In this exclusive interview with Dr Sunil Kumar Jakhoria, Dean, Faculty of Management Studies, Marwadi University (MU), we discuss his academic trajectory, MU USPs, Placements, and upcoming worldwide collaborations, among other topics.

It has been more than two decades of your association in the education domain; we would like to know how has your journey been so far?

In July, I will be completing 25 years of formal academia, and the experience has been nothing short of amazing. Taking classes, assessing students’ progress, steering projects, driving academic and administrative reforms, contributing to symposia, seminars, and conventions, and networking with educators have all been invaluable learning experiences over the last couple of decades.

Being in academics gives you continuous exposure to younger generations all the time. Youth now represents vitality. They embody fresh ideas and unconventional thinking. Consequently, as a professor, you never feel behind the times or out of place. From faculty to HoD to Associate Dean to Dean of the Faculty of Management Studies at Marwadi University, the journey has been eccentric.

The pandemic has had a cascading impact on the entire education domain. What fundamental changes do you anticipate for the Marwadi University School of Management in the coming years?

So far, we’ve been reacting; for example, we’ve been forced to switch from offline to online mode because COVID attacked us all at once, and none of us were prepared.

At FMS, Marwadi University, we want to adapt our teaching model to a sensible blend of both online as well as offline or the hybrid teaching model. When the impact of the pandemic is severe, the fundamentals or conceptual elements can be addressed online. And there would be an offline style of education to supplement and assist the critical elements. For example, we might use the classroom to complete a case study discussion, when the impact of the pandemic is minimal.

What are the USPs of FMS at the Marwadi University?

We have two MBA programmes that we offer. One is a traditional four-semester MBA degree, and the other is a Business Analytics domain. R-Studio, Python, Business Intelligence, E-Views, Analytics, Database Management System, Power BI, Big Data analytics, and other such topics are covered under the umbrella of MBA Business Analytics programme.

While our faculty members are our greatest asset, our infrastructure stands second to none. Our professors have real-world experience working in the business analytics industry. This adds a great deal of value to the learners’ education. We also conduct frequent extension workshops for students with industry experts.

Further to this, we also have a summer internship course as well as capstone projects integrated into our programme structure to provide students with a hands-on experience with real-world business problems. The classes are aimed at preparing our graduates for working in a dynamic environment when they join the industry.

Is Marwadi University also planning to go global in expanding its horizon?

Yes, absolutely. It’s all about becoming global these days. We’ve already signed MoUs and MoAs with more than 25 universities all across the world. These cover various activities like a foreign faculty member taking a specific course or module, or a student exchange programme. Furthermore, we are in active discussions with several top-tier universities and higher education institutions around the world about collaborative programmes and partnerships. The goal, yet again, is to enrich students’ learning in hybrid mode.

We give our students an international outlook by giving them an opportunity to interact with professionals across nations from various fields on a daily basis. Internationalization, globalisation, and networking with top colleges would all be pursued at breakneck speed. We are not too ambitious to say that in the next two to three years, Marwadi University would have established around 50associations with universities all over the world.

How was the university named? Does it have any connection with the Marwadi community?

Though the university is named as Marwadi University, it has nothing to do with Rajasthan’s Marwar region. We are located in the state of Gujarat, namely in the Saurashtra region. The name Marwadi is derived from the surname of the university’s promoters, Shri Ketan Bhai Marwadi. Though Marwar is known for its business acumen, it is a well-known fact that the entrepreneurial abilities of the Saurashtra region are not inferior to those of Marwar. In recent years, the region has developed at least 5000 SMEs and MSMEs, demonstrating the region’s entrepreneurial prowess. Not to forget, Saurashtra is the home of the famed Late Dhirubhai Ambani.

We factor in the fact that it is not just a career that a student must aspire to. Students can pursue their dreams of becoming entrepreneurs or even expanding their family businesses. The Marwadi University Innovation Incubation Research Centre (MUIIR) and the Marwadi University Centre for Family Business are both here to support them for the same.

Who could be the best fit at Marwadi University, and what do you look for in a candidate while choosing them?

The tagline of our university “Discover You, Discover Your Dreams” is based upon the philosophy that every student is a one-of-a-kind individual with unlimited potential. Academicians and educational institutions merely have to assist them in realizing their full potential.

I believe, an aspirational student, who is eager to discover his hidden potential, would be a good fit for our university. However, their desire to understand themselves and capitalize on their capabilities is a good match.

What opportunities can one find after taking a program at Marwadi University, specifically the MBA?

With nearly 1100 international students from 51 countries, students will be immersed in a dynamic and cosmopolitan learning environment. People who can work in a variety of teams will be required in the next decades. So, if you’re already learning in a diversified setting, you’ve got that mental makeup, which will help you succeed in your life after FMS.

We are NAAC A+ accredited, and our placements reflect that excellence. Our recruiters include Godrej, Reliance, Cognizant, Wipro, CapGemini, Nestle, Amazon, Airtel, all of the main banks, and many others.

Placement records for MBA batch 2019-21:

Highest Package Offered: 8 LPA
Average Package Offered: 4.42 LPA
Total Companies visited: 460+

What would you want this generation to learn from this pandemic?

We’ve all learned a lot from this pandemic. This epidemic has represented the VUCA, volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous world, in its most calamitous form. The first and foremost lesson we must learn is to mentally prepare ourselves. We should learn to remain composed, and address the issues before us without panicking. Since World War II, I believe the world has not seen a major tragedy, and probably that’s why people’s minds had become lackadaisical. This catastrophe has resulted in startling us out of our relaxed approach.

Everything is evolving at such a rapid speed that relying on previously acquired skills will leave you behind. You must be a “lifelong learner,” as the term is commonly used. The second most important learning is that one who adapts to the changes that are occurring is the one who will survive. Success will go to the one who can foresee change and adjust to it before it occurs. The person who tries to adjust after the upheaval, on the other hand, will perish.

Know more – https://application.marwadiuniversity.ac.in/