Alumni Testimonial

"Straight-from-the-heart" 

Anant Ashesh

Assistant Manager - Team Leader Planning & MIS
TOYOTO TSUSHO INSURANCE
(PGDM 2012-14)

Imparting knowledge to the next generation has been human nature since time immemorial. Whether the hieroglyphs on the pyramids or later on the development of Latin and then English, man has always passed on his knowledge to the next generation. And through the ages the method of passing on that knowledge has also changed. In today’s education scenario knowledge is being passed on to the students, but how? International Management Institute, Bhubaneswar (IMI-B) is setting a new trend in management education.

When I joined IMI-B, I was a bit apprehensive about the new institute. But ever since the starting of the PGDM programme, I have been experiencing new and innovative methods of teaching. The first orientation activity called for a blind-fold exercise where the students had to guide each other through the campus and in the end they were asked to form a perfect square while still blindfolded. From the very start the students had to trust their batch mates who were guiding them and this created a deep level of trust and understanding between the students. 

But that was just the start of the innovation that I was about to experience. Teaching team work and trust through free-fall exercises, co-ordination through ball room dancing and making the students create live animation videos for a deeper and better understanding of various management concepts. The faculties at IMI-B have gone beyond the normal and are giving the students an experience that no other place could provide. Recently the students were given an assignment to watch the movie - “Take the Lead”. But surprisingly, when they reached the classroom they were greeted by an impromptu salsa class conducted by the OB-HR faculty at IMI-B. The whole class was dedicated to the students taking the centre-stage and learning on how to co-ordinate with people despite having numerous problems. As one of the 2012-14 batch, PGDM students said “I don’t think I would have learned concepts with such clarity had I been attending a regular college.” Another student was heard saying that “I have learned more from the classroom experience than by reading the books. I never thought that was a possibility.”

The best part about the teaching pedagogy of IMI is that the teaching is not restricted to the class timings. I can interact with the professors any time I want. Be it on the cricket field or the TT table, the constant interaction between the teachers and students provides a continuous learning curve. The faculty of IMI imparts knowledge not only through books and notes but also through poems written by them. A poem on the “Chai ki toli” outside of the campus gates was written to explain the concept of servant leadership and how a small chaiwaala who started out on a cycle currently drives a luxury car. The dedication and commitment of the chaiwaala served as an inspiration for the students. It has been a joyride so far for me. And if you ask me, IMI-B is definitely shaping global leaders of tomorrow.