MBA aspirants, students must embrace Patience, Perseverance and manage Risks to minimise COVID 19 impact: Dr NM Kondap, DG, Kohinoor Business School

Kohinoor Business School (KBS) Mumbai, one of the leading MBA colleges in Maharashtra, is taking the calamity of Corona Virus Outbreak as a new challenge and has continued to impart the regular teaching and learning, and also moving towards developing a model of sustainability, while many B-schools are yet to come up with their strategy to complete admissions, proposed use of pedagogy, summer internships, session commencement and placements.

Talking to MBAUniverse.com on the impact of Covid 19 on MBA education, Dr. N. M. Kondap, Director General, Kohinoor Business School shares the challenges that have been thrown open by Covid-19 and how the institute is effectively overcoming them by taking various pedagogic changes to ensure that quality of education is not compromised.

An eminent academician and administrator, Dr Kondap has been the Chairman, Western Regional Committee of AICTE from 2011-2017 and is the Former Vice Chancellor, SVKM’s NMIMS University. Below are given the excerpts of the interview  

Q: What is the impact of COVID 19/ Corona Virus at your institution? What steps have you taken?
A: The advent of COVID-19 pandemic has thrown open new challenges to the world economy that it had never ever faced before in the last 70 – 80 years. Today all industries across globe are trying to survive and meet economic and environmental challenges, including natural calamity. Unlike other industries, coping with COVID-19 scenario is particularly complicated for educational institutions, because they serve such a wide variety of functions. An educational institution has to cater to their most important stake holder – students, on a regular basis. Students need to be given enough teaching and learning resources, guided, moulded and to prepare them to be professionals. This activity till COVID-19 made an entry into enviornment, was happening within the walls of a classroom, with face to face interaction with the faculty and the student.

However, in keeping with the Government of India directives, when it declared the complete lockdown at National level, we at Kohinoor Business School – KBS, like most proactive and responsible institutions of India, were quick enough to move classes online. The process was challenging both for the students as well as for the teachers, as it was something new, that they had never ever tried. But, let me confess, the response was phenomenally positive from the students as well as from the teaching faculty side. Both sides have made significant development in effectively and constructively use the technology for the general benefit of the students and to do justice to their curriculum.  

Faculties are conducting regular online classes for the students. Through LMS, students can access the content at any time, they are able to carry out assignments given to them by respective faculty. Faculties are using online mode for assessments, feedback and most importantly networking through online.

We at Kohinoor Business School – KBS, are taking this calamity as a new challenge not only to continue to impart the regular teaching and learning, but also to move towards developing a model of sustainability. Through DAYITVA – Our Institutional Social Responsibility – ISR cell, we are encouraging our students to work in working a model which will help us in creating a sustainability model.

Q: Have you made modifications in your Admission 2020 Process, like timelines, Skype Interview?
A: Certainly, with the present complete National level lockdown and even after the same is lifted, it is not going to be business as usual. In keeping with the challenges, that COVID-19 has opened up before the whole world, we at Kohinoor Business School – KBS, too are making modifications in the admission process.

While interacting with our prospective students, we have informed our faculty and marketing staffs to be extra careful. There is an ocean of questions manly relating to the uncertainty that are faced by the students. They need to be handled very sensitively. We are doing counselling through interactive connectivity, but extra care is taken to handle all the queries of the students, and give them the confidence by raising their morale and motivating them.

As of now, we are conducting GD/PI through digital mode and the response is positive. We are working on time lines and a we shall take a decision on the future course of action once the lockdown is lifted/withdrawn. 

Q: Have you made modifications in your current academic program by including more online classes…?
A: Going forward, it will be a combination of classroom and online learning. However, post lockdown, online interaction with the student will be an important part of teaching learning pedagogy. We are also working on restructuring of Program Architecture where in ISR (Intuitional social Responsibility), will be introduced with focus on Community Service, and more emphasis on Risk Management and Risk Mitigation. 

Q: What impact will this have on Placements 2020?  
A: Placement is mainly going to be depended on the Company Policy. At present, we are facilitating the company who wish to interview students online and conduct their pre-recruitment tests online. But we need to wait till the lockdown is eased. We need to wait and watch.

Q: Finally, what is your message to MBA aspirants…How can they prepare better for an uncertain future...
A: As coronavirus sweeps the globe, it has opened up challenges and opportunities to all of us. For the first time in our career we are experiencing a different environment impacting career.

However as future Professional who is going to drive this nation and the world, we need to learn and understand how to deal with these tiring situations. We need to keep our mind focused. It is time for us not only to keep ourselves abreast of what is happening around us, but also of what will happen in future and the present is going to impact the time to come. Let us be aware of all the guidelines that the Government and Regulatory Authorities and like any responsible citizen follow all those guidelines meticulously the most important one being maintaining Social Distancing. You can make a difference in your own circle by educating people around you of the various dos and don’ts that people need to practice. We are confident with the support from each one of us, we will sail through this successfully.

Be prepared to face this uncertainty with:

• Patience
• Perseverance
• Emotional Stability
• Risk Mitigation
• Collective Wisdom  

Let us be a part of this initiative and work together to Transcend Horizon. 

At the end, let me tell you, the most difficult days are also made of 24 hours, this too will end. Tough times don't last but Tough people do!!!!. I wish you All the Best and have a bright future.

Stay tuned to MBAUniverse.com for more updates on Impact of Covid-19 on MBA Education