Strathclyde SKIL Business School (SSBS) students enjoy the best of both educational worlds

With a campus ranging from the Indian sub-continent to Glasgow,Scotland students at the Strathclyde SKIL Business School truly experience the best of both worlds.Fifty per cent of the SSBS faculty will be from Strathclyde Business School (SBS) as part of the faculty exchange and, at the start of their second year, SSBS students will spend a term at Strathclyde University’s Business School in Glasgow, Scotland providing them with cross-culture experience along with global exposure while studying with large number of nationalities (there are more that 100 nationalities studying at Strathclyde).

As Dean Bhimaraya Metri said “The long-term partnership between the University of Strathclyde and SKIL is underpinned by the University of Strathclyde’s academic heritage and business acumen, in combination with the thirst for knowledge in India’s booming new economy”. The combination of skills and expertise in Scotland and India gives the partnership a platform to provide excellent education that is wholly relevant to India’s global economic role.”Equal to the top business schools in the world, the focus of Strathclyde Business School’s faculty and research centers on how theory relates to practice and how practice helps to develop theory- the departments are regularly recognized for their contributions to teaching and research.

In reality, SSBS’s campus is global. A student in Noida can chat with someone sitting in Switzerland or the United States and get their views and opinions on the various aspects of management with the online platforms used by Strathclyde: Myplace, Pegasus, Mpegasus, Spider, Mercury, and Nemo. And through the university’s Business Information System (BIS) students have updated information resources at their fingertips, along with personal, informal advice from the BIS team.But not only will SSBS students benefit from the teaching, cross-cultural experience and cutting-edge facilities Strathclyde and Strathclyde Skil have to offer, they will also benefit from their shared international accreditation.

Strathclyde is among the top 20 business schools in Europe and is among only 55 worldwide to have the triple accreditations from Association of MBAs (AMBA), Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) and European Quality Improvement System (EQUIS). Scotland’s Education Secretary Michael Russell said in a visit to the SSBS Greater Noida campus “Scottish universities are renowned across the world for the quality of their learning, teaching and research, and Strathclyde is amongst our best.”SSBS is not merely a transplant of the Scottish institute into India but has been specifically developed to suit both Scotland and India, he said, noting “It is innovative and I am very much in favour of innovation.”

Era Business School: Earn while you learn at Era

Construction-minded students can literally cash-in on India’s building boom by taking Era Business School’s Post Graduate Diploma in Management (Construction Project Management) programme which features an earn while you learn plan plus numerous scholarships.

Earning while learning is just one of the benefits of the Post Graduate Diploma in Management (Construction Project Management) offered by Era Business School.

Designed to provide students some financial aid as well as hands-on experience, students will work at infrastructure and real estate sites six days a month for 10 months each year of the two year programme – and get paid to do so.

During the summer months, students will also be offered paid internships as part of EBS’s “learn and earn” programme.

Approved by the All India Council for Technical Education, the two-year programme features traditional management courses, along with courses in construction and project management, specialized courses in real estate development and management, infrastructure development and management focusing on transport, energy and power infrastructure. The PGDM (CPM) course is open to both new graduates and mid-career professionals.

A blend of theoretical and applied courses, the programme also includes training through practical experience with the aim of preparing graduates to take on responsibility at all levels of construction, real estate and infrastructure projects and deliver the goods efficiently and on time.

EBS is anchored by the world-class engineering, construction and services conglomerate the Era Group and job placement after successfully completing the PGDM (CPM) program is guaranteed.

The timing is definitely right to move into construction project management – the demand is there for skilled employees and that demand is constantly growing.

A booming economy, favourable demographics, increasing affordability, the growing number of financing options and more foreign investment has made the Indian real estate sector very appealing. It is now one of India’s largest employers.

Building is booming in India and now is the time to start constructing a solid base for a career in the industry. With 65 per cent of the total investment in infrastructure going toward construction, the sector is forecast to undergo high and sustained growth.

Based on the latest growth-rate statistics, it is estimated there will be 83 million people employed in the construction industry by 2022 compared to 36 million in 2008.

It is estimated an additional 47 million workers will be needed by 2022 – 33 million in infrastructure and 14 million in the real estate sector.

The market value of projects under construction in India broke the $100-billion barrier in 2010 and, due largely to huge investments in housing, roads, major highways, ports, water supply and airport development, the annual growth rate has been soaring at 11.1 per cent in recent years.

With demand for CPM grads ever increasing, there is a definite financial advantage to taking the course offered by Era Business School.

In addition to the learn and earn programme and the guaranteed paid summer internship programme noted earlier, Era offers entrance examination based scholarships, Era Business Aptitude Test (EBAT) based scholarships and “rolling” scholarships offered to the top five per cent of the students each trimester.

Young India Fellowships:Overwhelming response to first-round admissions for 2012-13

- Second and final round open in search for 2012-13 batch of Young India Fellows
- Almost 1000 applications already received in first round of admissions for this unique multi-disciplinary post-graduate programme in association with Ivy League, University of Pennsylvania (UPenn)
- World-class faculty from various domains of expertise – names such as Andre Béteille,  Rudrangshu Mukherjee, Radha S. Hegde, Vivek Bhandari and UPenn professors, Kenwyn Smith and Dwight Jaggard – expected to return for 2012-13 academic year
- Last date for submission of applications: 28th February 2012


Following the success of the first application round for 2012-13 Young India Fellowships, admissions have opened for the second and final round. A total of 915 applications were received for the 50 places, more than the 750 overall received for the inaugural 2011-12 batch. Applications have come from graduates of institutions including IITs, BITS Pilani, St. Stephen's College, Loyola College and Jadavpur College, and from engineers, lawyers, doctors, architects and social science, humanities and fine arts students. Graduate students now have until February 28 to submit their applications for the second round of admissions.

Run in partnership with the University of Pennsylvania (UPenn), the Young India Fellowship Programme (YIFP) is a one-year, fully funded multi-disciplinary post-graduate course based in New Delhi. It seeks to create India’s next generation of socially conscious business and community leaders by providing them with an education that integrates academic breadth with real-life work experience. A minimum of 50 recent graduates from diverse subject areas, who combine excellent academic ability with an evolved interest in an area outside their field of study, will be selected to be a part of the Fellowship for 2012-13.

Dean, Dr. Pramath Raj Sinha, also founding dean of the Indian School of Business, said YIFP was searching for India’s brightest young people, those who wanted to make a difference and discover their true potential. “I strongly encourage university graduates who have the vision, drive, passion and ability to achieve at the highest level and who aspire to be change agents for India to apply for the Fellowship,” he said. “We believe that YIFP is unsurpassed in its ability to create tomorrow’s leaders. YIFP’s multi-disciplinary academic course, its practical and focused internship project and many opportunities to interact with some of India’s and the world’s finest thinkers and leaders is unrivalled.”

During the first round of admissions, applications have been received from graduates hailing from villages to major metros, and there is an equal proportion of female and male applicants. Online applications were filled out by 865 applicants and an additional 50 applied by mail. Three-hundred are subsequently being called up for telephonic and personal interviews, with in-person interviews beginning January 1 and continuing till January 21, 2012.

Applications are invited from students across the country – from diverse academic and social backgrounds. The rigorous admission process for YIFP starts with applicants filling out a detailed application dossier designed to give an insight into their multi-faceted personalities. “This is followed by a telephone interview and an exercise to test applicants’ ability to work as part of a team before the final personal interaction to select a Young India Fellow,” YIFP Deputy Dean, Dr. Anunaya Chaubey, said.

To ensure it gets the highest-calibre applicants, the YIFP admissions team will resume presentations at higher education institutions this month – at Kolkata, Mumbai and Guwahati, covering such institutions as St Xavier’s, Presidency, Jadavpur, HRM College of Commerce and TISS. They have already visited institutions ranging from Kashmir University and NID (Ahmedabad) to IITs, Delhi University, St Xavier’s College, Loyola College (Chennai), Christ University (Bangalore) and Symbiosis (Pune), among others.

Meantime, the inaugural 2011-12 batch are completing Term 6 of the year-long programme, having recently studied courses such as leadership, visual communication and algorithms. They are now heavily engaged in their Experiential Learning Module real-life internship projects with corporations and organisations including Genpact, Harley-Davidson, Bharat Light and Power and the Council for Environment, Energy and Water (CEEW). Their attainments since joining YIFP include winning a Fulbright Scholarship, the 2011 World Bank Essay competition and the opportunity to represent India at the UNESCO Youth Forum in Paris.

YIFP Faculty is drawn from UPenn as well as other leading universities in India, the US and the UK. Fellows are mentored by industry leaders such as NR Narayana Murthy (Founder, Infosys), Deepak Parekh (Chairman, HDFC), Kiran Karnik (Satyam), Keki Dadiseth (Sony) and Anoop Prakash (Harley-Davidson).

The academic session starts in June 2012.  Visit www.youngindiafellowship.com and click on “Apply Now”.

Media inquiries: Inga Butefisch, Ph: 9958 170 246, email: inga.butefisch@9dot9.in

About YIFP: The Young India Fellowship Programme (YIFP), in conjunction with the University of Pennsylvania (UPenn), is the first academic programme in the country to fill the void in higher education for a holistic, multi-disciplinary course based on the liberal arts. A one-year, fully funded residential scholarship, YIFP has been specially conceived and designed to create the country’s finest, most socially conscious leaders. Each year’s batch of 50-plus Fellows will take subjects including Analytical Thinking, Leadership, Writing and Listening Skills, Philosophy, Sociology, Psychology, History, Economics and Statistics as well as classes designed to bring out their creativity, such as Art Appreciation and Latin Dancing. They will undertake a unique experiential learning internship, and gain practical work experience through a real-life project. Fellows will be taught by leading thinkers from respected universities both in India and abroad, and will be mentored by some of India’s best known leaders, chosen for their ability to be outstanding motivators and role models. YIFP is the precursor to Ashoka University, a world-class university focused on the liberal arts and sciences, set to open in the Delhi NCR in 2013. Ashoka’s founders, the International Foundation for Research and Education (IFRE), envision the university as India’s finest centre of higher education, comparable to the leading research-based, multi-disciplinary universities in the world.

Nikhil of 9.9 School of Convergence grabs his dream job with NewsX

Nikhil Bhushan is young, talented, and extremely passionate about his job with NewsX. After receiving his PG diploma in Applied Journalism and Media Communication from 9.9 School of Convergence (SoC), Nikhil is eager to share his journey. The enthusiastic Nikhil tells aspiring journalists how to “work smart and write smart” and elaborates on what it takes to be a journalist, reporting for a 24-hour-live channel. After assigning three self-explanatory adjectives - “best, amazing, and wonderful” - to his favourite journalism school, Nikhil’s answers highlight the essence of journalism and 9.9 School of Convergence in particular.


What is the one reason you will always want to come back to 9.9 School of Convergence?

The entire education system here is unique. The way the program is constructed here is a strong reason for one to come back to 9.9 School of Convergence repeatedly. We even asked the core faculty to make the Applied Journalism and Median Communication course a two-year program and convert it into a MA degree.

Everyone related to 9.9 School of Convergence is special. They come from diverse educational backgrounds. One of my colleagues from class, Rateika Dhawan, comes from a food background and wants to be a food journalist. I can learn something about food journalism from her - the connections with other students is interesting. I did my internship in sports, so I was able to contribute to the institute by telling everyone about sports journalism. The beauty of 9.9 School of Convergence is the diversity of different backgrounds.

Tell us a little about your internship experience. Was it given to you through 9.9 School of Convergence?

Yes, we all secured internships through 9.9 School of Convergence. A few of us went to NewsX. We had a couple of exams and short interviews, then NewsX selected four of us to intern with them.

The 9.9 School of Convergence’s curriculum structure includes six months of internship. Our internship contract with NewsX was for six months, but within three months of experiencing our skill set, NewsX hired all four of us.

Our internships were five days a week and one day in the classroom. We shared our internship experiences in class. The learning was as diverse as where people were working, which included the Times of India, Headlines Today, and Hindustan Times among others.

Once you are in one organization, you tend to learn only about that field in which your organization specializes. Here we got a chance to share, learn, discuss different problems and most importantly - solve those problems. We started learning and understanding the market together, as a team.

“I am learning this in my new company. What are you learning?” - these are the things we used to talk about at SoC. Everyone learns the same thing, but in different ways. At SoC, we’re lucky enough to learn in the most enjoyable and interesting way possible.

Where do you see yourself five years down the line? What will you do to try and ensure that you attain your goals?

I am very happy with the way I started my career - thanks to 9.9 School of Convergence and everyone who made it possible. Five years down the line, I see myself in a better position, not in terms of designation, but in terms of quality of work.

Journalism is much more than cameras and stories. Journalism is about how you report these stories. The story could be bad - the story could perhaps even be not worth reporting - but it’s still a story. It’s up to you how you narrate it. That is what we have learnt here at 9.9 School of Convergence.

It is understandable that in television journalism, there are time constraints and deadlines to keep up with, so it can affect the quality of work. But nonetheless, it is important to ensure that you don’t compromise your writing skills. Always keep your story stable. Always keep your story alive. That is very important, because that is what your viewer wants. Always keeping the viewer in mind is something we learnt at 9.9 School of Convergence. We did a lot of projects to develop these particular communication skills, and I will use them professionally from now on.

What is that one thing that you singularly brought to your job?

I’m an avid researcher and I present a lot of visuals, because when we write we refer to visuals. For example, today is the 24th. I will go home tonight and type “25th  September” on the Internet and see what events are happening tomorrow and form a story in my head before I go to office. That’s where you take the initiative, because everybody is racing against time and competing with each other. Before the editor says you need to do this, you should say “Sir, today this thing is happening and there is a story here we could do.” This is what I have brought to NewsX.

Why did you choose 9.9 School of Convergence? What is the most important thing you gained from here?

I chose to come to Delhi, because Delhi is the capital of journalism, not just the capital of India, and the course structure at 9.9 SoC is something I really liked.

I used to run away from writing. When I was about to join 9.9 School of Convergence, Dr. Eric Saranovitz, our Dean, told me that you will have to write a lot here. I was then a little skeptical. I come from an international relations background, so I was already in the habit of reading but I was never a writer. 9.9 School of Convergence gave me an opportunity to learn the art of writing and undoubtedly my writing etiquette and style developed over time. What I was writing when I first came to SoC and what I write now - well there is a huge improvement.

What message would you like to give your juniors?

Don’t think journalism is easy. Don’t think journalism is about making a report and that’s all you need to do. The market out there is very competitive and can be repressive. Maybe your program/story won’t go on air even after you work your heart and soul out for it. They may say, “Okay fine, but we don’t have time. There is breaking news in. We don’t want your story right now” - and you lose your story.

You have to work smart, write smart. If you want to write smart, write short for television, because there are time constraints. You need to keep your package short, only then it will get space on television. From the very beginning, concentrate on your writing and if you choose television, concentrate on your time management.

Time management is nothing but smart work. Don’t think that by getting into details you will do well here. You can do detailed work, but in sections, in parts, when it is demanded. The details cannot come first. If your piece is three minutes long, nobody will air that story. That length of story works for print, but not television. If you want to provide details in television, your work has to be crisp.

So all those who want to join 9.9 School of Convergence or want to go into television or any other form of journalism, don’t think it’s an easy job. The task is hard. Your priority changes every half an hour and you’ve got to decide what to prioritize. Be prepared for a world that is going to let you socialize as much as you would like to. If you can take on the rigors of this industry and come to terms with them, you will do well. You will excel.

SSBS:Prof. Colin Eden and Prof. Bhimaraya Metri of Strathclyde SKIL Business School (SSBS) agree on how accreditation out-ranks rankings

International accreditation, not ranking, is the hallmark of a top business school in today’s global market - and Strathclyde SKIL Business School (SSBS) as a part of University of Strathclyde Business School (SBS) enjoy the status of three such accreditations, putting it in a very select group.

SBS is accredited by the European Quality Improvement System (EQUIS), the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) and the Association of MBAs (AMBA), which Prof. Bhimaraya Metri noted in a Times of India article “are three of the most highly regarded international accreditations in the realm of higher business education.”

EQUIS focuses on school diversity and relationships with the business world, AACSB puts emphasis on how a school uses its resources to bring it up to a top level and AMBA concentrates on the quality and relevance of programs.

“Worldwide less than five per cent of B-schools are accredited by AACSB,” said Prof. Metri, “1.05 per cent of B-schools are accredited by EQUIS and 1.5 per cent of B-schools are accredited by AMBA. Only less than one per cent of business schools (55 B-schools) in the world hold ‘triple accreditations’ from EQUIS, AACSB and AMBA.”

Prof. Colin Eden, Vice-Dean and Director of the International Division of Strathclyde University says students must give more weight to accreditations compared to rankings, pointing out: “Rankings are very volatile. A university one year can be ranked 50, the next year it can get ranked 80, or vice-versa. Things cannot change that rapidly in the academic world.”

Accreditations are really difficult to come by, says Prof. Eden, requiring lots of paperwork and documentation, followed by visits from a panel of three Deans from across the globe who meet with staff, students, alumni and employers to determine the quality of education being given to students.

But such accreditations assure both students and the corporate world their education was obtained at a school of international acclaim - one that teaches the skills employers require.

Placement Blueprint: An event by IMT Ghaziabad

Placement Blueprint, an interesting event based on the current market scenario, saw students participating in large numbers. It dealt with the difficulties of a retail chain store in a market like India and was designed to test the participants’ knowledge about the retail sector and their ability to gauge the customer's mindset.

The event was designed around the entry of an international retail store in the Indian market- Blue Bazaar- which has been successful in various countries worldwide, is all set to open its branch in India. So it has floated a blueprint of the available store space. At the event, the participants were given this blueprint along with other relevant data like the socio- economic classification of the population, the level of education and the floor plan. As retail management students and future managers in the retail sector, the participants were expected to have an in-depth knowledge of the various available brands, customer profile and the best shelf-space utilisation. They were asked to device the best way of displaying the products on the store shelves, making them easy to locate and attractive.

The participants were asked to come up with 10 product categories with 3 brands in each. These categories and brands had to be decided keeping in mind the target customers. The final round consisted of laying the store’s planogram.

It was interesting to see the way budding managers from various institutes came up with innovative ideas. The efforts and ideas of all the participants were well worth appreciating. The event was judged by Mr. P.Gopalakrishnan from IndusInd Bank and Mr. Ranjan Jha, Principal Consultant at Foresight Group International AG. Team Madmen from IIFT-Delhi were declared the winners.

After the event, the participants too couldn’t stop thanking the organizers for this wonderful opportunity to showcase their talent and learn a lot of things in the process. They found Placement Blueprint to be different from the usual B-school events. As one of the winners put it: “This is a good event, novel idea, probably very different from any other event we have been part of.” At the same time, like another student pointed out: “I knew all the theory but when it came to applying it in this particular case study it was very difficult.” Most of the participants agreed that events like these are better than the routine classroom sessions as they compel the students to think and act in a real time market situation.

The participants also praised the IMT G campus and the arrangements made by the management. All in all, the event was a roaring success.

Strathclyde SKIL Business School launches BBS Admissions

Strathclyde SKIL Business School, the joint B-School initiative by Indian infrastructure pioneer SKIL Infrastructure Limited and Strathclyde Business School, one of the most innovative and largest business schools of its kind in the UK and in Europe is announcing the launch of Bachelor of Business Studies (BBS).

With a sharp focus on leadership effectiveness, entrepreneurial initiatives, multicultural understanding, social responsibility and sustainable development, Strathclyde SKIL Business School (SSBS) is now open for admissions for its academic session 2012- 2015.

Located in Greater Noida/NCR the SSBS undergraduate programme Bachelor of Business Studies (BBS) is specifically designed to meet the needs of Indian students seeking a global qualification. The world class BBS course is planned with a curriculum that will be delivered by a carefully chosen and highly qualified faculty. 50% of the faculty is from Strathclyde Business School (SBS), Glasgow while the other 50% are Indian teachers and academicians of impeccable repute.

The three-year Bachelor of Business Studies programme forms an excellent foundation for those seeking a degree in both business and management. Cutting edge research and knowledge in their chosen fields is an integral aspect of this three year BBS course.

Professor Bhimaraya Metri, Dean, Strathclyde SKIL Business School, says, “Upon graduation, students of SSBS will join a Strathclyde’s worldwide alumni network that are performing influential roles in the world of business and management and have attained the pinnacles of success.”

During the first year, students will be taken through a diverse spectrum of subjects, introducing them to various concepts that will build a strong foundation for specialization.

In the second year, BBS students progress to advanced subjects and specialised electives, taking courses at SBS, Glasgow, Scotland.

The third and final year sees students through two additional major specialisation courses and one minor specialisation course.

Students joining SSBS will possess several distinct advantages:

- A degree awarded by the University of Strathclyde

- Over 50% of the courses will be taught by faculty from Strathclyde B School in Scotland

- Study at campuses located in India and Scotland thereby gaining cross cultural experiences and developing into management leaders possessing global perspectives

- Industry interactions will give students the added advantage of practical experience coupled by thorough theory in the classroom

- All academic and intellectual resources of SBS, UK will be available to them