Mr. Nobin Philips describes how SCMS Cochin School of Business works towards creating successful professionals and entrepreneurs of the future.

With a proven track record in academics and industry both, Mr. Nobin Philips has been an important addition to the faculty team at SCMS Cochin School of Business. Mr. Phillips, who recently joined the institute as an Assistant Professor, has an MBA in Finance and Marketing from University of Wales. In addition, he has 7 years of solid experience in teaching management at different universities in the UK. After working with big name institutes internationally, Mr. Philips was keen on working with a top B School in India. He admits that SCMS Cochin was an obvious choice and his journey thus far has been fulfilling experience. At the institute, Mr. Philips, with his dual specialization, is in a position to offer classes in both Marketing and Finance (Insurance). Moreover, he brings his experience teaching in foreign universities to the table. If you ask him whether he sees any big differences between students in the two countries, he replies, “The big difference is that students are more focused on learning abroad,” he laments. “I studied in one of the best colleges in the world but I was told there that their MBA wouldn’t guarantee us a job. It’s the opposite here and students are only working towards getting a job. This kind of focus has to change.” According to Mr. Philips, students should look at management studies as a means to know more about business and how it works. This is something his institute tries to imbibe amongst its students. He believes that’s why you see a huge difference in students once they complete live projects and are ready to leave the B School. “I think any college can help the bright students learn and graduate,” he explains. “But you know the true education level of an institute when average students do well and I am proud that we have managed to do that here. We keep doing our best to encourage students towards their holistic and well-rounded development.” However, the fact remains that Marketing and Finance is considered to be a lucrative domain of management, which is why it draws a large number of students. But does Mr. Philips think that career opportunities are reason enough for aspirants to opt for it? “There are so many misconceptions. One being that if you talk well, you are good for marketing; and, if you like numbers, you are a fit for Finance. None of this really applies when you are working in the real world,” he says. “That’s why we want our students to be managers, so that they can plan, strategize and have an all round approach to challenges. Aptitude is something that can grow in you.” Mr. Philips also adds that most students know the specialization they want to pick after their first year. The institute also does its best to lead them in the right direction; however, for some, entrepreneurship might be the goal and SCMS Cochin encourages that as well. Mr. Philips sheds light on that, saying, “We have an entrepreneurship cell where we have only 40 students. We have conversations with them to understand what their goals are, and we organize conferences and seminars where they can interact with industry experts. We also ask them to come up with a business plan while working closely with start-up companies.” Clearly these initiatives have been carefully thought out to give students of the institute the cutting edge advantage. Mr. Philips himself endeavors to ensure that they are not lagging behind, and he gives us insight into describes his approach to teaching: “We try to focus on case studies in the classroom and they learn to relate to concepts with their practical applications. So even if they don’t know the theories well, they gain an understanding of industry practices. We also have mentees at the institute and we try to ascertain what they lack in terms of education, whether it’s skill, motivation or any other factors. We then try to address these issues so that the students flourish in their two years with us.” And it’s this personal approach and dedicated attitude towards teaching amongst faculty members that makesSCMS Cochin one of the best places for learning for management aspirants.