The Higher Education Review

The annual global survey, conducted by Global Management Admission Council among 169 employers, reveals nine in 10 employers that plan to hire business school graduates in 2015 expect to maintain or increase the number of job openings for this talent group as compared with 2014. The prime reasons for this positive outlook of the job market are because organizations believe that MBA graduates are mature and experienced managers with the potential to meet the requirements of the organization, have a strong understanding and fluency in English, are equipped with both a holistic view of all business functions and processes and a strong overview of international business strategy, and in addition, students are taught a range of `soft' skills which include, but are not restricted to: ability to manage change; communication; leadership; teamwork; dealing with ambiguity; negotiation; problem solving; critical thinking; values. Understanding these needs of the industry, St. Kabir Institute o f Professional Studies began offering a two-year full-time Post Graduate Diploma Program in Management approved by AICTE, since 2008. "SKIPS has endeavored to provide value driven management education which is in-sync with the emerging industry expectations. It is a matter of pride that we have been able to find success in this endeavour by carefully integrating the industry needs with our progressive curriculum," says Dr. Ram Kumar Balyan, Director, SKIPS.

Following an ever evolving curriculum, students of the institute have been placed at leading organizations such as HSBC, ITC, Wipro, TCS, ICICI, Reliance, Biocon, ONGC, and Essar. SKIPS boasts 197 corporate recruiters who visit the

company for campus recruitments.To explain why such big names visit the institution year after in search of talented individuals the Director explains, "Our curriculum is designed to suit the requirements of the corporate world. The syllabus is upgraded regularly to incorporate recent concepts developed in order to provide a strong base of theory with maximum practical exposure." The progressive institute also has an Employability enhancement program which focuses on developing a student is such a manner that he can prove to be an asset for the organization he works in. The EEP has psychometric analysis, SWOT analysis, Goal setting, Workshops on body language, team building, appearance Management, resume building, Aptitude tests, GDs mock interviews, for every student to help a student achieve his maximum potential. EEP also focuses on developing excellent communication skills by listening, speaking, reading and writing activities.

"In its seven years of existence the institute has placed 100 percent of its eligible students in top notch organizations with a highest package of 7 Lakh in Federal bank"

Book and movie clubs within the institute are an attempt to make language learning more fun for students as it helps pupils with language development. A fully equipped language lab is instrumental in achieving this. The next stage of EEP is Profile enhancement wherein the institute assists the students in attaining additional certifications (IRDA, AMFI, CCNA, BULATS, and Digital Marketing) to enrich their profile.

guide students, SKIPS has a talented and dedicated faculty team which believes in creating the right learning environment for its students "if they can't learn the way we teach we teach the way they learn," says the Director. The Faculty comprises of distinguished academicians with rich academic and corporate experience involved in industrial consultancy and applied research, publication of papers and books in their field of expertise.

The team experiments with latest teaching methods and learning theories. "We Believe in OGLO method of learning, which is Openness to Explore, Guidance of an Expert, Learning by explains Dr. Ram Kumar Balyan. "This approach takes a student from acquiring knowledge to developing skills."SKIPS' OGLO approach ensures that students acquire the knowledge and can apply the acquired knowledge when required. The teaching methods adopted by SKIPS to implement the OGLO approach are Case study, live projects, simulation games Presentations, Role Plays, Seminars, Colloquium, group projects and workshops seminars.

Faculty members are encouraged to update their knowledge by participating in Faculty Development Programs across the year. This augments their understanding of industry practices and also aids in improving their teaching. SKIPS conducts one faculty development program every year on campus, with specific focus on making management teaching more industry relevant. Faculty members are encouraged to participate in various FDP programs throughout the year conducted by various institutes. As a part of the industry institute interaction forum SKIPS holds regular seminars and conferences wherein established professional bodies such as NHRD, TIE, NASCOM, CII and IIMM participate. Members of these organizations visit SKIPS on a regular basis and share their expertise with the students.In its seven years of existence the institute has placed 100 percent of its eligible students in top notch organizations with a highest package of 7 Lakh in Federal bank. Upon being asked what the future holds for the institute, the Director responded with "We see ourselves as one of the foremost institutions in India; we plan to increase the number of specializations and are planning to offer super specializations in coming years." St. Kabir Institute of Professional Studies has established itself as a quality education provider in Ahmedabad and is on its way to compete with the biggies of B-Schools in the country and abroad.