IIM Kozhikode: A 3D Approach

POST THE SIGNIFICANT SOCIOECONOMIC turmoil posed by the challenges of the pandemic, the world is quietly finding its feet again. The up­heaval inspired us to restructure our economy, to rewire our mindset, to rethink our education, and to finally realign our learning. This opportunity was also an anxiety-inducing phenomenon for the leaders, policymak­ers, educators, business leaders. B-Schools were no different. Amidst the uncertainties, ambiguity and volatility came the demand for a new learning landscape which gave an oppor­tunity to rejig us professionally, become resilient personally and more aware mindfully. How well did we fare and what now lies in store for us?

Appreciated globally for their quality, the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) have been holding the mantle for In­dia’s B-Schools making a distinctive global mark of their own. Widely regarded as a seat of excellence through the decades, nurturing the best in business and rightfully declared as in­stitutions of national importance, the IIM system has been creating knowledge, driving change through innovation and making an impact of their own internationally. At the same time, shaping India’s foremost thought leaders of tomorrow. But amongst the IIMs too, IIM Kozhikode, tucked away in the far south of India, has further changed the game for the IIMs in a short span of 25 years of its existence, with its dictum of “Glo­balising Indian Thought”. So what have we done differently?

The premise of our successful journey so far is that both the future and past are integral to the path taken by an insti­tution of excellence. Having a wide, far-seeing vision is not an indulgence but an activity that is necessary to give an insti­tution a sense of purpose, direction and imagination. That is why we have chosen to think in terms of what IIM Kozhikode will be able to contribute to India and the world some two-and-a-half decades from now. What will India, management education and the world look like in 2047, the year IIMK turns 50, and India turns 100? There is no guarantee that the certainties of today will hold then. We will need new ways of thinking, new skills and a bold, positive imagination. IIMK has therefore set for itself a pre-eminent role through “Globalising Indian Thought”. The potential impact that India can have on 21st century businesses make us believe that this is a legitimate aspiration. It is our earnest hope that our experiences and our Vision 2047 will be of inspirational value to managers and institutions who wish to contribute to the future of India and the world. IIM Kozhikode is also one of the few distinguished Institutes in the country which had the privilege to present a report, “Vision 2047—Indian Education @ 2047”, to the Ministry of Education, that will help usher in the nation’s vision to not be just the best in the world, but be the best for the world!

We consciously wish to play our part in the creation of a new and resurgent India and chiefly credit the success of our short, yet impactful, journey to the three Ds which have been integral to our approach of reshaping the educational landscape of management education in India—Diversity, Digitalisation and Disruption! The institute’s rise came with championing of gender diversity—we were the first to ad­mit more than 50 per cent women students in our flagship PGP course back in 2013 when the gender ratio was heavily skewed in favour of men, with women constituting only 8-10 per cent of the total numbers in the IIM set up. We also strongly believed that bringing diversity in classrooms is not just confined to increasing the share of women in the classrooms, but going beyond that. Affirmative action on academic diversity ensured that students from non-engi­neering background also found a level-playing field and alter the DNA of MBA in India forever.

WHEN COVID-19 STRUCK, the entire education sector was drawn into a limbo. For us at IIMK, we moved forward and accepted this as a “golden crisis” from the education sector’s point of view. The best possible use of resources to continue on the curve of learning automatically came into play as the crisis unfolded itself. Having pioneered the satellite-based Interactive-Learning (I-L) programme for working executives in the whole of Asia, in internet’s for­mative years in 2001-02 our robust technical infrastructure smoothly eased into the digital and blended learning mod­ules, thus giving us an advantage in overcoming the odds mounted against an education sector which was used to the traditional methods of teaching. Introducing full-time MBA programmes bridging Humanities and Management, PhD programme for working executives, 1-year MBA in Busi­ness Leadership disrupted the programme offerings and expanded the B-School horizon at the turn of the past decade.

With a long-term vison committed to excellence in man­agement education, research and training; establishing a pres­ence in the emerging disruptive segments of management education, IIMK through our Centres of Excellence in the field of Entrepreneurship & Innovation, Governance, Social Innovation, Climate Change, and Digital Transformation will be contributing to the next big ideas of the century.

It is beyond doubt that providing world-class infrastruc­ture, upskilling and reskilling of faculty, focus on comprehen­sive continuous evaluation based on the premise of holistic development, will be central to a B-School’s growth in the fu­ture. However, the ideal confluence of talent, ideas, academic expertise, and industry patronage coupled with experiential learning will best define the next few decades. Moving ahead, the emphasis on the student experience will change in many ways how B-Schools redesign their pedagogy. We will witness many of the leading business schools will turn from competi­tion to collaboration, to guarantee that their students receive the most innovative, immersive, dynamic and accessible experience possible. Sustainability being the buzzword, we will also witness renewed thrust on societal innovation and focus on studies mitigating the effects of climate change, the biggest challenge of the century. Business schools will col­laborate with industry, academia and governments to draw future roadmaps for an inclusive and sustainable future, and many solutions will emerge from the-cutting edge research and student experiences. The mental models having already changed with the digital infrastructure in place, it will be ac­tively used to open up opportunities for Indian institutes for internationalisation of their programmes.

To its credit, National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 has brought greater clarity on the role of technology, content and collaborations between institutes, now paving the way to bridge India’s skill gap. Thus helping the country set on a path to reap the best of its demographic dividend. Institutes like IIM Kozhikode will be the drivers of this tectonic shift which will underline that management is indeed India’s most successful soft power.

It is pertinent to understand that India’s future is the fu­ture of mankind. With one-sixth of our planet living within our geographical boundary, our aspirations will have to be of planetary proportions. In resolving and offering solutions to our own problems, we will help the rest of the world resolving theirs. What are the ways to resolve India’s most persistent problems such as poverty, population and polarisation of our polity? The only sustaining solution seems to be in the form of recreating and strengthening India’s thought leadership at timeless institutions like the IIMs for our next leap forward to realise the aspirations of Indians and Vision 2047—prosper­ous, resilient, inclusive and truly a Vishwaguru.

About The Author

Debashis Chatterjee

Debashis Chatterjee is Director, IIM Kozhikode