Gautam Kaul is an Associate Professor at Fostiima Business School. He holds a Mechanical Engineering degree and thereafter completed an MBA degree from IIM Ahmedabad. Since then, he has been working in Marketing, particularly in FMCE Marketing. With over 20 years of experience in academia, he also has experience in the field of his industry.

Fostiima Business School

What is your philosophy of leadership? How would you describe leadership style?

My philosophy of leadership remains largely the same for everyone but the style is contextual and may change depending on the demands of the situation. I have firmly believed, and I always practise it, that a good leader is one who creates situations that are best for their team. They will always create a learning situation and enforce an environment of trust and confidence where people can experiment with new ideas without any fear of failure. Conventionally, in the corporate sector, we have known the top-down approach, where the top manager passes the instructions down to the sales team but I work with reversing the process.

What are the things you want people to know about your university?

Getting feedback from students is a constant practise for us. The faculty at Fostiima has previously worked at IIT and IIM, which ensures the delivery of academics is of top quality. We try to nurture our students in an IIMA culture. At Fostiima, the students also learn entirely on their own and have complete ownership of their education.

Are there any placement opportunities for the students?

Fostiima has a very satisfactory record of having 100% placements in the last few years. We have placed our students across all sectors of the industry, like Finance, Marketing, HR, IT, and more. Getting an MBA degree is an investment for students. With the right amount of effort, it will pay off handsomely.

What are the major changes that Covid-19 has brought in the education sector according to you?

COVID had a major impact on education because the colleges were closed, and the reach of education had certainly become distant. Thanks to Zoom, virtual education has reached almost all corners of the country. While this has been a positive step, there are certain issues that have raised major concerns. One obvious thing, that I have witnessed through student interviews is that the quality of education has declined. The quality of examinations has been a major cause for concern. Internationally, online schooling is an established system that operates smoothly but India lacks the infrastructure to teach online.

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

Take the time to explore various subjects, fields, and activities to identify what truly excites and motivates you. Your passion will be the driving force behind your success and will make your career journey more fulfilling. Define your short-term and long-term goals. Having clear objectives will help you stay focused and work towards achieving what you desire in your career. The world is constantly evolving, and so are industries and job markets. Make continuous learning a habit by staying updated with the latest trends and technologies. Enroll in courses, attend workshops, read books, and follow thought leaders in your field.

How would you describe the overall culture and atmosphere of the college and its faculty members?

The overall culture is good and motivating to provide a holistic teaching and learning experiences to our students. We provide overall growth to the students for success in such a fast-paced competitive world. We maintain a peaceful and harmonious environment at our university.

What specific resources and support systems does the university provide to assist students in their academic and personal growth?

One-to-one approach for weak students and mentor-mentee approach to discuss their performance and difficulties. This helps students to overcome all their problems as they find their mentor always there to help them out in facing all kinds of difficulties in academic and personal growth.