The Higher Education Review

Proclaimed as the 'youngest self-made entrepreneur' in the recently released Barclays Hurun India Rich List 2018, Ritesh Agarwal is also known as a college dropout who founded one of the most successful start-ups of the country, OYO Rooms. But what people are not aware of is the behind story and the short stint of his life at Indian School of Business and Finance (ISBF), which greatly helped him to grow as an entrepreneur later. "Moving out of a small town, I had numerous options in my hand to choose among the best B-Schools overseas for pursuing business studies. However, after learning that I could obtain an international standard education staying in my own homeland in ISBF, I preferred to stay back here," shared Ritesh while communicating with his juniors in one of the orientation program of ISBF. Continuing the conversation, Ritesh said that the valuable skills provided by ISBF only within a few months of his enrollment enabled him to apply those in real-life situations later in his business.

Like Ritesh, ISBF since its establishment in 2006, has churned out many leaders who are changing the face of the business world today with their skills and the right attitude. Affiliated to the University of London (UoL), ISBF offers undergraduate and postgraduate programmes under the academic direction of the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). "This collaboration gives us a natural edge in bringing global standards to India, build local intellectual capacity and giving students the access to a high-quality education without confronting the financial burden of studying in a foreign country," proudly claims Dr. Jitin Chadha,Founder and Director, ISBF. Students entering into ISBF are provided a wonderful opportunity of choosing degree programmes from among unique subject combinations such as Economics and Finance, Economics and Management, Accounting and Finance, and Management and Digital Innovation. Dr. Chadha pinpoints, "From 2019-20, we are launching a 1-year Graduate Diploma in Data Science programme for postgraduate students, considering the growing demand of the subject."

Following ardently LSE's motto - ‘Rerum cognoscere causas’ (to understand the causes of things) -

the talented and experienced faculty members of the institute put maximum emphasis on fostering the spirit of enquiry among the students. Amidst a vivid interactive and discussion-oriented environment, the students of ISBF are enabled to earn all the requisite skills that are demandable in the market. Dr. Chadha adds, "Our students are also given co-curricular industry training in MS Excel, interview skills and resume-writing, aside from gaining industry exposure through regular guest lectures, stock exchange boot camps, pre-placement talks, and industry visits." The highlight of the programmes offered by the institute, however, lies in its study materials, which are designed exclusively by LSE academicians, followed by setting and grading the final examinations to LSE’s lofty standards.

"ISBF student gets the opportunity to attend the UoL convocation in London, amid students from 150+ other countries, and in the presence of royalty"

A Vibrant Learning Community
Aside from providing hands-on training to the faculty members of ISBF, a number of LSE academicians visit the ISBF campus to deliver lecture to the students and instill a global mindset in the graduates. "They also render training to ISBF's passionate faculty members, which unequivocally helps improve the teaching and learning process, and students’ learning outcomes," opines Dr. Chadha. Another element that lets ISBF students stand out is their status as a full-fledged University of London student, and a part of a 54,000-strong international student community that interacts regularly through a thriving virtual learning environment. Additionally, ISBF student gets the opportunity to attend the UoL convocation in London, amid students from 150+ other countries, and in the presence of royalty.

"At the end of the course, when the ISBF students are handed over the coveted UoL degree or diploma, it acts like a cherry on the cake for their career," claims Dr. Chadha. Over the years, given this prominent international association, several students of ISBF have secured transfers into the second year at LSE and other leading universities in the UK, the US and Canada, including earning scholarships, based on the strong academic foundation they receive at ISBF in their first year of study."

In fact, some students stay back at ISBF despite receiving transfer offers from prestigious universities abroad, to leverage the cost advantage and make the most of ISBF’s robust teaching-learning systems. Many of these students are successfully accepted into prestigious Master’s programmes at universities like Oxford, Harvard,

LSE, Yale, UCL, IIM, ISB, Delhi School of Economics and ISI. An extraordinary story is that of two sisters – Priya and Rhiya Bansal – who, over the last two years, have secured full scholarships (worth close to Rs.30 lakhs each) to pursue the MSc Economics at LSE, one of the top Master’s programmes in the UK.

“With business and management being core focus areas, we also have a dedicated entrepreneurship cell to inculcate an entrepreneurship spirit among students. At the same time, a faculty-led Research Cell pushes the students to indulge in research activities as Research Assistants in various projects. The Career Services Division (CSD) and Career Placement Cell (CPC) work very hard to optimize the placement prospects of our students," shares Dr. Chadha.

The relentless efforts throughout the academic year by CSD and CPC result in ISBF graduate getting the scope to intern or work with marquee organizations like Citibank, KPMG, Pepsico, McKinsey & Company, Deutsche Bank, S&P Capital IQ, Moody's Analytics, American Express and many more. "On account of our tie-up with the Mountbatten Institute, our students have the one-of-its-kind opportunity to work for a year in London or New York at the headquarters of an investment bank," proudly says Dr. Chadha.

In a journey of nurturing the students into wholesome human beings, the institute also encourages them to participate in co-curricular activities, particularly in ‘Xenia' - ISBF's own annual inter-college cultural festival that brings together students from around the country. Such non-academic aspects of college are a vital part of the ISBF experience, and are rewarded by being recognised as a key part of the criteria for the award of two Summer School scholarships by LSE to ISBF students each year. Proudly holding its place in the pantheon of LSE and University of London's top Teaching Institutions in the world, ISBF in the coming future aspires to achieve the highest standards of academic delivery and learning outcomes, in order to leverage its globally renowned curriculum to produce worthy graduates who can make a difference in the world.

Dr. Jitin Chadha, Founder & Director
Dr. Jitin Chadha is a first generation Edupreneur holding a Master's Degree from the University of Warwick and a Ph.D. from Delhi University. After his experience at Warwick, Dr. Chadha felt that similar international standards of education needed to be provided to students from generic backgrounds in Finance, Economics and Management, which made him lay the foundation of ISBF in the year 2006.