Former Vice- Chancellor NMIMS Dr N K Kondap has taken over as Director General of Kohinoor Business School, Mumbai. Dr Kondap associated with NMIMS for over 25 years and held several important roles and served the institution as its Vice-Chancellor also. MBAUniverse.com spoke to Dr Kondap on his plans for Kohinoor Business School which has two campuses - one in Mumbai and another at Khandala. The institute offers AICTE approved PGDM and MMS of Mumbai University and MBA of Pune University.
In this short interview, Dr Kondap, also speaks on his vision for the institute and the key areas where he would like to focus first.
Q: Many congratulations for taking over as Director General of Kohinoor Business School, Mumbai. When did you join?
A: Thank you. I have joined Kohinoor Business School as Director General on 9th August 2013.
Q. How your past experience will add strength to this institute?
A: My academic journey commenced with NMIMS in the year 1984-85 and continued till 2010. I demitted as Vice-Chancellor of NMIMS in the year 2009 after serving the institution for over 25 years. All through these years, I along with my capable team was instrumental to make NMIMS as the premier B-School of India.
During the course of the Institution Building, I was privy to the agony and ecstasy, trials and tribulations, pains and glory associated with it. The experience gathered, the lessons learnt, the people network, and the kind of confidence I gained, however were invaluable, compared to the grind I underwent during these long years.
Post NMIMS, I joined CORE Higher Education. During my tenure at CORE, we established the campus at RAK-U.A.E. and developed three country specific high-value international MBA program with immersion projects to develop executives having global orientation.
My industry experience has helped me to understand the complex issues of Business School in terms of curriculum development, delivery, and resource allocation. Association with professional bodies has also helped me to understand and evaluate the changing industry needs and develop innovative industry specific courses.
With my experience of institution building, industry and academia exposure, I feel my experience and expertise will be extremely valuable in establishing Kohinoor Business School (KBS) as a Brand of Excellence.
Q. What are the key areas that you would like to focus first?
A: At KBS, we would like to focus on academic rigour, developing executives having cultural sensitivity, knowledge of doing the business and challenges of contemporary issues one faces at the international level. We intend to offer sectoral programs keeping with the emerging trends of the Indian economic contours.
Apart from the above, we have plans on the anvil:
a. To have international collaboration with reputed foreign universities.
b. To have industry-academia exchange program and
c. Sustainable social development with focus on ‘complete student’.
Q. What are the present challenges for Kohinoor Business School and how will you cope with the same?
A: Today the market is going through turbulence times with prevailing uncertainty which is expected to last long. It is essential that the management institutes focus on visualising these uncertainties and developing the students to meet these challenges.
Kohinoor Business School being a new institute has its own challenges in terms of environment, competition and creating academic ambience with focus on student development and institution building. We need to create a differentiator and a niche for KBS in this crowded market place.
We have the plans and policies in place to meet the challenges. Some of these are:
a. Moving towards corporate based academics which lead to employability.
b. Develop executives having global orientation/exposure.
c. Development of systems and processes with flexibility.
d. Offering niche value added programs.
e. Focus on long term sustainability with social sensitivity as core area.
Stay tuned to MBAUniverse.com for more news and updates on B-schools in India.
