How relevant will the marquee brands like IIMs be in a deglobalising world?
Relevance of the IIMs in a deglobalised world
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There is change in the air – the world is de-globalising rapidly. The IIMs are Indian torchbearers in a globalised world, suddenly facing a new reality. But there are many unanswered questions when it comes to the IIMs.
The government of India put up the IIM Bill in Lok Sabha in February 2017. Many criticized it as being a rehash of an earlier IIM A MoA (Memorandum of Association). Some say it is not, rather it is a thoroughly worked-out document. Autonomy has had a special place in IIM officials’ hearts. They have cried hoarse everytime they felt that autonomy has been compromised with. Media usually plays along. They have carried this idea of autonomy to their entrance tests also. Entrance Test papers are never released, questions are hidden behind a wall of legal threats issued at the start of the test, and private agencies run the whole show [a probably profitable public venture turned private and opaque! And everyone’s silent?]. Worthwhile to remember that IIMs teach transparency and governance in their classrooms! Read – Why India lacks a Harvard Business Reviews – this seems more true today!
IIMs have a management problem - In recent years, the government has opened many new IIMs. As is visible to anyone, most have been launched as a political decision, not from an administratively-feasible perspective. Poor physical infra, poor faculty strength, and poor image may impact brand IIM in the medium to long run! The new Bill gives accountability a broader definition (which is good), but elitism must end. There is no mention of that. Nowhere in the world have large educational brands expanded like this, and retained their brand value. Only in India is such an attempt being made. Time alone will tell if this succeeds. The weight of evidence is against it. Perhaps a second tier of a “N I M” could have been a better idea – National Institutes of Management. Just because many Indian students go abroad and pay hefty fees for MBA programmes does not mean India opens IIMs in unknown locations to meet demand. Has anyone heard of a Harvard at San Francisco? Or Washington? Or New Jersey? Or Bentonville? But in India, we are trying to do precisely that.
Blended learning – a mix of classroom and distance learning – is considered a great idea worldwide. Maybe it will work here also, given the demand for it. But the biggest issues remain unanswered – In a deglobalising world, will the typical IIM education remain relevant, as borders come up obstructing free flow of ideas, people and trade? No structured answers are forthcoming. For more video analyses on education, visit our Bodhi Shiksha channel
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