Manish Kothari, Founder and MD of ISBR Business School is a man with a plan. Ahead of a gruelling admission season, we got talking about education. Excerpts:
How is ISBR helping students to be work-ready?
It is an institute with the primary motive to ‘train young men and women to be able and eager to create and put into action their ideas, methods and concepts.’ ISBR provides best-in-class contemporary management education to maintain a pipeline of ‘industry ready’ and ‘employable’ management professionals.
What are the new courses that the institution has launched?
Recently we have launched a Sports Management Program. The opportunities for employment and entrepreneurship in the field of Sports Management are increasing year after year. ISBR has also launched a global programme at the master’s level wherein students get a chance to study in international universities for one or two semesters.
What are the other aspects that students learn?
Smart skills, soft skills and decision-making skills are considered the most important to achievers in one’s career. Ethics and Value-based learning also plays a vital role. At ISBR, we lay great emphasis on enabling students by giving them learning opportunities, practice session, coaching and counselling.
How is ISBR working to encourage entrepreneurial skills?
ISBR considers entrepreneurship as one of the prime focus areas. We host a lot of contests and competitions for start-ups and support worthy ideas with mentoring and incubation support. Every student at our institute undergoes an entrepreneurship module to shape his idea of becoming an entrepreneur.
How different are your two campuses?
The two campuses offer different programmes in management, law, commerce and integrated Post Graduate Programmes. The infrastructure is designed to suit the requirements and is continuously upgraded as the need arises from time to time.
Are there any plans to expand your institution to some other cities?
We are also looking at Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu as the most important areas to move into.
What is your take on India as a global destination for Higher Education?
India is successful in creating a sustainable higher education system that serves the requirements of both the domestic as well as global economy. We believe that “globally relevant and competitive” in the Indian context implies the following: India is prominently placed on the global higher education map in terms of reputed institutions, significant student and faculty mobility.
What are cross-cultural imperatives in education to build a connected world?
The need to empathise with others, value diverse perspectives and cultures, understand how events around the world are interconnected, and solve problems that transcend borders has never been greater. For students to participate effectively in the global community, they will need to develop global competence, which is rightly labelled a 21st century skill.