Dean Soumitra Dutta, Johnson Graduate School of Management, Cornell University visited Somaiya Vidyavihar earlier this week

Although he was in Mumbai for only a few hours, Dean Dutta made it to the Somaiya Vidyavihar campus, and spoke to the students and faculty of the K. J. Somaiya institute of Management Studies and Research.  

He described how Cornell is spearheading the creation of CornellTech, in New York City.  Mayor Bloomberg invited Universities to put forward their idea for winning a 10 acre parcel of land, on which to create a hub for education, innovation and entrepreneurship. Msp as to create a Silicon Valley type of environment in New York City.

If only our leadership would encourage us, or only help create an enabling environment where we could accomplish so much more.

He mentioned that Cornell University has created one program, where the School of Management, Engineering, and Computer Science will have one admissions, one Programme, common faculty, and one administration, to create a degree without 'boundaries'.  He mentioned that their faculty will not sit in traditional cabins, but in open offices, and will also be required to teach in local schools.  He further mentioned, that entrepreneurship as a subject is being elevated to the same status as traditional feldspar such as marketing, finance, etc. 

When he was asked, what distinguished a USA MBA Programme from an Indian one, he mentioned that Indian programmes had younger students. And almost very little international students and/or faculty.  He added, that to have more meaningful interactions in class, and to get a greater sense on the global world we live in, we should also have class composition that is older, and more international.

In the future, he felt that MOOCs would threaten lower quality programs.  He felt that good education would have to be high quality, and delivered at a big scale. 

It was great to have his perspective.  He really liked our campus, and promised to come back and spend more time.