About PGPX and IIMA debuting at #11 on FT.com’s Global MBA Rankings 2011

On January 31^st, 2011, FT.com released their 2011 Global MBA Rankings (Read Here). IIMA made its debut in these rankings at #11. This is the best ever debut, but more on that later. 

When an iconic business school that has, over the last five decades, defined its contribution to the society through leaders who have led big changes in the Indian and international arena debuts on the MBA ranking scales in this manner, there is a lot of surprise. Why? Because owing to technicalities in ranking processes of international MBA billboards, Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad never qualified for the rankings before. For the record, no other IIM has qualified, so far.

There is no doubt that MBA rankings recognize the School and not just the Programme. Because the school is what makes the ecosystem for learning; made possible by best in class faculty who do top of the line research, and using tools and pedagogy honed over years of research and student feedback, enable learning in their unique ways. Alumni of the institute keep the flag flying high and attract larger numbers of aspirants to the school. The students thrive in this environment and later as alumni themselves, through their real contributions and progression in their careers carry forward the alma mater’s glory and contribute to it.

In the context of rankings the change began when IIMA started to redefine the IIMA class, in more ways than one, with the PGPX programme. (Read about PGPX here)  PGPX, the 1-year full time residential programme, attracts applicants with substantial work experience. A PGPX student, on an average, has 10 years of work experience, before he or she joins the full time residential programme. Additionally, international experience is recommended, though not mandatory. Now, the international MBA programmes in other countries, typically, admit students having about 4-5 years of work experience. Over the last couple of decades, while the IIMs have seen large growth in student numbers for the PGP batches (the 2-year full time residential programme), the classes continue to have substantial number of students with nil or minimal (by international standards) prior work experience. This constitution is what prevented IIMA from getting qualified for the MBA school rankings, all these years. The much needed, much deserved recognition in the world of MBA schools was left much awaited for IIMA.

At IIMA, FT.com ranking was sought since the qualification criteria were met in 2009, when the third batch of PGPX graduated. Now, FT.com ranking process includes a mandatory survey of graduates who have been working for 3 years after completing the programme. But that requirement changed when FT.com clarified that they needed the 4^th batch out before IIMA could qualify. Therefore, the evaluation of the IIMA for the ranking was made possible only in 2010.

The debut of IIMA at #11 is the ‘best ever debut’ (Read the release here) and it is no simple achievement for a business school from India to do this. Right behind IIMA, on the FT.com rankings is Indian School of Business (ISB, Hyderabad, India). They were quick to clarify in their press release (Read ISB's press release here) that it was the PGPX programme that qualified for these rankings. They have enough reason to make this clarification.

But, as should be well understood, the ranking belongs to the entire Faculty, the Alumni, the managers and administrators and students of IIMA who’ve made possible the millions of aspects that go into building an iconic institution. A great way to begin a year when IIMA celebrates its Golden Jubilee!

NID Professor innovates boldly. Nothing else to it.

Some absurd claims in media (Read here) were brought to our notice by a PGPX co-alumnus of ours (Read here ). Apparently, this news has been, today, picked up by a television news channel also.

It is unfortunate that certain people have misconstrued and consequentially misrepresented the objectives of the course and actions of the professor. Actions of the professor, to be sure, in my experience in this course, were that of "professing"/talking in a challenging manner and demonstrating meditative exercises. And in full earnest, the professor forewarns people that it is not for the faint-hearted, not for any reason (we realise later) except that they will be reaching within to free themselves of their fears & inhibitions.

The course at IIMA (similar to NID's Strategic Design Management mentioned in the media article) is intended to develop a creative mindset. A basic point delivered is that in order to be creative, mental blocks (mostly unresolved notions) need to be overcome. Overcoming baseless notions leads to an uninhibited approach to generating new ideas. With a questioning mindset, our basal fears are identified and this further leads to freeing ourselves of them.

The suggestion that there was stripping or there were even suggestions to strip in the class is totally absurd. At the most the question asked by the instructor is- in a scenario that he were to make a suggestion to strip, how would participants respond? It is a question intended to urge participants to think why they would respond the way they would. It is intended to encourage students to examine the basis of their individual responses. Several such questions are asked that challenge our presumptions about norms, superstitions etc that normally lead to "in-the-box" or linear thinking. The professor takes an innovative approach toward developing an innovative mindset. He brings together nueroscience, evolutionary biology, space science (MFR technology), ancient yogic practices, psychology, modern design theory, innovation theories, management science among others, to provide holistic & experiential learning. It is sad that someone has totally misunderstood this and made a joke out of it.

The contract (touted as 'NDA' by the complainant) itself, by the way, if you understand the professor's purport, is intended as a first challenge- that of signing an undertaking to face the unknown. While we were told that such a declaration is legally binding (blah, blah), one only needs to step above the details to see through the exercise and appreciate the ingenuity of the approach. The declaration -handwriting it & signing it- is intended to drive in seriousness about the course, while challenging your mind and your fears. If you still don't get it, consider what your response would be if a total stranger approached you and asked you to write such a declaration? In daily work life, this is what happens. Someone gives us a creative task and our inhibitions prevent us from thinking freely and understanding the issues underlying any problem. Our solutions are, therefore, based on wrong or narrow notions. How many products don't fail in the market due to bad (sometimes, even stupid) design?

For the record, my experience of undergoing this course was clean and genuinely eye-opening. While I am not speaking on their behalf, I can confidently state that the female classmates of mine were not uncomfortable as far as I could understand and can recall. The course became a hit among those who joined it and was followed loyally. So much so, that a few wives of students joined the course and they completed it (no credits, though!) with full fervour. In the following term, Advanced edition of the course (Call it "Part 2") offered as an elective, again, had a dedicated following.

A set of people has totally missed the point. Correction... a set of people has totally missed the bus on what could have been a potentially transformational experience to them, had they made an earnest attempt to follow the message than throw muck around, over nothing (internal investigations are currently on, states the TV channel).

There might be more to the motive of this complaint/allegation than meets the eye. One doesn't need to have undergone the course to see it.