Vital Statistics

• WHAT IS IT? A co-educational management college for engineers. • WHO’S THE BOSS? Probir Kumar Gupta is the dean. • HOW CHEAP IS IT? Each course costs about Rs 50,000 per semester. • WHAT ABOUT JOBS? There is a placement cell. • WHERE TO STAY? There are hostels for both boys and girls. • WHERE IS IT? Vinod Gupta School Of Management, IIT-Kharagpur, West Bengal, Phone: 03222-279333 Website: www.som.iitkgp. ernet.in

The Vinod Gupta School of Management (VGSOM) offers management courses tempered with cutting edge technologies that IIT Kharagpur is known for. The institute ? the first business school to be formed within the IIT system ? was set up by Vinod Gupta, an alumnus, in 1993.

The institute offers six management programmes, ranging from specialised diploma courses for companies to PhD programmes. The selection method is rigorous since only students with mathematics or statistics backgrounds are considered. And students have to crack the joint management entrance test followed by a group discussion and a personal interview.

Taking care of Career NEEDS

?Since most students studying here already have substantial work experience, most of them join with the hope of better job prospects or a rise within their firms,? says Kalyan Guin, associate dean. All the courses offered are at the postgraduate level and the institute also offers flexible programmes for working managers who cannot afford to stay on campus for a year. While the four-semester two-year MBA course is extremely popular among students seeking to enhance their credentials, the diploma courses cater to the varied needs of professionals.

VGSOM also has an exclusive one-year course for Indian Air Force officers who are posted in Kharagpur to do the course. The two-semester course gives them the option of returning to VGSOM within three years to complete two more semesters to obtain an MBA degree. A similar programme is also being offered to Army officers.

VGSOM provides a holistic learning. ?We are not only involved in teaching, but also have a very strong focus on research which is reflected in our doctoral programme,? says Guin.

International exposure

VGSOM invites faculty members from the IITs, the IIMs and various foreign universities. ?The 26 departments of IIT Kharagpur provide an interface between industry and academia that helps to better co-ordinate our strategies,? says Probir Kumar Gupta, dean, VGSOM. He adds that international collaboration is also a hallmark of VGSOM. ?We have a collaboration with Creighton University and University Of Omaha in Nebraska which provides students with an invaluable academic and professional exposure to modern business trends,? he observes.

Guest speakers from companies like IBM and Tata Sons come for lectures. Executives from different embassies also come to the institute for certificate courses. VGSOM graduates have been recruited by reputed companies like IBM, Wipro, PriceWaterhouseCoopers (PWC), Accenture and HSBC. ?Internships for project work and dissertation lead to placements. Yahoo and Voltas have expressed an interest this year and we are expecting more companies to follow suit,? says Tushar Jha, a first-year student.

Fun ?n? frolic

There is ample scope for extra-curricular activities and the annual fests provide an opportunity to showcase students? talents. The college has hostel facilities for about 300 students. ?VGSOM provides a good mixture of studies and fun,? says Prachi Phadnis, a second-year MBA student.

Expansion plans include an arrangement for a dual engineering-cum-management degree. A group of 50 students will visit the US in May for a meeting with corporate guru Warren Buffett. The institute is also looking forward to hiring more qualified teachers to provide better teaching quality.

Shubhobroto Ghosh

OLD MEMORIES

Rajorshi Sengupta, consultant, technology advisory services, PWC, Calcutta

The best aspect of VGSOM is that it creates a synergy between technology and management. I joined as an engineer, but learned that for efficient execution of any plan, various aspects of management are essential. I cherish the faculty?s contribution to my intellectual growth, even today. The infrastructure of the institute is superb and the exchange programmes with different foreign universities make for a great learning experience.

The education and ambience at VGSOM, IIT-Kharagpur helped me in understanding the world of business better. The expertise available from the different departments of the IIT also helped me in developing a multidisciplinary approach towards learning. I wish that every student had such a learning experience!

As told to Shubhobroto Ghosh.