Prof. Manish Sharma is a professor at the Imperial School of Agri-Business. He did B.Com and PGDM in Marketing. He has 28 years of experience in the Retail industry including six years of teaching experience. He received the Developments Team Award from McDonald's International for the year 2000 – 2001. He has worked actively with Save Gaga – Save Himalayas movement. He has also worked with Late Shri Sunder Lala Bahuguna Ji and Chipko Andolan. He is currently working as a green activist to turn young children into the green warriors of tomorrow.

Imperial School of Agri-Business,

Being a professor, what are your roles and responsibilities towards the students?

My roles and responsibilities revolve around various functions which include teaching, mentoring, and guiding students in thesis and summer internship assignments. Being a professor I provide guidance, support, and assistance to the students in the area of the thesis.

How do you tend to establish healthy relations with the students and fellow faculty?

My work experience of 28 years in the corporate sector has taught me about the need for open communication with all levels and I follow this learning, in the role of a teacher as well as a member of the faculty. For me, having a healthy and positive relationship with people around, I need to create trust, transparency and easy communication. Also, I am a firm believer in the sacred principle of not holding knowledge as a tool of power and importance. Knowledge should be acquired in order to distribute it further.

What are the factors that make the program you teach the best for the students to opt for?

As I have my background in the industry, I teach students by giving them real-life cases and examples. Students are given engaging cases to discuss in the classroom. Case studies are given to develop a BOOTS ON THE GROUND approach and discussions on the case studies are done. Students are asked to share their views on the same. Students are keen to learn via mode of interactive and involving sessions. The program will provide them with a practical approach and will be the best for the students to opt for.

How does the program ensure that students are being prepared for the future?

The program is based on credible feedback and expert advice from industry specialists. There are regular guest lectures by eminent people from various sectors and industrial visits are conducted. Our students get very good exposure from attending conferences and corporate events besides going on foreign study tours. Our objective is to give a well-rounded view of the industry to our students. It is compulsory for the students to attend events and seminars which give them greater scope and exposure. The program helps the students to get insights into the industry and gain experience with the help of industrial visits, conferences, events, and international tours.

How do you help your students cope with the competition being so high in the outside world?

I teach students to be adaptive and flexible and hone their skills to take on the frequent challenges as technology is constantly reducing the human element or involvement in all spheres of life. 

When you came to the college, what was your vision and how are you trying to achieve the same?

My goal was to make the best possible use of my own learning and develop each and every student on the basis of his or her own unique strength. To achieve my vision I try to deploy my knowledge and my learning to students in a way that it helps them to grow by using their own strengths and abilities.

What valuable advice would you like to the students for them to have a prosperous career ahead?

My humble advice to the students is to remain a STUDENT forever. There is no end to learning. They should continuously learn new skills and should have a mindset that allows them to gather useful knowledge.

What are the challenges you are facing to improve the quality of education in your department?

Challenges for improving the effectiveness in my subject come from the stream diversity of students in their graduation course, their different regional backgrounds, their natural comfort with their vernacular language, etc.