Mathai Baker Fenn at his office in XLRI, Jamshedpur. Picture by Bhola Prasad

This multi-faceted individual believes in living life king size, and more importantly, on his own terms.

Meet Mathai Baker Fenn, a professor, who lives life on the edge and has no qualms in accepting his adventurous streak.

With a strong desire to excel, and most importantly, harp on any adventure that comes along his way, every experience seized by this person is strongly ruled by a sense of adventure.

This professor of organisational behaviour at Xavier Labour Relation Institute (XLRI) strongly advocates the experimental method of education where the mind, heart and soul all get addressed facilitating easier learning and helping the individual attain greater heights in life.

Therefore, it is not surprising that his passion form an integral part of his profession. He has been instrumental in introducing students of the B-school to the world of adventure. ?I ensure that my students too experience the feeling of being one with nature. It is a wonderful feeling, which knows no comparison,? he says, recollecting his recent trip to Dalma range with the students.

?My first brush with it was a vivid experience that happened when I was at the American University of Armenia where I had accompanied my students on a mountaineering expedition,? he adds. It was all the more difficult for me as I constantly had to use my inhaler due to breathing problems at higher altitudes. But a constant persuasion by my students and other members in the expedition team helped him bask in the glory of beautiful nature.

Life has never been the same after that incident. Today his students are the first ones to call him when they engage in any outdoor activity.

?My sense of adventure lies in enjoying and doing things not ruled by a set of given parameters. It gives me a sense of being there and doing just what I have always wanted to do. Some like to consider life as a struggle but I prefer to enjoy every bit of it and live life according to self made rules,? states the trend- setter, adding that there?s a need to maintain a perfect balance between academics and cocurricular activities.

As a professor, he maintains that the objective of education should be to equip one with the best to meet challenges, and strongly believes that one should pursue a chosen discipline if it interests him and never because of any outside pressure.

?People today are ruled by the survival of the fittest theory and are dominated by the sense of making money, which has lead to a strong decline in family ties,? puts in the academician. He recalls how he began on a very humble note when this adventurer set out to make a mark in the world till his flick with destiny brought him to one of the premier B-schools.

?I wanted to ensure that I never lost out on anything and I must say that I have been very lucky to be bestowed with the right opportunities at the right moment which has made my life all the more adventurous,? he says, happy with the decisions he made.

Born in Lucknow, he takes pride in his conventional schooling in Kerala, where his family was based. Son of a psychiatrist, medicine would have been the obvious choice when he decided to go with psychology, a subject that had always fascinated him and still continues to interest him.

?I wanted to know more about people and interact frequently with a lot more individuals on a daily basis,? says the self made man who went on to attain his doctorate degree from the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology in Mumbai.

It was a difficult phase for Fenn when he was managing his own consulting firm in Kerala at the beginning of his career. ?My work was customer oriented and I was required to do things according to their discretion,? says Fenn, with a grin so characteristic of him.

But life took a turn when one of his seniors called him up in Kerala one day late at night. ?I was about to declare lights out when the phone rang giving me a bolt from the blue by asking me if I was interested in joining XLRI,? he says, adding that he was not too keen on the prospect at that point of time.

Seven years down the line he has no regrets whatsoever in life. The first two years were difficult for him as he decided not to follow the conventional method of teaching and be restricted to the teacher and taught relationship.

?Though students took some time to adjust to my mode of teaching, things fell in place after they were convinced that I could even teach in the traditional manner,? he says with a smile.

The most important thing in life, according to him, is never to have regrets. ?I had a tough time convincing my parents of my choice but finally I managed to sail through,? feels Fenn.

?Every experience in life is an eye opener, it teaches you something worth cherishing in life,? says Fenn. Though people usually do what life makes them do, I personally believe that it is very important to follow your passion. Never regret what you have done in life,? he says, with conviction.

?Life is a bag full of surprises for everyone, one must be ready to welcome it with open arms,? says the man with principles and a strong never-give-up attitude.