By Tarun Anand, Co-Founder, Universal Business School, Ex-MD, Thomson Reuters, South Asia. Ex-Innovation Board Member, Reuters; He ran a $2 billion business across 100 countries and worked in London, New York, Hong Kong and Mumbai.
Selection of Business Schools – Best Practices?

Students who want a successful career in management and aspire to become CEOs must select Business Schools strictly on the following criteria,

1. Experiential Learning: B-Schools like Universal Business School (UBS) that focus on practice rather than theory have a considerable edge.

2. If you want to become a CEO, the best place to start is to join a B-School like UBS that has been founded by professional CEOs and backed by 55 leading Indian and multinational CEOs giving you theCEO Advantage.

3. Schools which emphasize on Liberal Thinking, Green Thinking and Ethics will be a key differentiating factor for a sustainable management career

4. Follow the Apple Model of great Software (Curriculum, Industry Connect and Faculty) and great Hardware (Superior Infrastructure). Most schools compromise on either hardware or software.

Life after an MBA – Should I do an MBA?

Being a CEO myself, I have seen Industry leaders demanding quality MBA students. Clearly, the current MBA Schools are not delivering this for Industry. There is no dearth of opportunity across industries for students who have the right values, work ethic, communication skills and a hunger to achieve.

One Year MBA vs. Two Year MBA?

Most Two year MBAs focus on theory rather than application and hence require beyond a year. They are actually 16 months, from experience.

In todays intensely competitive world any advantage will make a significant difference. A One Year Experiential MBA focusing on practice and hands on training will give a one year head start on competition, save one additional year of their life and money.

The value of being taught by CEOs and Industry Leaders?

I teach Strategy at UBS. With considerable experience of leading multiple acquisitions, heading global strategy, being elevated to the Innovation & Venture Board of Reuters (Fortune 50) and running a business across 100 countries, the students at UBS get a wealth of experience at their doorstep which is unrivalled.

Theory or Practice Relevance to Industry?

The MBA Syllabus at traditional B-Schools is theory focused and does not prepare students for the real world, which is why industry is unhappy. At UBS we have ensured that this feedback was taken on board, whilst we crafted a modernized and relevant syllabus introducing innovative subjects (Green IT, Green Financing, Green Manufacturing and Green Manufacturing and SMART Project). Students can trade across asset classes in global markets in the Thomson Reuters Trading Room environment a first of its kind in Asia. They get interconnected with markets and geo-politics making then ready to thrive in the Business world from Day 1.

Old established Business Schools vs. New Innovative Business Schools

You need to look at whether you want a bold, dynamic and innovative curriculum which is built by Industry for Industry like UBS or a Curriculum which has not changed for a decade. The road less travelled has always proven to have more opportunities, than the old established routes where several people have traversed.

Entrance Exams Merit or Madness?

I will take a contrarian view here. I dont believe that 2 hours should determine any childs future and am against this insane focus on Entrance exams (CAT, CET etc.). I was not good at Entrance exams, but that did not stop me from becoming a CEO at the age of 32 of a multinational company, managing a $2 billion business. We at UBS believe that All-rounders will succeed in the corporate environment.

Infrastructure Go the Apple hardware (Infrastructure) Perfection Way?

International Universities like Harvard, Stanford, Oxford, Cambridge are the leading universities of the world because they went the Apple way early on and invested in great software and exceptional hardware.

It is dismal to see the standards of B- Schools in India, whereby students have to commute for hours, have pathetic living conditions and have to compromise on infrastructure and learning tools.

Students at UBS have access to the best infrastructure, the world has to offer like Ampi-theatre classrooms with student accommodation stylized like international executive MBA rooms with en-suite bathrooms, living and dining room with kitchenette and zero commute, so that they can focus on Academic Excellence.

Note: This is a sponsored article and has NOT been written by the PaGaLGuY Editorial Team. It is intended from an informational perspective only and it is upto the readers to research and verify the claims and judgements in the article before reaching a conclusion. The views shared here belong to the author and PaGaLGuY does not necessarily subscribe to them.