airmeet

Nishchal Dua is the Director of Marketing at Airmeet - a one of its kind virtual event hosting platform, offering a unique experience to its users through its authentic representation of on-ground events virtually. The platform is designed to allow community managers to conduct frequent microinteractions between knowledge professionals, industry stakeholders and thought leaders. As a seasoned marketing professional & entrepreneur, Nishchal has founded & exited two successful start-ups, Amicus Shopping Assistant (acq’2016) and The Remote Life (acq’2020).

Higher Education Digest June 2022

When it comes to learning, virtual events provide you with global exposure and allow you to learn from professionals all around the world

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n recent years, there has been a sudden transition to online learning, which was unexpected and challenging for both students and teachers at first.

However, everyone became accustomed to the flow of virtual event platforms over time, and online learning is now the new normal. Therefore, moving to virtual formats was not as challenging as anticipated; instead, it has a lot to offer, which eventually enhances the learning experience. Let’s look at how?

No geographical constraints: The worldwide approach is the primary benefit of virtual event platforms. You can communicate with folks from all around the world without much apprehension. When it comes to learning, virtual events provide you with global exposure and allow you to learn from professionals all around the world. In addition, virtual event solutions enable attendees with HD quality live streaming and limitless cloud recording of sessions, prolonging the life of the sessions. Attendees can also see recordings of the session if they miss it live. As a result, viewership rises, and information travels across time zones.

Learner engagement: Remote lessons differ from traditional classes in several ways. It requires extra time to engage the audience and create an environment for learners. Remote learning can be more lifelike and collaborative with virtual event platforms. Platforms like Airmeet include various features, such as a social lounge that allows learners to join a virtual table during a networking break, similar to how we connect with fellow students in a classroom. Additionally, other platforms like Zoom and Google Meet allow participants to chat with each other publicly and privately. They can have a private video conference with other participants to increase engagement and assure that learners do not fall out on the social aspects of learning. Finally, it gives instructors more control by incorporating networking into the session and providing an interactive experience through its functionalities.

Easily accessible: All you have to do is provide some basic information about your class, such as the type, title, description, time, the approximate number

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Unlike traditional classrooms, e-learning allows you to go through the lecture as many times as you like

of participants, and a few other parameters, and you’re set! It will make your learning experience stress-free.

Moreover, most platforms are free or very affordable, so you can take as many lessons as you like without worrying about your budget.

Offers unlimited plays: Unlike traditional classrooms, e-learning allows you to go through the lecture as many times as you like. This is quite helpful while studying and reviewing for an exam. If you are unable to attend a lecture in a traditional classroom setting, you have to prepare for that topic on your own; with e-learning, you can attend lectures whenever and as many times as you like since they are recorded on a real-time basis.

Learner data security and privacy: We share information, data, documents, and chats that are sometimes confidential during our learning process. With this in mind, virtual event platforms developed features like end-to-end encryption, GDPR compliance for data protection, and the ability for instructors to regulate chat to avoid cyberbullying, trolling, or obscene comments in the classroom. In addition, the guest authentication feature allows students to attend the class by giving personal information such as their name, company, or designation. It enables you to identify and record who is in the classroom, ensuring that the rules are followed.

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BUSINESS SCHOOLS

RAMAIAH INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT STUDIES (RIMS) CREATING BETTER EMPLOYABILITY OPPORTUNITIES IN THE MANAGEMENT EDUCATION DOMAIN 106

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oday, with accelerated globalization, organizations experience massive pressure from various key stakeholders of the business environment. In fact, the dynamism in this environment has led to a rise in opportunities and threats to businesses. Thus there is a dire need for skilled resources to effectively address the challenges encountered by modernday businesses. This need generated has institutes beginning to increasingly specialize in management education.

This degree is viewed as a launchpad into the corporate world and is constantly evolving. To stay ahead of the dynamic and competitive global economy, experts must understand and accept the need for up-gradation. The various complexities that come with future market trends need to be incorporated into the management education framework to maintain relevancy.

Perfectly poised in the business education domain is the Ramaiah Institute of Management Studies (RIMS), a division of the M S RAMAIAH Foundation. MSRF was founded with the vision to be a global centre of learning to evolve competent human resource assets with professional skills, ethics, and personal values. “Our mission is to provide a comprehensive learning experience to develop our students to be the most preferred products by the corporate. RIMS is one of the top management colleges in Bangalore that offers an AICTE approved Post Graduate Diploma in Management (PGDM) program,” says Dr. M. R. Pattabiram, Founder Trustee, M. S. Ramaiah Foundation and Director of Ramaiah Institute of Management Studies (RIMS).

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Ramaiah Institute of Management Studies (RIMS) is a part of the M S Ramaiah Foundation (MSRF) which focuses on providing high quality education in the areas of Management, Law, and Undergraduate Studies

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Dr. M. R. Pattabiram, Founder Trustee, M. S. Ramaiah Foundation and Director of Ramaiah Institute of Management Studies (RIMS)

Offering a Comprehensive Suite of Services Dr. Pattabiram walks us through the state-of-the-art facilities the institute has to offer. The campus is sprawled with well-designed classrooms equipped with air conditioners and overhead projectors. In addition to the regular classrooms, RIMS also has smart classrooms that facilitate computer-based learning. The entire campus has access to the Internet via a 100Mbps dedicated Internet connection. So, in tandem with a smooth internet connection, the cutting-edge computer labs with the latest hardware and software help students enhance their learning capabilities. RIMS continually strives to stay ahead of the trending technology waves. The institute firmly believes that emerging technologies such as Industry 4.0, BlockChain, Data Analytics, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Design Thinking, 3D printing, and so on can disrupt businesses around the world. Keeping in mind that these will be the in-demand skills of the future, RIMS is exposing students to these

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technologies through guest lectures, seminars, and workshops.

In addition, RIMS is also imparting a Data Analytics course to students across three semesters to enhance their employability and be ready for the future.

The campus boasts a well-stocked library with more than 10000 National and International volumes of management books, journals of National and International importance, and an EBSCO database to facilitate research. Events of academic nature are held at an impressive Seminar Hall that has complete audio-visual facilities. Catering to every type of student and their needs, the institute has disabled-friendly infrastructure such as entry/exit ramps and disabled-friendly toilets. Students from outside Bangalore are housed in very comfortable hostels that are very close to the campus, and students are taken care of very well at the hostel by wardens and faculty members who also double up as their guardians.

“The RIMS campus has been aesthetically designed to provide the right ambience for teaching-learning and create a home away from home for the students who come to RIMS from across the country. We boast of a highly diverse ethnic environment, and our students get an insight into the life and culture of different regions of India via cultural activities that reflect the diversity of the country,” adds Dr. Pattabiram.

Driving Successful Industry-academic Relationships Forging an industry-academic relationship is another of the college’s focal points as they strongly believe it is instrumental in creating a skilled and future-ready workforce. In parallel

with this industry-academia collaboration, RIMS is a member of industry associations such as the Federation of the Karnataka Chambers and Commerce and Industry (FKCCI), Bangalore Chamber of Industries and Commerce (BCIC), National Institute of Personnel Management (NIPM), and Association of Indian Management Schools (AIMS). “By way of associating ourselves with such Institutions, we are ensuring that the gap between the industry and the academia is narrowed down as we get regular inputs from these bodies as to what is expected from the academia,” reveals Dr. Pattabiram. He adds, “Further, we also take inputs from the industry while framing the syllabus for the Post Graduate Diploma in Management (PGDM) to ensure that the syllabus is up-to-date and relevant.” RIMS has also partnered with the Singapore Institute of Management to offer a certification course in leadership. The institute is also collaborating with other foreign colleges and universities in the areas of student exchange programs and faculty exchange programs which will help benefit the students and faculty tremendously.

Ensuring Better Job Placements Furthermore, to provide its students with a real-time experience of facing job interviews in a safe and constructive environment, RIMS has formed a panel of industry experts from reputed companies such as Sony, Accenture, Rakuten, Wipro, KPMG, Deloitte, Infosys, TCS, and Sonata Software. These reputed panel members conduct mock Group Discussions and mock Personal Interviews

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RIMS has a culture that focuses on building value systems in its students and inculcating in them a sense of discipline with the objective of making them good and responsible corporate citizens

with students and facilitate students’ one-on-one feedback on their performance.

Top-notch blue-chip companies such as KPMG, Deloitte, Price Waterhouse Coopers, Ernst & Young, J. P. Morgan, ICICI Bank, Byjus, Sonata Software, Jaro Education, TCS, Tata Technologies, Amazon, Café Coffee Day, Sical Logistics, and Bata visit the campus every year for campus placements. A few students have also received offers from companies in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). “On an average, 85-90 per cent of our students enrol for receiving Internship and Placement services from the Placement Department,” reveals Dr. Pattabiram.

Helping Students Sharpen their Creativity Skills Studies conducted predict that students actively engaged in extracurricular activities are more likely to possess higher

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The institute also takes pride in its Entrepreneurship Club, which educates students about the pros and cons of entrepreneurship. Apart from this, the Club also organizes various events such as guest lectures and workshops for the benefit of students. As a result, students are setting up their ventures and becoming successful entrepreneurs in Beauty & Wellness, IT Enable Services, Organic Farming, and Hospitality.

educational ambitions. And so, helping students foster holistic growth, they are offered an opportunity to organize and participate in cultural and sports events such as Orientation Program, Fresher’s Day, Sports Day, Annual Day, Cultural Fest, Women’s Day, and Independence Day. “There is not a single day where the student is not involved in some curricular or extracurricular activity or the other,” opines Dr. Pattabiram.

Maintaining student centricity with opportunities to display innovation and creativity, some of the clubs driven by the students are Marketing Club, HR Club, Finance Club, Operations Club, Business Analytics Club, Entrepreneurship Club, Toastmasters Club, Rotaract Club, and Research Club. “We also encourage students to participate in curricular and extracurricular events organized by other Institutes to hone their leadership, creativity, and innovation skills,” adds Dr. Pattabiram.

Battling the Pandemic The institute has always strived to stay ahead of its time and ensure that its students and faculty are one of its top priorities. When India was struck by the unfortunate Covid-19 pandemic, RIMS took complete control of the situation. When the pandemic imposed severe restrictions on the physical presence of students on the campus, RIMS was one of the first Institutes in Bangalore to quickly put together a system for virtual learning using platforms such as Zoom, ensuring that students were not deprived of learning. Apart from conducting online classes, RIMS also conducted various curricular and extracurricular activities, such as Orientation Program, Guest Lectures, Seminars, Faculty Development Program, and Cultural Programs, using online platforms.

Climbing Up the Ladder Having carved a niche for itself in the management education domain, RIMS is currently focusing on achieving the coveted NBA accreditation and regularly improving the rankings and ratings awarded by independent agencies to maintain its leadership position in this sector.

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INDUSTRY PERSPECTIVE

Scaling Online Education with Synchronous Learning and Real-Time Engagement 112 Ranga Jagannath, Senior Director - Growth, Agora

Ranganath is the Senior Director-Growth for Agora.

He is responsible for the overall business and operations of Agora.io India and the SAARC region. His directive includes growing market share and driving healthy ecosystem growth among both partners and customers in the region. He comes with a strong Sales & Business Leadership background with over 25 years of in-depth industry experience. Prior to joining Agora.io, Ranganath co-founded Fetchon.com, worked with Syniverse Technologies, Verisign Inc, EFI, Unimobile and Micros Fidelio India in various capacities. He holds an Executive MBA from Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies and is a graduate in Arts from Osmania University along with a diploma in Hotel Management and Catering Technology.

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Training through an online platform allows flexible learning, but it has not always been a smooth journey for online education

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elson Mandela rightly said, “Education is the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world.” One of the most powerful ways to transform a person’s life is providing access to quality education. The education sector was among the early adopters of the digital model since the onset of the pandemic. Teachers and students came together to combat the technical problems and innovated remote learning solutions.

Educators and students have realized that traditional classroom-based learning has a lower level of scalability - limited by factors like the physical infrastructure of resources, class size, geographical location, and even accessibility. There is also an ongoing debate about whether schooling should be supplemented by online learning, creating the best of both worlds. While technology enables the continuity of education, there is also skepticism about how online classes can mimic a physical classroom atmosphere.

In the recent decade, especially over the last two years, we have seen how technology has transformed

everything from how we live or work to how we interact.

EdTech is on a solid growth trajectory owing to factors like better speed of internet connection, robust digital platforms, compelling digital content, plummeting costs of data and devices, and the emergence and adoption of adaptive learning.

Challenges to scalable online education Training through an online platform allows flexible learning, but it has not always been a smooth journey for online education. Despite the strides in combining technology with online learning, there are still some challenges: Lag in Feedback: An in-class experience allows interpersonal interactions and one-on-one tutoring.

There has been development in this area, but this continues to be a barrier for many. There is an unintentional and indefinite delay in response, which causes unwanted lag.

Affordability: Technology comes at a cost — costs of the gadget, internet access and more.

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Synchronous learning with live audio and video technologies is vital to combat the above challenges and provide largescale digital learning programs

Although people have accepted this cost, the recurring nature of these costs acts as a hindrance.

Dynamic nature of the digital world: Platform or app developers try to pack as many features into their products as possible. However, digital transformation or progress is happening at breakneck speeds, and keeping up with the advancements is a challenge.

Developers often overload their platforms with so many features leaving the users intimidated.

Real-time engagement is the key to synchronous learning Synchronous learning with live audio and video technologies is vital to combat the above challenges and provide large-scale digital learning programs.

This approach has been far more successful in driving impactful education outcomes at scale. Live, synchronous learning helps students engage better

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through real-time feedback and doubt resolution, realtime project-based learning, group discussion, team competitions, and more. An excellent example of this is upGrad, which replicates the real-time classroom learning experience by providing greater interactivity, real-time response, in-class concept check, and session analytics.

By leveraging leading-edge live video and audio, technology creates a learning experience that engages students when learning through activities and discussions in the live online classroom instead of passively listening to a recording.

In addition to audio and video communication, these online classrooms allow real-time messaging and teachers to share files with students synchronously. In the one-toone classroom and small classroom setups, features like live video, virtual interactive whiteboard, screen share, and full-length recordings backed by multilayer security for data protection help teachers and students collaborate better. These technologies increase the efficiency of the process of teaching and allow student feedback with impactful interactivity. Now educators from large urban to small rural districts can connect and collaborate with experts and peers worldwide to form online professional learning communities.

The initial abrupt shift to remote learning was highly challenging. It propelled the EdTech sector to upgrade the learning platforms to make learning easier for students and teachers worldwide. The rapid adoption of interactive online learning and a significant investment in hardware, software, content, and training helped make online learning an effective education model. While online learning became essential to fill the education gaps during this unprecedented period, it is also here to stay as an integral part of future classrooms.

Roadmap ahead Careful designing and thoughtful application can accelerate, amplify, and expand the impact of effective teaching practices. By leveraging proven education technologies such as live video and audio, education providers can improve the scalability and accessibility of high-quality education. Apart from this, immersive learning (XR-based) and gamification will redefine various facets of education like extra-curricular learning, adult learning, skills training, and language learning. Over time EdTechs will be able to deliver highquality, low-cost education to a large pool of students.

Exploring new learning models, creating new digital learning environments, and designing more effective learning approaches will help companies effectively scale globally.

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Mobile Application Development

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3D Animation & Stopmotion Graphics

Online Software Development

Search Engine Optimisation

Online Strategy Consulting

Higher Education Digest June 2022

BUSINESS SCHOOLS

SCHOOL OF BUSINESS STUDIES, SHARDA UNIVERSITY OPENING THE DOORS TO ENDLESS OPPORTUNITIES IN MANAGEMENT 116

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ocated in Greater Noida, UP, Sharda University was established in 2009 by an Act of the UP State Legislature. It is a private, self-financed, multidisciplinary University, conducting its academic programs through 14 Schools and 23 Departments, offering 126 programs, including 67 masters and a doctoral program in almost all the disciplines of pure and applied sciences, engineering & technology, management, humanities, architecture, design, mass communication, agriculture, education, law, nursing, pharmacy, dental, and medical sciences.

As an active part of Sharda University, the School of Business Studies (SBS) believes in preparing its students to approach business obstacles and solve them the way established corporations do. Here, learning happens both inside and outside the classrooms; technology plays a significant part in the core culture, and so do global exposure, project management, critical reasoning, and business communications skills.

Why Choose Education at School of Business Studies, Sharda University?

Since its inception, School of Business Studies has emphasised experiential learning opportunities throughout its curriculum, including a required internship, course assignments, and other industrydriven projects. Hence, national and international rating agencies

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Overview The School of Business Studies (SBS) believes in preparing the students to approach business obstacles and to solve them, the way established corporations do

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Dr. Jayanthi Ranjan, Dean, School of Business Studies

have well-recognised the school’s focus on academics. To highlight a few Sharda University has been rated by the very prestigious NIRF (The National Institutional Ranking Framework), accredited by NAAC (National Assessment and Accreditation Council), Gold standard by the globally renowned QS I-Gauge 2020, and recently recognised by ARIIA 2021 in the ‘Excellent Band’.

Moreover, SBS has a team of best-in-class faculty members who work vigorously towards making the programmes comprehensive and wholesome while delivering authentic value to students. To support its research and innovation endeavour, SBS has tie-ups with leading government institutes, industries and NGOs, including MSME, CIPAM, AIMA, ICSI, Dalmia Bharat Foundation, HCL Foundation, Mon AMI Foundation,

Higher Education Digest June 2022

ACCA, Safeeducate, Assocham, Laghu Ubyog Bharti, and many more.

Likewise, SBS also encourages its students to develop research & entrepreneurial mindset and share their startup ideas to support the Hon’ble Prime Minister’s vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat. In addition, there is a Centre of Excellence—Sharda University Yunus Social Business Centre. With respect to the school’s infrastructure, SBS houses smart classrooms, sports amenities, research facilities, secured hostels, cafeterias, library, and recreational facilities.

Extending Scholarships to Meritorious Students “We, at SBS, believe that money should not be a roadblock for students with innovative ideas in their minds and passion in their hearts,” states Dr. Jayanthi Ranjan, Dean of SBS.

As a result, meritorious students are awarded scholarships and financial assistance based on their academic achievements and triumphs in sporting and cultural arenas. Therefore, eligible students can apply for,sibling scholarships, innovative idea scholarships, and Art & Culture scholarships.

Building Successful Collaborations & Partnerships In line with its mission statement, Sharda University’s international division aims at developing research and academic cooperation through the implementation of scientific, CSR projects and programs in the fields of Management, Humanities and Science & Technology.

Therefore, SBS has tie-ups with 40+ universities and institutions across the globe to give students global exposure. Through them, students have a chance to go on student exchange, pursue a semester abroad or get a credit transfer. SBS also offers students a unique opportunity to pursue a semester abroad at zero tuition fees at top-ranked foreign universities. “This year, we also give an opportunity to the students to study abroad under Erasmus Programme,” Dr. Mridul Dharwal, Professor of Management, SBS. University of lubiyana, (Slovenia), University of Almeria (Spain), Middlesex University, London (UK), Northhumbia University (England), Western University (Canada), GMIT (Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology, Galway), Centro De Investigacion Y De Estudios Avanzados Del Ipn (Cinvestav, Mexico), Hochschule Bremerhaven, University of Applied Sciences (Germany), Tertiary Education Commision of Mauritius (Mauritius), Istanbul Aydin University, Istanbul (Turkey), Payap University (Thailand) and La Trobe University ( Australia) are some of SBS’s international collaborators.

Dr. Mridul Dharwal, Professor of Management, SBS

An Ecosystem to Protect Intellectual Property Rights SBS has created an ecosystem to protect its academic community’s intellectual property rights (IPR). According to the university’s ongoing IPR policy, the creative and innovative work produced by the faculty, students, and staff is translated into IP rights through a fair and transparent administrative process. Likewise, collaborations between academia and industry are promoted through better clarity on IP ownership and IP licensing. “To nurture new ideas and research in technology, sciences, and humanities, a balanced IP management approach is taken. Researchers and the academic community are also incentivised and recognised for their quality publications and innovative ideas,” states Dr. Jayanthi Ranjan.

In addition, Sharda University has created a mechanism for knowledge generation and its commercial exploitation to augment the university’s financial self-sustenance goals and

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Smart Classrooms, Sports Amenities, Research Facilities, Secured Hostels, Cafeterias, Library, Recreational Facilities, etc., are all an integral part of standard infrastructure landscape at SBS

reward faculty and researchers. Lastly, efforts are taken to set up a better ecosystem for innovation and entrepreneurship.

Accelerating Entrepreneurship through Sharda Launchpad Entrepreneurship at SBS is promoted through Sharda Launchpad Federation, a section 8 company registered under the companies act 2013. This centre provides a platform for new, small, and medium-scale enterprises through skills acquisition activities necessary for the development and management of the enterprise and by being a mediator between its students and industry experts.

Higher Education Digest June 2022

Sharda Launchpad makes this happen by organising activities/events/lectures sessions, setting up an entrepreneurial cell, mentorship by SBS’s in-housefaculty and industry experts, hosting inter & intra college entrepreneurial contests, establishing Next StartUp / Syncubator/ Xcelerator centre, giving complete access to top-of-the-line resources, exposure to industry leaders & global networking opportunities, and most importantly, financial support to the aspiring entrepreneurs.

Campus Partner Program The Placement Department at SBS has set up a Campus Partner program to bridge the gap between the theoretical and practical aspects of the curriculum for its students. “Through this program, guest lectures and meetings are organised with corporate leaders and industry experts. What makes these sessions interesting and knowledgeable are the challenges, experiences and real-life lessons given to the students by the experts themselves,” pinpoints Dr. Mridul Dharwal.

Furthermore, the Placement Department offers strategic partnerships with companies and creates mutually beneficial

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122 The faculty of SBS is bestin-class and work vigorously towards making the programmes comprehensive, wholesome while delivering authentic value to students

relationships. Internships, recruitments, alumni database access and specialised short-term training of the students as per the requirements of the companies are just a few ways in which this goal is accomplished.

To date, a total of 350+ companies have recruited SBS’s students. Some of SBS’s alumni have been recruited by MNCs like TCS, Cognizant, Amazon, HCL, Dell, Wipro,

Higher Education Digest June 2022

NTT Data, ITC, Bosch, PepsiCo, MRF, Audi, MuSigma, Steria, Mphasis, American Express, Citi Bank, HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, and several others.

Learning Never Stopped at SBS Despite Pandemic In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, SBS was among the elite higher learning institutions in India that seamlessly shifted to online learning mode. The school took all the necessary steps to prevent virus transmission and meticulously planned for its re-openings with sanitiser dispensers placed at appropriate locations. Likewise, social distancing was followed strictly as students started coming to attend classes. Students were also given relaxation in depositing fees as per their convenience. Owing to these initiatives, Sharda University scored 150/150 points in all parameters and received QS I∙GAUGE ‘E-Learning Excellence’ for Academic Digitisation (E-LEAD) certification.

“We are planning to apply for more international accreditation and implement the National Education Policy.

We also intend to innovate delivery models, develop flexible credentialing, flexing faculty engagement, and standardise experiential learning as part of its post-pandemic strategies,” concludes Dr. Jayanthi Ranjan.

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INDUSTRY PERSPECTIVE

How Finnish Curriculum Focuses on Quality Education Rather Than Rote Learning 124 Shashank Goenka, Managing Director, Goenka Global Education

A true education enthusiast, Shashank Goenka is the Managing Director at Goenka Global Education. He has always had a keen interest in business and education, as his family played a pivotal role in revolutionizing the education sector of the nation. Goenka Global Education has created a strong foundation over the last fifteen years, which played an integral role in Shashank’s professional life. He is well equipped with a strong entrepreneurial spirit. Therefore, he chose to lend his business acumen to the advancement of the Indian education sector.

Higher Education Digest June 2022

The Finnish Curriculum largely focuses on learning the basic skills through play and developing the character of the student in the early years

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inland’s Education system truly believes that every student has the potential to create an impact in this world. Therefore, the curriculum is designed in a way to empower students to become the best version of them. The traditional rotebased learning, which largely focused on memorizing the course content and attempting for examinations, has been replaced by the ‘application-based’ learning solution, wherein ‘learning by experience’ is encouraged for the growth and development of students.

Finland’s education system is popularly known as the best education system in the world. The curriculum largely focuses on ‘application-based learning’, rather than the traditional ‘memory-based’ Rote learning.

The education system focuses on development of each student on the educational and holistic front. The Finnish curriculum highlights the importance of ‘study with play’

with the idea of helping each student develop a healthy relationship with education. The Finnish education is known to implement the recent research and findings to enhance the quality of education for the students.

The Finnish Curriculum largely focuses on learning the basic skills through play and developing the character of the student in the early years. Their strategy includes teaching students to cope with change, communication and collaboration through games and other activities. With such initiatives, the concept of memorizing study material has been removed, as the key is to enhance the creative and analytical thinking ability of the students. Moreover, they focus on making the learning experience enjoyable, which positively adds value in the lives of each student.

Students are encouraged to follow their personalized learning path through a dynamic system,

Higher Education Digest June 2022

which encourages their strengths and supports their challenges. Learning is personalized for each student as they are all considered unique in their own way.

Students are empowered by allowing them to carve their own way and explore their areas of interest in the most efficient and productive manner. Students are not burdened with homework or other outside work as most of the curriculum is covered during school hours in a productive manner. The time away from school is utilized in enhancing the skills and interest areas to improve the overall performance of the students.

Rote learning primarily focuses on completion of syllabus, learning through texts and appearing the exams to deliver good results. However, there is a huge gap in this process as students are unable to develop the ability to think. The Finnish curriculum has effectively bridged this gap by allowing students to develop their observation skills, build their individual viewpoints about a particular topic, come up with different perspectives and learn to draw their own guided conclusions. These will ensure students develop a broader outlook on things and develop multidisciplinary career goals.

Finland’s Education System is ranked number one in all PISA (OECD’s Program for International Student Assessment) rankings. The reason is their goal – ‘Let kids be kids, empower them to explore their natural creativity.’ Finnish teachers are highly trained, wherein they are required to obtain a mandatory master’s degree. Teachers have the autonomy to plan their own teaching and resourcing. The biggest difference from rote learning is the process – teachers are allowed to design individual courses and modules for the different types of learners.

The grading system in Finnish curriculum revolves around the individual performance of the students.

Each student is graded based on their individual progress and learning abilities. The curriculum has no mandated standardized tests, apart from the one exam at the end of students’ senior year in high school.

There are no rankings, no comparisons or competition between students, schools or regions. This ensures that students are graded based on their unique path and individual capabilities.

With such progressive education system, the Finnish curriculum is a complete revolution in the way students are raised. The methods, ideologies and processes are indeed an inspirational on the global scale. Countries should take inspiration and closely follow the Finland Education reforms, to provide the best quality education to evolve the new generation.

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ACADEMIC VIEW

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Tips and Tricks on Keeping Students Busy with Innovative Learning During Summer Vacations Preethi Vickram, Founder, Tapas Education

Preethi Vickram is a committed educator, an exponent of ‘learning through ‘play’, a passionate parenting coach, a change catalyst, a leadership mentor, an IIMB NSRCEL alumnus, and a brand champion with a sincere desire to make that catalytic difference in the lives of children and consequently, the world at large. She has more than two decades of experience in the education sector, both domestically and internationally. She has successfully set up educational institutions in India, enabled by the right mixture of her business acumen and understanding of curriculums being an educationist.

Higher Education Digest June 2022

Rather than trying to force-fit activities with an end goal of keeping the children busy, parents would be better served in trying and furthering the actual learning of children

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ummer vacations are a tough time for both parents and children. Parents are often left wondering how they can utilise this time to continue the process of learning for their children. Children on the other hand have pent-up energy that needs to be expended. With lockdowns and subsequent closure of a lot of activities, it is a challenge to keep the children busy and engaged in learning.

Rather than trying to force-fit activities with an end goal of keeping the children busy, parents would be better served in trying and furthering the actual learning of children. An important thing to keep in mind is the stage of development the child is in.

A 14-year-old developmental stage would be very different from an 8-year-old.

When we look at Erik Erikson's stages of Psychosocial development, 12 to 18 yrs is when the teenagers are in Stage 5: Identity vs. confusion. It is critical during this period to develop a strong sense of self. “Who am I?”, “What do I want to work as?”, “How do I fit into society?” Throw into all this confusion the question of “What’s happening to my body?” and you’ll probably get what the adolescents are going through. On their journey to the self, most adolescents will explore different roles and ideas. Students of that age should try and utilise the summer vacation to strengthen

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When we look at Erik Erikson’s stages of Psychosocial development, 12 to 18 yrs is when the teenagers are in Stage 5: Identity vs. confusion

Higher Education Digest June 2022

their sense of self. They can also take up internships, volunteer for a cause, or tutor other students. Also, at this age, developing a sense of earning and spending from their own hard-earned money will hold them in good stead for the future.

For the younger ones, they are in Stage 4: Industry vs.

Inferiority, where their circle of influence has widened and they have a lot more friends, and are conscious about how they affect their world. They need to feel useful and get a sense of belongingness. Involving them in day-to-day chores is a good idea. Helping them develop initiative and letting them make their own choices is critical. It’s advisable to let the children take control of their schedules. This is also a good opportunity to help students build up their discipline. Letting them do activities like gardening, taking care of a pet, learning a new skill demands that they set up a daily routine and follow it.

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