An Interview with Prof N.H Deshpande
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Please help us with a brief introduction about you, your institution and your latest work or achievements.[/b]
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I am an engineer by profession with close to thirty one years of active experience in both academia and corporate at fairly senior positions. Currently I am pursuing Ph. D. in HRD. Until recently I was associated with Disha Education Society, Raipur as Director-Faculty of Management and III for their three MBA Programs. As a member of senior team there, I was involved in shaping those Institutes.
What according to you is the biggest challenge for the Indian management education system?
[/list]
So far as MBA pass outs are considered, current challenge is employability. Another is competent, passionate faculty members. Third is curriculum revolving around typical 4-5 specializations, which are not in a position to accommodate specific requirements of sunrise industries. So elective concept needs to be introduced. A major overhaul at all these levels is required and it is high time for it now.
What have been constant challenges to keep the curriculum up to dates in the changing Indian business environment?
[/list]
The basic attitude of universities and their approach towards updating curriculum in the changing business scenario is one of the constant challenges. Current curriculum is seriously lagging behind. Industry participation in academics is very low for various reasons. Unless their changing requirements are clearly and continuously communicated from all possible and available forums by industries, curriculum updating will remain a distant dream and futile exercise.
Do you think there is competition from foreign universities opening up their branches here or colleges coming up in remote places?
[/list]
Yes, it will certainly pose challenge to some extent, but it can be tackled. New avenues and options will obviously be available to our students by merely staying in our country. Question will be of affordability of education opportunities offered by foreign universities in India. However this is a welcome step.
How much is important to think global and act local in terms of course designing and exposure to the students?
[/list]
Both global and local exposure is definitely essential for this generation. Job opportunities should be identified beyond four walls of this country and fresh MBAs should be prepared to become global employees. At the same time, course contents/ elective subjects from our own soil should also be introduced. Unconventional MBA programs should be designed and encouraged to address lot of local requirements. Students must be exposed to these courses which will take them to the roots of this country.
What is your opinion on whether a student should be given a flavor of local business environment and what is the role of B-schools in creating that local flavor?
[/list]
Even today by way of industrial visits, summer/winter projects, guest lectures by local industry professionals is going on in varying proportions. Problem is with the seriousness with which these requirements of curriculum are currently being addressed by students, faculty, institute and industry.
Yes B-Schools can create local flavor by signing MOUs with nearby industries, by solving some of the problems of local industries through students and conducting Management Development Programs for industries. Another new approach could be sending faculty members for training in nearby industries and by arranging training of industry professionals in B-Schools. Thus local issues should be jointly addressed by Industries and B-Schools in that area. B- Schools should become institutional members of local bodies such as CII and FICCI to really get flavor of “world of action.”
What kind of industry participation should be there in designing the curriculum and active participation in providing field training to the budding managers?
[/list]
Industry stalwarts should be made members of Board of Studies of the Universities, they should have more presence in Governing Bodies of B-Schools. It must be made mandatory for industry senior teams to spend fixed time in academic environment and share their view points. Institutes should constantly visit those industries, where their students have been placed and collect feedback about their performance, new requirements of industries. Field training period should be increased. Even daily/weekly few hours after Institute timings can be spent in local industries by the budding managers. The field training should be more rigorous, active; assignments based and have constant evaluation.
Another way of looking at it is that the Industries should start their own B-schools and devise curricula as per internal requirements. Couple of years ago, I was actively associated with one such experiment wherein some companies had joined hands together and devised a two year generic post graduate diploma. We used to sponsor students for this program on the basis of an all India level examination, pay them stipend and after completion of course the students used to join sponsoring organizations. The two year program had five segments of roughly 4 months each namely Finance, Marketing, HR, Operations and General Management. In each segment again combined theory classes at a common place followed by practical training at respective locations and then examination was the structure of this dual system. Thus industries used to get ready to use managers.
Do you feel that the courses should be oriented towards exams or case-studies?
[/list]
Of course case-studies based. They give flavor of real life environment, in which the MBAs have to spend their entire life. Case-studies enhance decision making ability, problem solving skills and an all round assessment with possibilities. The analytical as well as reasoning aspect gets sharpened.
Do you think there should be some sort of government initiative where it should be mandatory to have some industry experience before joining B-Schools?
[/list]
No. It is desirable to have industry exposure for better assimilation of inputs. The basic advantage of MBA after graduation is that continuity of education is maintained. If at all government’s intervention is sought then at the most government can promise/offer some stipend to those, who leave their jobs after some industry experience and wish to pursue MBA program, then to some extent the area of livelihood can be addressed during studies. This kind of stipend is paid in case of post graduation in engineering, at least in government engineering colleges.
How can we keep the pace up with technological advancements?
[/list]
By extensive use of technology in our T-L process. By offering on line assignments, making campuses paper less, examinations and assessments on line etc.
Increasing social media, internet, intranet, and mobile communication has created much impact on employees. Do you think this has facilitated the students too?
[/list]
Yes, to a large extent in both positive and negative sense. The challenge is now to bring the students back to classes and provide them necessary inputs. The students should get something additional/new in our class rooms, which is not readily available on any of these modes of information/ knowledge transfer. Only dedicated, passionate and experienced faculty members can make this happen.
What is your management mantra?
[/list]
My management mantra is “spiritualization of management education”. We should have home grown solutions to problems of this soil and fortunately we have everything. Age old teachings and writings of our saints are not only relevant today but also can provide niche to our post graduate education system. After visiting and experiencing some MBA Institutes, I feel our programs can be more effective if ethical, spiritual base is provided to our management education and through that all-round development of personalities is achieved. We not only need good MBAs but also good human beings.
Any feedback for ManagementParadise.com?
[/list]
Good and much needed umbrella for bringing management fraternity together.
Any mode of contact or link.
[/list]
[email protected]
[/b]
[/b]
Please help us with a brief introduction about you, your institution and your latest work or achievements.[/b]
[/list]
I am an engineer by profession with close to thirty one years of active experience in both academia and corporate at fairly senior positions. Currently I am pursuing Ph. D. in HRD. Until recently I was associated with Disha Education Society, Raipur as Director-Faculty of Management and III for their three MBA Programs. As a member of senior team there, I was involved in shaping those Institutes.
What according to you is the biggest challenge for the Indian management education system?
[/list]
So far as MBA pass outs are considered, current challenge is employability. Another is competent, passionate faculty members. Third is curriculum revolving around typical 4-5 specializations, which are not in a position to accommodate specific requirements of sunrise industries. So elective concept needs to be introduced. A major overhaul at all these levels is required and it is high time for it now.
What have been constant challenges to keep the curriculum up to dates in the changing Indian business environment?
[/list]
The basic attitude of universities and their approach towards updating curriculum in the changing business scenario is one of the constant challenges. Current curriculum is seriously lagging behind. Industry participation in academics is very low for various reasons. Unless their changing requirements are clearly and continuously communicated from all possible and available forums by industries, curriculum updating will remain a distant dream and futile exercise.
Do you think there is competition from foreign universities opening up their branches here or colleges coming up in remote places?
[/list]
Yes, it will certainly pose challenge to some extent, but it can be tackled. New avenues and options will obviously be available to our students by merely staying in our country. Question will be of affordability of education opportunities offered by foreign universities in India. However this is a welcome step.
How much is important to think global and act local in terms of course designing and exposure to the students?
[/list]
Both global and local exposure is definitely essential for this generation. Job opportunities should be identified beyond four walls of this country and fresh MBAs should be prepared to become global employees. At the same time, course contents/ elective subjects from our own soil should also be introduced. Unconventional MBA programs should be designed and encouraged to address lot of local requirements. Students must be exposed to these courses which will take them to the roots of this country.
What is your opinion on whether a student should be given a flavor of local business environment and what is the role of B-schools in creating that local flavor?
[/list]
Even today by way of industrial visits, summer/winter projects, guest lectures by local industry professionals is going on in varying proportions. Problem is with the seriousness with which these requirements of curriculum are currently being addressed by students, faculty, institute and industry.
Yes B-Schools can create local flavor by signing MOUs with nearby industries, by solving some of the problems of local industries through students and conducting Management Development Programs for industries. Another new approach could be sending faculty members for training in nearby industries and by arranging training of industry professionals in B-Schools. Thus local issues should be jointly addressed by Industries and B-Schools in that area. B- Schools should become institutional members of local bodies such as CII and FICCI to really get flavor of “world of action.”
What kind of industry participation should be there in designing the curriculum and active participation in providing field training to the budding managers?
[/list]
Industry stalwarts should be made members of Board of Studies of the Universities, they should have more presence in Governing Bodies of B-Schools. It must be made mandatory for industry senior teams to spend fixed time in academic environment and share their view points. Institutes should constantly visit those industries, where their students have been placed and collect feedback about their performance, new requirements of industries. Field training period should be increased. Even daily/weekly few hours after Institute timings can be spent in local industries by the budding managers. The field training should be more rigorous, active; assignments based and have constant evaluation.
Another way of looking at it is that the Industries should start their own B-schools and devise curricula as per internal requirements. Couple of years ago, I was actively associated with one such experiment wherein some companies had joined hands together and devised a two year generic post graduate diploma. We used to sponsor students for this program on the basis of an all India level examination, pay them stipend and after completion of course the students used to join sponsoring organizations. The two year program had five segments of roughly 4 months each namely Finance, Marketing, HR, Operations and General Management. In each segment again combined theory classes at a common place followed by practical training at respective locations and then examination was the structure of this dual system. Thus industries used to get ready to use managers.
Do you feel that the courses should be oriented towards exams or case-studies?
[/list]
Of course case-studies based. They give flavor of real life environment, in which the MBAs have to spend their entire life. Case-studies enhance decision making ability, problem solving skills and an all round assessment with possibilities. The analytical as well as reasoning aspect gets sharpened.
Do you think there should be some sort of government initiative where it should be mandatory to have some industry experience before joining B-Schools?
[/list]
No. It is desirable to have industry exposure for better assimilation of inputs. The basic advantage of MBA after graduation is that continuity of education is maintained. If at all government’s intervention is sought then at the most government can promise/offer some stipend to those, who leave their jobs after some industry experience and wish to pursue MBA program, then to some extent the area of livelihood can be addressed during studies. This kind of stipend is paid in case of post graduation in engineering, at least in government engineering colleges.
How can we keep the pace up with technological advancements?
[/list]
By extensive use of technology in our T-L process. By offering on line assignments, making campuses paper less, examinations and assessments on line etc.
Increasing social media, internet, intranet, and mobile communication has created much impact on employees. Do you think this has facilitated the students too?
[/list]
Yes, to a large extent in both positive and negative sense. The challenge is now to bring the students back to classes and provide them necessary inputs. The students should get something additional/new in our class rooms, which is not readily available on any of these modes of information/ knowledge transfer. Only dedicated, passionate and experienced faculty members can make this happen.
What is your management mantra?
[/list]
My management mantra is “spiritualization of management education”. We should have home grown solutions to problems of this soil and fortunately we have everything. Age old teachings and writings of our saints are not only relevant today but also can provide niche to our post graduate education system. After visiting and experiencing some MBA Institutes, I feel our programs can be more effective if ethical, spiritual base is provided to our management education and through that all-round development of personalities is achieved. We not only need good MBAs but also good human beings.
Any feedback for ManagementParadise.com?
[/list]
Good and much needed umbrella for bringing management fraternity together.
Any mode of contact or link.
[/list]
[email protected]
[/b]