Regular faculty development programs provide continuous exposure to current industry challenges, says IES MCRC Professor

In a conversation with Shiksha.com, Professor Minu Mehta at IES Management College and Research Centre talks in detail about the teaching methodology and pedagogy at the institute. She elaborates on the evaluation of the programme outcomes on both micro and macro level. Mehta has over 26 years of rich teaching experience and has consistently developed and delivered subjects related to General Management, HR, Marketing, Creativity and Innovation and Entrepreneurship.

Read the excerpts of the interview below:

Q: What are the salient features of the teaching methodology adopted by your college? How does this differ from others?

A: IESMCRC has been at the forefront of delivering cutting edge content using a pedagogy that is a judicious combination of classroom instruction and industry application. Infact, application orientation is not only expected but also measured at the micro-level, for each faculty, for each course, and also at the macro level for the entire programme, with the help of quantifiable course and programme outcomes. Case studies, role plays, flipped classrooms, guest sessions, experiential assignments are all extensively used by faculty members. Our students undergo continuous assessment throughout the term and are also evaluated through rigorous term-end examinations. Research assignments help students to develop research skills, collect and analyse data and capture nascent trends. IESMCRC always encourages faculty members to develop pedagogic innovations that offer opportunities for testing theoretical constructs against the prism of solid self-experience both inside and outside the class.

Q: How are you preparing your students to be industry-ready?

A: Industry orientation forms the foundation of all student experiences at IESMCRC. Right from our industry vetted curriculum to the industry mentored placement preparation, we ensure seamless integration of academics and industry. Guest lectures by industry seniors, regular interaction with senior alumni, collaborative teaching jointly conducted by our faculty and working professionals; are some of the regular features of a student’s life at IESMCRC. Thanks to our strong external collaborations, our students work closely with distinguished consulates, industry and trade associations and prestigious corporates. Thus our students engage in industry research and attend and organise corporate events such as conferences for bodies like CII, IMC, BCCI and MEDC. In addition to the mandatory summer internship, we encourage our students to work on live projects whereby we keep Wednesdays free from classroom instruction. Our students work with corporates onsite every Wednesday and online for the rest of the days, as per the requirements of the project. Our close association with our strong alumni community helps us to offer a conducive environment in which our current students benefit from the rich experience of our alumni who not only take sessions and give industry-based projects but also join faculty panels during mock sessions that prepare students for placement.

Q: What are the qualities you are looking for in student applicants? What qualities do they need to do well in your course?

A: We look for curious students. We look for students who have a fire of ambition in their belly. Our curriculum is demanding and the two years expose the students to a host of opportunities that can be optimised only by those students who are academically adept and willing to push the limits to develop the skills that industry values. We value self-motivated students who have the courage to lead as well as the humility to offer support to their team. Respect for time, willingness to move out of the comfort zone and a self-imposed discipline of academic hard work, keeping oneself well informed and well-groomed are traits that students need to do well not only in our course but also in their lives. We look for life-long learners who take themselves and their abilities seriously and are willing to walk the extra mile.

Q: How do you ensure that your course curriculum is up to date and meets industry requirements?

A: Curriculum design is a rigorous activity at IESMCRC. We ensure the involvement of all our stakeholders right from students to faculty, corporates and alumni, in the process of designing the programme structure and the course content. This huge activity is undertaken at regular intervals to ensure the relevance of our curriculum. This apart, there is in-built flexibility in our programme design that allows us to discuss topics of immediate importance that are not yet integrated in the curriculum. Apart from the attempts of faculty members, we also regularly reach out to industry seniors to come and interact with our students. Our faculty members regularly attend development programmes and industry conferences and undertake industry-based research projects which ensures their continuous exposure to current industry challenges which they share with students during classroom interactions.

Q: How does your college respond to innovation, technology, science and entrepreneurship? Could you cite some examples of these?

A: IESMCRC is known for its innovations in curriculum design and pedagogy. Our award-winning course Leadership and Teamwork Module is widely recognised for providing a platform to students for application-oriented learning. Corporate Kabaddi is a game based module designed and organised by our alumnus that teaches management concepts in a light environment that allows fun along with serious learning. Creativity and Innovation Management is entirely taught with the help of assignments that push students out of their comfort zone and two of these assignments have also been spoken about at TEDx conferences, in  India and Morocco. IESMCRC believes in keeping our students ahead of the learning curve by providing them additional specializations like Entrepreneurship Management and Business Analytics. Our module named Self Learning Courses offers the students a wide range of options such as MOOCs, certificate courses like Sig Sigma Certification, foreign languages like Mandarin and Spanish and Study Abroad courses like Corporate Swiss Tour. Be it online classrooms or mobile phone-based assessment, we ensure that we incorporate the latest that technology has to offer in terms of curriculum, evaluation and administration.