Dr John F O Bilson did not invent the electric guitar, neither did he tune all of Eric Clapton's guitars. The professor shrugs off the fictional details on his Wikipedia page as a silly joke by a particularly troublesome student. But when it comes to teaching Business, the professor is nothing if not serious about fine tuning the best possible students.
As the guest of honour at the Great Lakes Institute of Management’s 13th Annual Convocation, Dr Bilson reminded the students about the significance of technology and innovation to the industry, saying, "People must understand that technology only creates more job opportunities and one should not be afraid to embrace it." Emphasising on the importance of the discipline, he says, "Everybody needs to know or understand at least a little bit of business."
Having always had a strong interest in education in India, he has previously met with several universities across the country. "Indian students are always technically brilliant and they excel in major companies. However, they fail to perform when it comes to design and creativity. It is important to reform the education system to be more accommodating to these needs," he explains.
The professor also emphasises on the importance of culture and the impact it can have on business practices around the world. "There are a lot of social aspects to business in India. Sometimes, people are very inflexible when it comes to basic things. And in many parts of the country, the whole business is about who you know, where certain cultures and classes may have the upper hand," he says
