For some people, work is like oxygen and age is just a number. This is true in the case of Prof J Philip, 82, Founder-President, XIME and Former Director at IIM-Bangalore, who ventured into building a new business school, built on the concept of student-centrism. That is the Xavier Institute of Management and Entrepreneurship (XIME), which opened their third management education facility in Chennai, after setting up B-schools in Bengaluru and Kochi. We caught with the veteran to talk about the institution and the challenges of higher education in the country. Excerpts:
What are the courses offered at XIME? How is it different from other institutions?
Our main programme is the Postgraduate Diploma in Management (PGDM), the same which is offered by leading business schools like the IIMs, XLRI, SP Jain Institute and so on. In addition, there are a number of short programmes for Executives. We also conduct a three-month Entrepreneurship Development programme for aspiring entrepreneurs. We are trying to contribute towards Startup India.
How is XIME preparing students for global challenges and fostering entrepreneurship?
We have partnerships with a number of B-schools including the Paris-Sorbonne University, which is one of the leading and oldest universities in Europe. Roughly 30 of our students go to Paris, 20 go to China and 10 go to Japan to our partner institutions to learn about international business. We select these students on the basis of their performance. In addition, all students have an international study tour. We have courses at the institute targeted at globalisation.
What type of individuals are you targeting?
We have a fairly tough selection system; they should have taken common admission tests like CAT, MAT and XAT and passed with an acceptable percentage. Once they get through that cut-off, then candidates will be required to write an essay and prepare a speech to exhibit their English proficiency.
Do you think higher education in India has a long way to go despite the changing times?
Of course. There’s no doubt that we are quite behind. It is good that we are pushing for mass education, but the quality of education is bad. The answer lies in these private institutions and more freedom. If we observe one of the earlier commissions, the Sam Pitroda commission has recommended 1,500 universities as opposed to the 700 that we currently have.
What advice do you have for potential applicants?
A student must have the interest to learn. They should know what is happening around him. Business management has a lot to do with the market and international trade, so one must keep their eyes and ears open. I would advise applicants to go beyond their narrow field of study and read beyond their classes and subjects
