IIM Shillong

Guwahati, Jan. 24: The Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Management, Shillong, the country’s youngest and top-bracket management institute, is looking to China, in a departure from most top-notch B-schools.

For the first time in the country, the institute has rolled out a one-year PG Executive Programme (PGPEx) on International Business with a China-perspective, focussing on how to do business in and with China, the emerging global power.

IIM Shillong director Ashoke K. Dutta said the course would have tremendous significance in the coming days in view of the fact that China was now one of the biggest trading partners of India as well as the European Union.

He said the institute had tied up with Ocean University of China for the course which would start from April.

“Unlike other IIMs, my institute is not much oriented towards the US for sharing knowledge, expertise and management skills. The success of China in the fields of trade, technology and various other sectors has been phenomenal. The government of China also works like the corporate world and is performance-driven. Each city of China competes with the others and promotions or increment to various posts in the government sector is based on performance. Hence, we have much to learn from our neighbouring country than the US,” Dutta said.

He said the course would give students an insight into China's business environment and culture and also case studies of businesses that were flourishing in that country along with performance of various corporate groups.

There will also be field visits.

During the course, the students will stay on the campus of Ocean University in Qingdao for six months and the remaining six months in IIM Shillong.

The total number of seats for the course will be between 30 and 40. One will have pay Rs 12 lakh as course fees and must possess minimum of five years’ experience working in different companies, including media houses.

IIM Shillong is an autonomous business school in Meghalaya and was established in 2007 by the Centre. It is the seventh IIM of the country.

The institute has also started a seven-day advanced management programme on China for senior management executives and bureaucrats.

Dutta said a team of senior managers from China recently underwent the advanced management programme at the institute. He said a team of 20 officials of the Meghalaya government would soon go to China for the same programme to know about the Chinese lifestyle and secrets of the neighbouring country’s success.

The director reiterated that the institute was committed to produce socially committed management graduates and thus initiated various measures to make a departure from the conventional way of imparting lessons of management subjects.