(This story has been prepared by the Media Committee of the IIM Indore UAE campus)
(Update : Director of IIM Indore talks to us about the UAE PGP programme - Exclusive! - 8th Sep 2013 )
First Take: IIM Indore UAE Campus.
Finally, the Indian Institute of Management arrives on foreign soil!
IIM Indore has already established itself amongst the top tier of B-schools in India. Now it plans to emerge as an international B school. A two year regular course in UAE is an important step in that direction. How successful this will be…only time can tell. But going by the success rate achieved in the short span of time, we might be looking at the next big thing in MBA education in India.
Let us take a first look on how this new venture is unfolding….
Why Middle East? A curious mind would ask…
This IIM Indore initiative came up after taking into consideration the fact that the Middle East has many of the qualities that companies look for in an FDI destination: Solid fundamentals, Strong demographics, effective resource management and government willingness to improve the already concrete growth prospects. Its diverse economy is surging in many other sectors including real estate, hospitality and construction, chemicals and metals & mining.
By positioning itself in a region with emerging commercial hubs like Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha, IIM Indore wants to cater to the fast rising demand of quality managers in the GCC countries. Other famous B-school brands like LBS, Hult and Cass have already made their presence felt in the region.
Program Details
Started in 2011, PGP at Ras Al Khaimah is a two year regular course along the same lines as PGP at IIM Indore, India. To make it locally suited, electives are offered in the 2nd year pertinent to the Gulf region. The students are taught by the visiting faculties from IIM A and IIM B apart from the core pedagogy of IIM Indore.In addition to the case based approach there is a heavy emphasis on simulation based learning to enhance the academic experience. IIM Indore has partnered with Higher College of Technology (under the govt. of UAE) for logistics and infrastructure support for the program. Classes are currently held in the state of the art classrooms at the HCT campus in RAK.
Student’s Experience: Living in a foreign Country
The first batch of 14 students arrived in UAE in late 2011 with all the inhibitions of going to a foreign land. But after spending more than a year in UAE they are in love with this place. In the words of Shaina, a 2nd year student: “Our perception of the strict Arab culture was instantly demolished and the place grew on us.” UAE has a great cosmopolitan culture. You may have breakfast alongside a Chinese, lunch with an American and dinner with a Nigerian. There is also immense respect for people who work here” says Aniket of 1st year.
There is a plethora of opportunities to learn. The proximity of the institute to Dubai and RAK free trade zone provides many opportunities for students to interact with the industry through industrial visits and guest lectures by business leaders. But what adds charm to this program is the abundance of outdoor experiences like the Desert Safari, Dubai Shopping and the barbeques at many of its beautiful beaches nearby.
Summer Placement:
The first batch of 14 students had a great Summer Placement (2012) in companies like American Express, PepsiCo, Luminarc UAE,PWC, Vodafone, Central Bank of India, etc. Final placements for the batch of 2011-2013 are going on and a consolidated placement report will be out soon.
Summer Placements - Class of 2014 (38 Students) can be found
here
2012- 2014 Batch Profile (2nd Batch):
Following on the success of the first batch, the program which is now in its second year has 40 students coming from diverse backgrounds and substantial work experience. With 25% of the batch coming from prestigious institutes like the IITs, NITs and DCE it is already attracting the best. Some of them have left established B-schools like IIM Rohtak, IIM Kashipur, MDI, IMT and XIMB to join this course.
First-year student, Harish Raghupartini (B.Tech IIT Roorkee) preferred this course over new IIMs. “I interacted with the seniors and realized that if I wanted to do something new, this was the place to be. After all, world is fast becoming a small place and a global outlook would soon become an important requirement. And with 200 of the Fortune 500 companies within driving distance, there is no dearth of opportunities.” - says Harish.
As part of the Curriculum 1st year Students have spent one trimester in the parent campus (IIM Indore India). During this period, students were also involved in a rural immersion program. “We experienced the nuances of self-sustainability, rural entrepreneurship and efficient agri-business in Chitrakoot village. The discussions with the ZillaPanchayat in Jhabua were a welcome revelation in understanding rural management.” says PrakharRathee, a 1st year student.
Clubs and Activities:
The UAE batch has established a vibrant student cultural base in a short span of time. Student driven clubs like Dviti (Finance), Consilium (Consulting), Novatiem(Entrepreneurship) Uthan(Social Responsibility Cell) and Mark-haba(Marketing) help the students to be competitive in their fields of interests. As Prasanna, a 1st year student and member of the finance committee Dviti, says “We conduct regular sessions on finance topics, certifications as well as general business quiz. Our focus is to enhance the financial awareness of students beyond the classroom sessions.”
“All work and no play is surely not the way”: this is the credo of the IIM Indore RAK batch. We have initiated the Film-I club and the Sports & Cultural Activities Club. The IPL like auction conducted by the Sports club is hugely popular among the students. Anshul a member of the film-I club says, “While Film-I serves as a playground for movie buffs, we also discuss the works of masters like Hitchcock, Kubrick, Spielberg and Ray. A Short film on Arabic culture is on the anvil” too.”
Finally, there are the core committees of Media and Corporate relations, Placement, alumni relations and Student affairs to look after their respective domains.
Batch Profile of 2012-2014
Number of students: 40
Average Work Experience: 25.5 months
Application Window: (Last date for applications: March 22nd 2013)
Tuition Fees: 780,000 INR per annum
(The above story has been prepared by the Media Committee of the IIM Indore UAE campus)
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