We Started With Research, Now Focus Is On High-Quality Education: Janat Shah, Director, IIM Udaipur

Being a young institution, IIMU had the opportunity to analyse and implement things differently for management education of the institute.

The Director of IIMU shares his thoughts on the role of leadership in management education at the BW Education Future of Management Education Conclave 2019. He said, “As a leader, there are two things that we do, first the sole idea of how to build the vision of the institution which can be infused in the whole team around.”

“Secondly, how to finally execute the vision. As a leader, you create an energetic environment for the people around in terms of faculty, students and staff. The most appropriate leadership style as a director is to make sure that everyone around does well,” he added.

In general, an institution has a large number of stakeholders. IIMU stakeholders involve central government, state government, BOG, Students, faculty and staff, corporate and society.

Shah said, “With a large number of stakeholders, the whole challenge is to satisfy them all. We work with some stakeholders of the large horizon and other with a shorter horizon. We were lucky to have a board of larger horizons with us if you want to build an institution of the global standard you need to have such horizon.”

The institution essentially recognized its ‘ambition’ and based on that set-up a benchmark for the institute. Shah explained, “The key understand your ambition and based on that set a benchmark. Finally, look at the environment you withhold.”

After inception, the institution decided to focus on high-quality research as the main thrust area. “We started with research and now we are focusing on high-quality education to give it back to the society,” said IIMU Director