How long have you been an educator?

<aside> 📆 I joined IBS Bangalore nearly 16 years ago. It has been a reasonably long journey and quite an educative and interesting one.

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Looking back at the last two decades, do you see a significant change in the approach to educating or training students to become a part of the formal workforce?

We have, of course, changed and improved our approach to some extent. This transformation has, however, been gradual. But owing to technological advancements, the way we impart the training has changed much more than the basic approach itself. I would say both these changes together have gone hand-in-hand in bringing about an overall improvement in the effectiveness of the training.

Back in the day when you were a student, technology was virtually absent in the classroom where the chalk and board reigned. How do you assess the role of technology in advancing our mission as educators?

We should not lose sight of the fact that technology is only a tool to enhance our efficiency. The chalk and talk method worked quite well too. The content and approach to teaching are critical, and technology serves as an enabler. Therefore, we have to embrace technology, and make full use of the advantages that it offers.

Do you see a shift in the traditional role of teachers as access to technology has placed knowledge and information within easy reach of students? How can teachers continue to be relevant in the life of students now and the future?

<aside> 📢 There is a plethora of information available to the students, but not insights. They require guidance to sift through the information. Teachers will continue to be relevant as long as they can add value and not just reproduce readily available information. Even earlier, information was available to students in textbooks, notes, guide books, reference books, et cetera. It is just that the quantum of content has multiplied phenomenally. In a way, this has helped the teachers take the students' learning to a higher level with greater ease.

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The pandemic thrust a new format of education on us. Although this form has its naysayers and supporters, do you see a silver lining in this involuntary change? What aspects, if any, will irreversibly stay with us even after the pandemic fades away?

Undoubtedly, the format of online courses, which caught on during the pandemic, will thrive because of its advantages. Good online courses from reputable organisations/universities will find takers. The regular programs from mediocre colleges/institutes that fall short of students' expectations are likely to lose space to well-packaged online courses. The latter might provide more value for money through features that support self-paced learning. The established institutes operating in the physical mode will, however, continue to be successful as they adapt themselves and maintain their pedagogical edge. Even after the pandemic weakens, the programs in the traditional form might continue to tap the online tools for flexibility and efficiency.

Most students graduating from a Business School seek an offer of employment on the campus. Based on the roles offered to our students, do you foresee a gradual shift from a run-of-the-mill PGDM to specialised programs in a chosen area such as Analytics or Digital Marketing or Logistics? Do you think the era of generalists is past us?

The era of generalists is unlikely to go away wholly anytime soon. For example, sales jobs across industries/business sectors would continue to be available for our students, even if intelligent bots can take over some routine work. But there could be a progressive decline in the demand for generalists in the years to come, with a shift towards specialists with deep expertise in every field - analytics, digital marketing, logistics, etc. Therefore, yes. One would have to shift towards training students for specific roles with appropriate industry-ready skills.