MDI programme to make B-school students more employable begins

Management Development Institute (MDI), Gurgaon, has started its International Summer University programme that helps management students from Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities to get exposure in management discipline and meet overseas faculty and learn from them. The programme was introduced in 2013.

MDI has signed MoUs with many state universities such as Deenbandhu Chhotu Ram University of Science & Technology, Murthal; CCS Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar; University of Kashmir, Srinagar; National Institute of Technology, Kurukshetra; Saurashtra University, Rajkot; Malaviya National Institute of Technology, Jaipur; among others. MDI has partnered with 12 such institutions across India that offer B-school courses and these nominate three to four students for the MDI-ISU course.

Professor Mukul Gupta, Director of MDI, Gurgaon, says, "Besides the National Institutes of Technology and other top state universities, there is no dearth of talented students in the Tier-II and Tier-III cities who are unable to get the academic atmosphere of a top B-school."

"These courses will run over eight weeks and no student can stay with us for more than three weeks. The courses are equal to the subjects that we run. For instance, each course takes 10 days to get completed. The course fee is Rs 10,000 for one course and it's Rs 20,000 for two courses, while for international students, it's $400 or 320 or equivalent towards the cost of instruction for each course. A regular MBA at MDI costs Rs 14 lakh," he adds.

Additionally, Indian students have to pay Rs 1,000 per week for boarding. The cost of accommodation for international students is $100 or 80 or its equivalent.

The first batch of ISU in 2013 saw 85 registrations, and this year MDI is expecting an increase in participation of students. Talking about the takeaways for the Indian students as well as students from abroad who enroll in this particular programme, Gupta says, "Students who pursued this course at MDI, their employability in the Indian market went up post this course. They got jobs faster. Also, International students want to club this course followed by a summer internship of six to eight weeks. We are working on it."  

While top management schools are tying up with foreign universities with student exchange programmes and global B-schools too are setting up centres in India, the MDI-ISU concept has so far been followed only by Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur which will be starting with its first summer-winter term this year.

This programme is not open to MDI MBA students. MDI ISU offers courses such as international financial management, global investment and portfolio management, cross-cultural management, financial analysis strategy-a European perspective in this programme. A student can register for two courses of the eight courses offered. "This doesn't lead to any additional degree from MDI but it's complimentary to the MBA student who is pursuing it elsewhere," adds Gupta.