MCBP-MAHE: An Interview with Prof. N Ravichandran (Executive Director)

Manipal Centre for Business Practice, Bengaluru is a private institution which is a constituent unit of the Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE). At the UG level, the institute offers B.Sc. Data Science. Manipal Centre for Business Practice PG courses are Integrated Programme in Management, PGP in Analytical Consulting, and PGP in General Management. Careers360 brings you an exclusive interview with Prof. N Ravichandran, Executive Director, Manipal Centre for Business Practice - MAHE. In this interview Prof. N Ravichandran shares various details about the university, MCBP-MAHE admissions process and other important things. Read the complete article to know more about Manipal Centre for Business Practice.

Careers360: You are a veteran academician and your name has been synonymous with innovation throughout your career. Given the tech-driven world we live in, what are your views on the changing landscape of education delivery today?

Prof. N Ravichandran: Delivery of education accelerated due to the pandemic condition that prevailed in the world for the last two years. Now some moderation on this is expected. Many institutions are moving towards the standard way of delivering educational services. However, the mix of online and offline delivery is here to stay. The proportion of the mix is likely to vary from institution to institution and in the context of the program that is being offered. Information and Communication Technology (ICT) based delivery is a reality and one has to live and cope with it. In an extended form, universities and educational institutions would only enable education and possibly certify those who qualify. The subject matter experts would drive demand, the content and the quality of what is being taught.

Careers360: Tell us about a few immediate changes needed in the Indian education system

Prof. N Ravichandran: The single largest change that is needed is to focus on the individual students and help him to realise his full potential. Everything else like job, skill-oriented training etc. would fall in place once this primary objective is met. Universities need to develop as a place where they help young men and women to not only realise their dreams but also to help them to realise their full potential.

Careers360: Do you think NEP fulfils the educational requirements of India?

Prof. N Ravichandran: NEP is a great document of our time, the impact of which would depend on its implementation.

Careers360: You have been associated with IIMs for many decades, tell us what makes Manipal Centre for Business Practice (MCBP) and the courses it offers stand apart from that of IIMs and other private institutes in the country

Prof. N Ravichandran: It has been unfair to compare Indian Institutes of Management and Manipal. Indian Institutes of Management are focused on a single discipline, namely, management. Universities like MAHE are multi-disciplinary universities. The richness of the quality of education that such universities can bring is distinct and holistic. MCBP as a part of MAHE, would be distinguished in terms of quality of content, student-centric approach and extensive use of ICT infrastructure.

Careers360: Please take us through the idea behind setting up the MCBP, and the vision and mission of this fairly new unit of MAHE.

Prof. N Ravichandran: Manipal Centre for Business Practice (MCBP) was created with a twin purpose of providing holistic education which blends humanities, social sciences, liberal arts and management. Multiple under graduate / post graduate programs are being planned based on this innovative philosophy. This is a revolutionary way of looking at education in this country, something which is very similar and articulated in the NEP. This is also very similar to the four-year undergraduate programs there are being offered in American and European universities. The other set of activities that MCBP would focus on would be quality executive education with value pricing. The executive education programs would be both short-term and long-term, domain specific and functional area specific. These programs will be offered online and in blended mode. MCBP is built on the foundation of applied research, knowledge creation and its propagation.

Also Read: MCBP-MAHE Courses and fees

Careers360: What are some common characteristics, passions, and career goals of students in Integrated Program in Management (IPM)?

Prof. N Ravichandran: IPM has recruited talented young students who want to realise their full potential. They are smart-working individuals. They would provide a comprehensive leadership to public, private, government, not-for-profit organizations in the next 10 to 15 years and they would bring in transformational change in the context in which they operate.

Careers360: Why do you think this is the right time to learn Data Science and what makes the BSc Data Science course offered by MCBP exceptional?

Prof. N Ravichandran: Data generation, its capture and its usage are all-time high in the recent past. Government is thinking of e-sensors. The need for qualified professionals is high and is expected to grow. Clearly, there is an employment opportunity for several years to come. Evolution of ICT is also at its peak. Therefore, anybody who gets trained in Data Sciences would be able to find an appropriate profession depending on their attitude, ability and competency. That is the reason why we are offering a Data Sciences program in MCBP with complementary support on Liberal Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences.

Careers360: Tell us something about the admission process?

Prof. N Ravichandran: We follow a three-stage process for admission to MCBP. The first stage is the performance of the candidate in the qualifying exam which is usually the Class 12 exam of the respective boards or the Central Boards. The second stage of the filtering process is the statement of purpose as articulated and written by the candidate. This is to sort of gauge the attitude and aptitude of the individual concerned and his willingness to learn and make a contribution to the society. The third stage is based on personal interaction. A group of three faculty members / practitioners would interact with the candidates to understand his aspirations and the suitability of this candidate to the rich curriculum that is being offered in the IPM program as well as the BSc. (Data Sciences) program. We look for individuals who are willing to learn and passionate about doing something for society. We are also looking for individuals who have the willingness and the attitude to positively change the context in which they operate or their organizations operate. This is a big ask and we are looking for individuals of this kind.

Careers360: What kind of infrastructure can students expect at the institute? Please elaborate.

Prof. N Ravichandran: MAHE has always prided itself with world-class infrastructure. This includes classrooms, campus life, student hostels, sports facilities, canteens, service space, recreational facilities etc. MCBP would be situated in the new Bengaluru off-campus of MAHE located in Yelahanka. This facility was inaugurated a few days before and this facility is situated in 80-acres of land. It has a built-up area of about 5 lakh square feet. The IPM program will be delivered in the Manipal campus of MAHE. The BSc. (Data Sciences) program will be delivered in the Bengaluru off-campus.

Careers360: There is a lot of stress in the student community about the interaction with the industry as well as companies that recruit. What are the steps being taken by the institute in this direction?

Prof. N Ravichandran: The stress related to placement will be systematically addressed by structured internship. There are two internships that we are providing, one, a rural internship and the other one is the organizational internship. Multiple visits by the senior management of various organizations, agile placement team led by the students under the supervision of faculty members.

Careers360: Internships are now mandatory as per AICTE guidelines. Does the institute help students with this? If yes how

Prof. N Ravichandran: Internship is mandatory even before AICTE came up with a norm. Each student will have two internships, one is social and the other one is industry based. The social internship will help them to appreciate India and get a sensitization of a range of issues that the Indian population is dealing with. The organizational internship will help them to sensitize the dynamics of the organization so that when they join organizations, they are work-ready.

Careers360: Can you please share details if there is any collaboration with universities abroad?

Prof. N Ravichandran: We are talking to several Universities abroad. MAHE has got an excellent ecosystem of twinning programmes. Because of the pandemic situation, travel has been restricted and therefore, visits to the Universities could not happen. We are in the near future planning to visit some of the Universities in the USA and create an appropriate collaboration.

Careers360: There is an acute shortage of skilled workforce in the market, yet the upskilled professionals are grabbing profitable career opportunities. How do you think we can solve the challenge of employability of Indian youth?

Prof. N Ravichandran: Yes, I agree that there is an acute shortage of skilled workforce in the market. This is primarily because everybody would like to be trained on high skills like computer-based skills etc. We need to have skill-oriented programs for various segments of the labour market. There is also a stigma associated with manual labour. Unless our attitude changes and we start respecting work, many people may not necessarily get attracted towards the so-called blue-collar skills. This requires a revolutionary change in the overall context in which we look at education, employment and societal status.

Careers360: When you look at the state of higher education in India, what concerns you most or brings you hope?

Prof. N Ravichandran: The major concerns are teachers’ quality, promoter’s mindset in private Universities, directionless students and obsessive emphasis on outcome-based education which is primarily employment and the salary it can get to. These are very serious concerns. The hope is that the government is focused on higher education and is trying to do everything that is possible to improve the overall quality of education, reforms and changes that are brought in by the regulatory bodies in higher education.

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