Mentors to Make Masters
What do some of history's great leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, Sachin Tendulkar, Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, Aristotle and Nelson Mandela, have in common? They all had strong mentors who could show them how to "learn the ropes". While mentorship is coming into focus as an important aspect of leadership and management development, many experts in this sector consider it as the third leg on a three legged stool of management development along with experiential and formal management education. Located in New Delhi, Jagannath International Management School (JIMS) is one of the few management institutions in the country that has implemented mentorship as a major part of its curriculum to maximize student's growth and development - academically, professionally and behaviorally.
"Getting good quality students and ensuring more meaningful industry interface are the major challenges for any management institution. At JIMS, students are mentored individually by internal faculty member and an external industry leader who serves as a role model, teacher, friend, philosopher and guide and ensures that the goal of promoting mentee's professional and personal growth is achieved," says Dr. Amit Gupta, Chairman, JIMS. Through mentoring activities, the institute's focus is to the help students gain the skills and confidence which will help them to carve their own future. The mentors provide consistent support, guidance and concrete help to a student who is in need of a positive role model. It is mandatory for students to meet their mentors twice in a month.
"The faculty members mentor students to perform well in their academics and industry mentors guide them during internship and other interactions outside the campus. Students utilize this support until they find a job of their choice," claims Dr. Gupta. As a result of such extensive partnerships with industry professionals, placements at JIMS have always been excellent, with salaries ranging from 5.5 lakhs to 13 lakhs per annum. The institute hosts over 150 organizations during the recruitment process each year and majority of the students who opt for placement are able to serve and get jobs that they aspire for.
JIMS strives to improve these figures every year by introducing more tailor made programs and expanding the list of industry tie-ups. Currently, we have tied-up with leading corporate organizations such as KPMG, Deloitte, Reckitt Benckiser, ICICI and the NHRD Network whose managers participate in our key activities such as Seminars, Conferences, Guest lectures and so on. Along with that, our Corporate Advisory Board which comprises of 250 senior corporate managers, regularly mentors and guides JIMS students on live projects during the Summer Internship program. This is reflective of the institute's priority towards nurturing the students emotional, problem solving and decision making skills, which are critical to sustain them in the workspace but are largely missing in the current horde of management students across the country.
However, in an era where the number of management institutes seeking strong industry connect are mushrooming like never before, JIMS is all set to create the next generation of business leaders, who are 'job producers' rather than 'job seekers', through their new PGDM programe in Entrepreneurship. "Every year, after discussions with people from industry and academia, we introduce innovative courses for our students. In the recent past, we have introduced courses like Business Analytics, Private Equity and Wealth Management and Digital Marketing etc. This year, we are providing new specialization in PGDM i.e. Entrepreneurship which is a rigorous program for aspiring students with entrepreneurial spirit," says Dr. Gupta. From the previous track records of JIMS, it is evident that the newly minted PGDM program would also deliver high quality training to the budding entrepreneurs. Dr. Gupta claims,"It is not just one another academic program. We have established an incubation center in the campus where good business ideas will get an angel funding of 5 - 50 lakhs."
In the funding process too, one can see a JIMS' flair of industry interface as it has been able to amalgamate a group of likeminded people who are ready to invest in the potential projects of students. Dr. Gupta himself is one among the active investors. Talking about his mantra of success, Dr. Gupta says, "People have lot of ideas and everybody talks about dreaming big. That is only the starting point and most of the people lose out when it comes to execution, which is the key to success. Along with that, dedication, perseverance and patience, can make anyone successful in their life." The 18 years journey of JIMS from an ordinary institution that has been established in the year 1997 with 90 students to a brand that attracts hundreds of students from all over the country, talks volumes about the importance of execution of right plans and the ability of JIMS to produce future leaders with strong aspirations. Perhaps, that is why it aptly fits into the role of a mentor rather than a mere educational establishment.
Dr. Amit Gupta, Chairman
An alumnus of Shri Ram College of Commerce and Indian Institute of Foreign Trade where he completed his B.Com and MBA respectively, Dr. Amit Gupta is a highly celebrated educationist and has been conferred top awards by prestigious organizations such as International Biographical Center, Cambridge, UK, American Bibliographical Institute, USA and the Institute of Economic Studies, New Delhi.
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