'We plan to train policy makers and maybe MPs'

Q&A:

Since its inception in 1984 as a national level school of excellence in management science by the Government of India, IIM-Lucknow (IIM-L) has today grown into one of the topmost global management schools. Devi Singh, who is serving a second term as IIM-L’s director, shares a few glorious moments and some obstacles faced by IIM-L during its 25-year journey. In an interview with Chitra Unnithan, he explains his stance on quality management education. Edited excerpts:

On the completion of its 25th year, what are the key focus areas of the institute?
In a short period of 25 years, we have achieved much. But we do not plan to rest on our laurels and believe that there is much that still needs to be done.

We believe that in the global arena, there is a focus on systematic development and how management can help in the changed global ethos. The chasm between the haves and have-nots has been growing and the wide disparity has thrown up big challenges for everybody.

Being a fully integrated business school, IIM Lucknow can not remain un-touched by the stark reality of globalisation and needs to work closely with opinion leaders, policy makers and the implementers to create sustainable solutions for the problems.

The things that are very close to my heart include giving back to the society by creating a centre for sustainable development and inclusive growth. We have a background of providing consultancy to projects in the social and rural sector and we can build upon this expertise to provide workable solutions.

We also aim at providing thought leadership for programmes relating to the environmental management. We have been having courses on carbon trading, environmental laws and the business of environment for the last three years or so.

We need to create a balance between business and society by exposing our students to not just the best of industry but also to acclimatise them to the reality of the country by giving them exposure into the rural India, where over 80 per cent of our population still resides. In the next few months, we would be chalking out a new strategy to push for the next level of growth at IIM Lucknow.

We have planned a retreat later this year for the faculty where we can deliberate on the larger issues of management and what would be the focus on, in the next few years.

Do you intend to bring in any immediate changes at the institute?
The immediate issue at hand is faculty development. An increase in faculty with the increase in the students is a given, but where does one get the requisite faculty from? We have taken the lead in creating a very robust fellowship programme and have the largest number of research scholars amongst all business schools.

Besides, we plan to focus on forging synergistic alliances with top global brands. Accordingly, increased interaction and exchange programmes with top business schools globally, which are industry leaders in the global arena are in the pipeline.We propose to optimally utilise the Noida campus, which has been specially created for providing excellence in executive education.

We plan to make the Noida campus a hub for executive training in the global context and also plan to create two new centres of excellence at IIM-L

Going forward, we plan the training of the policy makers and maybe even the parliamentarians.

Are there any plans to raise student intake?
The intake for PGP in the next session is going to increase to 425, from the current 345.

Are you looking forward to infrastructure expansion in the near future?
At IIM Lucknow, infrastructure development is an ongoing process. We are already constructing more hostels at the main campus to cater to the increased intake of students.

On the 15th of August 2009, we are doing the ground breaking ceremony for a new integrated classroom complex at Lucknow.

We have recently created a well developed sports centre with swimming pool and other facilities at the Lucknow campus.At the Noida campus, work is already on to create a world class convention facility with seating capacity of 1250.

What have been the biggest challenges that the institute has faced over the years?
Lucknow has always been a political hub and not a business centre. Despite the obvious constraints of being a global business school at Lucknow, today we are a force to reckon with in the management education space and widely recognised as one of the top business schools in India.

The other challenge that the institute has had to face was while setting up a second centre and developing it as an executive education hub. Our Noida centre is a feather in our cap, specially since we happen to be the only IIM to have created such a facility.

IIM-L has emerged out of the shadows of the other business schools and carved out a separate independent identity for it.