GLF Business School

Prof. Avijit Banerjee is the Director at GLF Business School. He believes in inclusive learning and providing experiential learning to students where everyone can grow together as a family. His vision is to amplify the learning experience by bringing in pragmatic learning via various sources. Read here what he has to say in his interview. 

What are the key factors that keep you connected with the education sector?

“To put in my vast domain knowledge in the education sector keeps me connected”

My vast experience in diversified fields over 25 years across different sectors of industry as well as in academia, research, and advisory services helped me a lot in institution building and contributing to the management education. There are broadly three key factors that motivate me to be in the education sector. Firstly, dissemination of knowledge to young students to build the nation. Secondly, the generation of knowledge through research to strengthen the nation, and finally, putting knowledge into practical use through innovation and entrepreneurship development to contribute to economic growth.

In these hard times of COVID-19 situation, how are you engaging your students and how are you getting new admissions?

“Our agile response to the situation put us forward amid the pandemic”

It was predicted at the end of March this year that the pandemic would continue for a long, hampering the academic session and activities. Our IT team was agile to resume virtual classes without any delay and took all necessary preparation to conduct online exams on time.

Since we’ve two admission sessions in the MBA course, the process of admission runs throughout the year. Students apply Online through our website and upload all necessary documents. After scrutinizing the documents and eligibility, the link for the online test is forwarded to the student. The candidates who got qualifying marks are invited for an online interview. The finally selected candidates shall make the payment of admission fees online. 

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What do you see as GLF Business School greatest strengths?

“The greatest strengths of GLFBS are four folded”

Firstly, we offer a degree program enabling the students to pursue a PhD. Secondly, we have a skill-based learning system embedded with curriculum and practical approach of learning the management in all functional areas as well as business analytics. Thirdly, our students get the opportunity to build their own start-ups from in-house Innovation and Incubation Centre and handholding support from mentors. Fourthly, we have a strong national and international network with industry, academia, professionals, and government bodies.

“We encourage the weaker section and women students to participate in our management programs. We have innovation and entrepreneurship development programs to set up their micro or small industry, which shall solve the local problems and contribute to the local economy.”

How does the curriculum of GLF Business School ensure the best practice of industry?

“We make sure to update and revise our curriculum at regular intervals”

The curriculum of both MBA and Integrated BBA-MBA are reviewed and updated at regular intervals. The syllabus committee constitutes subject experts from industry and academia. The syllabus committee takes the opinion of industry experts and also consults with the curriculum of top-notch foreign universities such as Harvard Business School. The Board of Studies, based on the recommendations of the syllabus committee, approves the curriculum.

What do you think should be the GLF Business School top priority over the next 10 years?

“Our plan is to create a real environment of learning management skills”

We developed the technology R&D center as a backward integration of knowledge generation through research. We also initiated a forward integration strategy by promoting the incubation center to the “Centre of Excellence for Smart Manufacturing” and creating a common e-commerce platform for them. It will serve as inhouse innovation and common facility center for the incubated start-ups and MSMEs. The next ten years are crucial for developing this model and creating a few hundred such MSME companies. Thus the B-School is creating a real environment of learning management through practice under the same umbrella.

How has your vision evolved over time, and how far along in implementing that vision are you?

“I have the vision to introduce a disruptive strategy in management education”

Disruptive thinking helps students measure success differently and help them develop skills for the future world of work. The best use of technology and new learning pedagogy has the power to bring a change through innovation. My team is successfully implementing these concepts. Secondly, I strongly believe in organic growth and advocate for the partnership with other ecosystem stakeholders to gain collective strength. My team is continuously working on collaboration, cooperation, and conglomeration.

What would you like people to know about GLF Business School they may not know?

“We took the initiative to start the Business Leadership concept”

Many people do not know that we are the first B-School in India introduced the concept of “Business Leadership” in management education which is based on five key elements – innovation, entrepreneurship, sustainability, strategy, and value-ethics. We are the first B-School introduced MBA in Valuation in all three categories of assets. We are the first B-School to introduce MBA in Biotechnology Management. We won the prestigious ASSOCHAM Best B-School Award for three consecutive years. We rank amongst top-ten Business Analytics institutions in India. We are the first B-School creating MSMEs and running Innovation and Smart Manufacturing Hub. 

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Do you have any extracurricular activities / programs to enhance the skills of the students or expose them to the real-world challenges?

“We prepare students via various activities for their practical learning”

Students are always engaged in different extracurricular activities and programs such as Business Plan Competition, Innovation Challenges, Community Services & Problem Solving, etc. to enhance their skills or expose them to real-world challenges. 

“We are currently offering Data Science & AI Lab, Biomedical and Bioengineering Lab, 3D Printing Technology Lab, Innovation Studio &Startup Launchpad Program (ISSLP), WISH (Women Innovation and Startup Hub).”

How do you tend to establish a healthy relation and environment in your College?

“We learn together and grow together”

The world is a family. The world within the institution is also like a family. All our family members learn together, work together, take challenges together, solve together, and grow together. We believe that it’s not technology but the human being that shapes the world. In our people-centric approach, technology is seen only as a powerful tool not as a whole. We rather focus on building human capital for the nation.