The Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad, has its 59th convocation on Saturday evening. This year, the popular, one-year PGPX programme has one of the largest (148 students) and most diverse batches, with students from more than 30 sectors.
There is diversity in terms of gender, educational background, sectors, and even the regions students come from, said institute sources. Several women students lived with their children or families on the campus.
The batch has CAs who want to become entrepreneurs, musicians, policy makers, HR practitioners, doctors, Armed Forces veterans, those keen on aviation sector, and adventure enthusiasts. There were students from the mainstream sectors as well like IT, FMCG and from startups.
The graduating students felt it was a rigorous course but that it was also important to participate in co-curricular activities. One student, who is a CA, said that the case study method was the highlight for him as far as the programme was concerned.
Diverse opinions
One student worked with the ministry of home affairs (MHA) for more than two years before joining PGPX. He had industry exposure prior to government service. Still, he felt he would benefit from a management degree as it would give him exposure and networking opportunities.
One of the reasons that the PGPX programme attracts students from such a wide spectrum of disciplines is the expanding economy and redefined managerial roles. While one student wishes to pursue political consulting, while another wants to study management for the medical sector, said a faculty member.
Since peer learning is very important in management education, it is important to have diversity in opinions among the students in a class. The diverse batch profile makes them good general managers and also prepares them well for leadership roles, he added.
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