IIM-L students to be exposed to global work culture

The Indian Institute of Management plans to expand its presence in the world with a management training centre abroad because the premiere B-School is keen to start a management development programme for faculty and working executives.

The students of the new batch (2017-19) will now get a compulsory international exposure. The IIM-L is ready to roll out an international immersion programme to expose its students to the work culture that exists in developed countries.

“We have international exchange facility. But the problem is that not all the students get access to this exchange because one is required to pay over and above the fees. Hence not all can avail the benefit,” said Dr Ajit Prasad, director of IIM-L.

“In this international immersion, we have worked out a system in which IIM-L will allow all the 450 students to go for an international immersion programme for 6 weeks,” he said.

The international immersion module is designed to give students an opportunity to broaden their learning and deepen their knowledge about an increasingly globalised economic environment. This module provided an opportunity to the students to work in a group in a cross-cultural environment and learn how to address business issues, sources said.

The international immersion module is prevalent in some of the top B-schools like IIM-Ahmedabad, IIM Bengaluru and IIM-Kolkata. It is structured around a visit to an emerging economy or a developed one. The module provided insights into the country’s economic, social, political and cultural life, an official said.

Abroad, the students would attend lectures on the country’s economy and society with specific emphasis on issues affecting business and industry, go on field visits to local plants and corporate offices, meet business and government leaders, attend cultural events and visit historical sites to help them understand the intricacies of the country, an official explained.

The international immersion programme includes company visits and academic sessions at international business schools. No separate fees are payable by the students for this module. The great minds address the most pressing issues of world economy. This module is designed to disseminate the participants about the increasingly globalised economic environment and help them understand and compare the businesses in emerging and developed economies.

“The prime objective of this module is to enhance the business acumen of participants through company visits, meetings with business and government leaders and faculty interactions. It aims to create a perfect platform for participants to learn global business and to broaden their knowledge about various aspects of rapidly changing economies in the world,” an official said.