The Higher Education Review

Located in the corporate hub of Hiranandani Gardens in Powai, Mumbai, Athena School of Management is one of the few business schools in the country with an education model that constantly evolves to meet the current opportunities and challenges in the corporate world. Surrounded by numerous multinational business giants, the Institute connects extensively with the industry leaders to equip the student to tackle the real-world challenges with Wisdom and Courage.

At Athena School of Management, the learning sessions in class are not about copying notes. Instead, the pedagogy is inspired by the Socratic method of learning that questions the critical thinking of the students by tearing down old ideas and replacing them with new ones. "We emphasize on practical and experiential learning driven by Exposure and Internships. Our classroom sessions include debate, discussions, case studies, role-plays, presentations and business simulations," explains Prof. Aditya Singh, Director of Athena School of Management.

Being a business school, which was created by senior business leaders, industry plays an integral and essential part of the Athena PGPM Program. Most of the faculty members of Athena are senior executives from the corporate and consulting sector with decades of experience in management, leadership, and decision-making positions. According to Prof. Singh, "They are mostly at CXO, Director or VP level in organizations of global standing and outreach."

When it comes to the executing knowledge gained in the classroom, Athena PGPM offers Multiple Internship opportunities for the aspirants. In every semester, Athena students spend two-months across multiple companies, verticals, and sectors. "Students who perform well in their Internships may also receive a pre-placement offer or pre-placement interview from the company," pinpoints Prof. Singh. In addition to that, Athena PGPM has two International Immersion programs.

In the 1st year, students can attend a two-week program at the world famous Nanyang Technological University (NTU) in Singapore focusing on Entrepreneurship.In the 2nd year, they have an immersion program with the Mannheim Business School in Germany focusing on Leadership. Prof. Singh adds, "The opportunity to interact and learn from the some of the best management faculty in the world, to meet with and exchange cultural and professional ideas with international students, all the while staying in Global Campuses, is truly an enriching and empowering experience."

Athena also engages with leading corporate companies of India through consulting and advisory projects in different areas including Strategy, Entrepreneurship, Leadership, Talent Management, Branding and many more. This ensures that Athena remains at the forefront of innovation in the management and leadership domains.

"With an average package of Rs. 7 LPA, Athena has achieved 100 percent placement for all the eligible candidates"

The result of ensuring a high degree of corporate-connect and exposure is evident in Athena's placement reports. With an average package of Rs. 7 LPA, the institute has achieved 100 percent placement for all the eligible candidates. Every year, top companies visit the campus of Athena. The institute's corporate partners include Edelweiss, ICICI, Vodafone, Naukri, HDFC, Tata Group, H&R Block, Aditya Birla Group, Capital First, Anand Rathi and 99 Acres to name a few. "The opportunity to work in different companies like Edelweiss & Vodafone through Multiple Internships has really helped me understand the corporate world and succeed during placements!" says Vyom Prajapati, part of 2016-18 Batch at Athena, who is placed with ICICI.

However, Athena is not creating only job seekers in its campus. In fact, entrepreneurial thinking is a key cornerstone of the Athena Program. "Entrepreneurship Development is taught as a subject in the first semester itself. We have an ED Cell, which works with our students in conceptualizing, creating, executing and implementing entrepreneurship Ideas," shares Prof. Singh. The institute regularly holds Startup Summits and Startup Simulators in partnership with youth organizations like Rotaract and AIESEC where real Angel Investors listen to pitches from budding entrepreneurs.

Athena believes in experiential learning. Extra-curricular activities are an integral part of the learning at the Business School. Membership to various clubs like Rotaract exists along with adventure sports activities such as rock-climbing, archery & shooting among others. These are an essential part of the learning routing at Athena along with regular industrial visits and corporate networking. "Athena has made me more confident and outgoing as a person. Today when I interact with peers or with Corporate Leaders I can truly share my ideas and insights in a structured and clear way!" shares Vibhuti Desai, from the 2017-19 Batch, who is currently interning with Aditya Birla Payments Bank.

In Greek mythology, Athena is the Goddess of Wisdom, Courage and Inspiration. Undoubtedly, in this modern world, Athena School of Management is a perfect place where the students can gain these qualities and become leaders of tomorrow. "Our goal is to 'Create Future Corporate Leaders' who are at the forefront of Innovation, Leadership, and Entrepreneurship," pinpoints Prof. Singh.

Athena is located at Powai which is home for global and domestic corporate entities like L&T, Nomura, TCS, Wipro, Maersk, Crisil, J.P. Morgan, Credit Suisse, G.E., Deloitte and many more. Every classroom of the Athena is state-of-the-art with latest digital and electronic tools, optimizing the learning experience of the students. "Over 300 corporate companies are located within a 2 km radius of our campus. As we are operating in a global township with residents from all over the world, our students will get the ultimate exposure and experience of living in a corporate hub and a global city," opines Prof. Aditya Singh, Director of Athena School of Management.

While, most of the higher education institutions operate from remote locations to avoid the hustle and bustle of a crowded city environment, the students of Athena enjoy being a part of the high-profile corporate class. The neighborhood of the Athena campus is a metropolitan city that is buzzing 24x7 with activities of various degrees. A large number of cafes, lounges and restaurants, the R City Mall- one of the largest in India, international stores and what not, there is no dearth of entertainment for an Athena student. However, entertainment comes secondary for a learner who is in pursuit of a quality business education. In its classrooms, Athena offers the same, that too, at par with the international standards.