What is the latest that you are picking up on the campuses of B-schools?
Multiple trends are emerging, both positive and challenging, requiring business schools to adapt and innovate. Expectations have significantly evolved in how education is delivered, how students engage in classrooms, and how curriculums are designed to benefit all students. This shift includes personalising learning experiences and making the curriculum more engaging to meet the needs of every student. Economic conditions, career outcomes, and placement scenarios also majorly shape business school strategies. B-Schools currently face the challenge of integrating digital transformation into their curriculum. This includes not only introducing digital tools for smoother learning but also ensuring that students are taught to be both commercially savvy and technologically competent.
How are you seeing the evolution of experiential learning in management education?
Today students are oriented towards hands-on, practical learning. This trend is rooted in a desire for learning that goes beyond theoretical knowledge, incorporating real-world experiences and projects that allow students to engage directly with industry. We are integrating experiential learning through various methods such as case studies, simulations, gaming, and industry-relevant projects. This type of learning provides students with both conceptual foundations and practical experience, making their education more relevant to actual business environments. While experiential learning is widely embraced, it must be designed to meet the institution's learning goals and outcomes, or else it risks being just a superficial experience. Experiential learning should provide long-term benefits to students' careers rather than just feel good in the classroom.
What specific areas of business do you believe AI will have the greatest impact?
AI technologies are expected to majorly impact middle-level skills, often replicable and thus more susceptible to automation. However, higher-level skills, particularly those involving strategic decision-making and analysis, will remain critical and must be the focus of future curriculums. Business schools will be responsible for preparing students for a future where technology handles routine tasks, requiring students to develop more advanced and strategic skills. Business schools must equip students with high-impact skill sets, preparing them for leadership roles and ensuring they remain relevant in a rapidly changing job market.
How is IMT fostering an entrepreneurial mindset among its students, and what support systems are in place for budding entrepreneurs?
IMT Ghaziabad has made notable efforts in recent years to motivate students to consider entrepreneurial ventures. The institution has established an Innovation & Incubation Centre and developed mechanisms to engage not only with students but also with external entrepreneurs and alumni. These initiatives support business models and entrepreneurship ventures, offering students opportunities to refine their business plans and gain confidence. There are approximately 15-20 startup initiatives at any given time, with some coming from current students, alumni, or even external entrepreneurs seeking assistance from the institution.
Furthermore, alumni engagement plays a significant role in nurturing this entrepreneurial culture. Many alumni who have become successful entrepreneurs return to mentor current students or offer investment opportunities. IMT Ghaziabad has created a vibrant ecosystem, attracting entrepreneurs and alumni alike and fostering an environment where students feel motivated and supported in their entrepreneurial journey.
The institution aims to increase the percentage of students opting for entrepreneurial careers from 2 per cent to 10 per cent by 2028. This goal is driven by the growing number of students approaching faculty for guidance on entrepreneurial paths and the cultural shift towards self-driven endeavours.
What is the feedback that the institute gets from the industry at large, when it comes to skills critical for the evolving working environment?
Strong fundamentals remain crucial, regardless of the specialisation or domain. Companies continue to prioritise candidates with solid foundations in their field. However, the modern corporate environment demands more than just technical expertise. Employers now look for holistic development, including soft skills such as communication, adaptability, and stress management. A well-rounded understanding of both the economic and technological environment is equally important.
Recruiters value candidates who demonstrate a conscious awareness of current global challenges like sustainability and ethics, coupled with knowledge of emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and data analytics. This feedback has shaped the curriculum at IMT Ghaziabad, ensuring that students are well-prepared for the dynamic corporate landscape by balancing classroom instruction with practical, real-world exposure.
IMT Ghaziabad recently ranked among top 100 globally in the FT Masters in Management Ranking and secured a largely similar feat in the QS World Rankings. Please elaborate on the efforts in place to achieve such recognitions.
These recognitions reflect our commitment to continuous improvement on various key metrics. Career progression, for example, is a significant focus, as the institution tracks the long-term success of its graduates in terms of salary hikes, promotions, and overall corporate achievements. Over 50 per cent of the weightage in rankings like the Financial Times Masters Ranking is based on how well students have advanced in their careers after leaving the institution.
We strongly emphasise creating a broad and supportive alumni network, further enhancing student career opportunities. The institution also takes pride in its efforts toward gender diversity and sustainability. Regarding faculty gender diversity, IMT Ghaziabad has achieved a nearly equal male-to-female ratio. On the student side, efforts to increase female participation have resulted in the doubling of female student numbers in the last two years.
As an educational focus and a guiding principle for institutional operations, sustainability is another progressive area the school has worked on. IMT Ghaziabad is conscious of its environmental impact and strives to embed sustainability into the curriculum, encouraging students to consider environmental and social factors in their long-term decision-making as future business leaders. These efforts contribute to the institution's growing reputation on the global stage, as reflected in its high ranking across multiple metrics.
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