New Delhi, Jan. 31: The directors of the six premier B-schools do not want any “fireworks” during their meeting with the human resource development minister when they sit down to discuss the latest foreign campus controversy tomorrow.

“There will be no fireworks at the meeting,” Bakul Dholakia, the director of IIM Ahmedabad, said after a five-hour meeting with the other directors this evening.

Shekhar Chaudhury, IIM Calcutta’s director, refused to spell out what was discussed. “This is a routine meeting of IIMs and has nothing to do with tomorrow’s interaction with the ministry,” he said.

Tomorrow’s meeting would discuss the Bangalore IIM’s plan to start a campus in Singapore. Singh has refused to give his nod, saying the IIMs must first meet their “domestic requirements”.

Dholakia is, however, hopeful of “an amicable solution”.

The IIM Ahmedabad director was at the receiving end two years ago when Singh’s predecessor Murli Manohar Joshi drastically slashed fees in the B-schools. IIM Ahmedabad went to court refusing to accept the fee cut fiat. This time, the ministry does not want a confrontation like the one during Joshi’s tenure. Nor are the IIMs keen to lock horns with another HRD minister.

Singh has already been criticised for treading Joshi’s path and does not want to be seen stripping the IIMs of their autonomy ? something for which he had criticised Joshi.

The UPA’s common minimum programme also makes a commitment to “preserve the autonomy of higher educational institutions”.

Autonomy is high on tomorrow’s agenda. Singh, the agenda note says, has no intentions of undercutting autonomy and will try to dispel whatever misconceptions that may have arisen. The other IIMs are keen to follow IIM Bangalore and want to avoid any move that could complicate matters.

“Singapore is a very good destination for us. It is emerging as an education hub. The Prime Minister of Singapore recently visited us. He is keen for greater educational cooperation?” an IIM Bangalore faculty member said.

The B-school is rewriting its memorandum of association that has no provision to allow a campus abroad. IIM Ahmedabad and Calcutta may want to follow suit.

knowledge does not come solo: Kalam

President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam today favoured sharing of knowledge among countries, saying no single country could achieve knowledge in isolation.

Asked about the Centre’s refusal to allow IIM Bangalore to go ahead with its Singapore campus proposal, he told reporters accompanying him on his three-nation tour: “Knowledge does not come solo. There are some countries which are strong in software and others in hardware. When they come together, it creates a new synergy. Societies have to come together for sharing knowledge.”