Imperial School of Banking and Management Studies: Integrating Unique Teaching Pedagogies To Bridge The Industry-Academia Gap

By Prof. D Surya Prakash, Prof. Anuja Ashtewale & Dr. Harshada Samudre, Founders and Promoters, Imperial School of Banking and Management Studies
Prof. D Surya Prakash, Prof. Anuja Ashtewale & Dr. Harshada Samudre,Founders and Promoters, Imperial School of Banking and Management Studies

Prof. D Surya Prakash, Prof. Anuja Ashtewale & Dr. Harshada Samudre

Founders and Promoters, Imperial School of Banking and Management Studies

In India, the basic issue with management education is lack of industry orientation which has created a huge gap between industry and academics and many educational institutions are finding it hard to get their students job-ready. One institution that has been thriving in these challenging times is the Imperial School of Banking and Management Studies.

The institute has been bridging the industry- academia gap by introducing a mandatory Advance Program in Banking & Finance or Marketing along with MBA which includes training on 15 various domains of the industry which is designed and trained by industry professionals. Dr. Harshada Samudre, Head - Promotions & Alliances at Imperial School of Banking and Management Studies says that, “By operating with a mission to provide quality education through innovative practices in all the aspects of management and related domains, Imperial School of Banking and Management Studies has been able to become one of the most sought-after banking/finance and management institutions in the country and is envisioning to be a leading player in the industry”.

Creating a Deep Connection with their Students
The institute strives to create committed and ethical leaders who can set new performance benchmarks as well as have a positive impact on the community as a whole. “We offer something very unique which typically business schools don’t offer. Be it our unique curriculum, the involvement of industry trainers/mentors, 15 live projects, training in more than 20 domains of specialization, training to clear CFA foundation certification or association with Investment Banker’s Forum.

We have a series of focused things that we do to train our students and hence we are able to produce well-trained manpower to suit the industry. We are also an institute which takes very limited number of students per specialization in any given batch and hence is in the business of hand-picking students and training them rigorously through personal
mentoring and planning for each student, which is not the case in general with other business schools that have a minimum strength of 120 students”, avers, Prof. D. Surya Prakash, Director, Imperial School of Banking and Management Studies. All these have helped the institute to create a deep connection with their students and help them reach their true potential.

The institutes’ unique curriculum, the dual program of MBA plus advance program, and more than 20 domain training into a single specialization has also helped them to stand apart from the rest in the Indian management education space. Adding further about the unique teaching pedagogies offered at the institute and how they are able to offer the perfect blend of theoretical and practical education, Prof. Anuja Ashtewale, Academic Head at Imperial School of Banking and Management Studies says, "We, as an institute, do series of things to ensure that our students match up the industry requirements in learning.

Firstly, the inclusion of Advance Program in Banking & Finance and Advance Program in Marketing along with MBA gives us a free hand to design the syllabus according to the industry needs and hence have industry experts who do the same for us. Secondly, we ensure that all our faculties carry industry work experience in their respective subject so that they can teach relevant things.

Thirdly, the final assessment of all the 15 subjects is 50 percentage live assignment for which students do live projects, followed by a project report, presentation and viva to be taken by an industry professional. Then, all our students participate in case study competitions conducted by various organizations during their course to ensure a real situation analysis-based learning, and lastly, all our subjects have a maximum inclusion of 5 cases which are discussed and worked upon in the classroom”.

Believing in ‘Change is the only Constant’
Imperial School of Banking and Management Studies has a tradition of conducting webinars every week wherein the institute calls an industry guest every week to guide their students on their respective area of expertise and skill set needed to be a part of that industry. The institute also focuses on matching student’s interests and caliber in allotting the summer internship which can further give organizations an opportunity to pick the students in the same domain and also for
the students to get placement in their interested areas. Imperial School of Banking and Management Studies also has a strong industry connect with their Credit Research program being designed with the help of senior professionals from organizations like ICRA and CRISIL as well as having an official tie-up with ‘Investment Banker’s Forum’ of India which trains their students.

With the changing times, Imperial School of Banking and Management Studies has been able to stay ahead of the curve by constantly innovating and by emphasising on the holistic development of their students. Going forward, Imperial School of Banking and Management Studies’ entire focus is to make their courses and curriculum to suit the industry requirements. Also, by coming up with new and relevant programs, the institute is aiming to keep pace with the changing demands of the industry and realize their vision of building academic solidarity through holistic learning to become a leader in management education.

“Imperial School of Banking and Management Studies also has a strong industry connect with their Credit Research program being designed with the help of senior executives from organizations like ICRA and CRISIL. The institution has made a strong involvement of senior professionals from various industries in designing the curriculum and also delivering the same in the classroom”

Prof. D Surya Prakash, Prof. Anuja Ashtewale & Dr. Harshada Samudre, Founders and Promoters, Imperial School of Banking and Management Studies
Prof. D Surya Prakash is a seasoned industry professional with 14 years of corporate and academia experience and also serves as Director of the institution.

Prof Anuja Ashtewale comes with a rich experience of almost a decade into academics and heads the academic department of the institution and she has been a key force behind the corporate relationship development of the institution. Dr. Harshada Samudre, Holds an honorary doctorate in Marketing, she has been into the academic industry for close to 10 years now and she shoulders the responsibilities of compliance, Admissions, branding & promotion and other alliances. The visionary approach of the Promoters and their involvement in all the major activities of the institution has been a cornerstone for the development of the institute.
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