Candid Tele-Discussion with Prof Shajahan @ IIM Shillong , dated 14th April 2012, 10.00 AM

Here it goes guys.
Results: Results are expected in next 48 hrs. Due to torrential rain there has been a shut down in communication systems in IIM Shillong. Hence they have shifted their base to Kolkata and are working 24 hrs. Students would be intimated either by email or the list would be published on the website of IIMS.

Start of Course: A bad news, as it is now delayed by a month and probably would start in Mid June.

Loans: IIMS will invite banks once we join there and the thing would get materialize within a week time

China Module: It would comprise of functional modules of Marketing, Finance, Strategy and Operations. We have to focus in one area though no specialization would be offered. There would be of course Core Subjects covering all functional aspects.

Placements: Would be clubbed with 2 yrs PGP of IIMS. (this part is not clear to me as he earlier talked about placement drives in China). Min 3 interview slots are guaranteed.

Overseas Candidates: He said that they are trying to have max overseas candidates with a cap of 50%. However, there is absolutely no reservation for SC/ST/OBC.

Boarding in Shillong/China: Options would be there for cooking to minimize cost, as the case in any other int. MBA. Also we would be choosing our own Airlines and tickets to fly.

Dear Seniors,
As we, NMP-25 batch, head towards the start of our session, it almost marks the end of this thread. It has been a wonderful journey with you guys and we are grateful to you for your tremendous assistance. In spite of your studies, exams, interviews etc. you stood beside us and extended your help in all possible ways in our journey towards the entire admission process. It wouldn't be wrong to mention that your guidance and suggestions gave us the much needed confidence and cleared our doubt whenever required.
Meanwhile, we all are very delighted to know that your hardworking efforts have been rewarded in form of an excellent placement season this year, in spite of a slowdown in the economy. This definitely will be huge moral booster for all of us. We would further seek your help and guidance in our ways ahead.
Please do visit the thread for NMP-26 with your valuable insights.
Finally, I on behalf of NMP-25 would like to thank you all and wish you a very successful and exciting career ahead.
Regards
NMP-25

wanderingmind Says

I have meet 2 very serious candidates during the interviews and both of them have said that they had called up Prof. Shahjahan individually and discussed with him at length about the China module and was told by the Prof. that the China module is essentially the the Chinese Business Program Certificate course offered by OUC with some additional inputs thrown in(lectures, seminars, project, etc).....And if you closely look at the course content for the China leg and match it with the contents of the Chinese Business Program of OUC, it you see the similiarities yourself...I have already checked it and am convinced..

The Chinese Business Program starts either from March or from September. However PGPEx students would be going there on July. Hence the schedule is not matching. How do u find the similarity?

1) Prof. Shahjahan had earlier confirmed that the China module is essentially the Chinese Business Program Certificate course offered by OUC with some additional inputs thrown in(lectures, seminars, project, etc). And now he is saying that "This course is Unique and nothing to do with Certficate course of OUC"....sounds strange...seems he has different versions to say to different people..

2) Now he is saying that "We have called only 20% of the candidate for interview"...But many people have called the IIMS office earlier and have been repeatedly told that they are not eliminating anyone at this stage (before the interviews and are sending interview call letters to everyone who have applied and have meet selection criteria).....There seems to be total lack of coordination among the organizers of this course....Not sure which version to believe.

3) Prof. Shahjahan says "We are awarding Post graduate Diploma in Managemt . OUC will endorse the certificate. This is equivalent to TWO YEAR MBA degree of IIM Shillong"......Does this mean that IIMS is comparing this course to their flagship 2 year MBA program.......I don't think anyone who have applied to this course is looking for a program which is equivalent to a 2 year mba course....People have applied for a course for altogether different reasons and this is supposed to be a Executive 1 year course with a clear focus and contents which are totally different from a 2 year course and in NO way can be or should be compared to a traditional 2 year MBA course. And the degree/diploma which is offered after the course should clearly be different in every respect and should clearly show the differences......It seems IIMS is not sure about their own offerings and the difference between them and are comparing one to another.....Strange!!

4) Also he says that IIM-B and IIM -K are not able to start China focussed courses and only IIM-S have managed to do so and have beaten them in this area......"Yeh baat kuch hajam nahin huyi doston"......Sounds possible for IIM-K, but for an institute like IIM-B starting this sort of course should have been a cakewalk if they ever wanted to do so.....I know plenty of guys/whizkids who have passed out from IIM-B and trust me they have HUGE regards for IIM-B..After passing out from IIM-B, they say their decision to opt for IIM-B instead of getting offers from IIM-A and IIM-C has been totally justified by the exposure they have got in IIM-B...And an infant institute like IIM-S have beaten IIM-B in starting a course like this...."Koi mujhe Digene/Eno khiloa yaaro"...

Guys/Friends please post your thoughts and opinions on the above points...We need to debate all these things before we make up our minds...

@ wanderingmind, can you please share the details where Prof. Shahjahan had earlier confirmed that the China module is essentially the Chinese Business Program Certificate course offered by OUC with some additional inputs thrown in(lectures, seminars, project, etc)?
U r absolutely correct we really need to debate and make things clear for us.

He has also shared one sample course content:


Rajiv Gandhi Indian Institute of Management, Shillong
Post Graduate Program in Management
Global Business Environment; SPRING 2013

Course Number:TBA
Course Title:Global Business Environment
Instructor Name:from USA : New York
Office: TBA
Office Hours: TBA
Office Phone: TBA
E-mail:
Text Books
Anant K. Sundaram & J. Stewart Black, "The International Business Environment: Text and Cases", Prentice Hall.
J Daniels, L H Radebaugh & D P Sullivan, "International Business: Environments and Operations", Pearson Education.
G Jones, "Multinationals and Global Capitalism", Oxford University Press.

Course Objective
In the past couple of decades, the phenomenon of globalization has progressed from buzzword to reality. The notion of a purely domestic firm has almost become a fiction even in a country like India which embarked on the path of liberalization in the early 1990s. Thus understanding the forces of globalization and reaction of the firms to this changed environment is of utmost importance for today's managers. In this course we would make use of the macroeconomic and other tools and then try to conceptualize the process of globalization and try to learn how the firms can measure the business environment.
The course aims at providing the students with tools to understand the process of globalization and its effect on business. Information available about various aspects of an economy would be analyzed to reach at decisions regarding internationalization of firms. An attempt would also be made to understand the effects of domestic policy, policy in target countries and policies of supranational institutions like WTO and RTAs on business.
Reading (This is a tentative schedule and it is subjected to change):
Session 1: Introduction & Macroeconomic Preliminaries (1 Class)
Objective of this session is to introduce the course to the students and test their awareness of the basic concepts of Macroeconomic models.
-Introduction
-Macroeconomic Concepts
-Macroeconomic Models

Session 2: Concept of Cross-Border Business (1 Class)
The objective of this session is to understand what constitutes cross-border business, its meaning, players and need. Difference between domestic and international business would also be discussed in the session.

-International Business
-Key concepts in International Trade and Investment
-Difference between International and Domestic Business
-Participants in International Business
-Reasons for firms engaging in International Business
Reference: Chapter 1, Tamer, Knight and John, "International Business: Strategy, Management and the New Realities".

Session 3: Globalization: Concept and Process (2 Class)
Objective of this Session is to understand the concept of Globalization and the role of Multi-National Enterprises (MNEs) in bringing the world closer.
-Concept of Globalization
-MNEs and Globalization
-A brief history of Globalization
-Trends in Global Trade and Business

References: Chapters 1 & 2 Sundaram & Black, Chapter 1 John, Lee & Daniel, Chapter 2 Jones, International Trade Statistics and WTO.
Session 4: Assessment of Domestic & Foreign Business Environment (2 Classes)
Objective of this session is to understand how the domestic and the foreign environment can be assessed.
-Macroeconomic Issues effecting Business Strategy
-Country Risk Analysis
References: Chapter 4 John, Lee & Daniel and Chapter 10 Sundaram & Black.
Session 5: Assessment of MNEs by Countries (3 Classes)
In continuation with the earlier session, the objective of this session is to understand how the foreign environment can be assessed and how the countries on their part assess the MNEs.
-Political Risk Analysis
-Economic Cost-Benefit Analysis of MNEs
References: Chapters 11 & 12 Sundaram & Black.

Session 6: The Trading Environment of International Business ( 2 Classes)
The objective of this session is to understand how trading agreements affect firms.
-WTO
-RTAs
-Impact of Trading Agreements on Business
-Common Currency Zone
References: Chapters 6, "The Changing Landscape of RTAs", WTO and "The Value of the ASEAN FTA to Australian Business: A Strategic Assessment", Alan Oxley, APEC Study Centre.
Session 7: Foreign Direct Investment & International Business (3 Classes)
Objective of this session is to understand how FDI may get affected by regulatory environments and the attitudes of the host government.
-FDI & Control
-Resources & Methods for FDI
-Evaluating the impact of FDI
-Economic impact of a MNE
References: Chapters 8 & 11 John, Lee & Daniel
Session 8: International Expansion in Emerging Markets (2 Classes)
The objective of this session is to understand the differences between developed and emerging markets.
-Distinction between Advanced, Developing and Emerging Markets
-Attractiveness of Emerging Markets for International Business
-Estimating the true potential of Emerging Markets
-Risks and Challenges in Emerging Markets
-Strategy for Business in Emerging Markets

Reference: Chapter 9, Tamer, Knight and John, "International Business: Strategy, Management and the
Session 9: Dunning's OLI Paradigm and Chinese MNCs
Objective of this session is to understand Internationalization strategies of new MNCs.
-OLI Paradigm
-Internationalization of Chinese MNCs
References: Dunning, "The Eclectic (OLI) Paradigm of International Production-The Past, Present and the Future".

Session 10: De-Globalization and Firm Strategies (1 Class)
The objective of this session is to understand the concept of De-globalization and the strategies that the firms need to adopt in such circumstances.
- Consequences of Globalization
- Signs of De-globalization
- Potential impact of De-globalization
- Possible strategies for firms to tackle De-globalization
References: "Preparing for new global business environment: divided and dis-orderly or integrated and harmonious", Dwight Allen and Michael E. Raynor, Journal of Business Strategy, 2004.
Examination and Grading Policy
I. There will be in-class quiz every second week. The quiz will cover the lectures of the previous two weeks. These quizzes will account 25% of your grade. These quizzes are going to help you to understand the course better.
II. There will be three homework assignments. This will account 25% of the grade.
The assignment submission Policy:
While submitting the assignment the student should
1. Write his/her name in the first page of the assignment
2. Write his/her Banner/Person ID in the first page of the assignment
3. Staple all the pages together (Please do not give any lose page).
If a student fails to follow the above instructions, then his/her assignment will not be corrected and it will be considered for evaluation. The method of evaluating the assignment will be explained in the class.
III. There will be one final exam.
During any exam or quiz, it is the responsibility of the students to write their name and person ID on the first page of the answer sheet. If a student does not write his/her name and ID then his/her answer paper will not to be corrected.
The Grading Policy: The final letter grade will be allocated by curving the overall performance of the class.
Letter GradesPercentage of the Class
In As (A, A-)33
In Bs(B+, B, B-)44
In Cs(C+, C, C-)18
In Ds or F5

Policy for the Make-up exam:
1.Makeup exam will be allowed only under medical grounds. The student is also required to provide proper written documents to the instructor within 24 hours of his/her return to the class. Failure to provide the requisite documents will result in making the grades of the makeup exam null and void.
2.Makeup exam will not be allowed under any other circumstances (such as break down of the car while coming to the exam, fire in the apartment in the day of the exam etc.).
Cheating:
If a student is caught cheating he/she will not be given a passing grade for the entire course. Furthermore, additional sanctions may also occur beyond that has already been noted. Cheating includes (but is not limited to) plagiarism, forgery, cheat sheets, etc.

Had a couple of email communication with Prof. S Shajahan, Chairman, PGP-Ex. depicted below:

"Thank you for the email. We are awarding Post graduate Diploma in Managemt . OUC will endorse the certificate.
This is equivalent to TWO YEAR MBA degree of IIM Shillong

This course is Unique and nothing to do with Certficate course of OUC.

Course content is unable to share at this point of time. This programme is unique and nothing to do with any MBA programme offered in the country/world.

Functional area concentration is very less as it is in FD Approach. only one third of the time is in class room

our selection process is very complicated and confidential. We have called only 20% of the candidate for interview and our absentismwas less than 5%. selection probability is 1:10 and no reservation at any point of time

we are well satisfied with response of the candidates and now are interviewing overseas candidates

April 10 , 2012 final list will be released.

Once your name is in the list and if you pay the acceptance fee , then we will share all curriculum details.

Your choice is always open. This is the first Indian program for the world and not for Indians alone.
We also got number 1 in Innovativeness globally
Chinese syllabus is controlled by IIM Shillong along with professors from Europe and USA
We are aiming number One inn the world our delivery.. we are committed
Personally I am looking each and every aspect of the course and programme delivery
If you want to be a part of the history or lead a normal life.. that is your choice
NOT To be misled by pagulguy .. they are sponsored entites of varies institutes which are affected by our program launch. Also refer today's business standard page no:12 business education with headline Tough course: B schools on sale.. wherein average occupancy rate of the program is only 60%. then why do we need one more MBA with same format??

Even former Associate Director of ISB , Hyderabad also appeared for PI Further people with more than 15 lakh CTC constituted 45% of our PI segment.. we are well focussed on our task

There are several IIMs tried to start a course with Chinese universities despite their glamour and brand . This includes IIMB and IIMK. They have Chinese professors on board.. But unable to start anything in China.. IIM S is innovative and young.. We are committed to make history and we would like to see IIMS as a global IIM with TNI of 50% as against 2% of current Indian programmes.. Support us to build a global brand

all the best
prof. Shajahaan"

He also told that SBI will take care of the Loan part.

No i/v exp posted today!!!!!!!!!. What happened Mumbai puys? Too busy for ur team's IPL match?

sudi5184 Says

So now I guess only Bangalore Location people remaining...!! :)

yup. Wish you all, The Royal Challengers, the very best!!!!!!!

Anindya,
You dont need to worry. You are a sure shot convert:)

Abhay

Thanks for being generous, but, the fact is, PGPEx admission is one of the toughest battle being fought for an admit to a 1 yr PGP in this country with more than 10 peoples vying for every single seat.

Today, I called up IIM S to enquire about the date of publishing the results. The lady said that it may be out by end of this week, but definitely by 10th April. She said that once the i/v are over then they can give us a firm date.