IIM Calcutta: Inclusivity Matters

A ROBUST ACADEMIC institu­tion is much more than the sum total of all the laurels it has got or will be getting in the future. An institute’s repute is the cumula­tive function of its traditions of teaching-learning, rigour of its research, its contribution to the application and de­velopment of management and technol­ogy practices in industry, its connect with the larger fraternity, including its alumni, and the wider societal impact of its con­tribution. As is well known, IIM Calcutta (IIMC) has had the distinction of having the triple crown of accreditation (Asso­ciation to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business or AACSB, European Quality Improvement System or EQUIS, and As­sociation of MBAs accreditation or AMBA) besides being the only management insti­tute from India as a member of the pres­tigious global alliance of management education, CEMS. It routinely participates in most of the ranking exercises carried by different media houses and the National Institutional Ranking Framework by the Government of India. Its legacy as an emi­nent institute of management education gets endorsed by them. Beyond ranking, IIMC is renowned for its ability to attract the brightest minds through a rigorous ad­missions process who show exceptional performance under competition. Through its rigorous academic process, IIMC ensures secure placements of graduates in leading global and domestic companies, further cementing its reputation as a hub of excellence in management education. However, IIMC does not rest content with these everyday recognition as it constant­ly strives to scale newer heights. In this endeavour, it builds on some of its unique historical strengths while remaining open to changes in global academia.

It will not be out of place to list some of its enduring strengths for the benefit of other sister institutions. Firstly, its ad­herence to the basic training in founda­tional disciplines, as well as its embrace of interdisciplinarity, has been its singu­lar strength. In a way, this comes from its having been founded in collaboration with MIT Sloan and the Ford Foundation where respect for foundational disciplines was the central organising principle.

Coping with the changes in the business landscape, IIMC introduces interdisciplin­ary courses focused on areas of firm digital enablement, inclusivity, sustainability, etc.

Second is its conscious encouragement of pedagogic pluralism in the domain of teaching and learning. In its classrooms, IIMC has never privileged one pedagogy over the other. This has allowed its faculty to pursue a set of eclectic methods as per the evolving demands of the classroom. In fact, this has been a conscious choice and not merely an accident.

Thirdly, IIMC has consistently upheld the values of academic autonomy in its in­stitutional practices. This has had many payoffs. On the one hand, it has imparted the faculty to experiment with different lines of research according to their inter­est, competence, and predilection. On the other, it has created an environment of col­legiality, leading to a less hierarchical and more egalitarian organisational culture.

Again, participative processes of deci­sion making have been another salient feature of IIMC. Very rarely has anything of consequence been imposed on the in­stitute from the top. Instead, more often than not, decisions have been based on the inputs provided by different stakehold­ers of the institute. On the surface, this might give the impression of its decision-making processes being slow. However, it has had the advantage of generating a sense of belonging to all the constituents of IIMC. They always felt their voices reflected in the activities of IIMC and the various goals that the institute has pursued over the decades.

IIMC HAS ALSO been fortunate in building on the immense goodwill of its alumni. Its alumni feel connected to the institute in a manner that appears unparalleled in the history of academic institutions in India. Their affectionate insistence on numerous alumni reunions is testimony to the emotional connect that they feel for their alma mater. The institute has developed a purposeful relationship with the alumni to engage themselves in various institutional activi­ties like supporting centres of excellence, delivering sessions to the executive edu­cation participants, and building interna­tional partnerships.

IIMC has even actively demonstrated the power of institutional collaboration and its dividends in the domain of profes­sional higher education in the country (PGPEX-VLMP with IIT Kanpur and IIT Madras and PGDBA with IIT Kharagpur and ISI Calcutta).

Another facet is the institution’s pursuit of a unique blend of national rootedness and openness to internation­alisation. This is born by its collaboration with more than 75 institutions spanning different continents. IIM Calcutta is also the exclusive Indian member of the pres­tigious global alliance, Community of European Management Schools (CEMS). This collaboration allows IIM Calcutta students to pursue the CEMS Master’s in International Management (MIM), a highly ranked global programme.

Also, IIM Calcutta’s commitment to in­clusivity has been pronounced. Against the usual perception of IIMs being predomi­nantly a male bastion, IIMC has success­fully ensured approximately 35 per cent of women candidates in its flagship MBA programme. Equally, it has been sensitive to the needs of “persons with disabilities (PwD)”. The institute is committed to a policy of equal opportunities and inclusion with a view to ensuring that PwD students and other members of the community have continuously expanding access to the entire range of academic and social ac­tivities that the campus offers. To this end, the institute will work to adjust the aca­demic, administrative, and infrastructural configuration of campus life so that PwDs can strive to attain their potential.

The aforementioned should not mis­lead one into believing that there are no challenges ahead for IIMC. We live in vola­tile and dynamic times. The landscape of management education is changing fast. Artificial Intelligence has the potential to disrupt our old ways of thinking and doing things. Amidst technologically disruptive changes and fast-paced global economic changes, as an institute of man­agement education, IIMC has to continu­ally recalibrate its strengths to respond to these newer challenges. Besides being a public institute of management educa­tion, it cannot remain indifferent to na­tional imperatives. Yet, it is this quest for striking a rightful balance between the national and the global, rigour and rele­vance, excellence and inclusivity, efficien­cy and openness, that animates IIMC’s vision and the multitudinous activities of its faculty and staff. It is this vision that we try to inculcate in our students, in the classroom and beyond. We want them to be ethical leaders and sensible managers. At the same time, we also want them to be conscientious global citizens with respect for equity, diversity, and human dignity. At the end of the day, we are known by our students and the value that they bring to the world of business. That is why we look at our students as the ultimate touchstone of all that we do and wish to do. This gives us a sense of purpose as an institute. It also gives us great satisfaction (without leav­ing any room for complacency) that we are adding value by nurturing some of the brightest minds that the country has.

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