New IIMB head for policy debate

Indian Institute of Management - Bangalore (IIMB) will take up key initiatives which will foster dialogue for shaping public policy in India.

Plus, as one of the topmost management school in India, it will seek to sit at the high table of the best schools globally and contribute significantly to the development of India.

Pankaj Chandra, the newly-minted director of IIMB, three days into the top slot, said: "Shaping public policy will be my guiding philosophy. The vision of IIMB's future is a shared vision of its various stakeholders."

Chandra, who has Banaras Hindu University, Wharton and Cornell in his CV, takes centrestage at a time when there is a raging debate on autonomy for the Indian Institutes of Management.

"Autonomy is paramount to the growth of an institution. However, I am sure the government will support us in growth as we chalk out a strong vision for the institute," Chandra said.

He would like to bring Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore to the centre of national debates and foster an environment where different stakeholders can find IIM's intellectual energy challenging enough to want to come and address difficult policy issues.

"Public policy has been Delhi-centric and we want to use the intellectual energy of the region to create an impact," the North India-born director said.

On the challenge of attracting and retaining faculty, Chandra said this will be his biggest endeavour during his term as director over the next five years.

"I will reach out proactively and seek partnerships with industry to set up research chairs at IIMB. There is rich knowledge in the school and for any academic, adequate research opportunity will be of immense interest. This is the approach which I feel will attract quality faculty," he added.

The institute has built great strength in knowledge delivery systems. "As we consolidate this strength, we should move on to create a world class research-driven institutional agenda." he said. Chandra wanted to build creative bridges between IIMB and other academic institutions of excellence in India and in Bangalore, with industry, alumni and civil society.

"We are conscious of our role in building other upcoming institutions in the country," he noted.