Following is the article on the rural management with the recent award won ” Most Innovative Pedagogy Award “. The article focuses on the experiential learning offered in the 2-year full-time PGDM Rural Management program and along with award 

With design thinking at the core of its campus eco-system, WeSchool continues to pioneer programs which answer the rising demands of skills combined with the knowledge that is glocal. The B-School seamlessly collaborates with industry leadership to design an industry-relevant curriculum.

It studies, interacts and engages with industry stalwarts to understand the hinterlands across India from a management educator perspective. Beginning from designing a holistic approach of learning to groom rural managers, WeSchool has left no stones unturned.

WeSchool’s Two years full-time PGDM in Rural Management program uses an innovative approach to learning and experiencing the grassroots through rural field study. The rural immersion program grooms future managers and policymakers sensitised towards the rural milieu by understanding the consumer needs and market potential.

The transformative pedagogy includes lectures, on-field rural projects, industry visits and research experience through rural internships. It also provides exposure to general management which is delivered by highly acclaimed academicians and renowned industry experts from top listed companies.

So how we teach through the rural immersion program has been appreciated by the National HRD Network, an association of HR professionals from the Industry. Recognising these efforts, National HRDN awarded WeSchool – Mumbai Campus for innovative pedagogy for its rural immersion pedagogy. 

Case Study: How WeSchool, India’s leading B-School and Maharashtra State Rural Livelihood Mission joined hands to drive the mission of UMED in the hinterlands of Maharashtra.

Context: Rural India is home to around 81.29% female workforce according to Census 2011 data and the latest round of National Sample Survey (NSS). 

The statistic includes both marginal and main worker. Most of these women are agricultural labourers who work on someone else’s land in return for wages. Interestingly, close to 56 % of the employed rural women are illiterate.

These are women who are breadwinners and are taking a step by step approach to becoming financially independent. Many women are using their culinary skills to make and sell home-made traditional food items ranging from pickles to ladoos.

Many also have a flair for embroidery and hand-made jewellery. In Maharashtra, these talented women have formed self-help groups known as SHGs by Maharashtra State Rural Livelihoods Mission.

Innovation:

WeSchool, in collaboration with MSLRM introduced and acquainted women in 100 SHGs to basics in management education. Through a series of workshops, women are presenting their products with basic branding, hygienic packaging with nutritional information and shelf-life dates.

For an effective outcome, WeSchool rural management faculty customised the training session by assessing these Self Help Group (SHG) – formation, structure, communication and processes; knowing group products.

The training workshop opened their minds to capacity building on the packaging, branding by introducing new practices and creating market linkage, which would help them sustain and stay connected to more markets.

Impact: 

The trained women displayed their newly packaged products at ‘Saras’, an annual exhibition of products sourced from 250 SHGs from across India. They assessed market response for new development.

Maharashtra State Rural Livelihood Mission and WeSchool further initiated divisional training to 90-100 SHGs at Raigad, Nashik, Pune and Palghar, thus creating sustainable livelihoods for rural women through home-grown/homemade products.

On successful completion of the PGDM-Rural Management (Emerging Economies) program, you could be a Corporate Manager with leadership qualities and innovative mindset, able to find ingenious solutions to the problems faced by the rural sector, based on your insights in the rural emerging markets.