Intl Symposium on Emerging trends in Business & Challenges to Business
Education at AIMIT
Mangaluru: AIMIT, St Aloysius College (Autonomous) witnessed the First ever International Symposium in the department of MBA. The symposium revolved around the contesting issue of the challenges to Business education in a changing business world. Dr Frank Trocki from Harrisburg University and Dr Marylou DeWald from Ottawa University who were the guest of honor inaugurated the symposium along with Rev. Fr. Dionysius Vaz SJ, Rector – St Aloysius Institutions, Rev. Fr. Denzil Lobo SJ, Director, AIMIT, Dr Rowena Wright, Dean – MBA and Mr Rayan D’Souza, Convenor.
In his message, Fr Denzil dwelt on the complexity of the world we live in and shed light on the need to think ahead of our times. In his presidential address, Fr Vaz exhorted the young minds, to make the least, the last and the lost a part of their decision making rather than just profits. He insisted on the ethics of the business decisions that are responsible for the kind of future we create. The expert panel discussion that followed the inaugural saw diverse idea on the theme – Changing face of business education as a response to the VUCA world. Dr. T Mallikarjunappa, School of Management, Mangalore University who chaired the panel discussion provided a brief outlook of the VUCA concept from civil war to business today, highlighting the challenge for business education to stay abreast with the chaotic times.
The members of the expert panel – Dr Frank Trocki (Harrisburg University, US), Dr Marylou DeWald (Ottawa University, US), Dr Raveendranath Nayak (Manipal School of Management, Manipal) and Dr Aloysius Sequeira (NITK, Surathkal) – weaved the discussion knitting strands of technology, story telling, chaotic markets, innovation, research, critical thinking and need for managers to be trained emotionally. They touched on varied facets of VUCA adding another C (chaos) to volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity. The need for learner in a business school to go beyond the curriculum into taking courses online, to collaborating with partner school to share knowledge was put forward. The speakers while responding the enthusiastic audience asserted that we need to put people before profits, motivation before machines and creativity before cost. 
The student panel discussion in the after hours of lunch, brought on table challenges to business education from the learner themselves. Mr Ravi Kudtarkar, Faculty Member, MBA, AIMIT chaired the session and guided the discussion. Jestin Joseph, Mr Rahul Udyavar, Ms Fency, Ms Kriti Nahata and Ms Deeksha Pemmaiah (students of MBA) presented their concerns and comments on need for business education to move from rote learning to right learning. They touched upon the curriculum, system of teaching and evaluation, hands-on-experiential learning and reiterated the pressing need for business education to become dynamic to stay ahead of markets. Dr Rowena Wright, Dean – MBA gave away the mementos and certificates of participation. Ms Reeshal Fernandes and Ashil Abdullah compered the event.
