Recently an article was published about how IIMs should be set up only close to the industry and how IIMK has a 'locational disadvantage' when it comes to industry interaction.
I am sure this article will give a lot to talk about to students across India! As an Alumni of IIMK who has seen the ground realities, I will offer my two cents.
1. There was a problem of accessibility to the institute and that did have some effect on the corporates coming to IIMK. However, I also do know that this has never been a serious impediment. IIMK has been able to host the maximum number of seminars over the years and now our events attract corporates and students from all corners of the country. As someone who has seen sufficient working of the corporate world, I know that companies don’t mind such issues till they get good ROI and the quality of students at IIMK has always remained a strong 'Return' for the 'Investment' made. We also have used technology to circumvent this problem. IIMK has videoconference facility which gives its students access to industry stalwarts with both parties settled at their respective locations. So, what may have been a locational constraint 5 years back is something archaic to talk about now.
2. The issue of BSchool ranking is a contentious one. I have not analyzed this issue in detail but yes I find it hard to believe some of the rankings and I am happy that aspirants don't rely on these rankings for making their choices.
3. I have seen that working in the social sector is a matter of choice rather than compulsion. We do our summer internship with MNCs but our Social Development Projects give us a means to give something back to the society. I remember how happy we felt to do financials for an orphanage which was struggling to complete it. In the process we made good friends with the students who someday want to become IIM grads!
4. For me, the most important aspect of a BSchool is not the courseware, the infrastructure or even the faculty; these are just enablers. What matters is the quality of people I am going to spend two years of my life with. I have learned a lot in the evening discussions in the canteen over a cup of tea and have gained very useful insights discussing topics while talking a stroll after dinner. Students form my batch have taken roles with some of the top Consulting, Banking, IT and FMCG firms and have started to make an impact already. There will be some catchup needed to reach the levels where the Alumni of A,B,C have reached and this is just because they have had more time to grow but I am sure that younger IIMs are churning out the same potential.
In all this hoopla over placements, location, faculty etc I see that the most important aspect of a BSchool life – its student life – is missed. A Man is known by the company he keeps and I am happy that in institutions of repute like IIMK, there is no dearth of good quality company.
Everyone has the right to a point of view. For different people, different things become important. For the writer of the article, being a busy journalist, time to reach was an important factor however for me, who studied there, my fellow students mattered and I am happy to say that I was not disappointed.
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3 comments:
My only disappointment was that I did not get to interact with you earlier. And that dinner never did materialize :)
As I see it, one of the main plus points of a good B-school ranking is the publicity that it brings to the institute, and even a college like IIMK needs that badly.
To compound matters, a number of students do look at B-school rankings while deciding between colleges that do not have to much to choose from! I have personally known friends who have made their decisions on whether to join IIMK, IIMI,XLRI, MDI, SP Jain etc. based on what these "tabloids" have to say!
Even though they look at it
there is more weightage to peer/senior say
as well as the profs of the coaching institutes
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