When choosing which college to go with, the decision is most likely to favour the college you trust will inspire creativity and pave the path to a successful career. While India is peppered with a myriad of options, it is understandable that most people consider the outcomes and experiences before coming to the final decision. One prestigious college with excellence and knowledge intertwined with advancing technologies is the Central Institute of Business Management, Research and Development (CIBMRD), situated in Nagpur. Incepted in 1994, the college was established as an offshoot of Vidya Shikshan Prasarak Mandals Academy of Higher Education (VSPM’s AHE), the roots of which are 51 years old.
Padmashri Kamalatai Hospital founded VSPM AHE, which runs over 60 educational institutions, including the prestigious NKP Salve Institute of Medical Sciences and LataMangeshkar Hospital, Nagpur. The college was built upon the robust foundation of its core values which are listed below:
C – Centre of Excellence in Education
I – Industry Involvement and Linkages at Each Possible Level
B – Building Competencies of Students and Staff
M – Managing & Conserving the Environment
R – Research-oriented Studies & Activities for Students & Staff
D – Developing the Employability Skills of Students
Offering a Bouquet of Services
The college is backed by several in-demand facilities that align with the current market trends. The pedagogy at CIBMRD aims at providing sound conceptual knowledge & evoking realistic situations for problem-solving and decision making. “It promotes active student participation in the learning process through intensive classroom discussions. Field-based projects are also undertaken at every semester level so that the student can get better insights into the business workplace reality,” adds Dr. Amishi Arora, Director at Central Institute of Business Management, Research and Development (CIBMRD).
Additionally, the college also has the Institution’s Innovation Council (IIC) to promote innovation and entrepreneurship within the Institution through multitudinous modes.
In tandem with IIC, the Industry Institute Interaction (III) cell is one of the most vibrant activities of the institute. At least 10 per cent of the syllabus has to be mandatorily taught by industry personnel to keep up with the continually evolving industry trends. Besides, there are regular mentoring sessions conducted by industry personnel, mostly alumni. “Every second Saturday is reserved for ‘Gyan Ganga’, a platform addressed by alumni for current & past students on the growing trends in the industry. As per AICTE’s guidelines, we have currently 12 MOUs with the industry,” informs Dr. Amishi.
In conjunction with this, CIBMRD’s Placement cell aims to match the Corporate World requirements with the students’ aspirations, thereby facilitating the achievement of synergy between the two. The college campus is WiFi-enabled, and the library boasts a broad spectrum of books, multiple national and international journals, and magazines that are updated regularly.
Arming Teachers with Knowledge and Power!
Delving deeper into ensuring the faculty is on par with the modern teaching methodologies, the teaching department comprises a balanced mix of academicians, researchers and professionals from both public and private sectors. Their collective in-depth research and managerial experience contribute to the institute’s academic excellence and character. All the faculties at CIBMRD are Doctorate or are pursuing PhD.
The concept ‘A student is only as good as his teacher’ can greatly improve the teaching process by ensuring teachers are equipped with the right tools. Keeping this in mind, the institute is actively connected with the Management Teachers Consortium (MTC), a vibrant platform of management faculties across the globe. Thus knowledge sharing and thought sharing is a continuous process through this platform.
Furthermore, the institute has forged a few collaborations with foreign universities in the Philippines, Malaysia and Thailand for joint research among faculties and co-hosting conferences. “The aim is to give the faculties an exposure which may be passed on to the students,” adds Dr. Amishi.
Lending Students a Helping Hand
CIBMRD is affiliated with RTM Nagpur University and follows the curriculum advised by it. Apart from this, CIBMRD offers a plethora of value-added certificate programs. “The certificate programs have been specifically designed to prepare and equip students with the skills required for industry 4.0. Although neither compulsory nor carrying marks in the mark list, these courses are taken up by the majority because students are made to understand that without these, job opportunities are restricted,” elaborates Dr. Amishi.
The college is also involved in extending a helping hand to deserving students crippled by financial distress. To reduce the financial burden on the different categories of students, CIBMRD offers a myriad of scholarships to its students in the first and second years of the MBA course. Some of the scholarships are offered by SamajKalyan Vibhag, Tribal Department, welfare schemes by the University, scholarships offered by the parent Sanstha, the Best student Award cash incentive, etc.
Response and Recovery to Covid19 Impact
So to reiterate, CIBMRD continually strives to stay a step ahead of its peers and industry trends. For instance, the education industry itself was massively impacted by the Coronavirus pandemic, and players within this industry were forced to reinvent themselves to maintain relevance. CIBMRD took on the pandemic while simultaneously ensuring students thrive despite the dire circumstances. The parent Sanstha values the teaching profession and teacher collaboration, and thus it gives the front-line educators autonomy and flexibility to act collaboratively. CIBMRD makes free and open source technologies available to teachers and students.
During the pandemic, CIBMRD researched new tools for online teaching, received training, and ensured that regular teaching was carried out. Various platforms like Google meet & Zoom provided an opportunity to reach out to experts that could come on as guest lecturers who might have been previously unavailable due to geographic distances.“We cannot return to the world as it was before. While traditional classroom organization has given way to a variety of new ways, we plan to march ahead with the blended way of education, thus leveraging the benefits of connectivity by online mode and at the same time preserving the traditional system too,” opines Dr. Amishi.
Post pandemic, the institute has tried to bounce back to normalcy. However, now that it has roped in technology in a big way, CIBMRD intends to harness the power of emerging technologies and infuse it within its teaching methodologies to drive better student outcomes.
Taking massive strides in this domain, CIBMRD plans to expand its reach in the future. Besides adding to the undergraduate programs, the institute plans to extend its social activities as part of the “academic, social responsibility” program. Dr. Amishi explains as she signs off, “The purpose is to create awareness among the students and involve them in the sustainable development programs of the UN and contribute towards it. Many of our activities are endorsed by the United Nations Academic Impact (UNAI).”