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| 'It is important that our executive MBAs experience India' | | Q&A: Phil Rosenzwieg, Professor, Strategy and International Management |
| Chitra Unnithan / Ahmedabad Feb 15, 2010, 00:18 IST |
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The executive MBA programme at Switzerland-based International Institute for Management Development (IMD) is ranked among the top 20 such courses worldwide. As part of the course, the institute conducts a Discovery Expedition to India. Phil Rosenzwieg, professor of Strategy and International Management, and his students recently visited India as part of the expedition. Rosenwieg spoke to Chitra Unnithan about his experience. Edited excerpts:
What is the Discovery Expedition all about?
EMBA Discovery Expeditions are real-time lessons on exploring new trends and ideas, and evaluating their relevance for participants and companies. They include visits to the likes of Silicon Valley and Shanghai. Our programme involves work with company-specific assignments, along with three Discovery Expeditions to other parts of the world. Our goal is not just to learn about the economy and business challenges but also to learn about the social and environmental issues.
After Shanghai and Silicon Valley, why did IMD choose India for the discovery programme?
India is a very important part of the world stage today. It is very important that our executive MBAs experience India. India is a global power in the making, if it manages to achieve anywhere near its full potential over the next few years. Our visit to India sets us up nicely for our next trip to Shanghai in May, as there are many points of comparison and contrast between these two giant nations — economically, socially, politically, environmentally, and more.
What were the take-aways from India?
India is also a place of stark contrasts, often positioned side by side: abject poverty next to western luxury and sophistication; global corporations (both Indian and foreign) next to grassroots entrepreneurship. IMD Executive MBA participants visited leading companies including Infosys Technologies, ICICI Bank, Bajaj Auto, Mahindra & Mahindra, and Zensar and interacted with speakers who talked about issues like entrepreneurship, advertising in Indian culture, spiritual life, and microfinance. The participants stayed in Mumbai where they witnessed the full range of urban life — from Marine Drive to Dharavi, a slum of more than a million people. The group also travelled to Pune, and visited villages east of Pune to understand rural issues, including education and agriculture.
And last autumn, five leading companies (ICICI, Tata Motors, Wipro Water, Zensar, and Jaipur Rugs) identified two projects each, which groups of students began to work on in December, first on a remote basis, then during their time at IMD from Jan 17-23, and then while in India, finally making presentations to the client firms on this month. Perhaps this was the most valuable part of the Discovery Expedition.
How important is India as an education market for IMD?
India is highly important as a country for us to learn about. It has not, so far, been a large market for IMD, but we hope that will improve over time. We have had a few Indian nationals doing our EMBA, and would like to have many more.
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