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Thousands of students are passing out every year from management institutes and it is deplorable that more than half of them are unable to find employment. The last few years have been rough for B-school graduates. Dr. Amitava Mukherjee, Principal, Globsyn Business School, Kolkata, spoke to BE’s Ayantika Halder regarding the future of management courses.

Q. In 2016-17, more than half of MBA graduates were not hired in campus placements according to the data by the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE). What is the main reason behind the problems in management education in India?

A. The demographic dividend arising out of the country’s vast, aspirational, and younger population has highlighted that there is an overwhelming social, gender, and economic inequality across segments.  The MBA programme has come to be thought of a way to rise above the masses and as a quick fix to achieve success in life.  At the same time, the available capacity at the best institutions has not kept pace, leading to mushrooming of institutions.

The biggest reason is the expectations of the students themselves.  Many of them are ignorant of issues that extend beyond the ledger, even in their social and political surroundings. As a result, they are taught out of curriculum that is not capable of producing problem solvers or managers with the analytical skills necessary for a leadership role in a modern, global enterprise. The curriculum severely lags the requirements of the corporate world. Industry managers must co-create the curriculum along with the academics to ensure its vitality.

Q. What can be the solutions to overcome this serious problem?  What do you think can improve the tier-2 and -3 B-schools?

A. There could be several approaches. There probably cannot be a standard formulaic solution. Among the possible changes that MBA education will possible see very soon is institutes mentoring institutes. Some of the better and more famous institutes could take on the role of mentoring next-tier institutions. There can be more-focused MBA education and tailored curriculum at the tier-2/3 institutes to suit requirements of local geographies or segments. For example, a focus on small and medium enterprises may be envisioned. For low tier B-schools, focus should be on regional and local markets. There should be a benchmarking system that independently ranks institutions within their own focus areas. Most importantly, there should be an organised way to support the smaller institutes for faculty development and infrastructural upgradation.

Q. Is Globsyn Business School making the student’s
job-ready?

A. Since its inception in 2002, Globsyn Business School has consistently developed and implemented several innovative and creative pedagogic approaches. While the regular academic programme is rigorous in its intensity and follows prescribed AICTE norms and standards, we have several initiatives under an umbrella we call “Beyond Education.”  These initiatives are aimed at grooming a well-rounded personality which is essential for becoming a better manager and an enhanced human being.  For instance, the Corporate Connect programme integrates various facets of real-life corporate experiences into the curriculum. As a part of this uniquely designed initiative, corporate managers, middle to senior level executives, entrepreneurs and eminent industry experts from various fields and industry sectors share their real-life corporate and business experiences with our students.

Globsyn Business School uses the innovative Knowledge Finishing School System pedagogy which, while amalgamating management and technology knowledge, teaches the individual the steps beyond acquisition of knowledge itself. The pedagogy stresses the application of knowledge, its continuous management and ultimately performance.

A good initiative is our attempt to involve the students into social work through the Kalyani Youth Leadership Forum (KYLF) which is a voluntary group. Formed by the students of Globsyn Business School, KYLF helps students imbibe the practice of selfless social work as an integral part of their lives.

Q. What suggestions do you want to deliver to students preparing for MBA entrance examinations?

A. My first suggestion would be to always stay updated with the needs of the industry. More importantly, the youngsters should understand that the return on investment in education is always long term and they should be more concerned about where they end in their career and not where they start it. They should always be ready to explore, travel and  take risks.