XLRI to create knowledge

The new director of Xavier Labour Relations Institute, Father N Casmir Raj, plans to transform the premier institution from a disseminator of knowledge to a creator of knowledge. Raj took over from Father P D Thomas on March 30 this year.

"So far the institute has used textbooks, case studies and ideas generated by outside people. XLRI would prefer its own faculty to contribute to the knowledge base. For this it would focus on research work. XLRI would start a unique course that would turn out business academicians for meeting the shortfall," he said.

Raj was the former director of Loyola Institute of Business Administration (LIBA). XLRI plans to increase its faculty strength from 40 to 50.

The course, probably of one year duration, would teach teaching methodologies, different from other general colleges to MBA and PhD holders.

Founder of LIBA, Chennai, Raj has worked at St Louis University in USA, Xavier Institute of Management at Bhubaneshwar and Goa Institute of Management before rejoining LIBA as director in 2001.

An expert in consumer behaviour, services marketing and market research, he graduated from Santa Clara University, USA. Before setting up LIBA in 1979, Raj was the principal of the Loyola College in Chennai, which became the country's first autonomous college.