Loyola Institute of Business Administration, Chennai
Given the track record of the Jesuit order in managing institutions of educational excellence, it’s hardly surprising that LIBA has steadily moved up the ladder of B-school rankings in India
Tucked away inside the sprawling 97-acre campus of Chennai’s show-piece Loyola College, the Loyola Institute of Business Administration (LIBA) housed in three imposing two-storeyed buildings set amidst serene, sylvan surroundings and spacious grounds, has come a long way since its tentative start in 1979. A Jesuit institution promoted at a project cost of Rs.2 crore under the aegis of Loyola College Society, LIBA began its innings with a three-year part-time PGDBM (postgraduate diploma in business management) programme to assist professional managers to top up their knowledge and managerial skills. But responding to public demand for a B-school offering full time management education in Chennai, a two-year full time PGDBM programme approved by the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) was introduced in 1995.
Inevitably, given the track record of the Jesuit order in managing education institutions of excellence (St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai; St. Joseph’s College, Bangalore; XLRI, Jamshedpur), LIBA has steadily moved up the ladder of B-school rankings in India. For example the Business Today B-school survey of 2003 ranked LIBA ninth among the country’s top business management institutions and almost all other magazine surveys rank it among the top 20. "Our objective is to build an institution in south India comparable with XLRI, Jamshedpur and we are focused upon attaining this objective. The unique characteristic of LIBA is that we develop managers and entrepreneurs who are not only professionally competent but also ethically conscious with a sense of social responsibility towards the less privileged," says Fr. N. Casimir Raj, a commerce postgrad of Madras University, with an MBA from Santa Clara University, and Ph D from St. Louis University (both in the US), who is the promoter director of LIBA.
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| Fr. Casimir Raj |
Fr. Casimir Raj’s impressive academic credentials apart, he has acquired considerable teaching experience in India and abroad. Among the front-rank institutions where he has taught are XLRI, Jamshedpur, as professor of marketing; Wheeling Jesuit College, USA and St. Louis University as marketing instructor. After he returned to India in 1993, Raj was appointed director of the Xavier Institute of Management, Bhuva-neshwar and the Goa Institute of Management before his appointment as director of LIBA for the second time in 2001. The Bharat Jyothi award for excellence in education was conferred on him in 2003.
Currently Chennai’s premier B-school boasts 120 full-time, 180 part-time and 300 diploma course students instructed by a full-time faculty of 16 whose efforts are supplemented by over 100 visiting and guest faculty from India and abroad comprising academics, researchers, and professionals drawn from industry and business. The lucky 60 students admitted into its full-time two-year PGDM programme (from among 3,300 applicants) are well provided. LIBA offers 15 fully-wired classrooms, including 10 satellite rooms of different seating capacities with overhead projectors and pull-down screens.
In addition, the institute is equipped with an excellent audio-visual network with slide projectors, LCD and public address systems. Moreover LIBA’s air-conditioned computer lab has state-of-the-art facilities which include Oracle 9i, Developer 2000, Java, SQL server, e-commerce and ERP software, separate internet browsing centre with a leased line, five servers, multimedia lab and video conference facilities.
However the institute’s pride is its library stocked with over 15,000 volumes on economics and business management and 60 journal subscriptions. In addition to print journals, the library provides access to information in several electronic formats: CD ROMs, online database (EBSCO) which is updated every week and internet database (PROWESS) which provides data about 6,000 listed companies in India. The library also has exchange arrangements with the British Council, AIRC and the Madras Management Association.
LIBA’s flagship full-time two-year PGDBM programme is divided into three distinct parts: first year, summer project and second year which requires the study of 40 subjects, 25 compulsory and 15 electives. Summer training after the first year comprises assigned project work in an industrial or business organisation for 10-12 weeks where students acquire hands-on experience through exposure to problem solving. "The idea behind the summer project is to provide students an opportunity to closely study the functional aspects of a business organisation and to learn to relate classroom knowledge to actual practice. It also facilitates the selection of electives in the second year," says Raj.
The institute’s carefully conceptualised syllabus and curricula are supplemented with close links with B-schools abroad to provide a wider international perspective. Renowned business management dispensing institutions such as Saint Joseph’s University, Philadelphia; the Bordeaux School of Management, France and Griffith University, Australia, have entered into collaborative arrangements with LIBA for research and other academic programmes. "Our linkages cover student and faculty exchange, joint research projects and video conferencing. We can also draw upon the expertise of our counterparts for introducing new study programmes," says Raj.
An indicator of the effectiveness of LIBA’s study programmes and curriculum is that the institute has passed the litmus test of corporate placements with flying colours. For the past five years entire batches of graduates have been snapped up by blue chip corporates such as A.F Ferguson & Co, Kotak Mahindra, ICICI Bank, Citibank, IBM Ltd, Ernst & Young, TVS Motors among other corporates. Last year the average pay package of graduates was Rs.4.2 lakh per annum, with the highest package (offered by IBM) being Rs.6.5 lakh. The LIBA faculty is hopeful of an equally good placement record this year.
Looking to the future, Raj has ambitious plans to consolidate LIBA’s position among the top ten B-Schools in India. Plans to promote similar institutions in other South Asian countries are also on its drawing board. A blueprint to introduce a food marketing study programme in collaboration with the Ervian Haub School of Business, Joseph’s University which has the only wholly industry-supported food marketing programme of its kind in the US, is in an advanced stage of implementation.
And though it’s been a rewarding journey since 1979 for LIBA, Raj is less than satisfied. "We have yet to achieve the glorious status of XLRI, which is our goal. Our main drawback is our spartan classrooms which suffer in comparison with the contemporary comforts other B-schools offer. Moreover, we don’t have an on-campus residential programme which is necessary for our full-time PGDM programme. We plan to introduce it soon," says Raj. Quite clearly for Raj and the blue chip B-School he has built, there are still many miles to go.
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Programmes & fees
LIBA offers numerous full-time and part-time postgraduate diploma programmes.
Among them:
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Two-year full-time postgraduate diploma in business management (PGDBM) offering specialisation in six different areas. Annual tuition fee: Rs.57,000.•
Three-year part-time postgraduate diploma in business administration (PGDBM). Tuition fee for three years consisting of nine terms: Rs.1,11,500•
One-year executive postgraduate diploma programme in financial engineering; financial management; marketing research; international business; marketing management; human resource management. (Rs.20,000)For details and admission contact Loyola Institute of Business Administration, Loyola College, Chennai 600 034 Tel: 281 753 53/ 54/ 55/ 56/ 57 Fax: 281 731 83, website: www.liba.edu.
Hemalatha Raghupathi (Chennai)
University of Otago, New Zealand
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| Otago graduates: singular reputation |
As New Zealand’s oldest varsity, the University of Otago (est. 1869) enjoys a singular reputation in the southern hemisphere for excellence in research and teaching, particularly in the areas of biological and health sciences. Situated in Lord of the Rings country, Otago University is arguably the island nation’s most national and international institution. In 2002, 60 percent of students enrolled were from beyond Otago and over 1,300 students were from abroad.
Otago is also among a handful of Kiwi varsities which have a teaching facility in each of the four main cities of New Zealand — Dunedin, Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch. However the academic and administrative centre of the university continues to be located in Dunedin (capital of the province of Otago), where a majority of students live and work.
Founded in 1869, Otago University was gifted 100,000 acres of pasture in scenic Dunedin as an endowment with a charter to award degrees in arts, medicine, law and music. The university opened for teaching in July 1871 with a staff of just three professors. After 135 years it boasts a student enrollment of 13,000 and has broadened its range of courses to include undergraduate programmes in surveying, pharmacy, medical laboratory science, education, teaching and physiotherapy, as well as specialised postgraduate courses in a variety of disciplines.
"One of the pillars on which the university’s international reputation is built is the quality of its leading-edge research in many fields. Education at Otago is closely related to scholarly research, with the result that most teaching is undertaken by academics who are at the forefront of relevant knowledge. Otago’s reputation also rests on the quality of its graduates. Employers and other key stakeholders confirm that our graduates are sought after and appreciated. There are over 50,000 Otago graduates living in all corners of the world, many occupying influential positions in industry, government and their communities," says Graeme Fogelberg, vice-chancellor of the University of Otago.
Dunedin. Dunedin (pop. 115,000) is a city by the sea. Essentially a university town endowed with white sandy beaches, bush clad hills, tidal inlets and volcanic landforms, it is reputedly one of the best-preserved Victorian and Edwardian cities in the southern hemisphere. The city’s strong cultural bias is evident in its modern public art gallery which houses one of New Zealand’s best international collections, its strong professional theatre, and museums and libraries that rank among the country’s finest.
The heart of the city is lined with restaurants and sidewalk cafes. Modern shopping complexes trade alongside boutiques, galleries and weekly craft markets. Nature has endowed Dunedin with coastal colonies of shy yellow-eyed penguins, and the world’s only mainland breeding colony of the Royal Albatross.
Dunedin is home to major sporting events, and its famous Carisbrook stadium is renowned in the international world of rugby for its unrivalled crowd atmosphere. The Kiwi passion for water sports is met by Dunedin’s natural harbour — ideal for wind surfing, yachting, kayaking, canoeing, rowing and fishing. The climate is temperate, the rainfall moderate and humidity low.
Campus facilities. The University of Otago owns campuses in New Zealand’s four major cities — Dunedin, Christchurch, Wellington and Auckland. Within a short walk from Dunedin’s central shopping district, the varsity’s campus comprises a mix of historic and modern buildings which house the departments of health sciences, humanities, business and commerce and sciences. The Christchurch campus offers degrees in the health sciences, medicine, clinical training, physiotherapy and postgraduate progra-mmes. The Wellington campuses host the Wellington School of Medicine and Health Sciences. The Auckland campus offers programmes in dietetics, executive MBA, health informatics and distance education opportunities.
There are five university libraries on the Dunedin campus, all fully computerised with online research facilities. Four are specialised offering law, medical and science texts while the Hocken library houses some of New Zealand’s rarest history books, documents and photo-graphs. The other three campuses also have well-equipped libraries with online research facilities.
There are plenty of recreation opportunities on Otago’s main campus while the Unipol sports centre has weight training and cardio rooms. Moreover the varsity students association hosts social and cultural activities round the year.
Admission. The minimum eligibility criterion for admission into Otago University’s undergrad programmes is successful completion of class XII/ Plus Two (a minimum overall average of 75 percent in the Higher Secondary School Examination, the All-India Senior School Certificate (CBSE) or the Indian Certificate of Secondary Examination (CISCE)). Students scoring 70 percent plus in English in these qualifying examinations don’t have to write English language tests like TOEFL or IELTS.
Students who don’t have the requisite admission criteria can enroll in the University of Otago Foundation Year Certificate programme which offers a standard university entrance qualification for undergraduate study.
For further information contact The Research & International Office, University of Otago, Box 56, Dunedin, New Zealand. Tel: 643 479 8344; Fax: 643 479 8367; e-mail: international@otago.ac.nz; website: www.otago.ac.nz.
Accommodation. International students have a wide choice of housing options ranging from university-owned halls of residence to private houses and flats. The majority of first-year students choose to live in one of the 11 halls of residence. These co-ed residential halls are within walking distance from the main campus and range in size from 130 to more than 300 beds, most in single rooms. All of them provide student kitchenettes, recreation areas with TV and pool table, computers, common dining room, shower and laundry facilities. While residential halls provide all meals, the Toroa International House comprising fully-furnished and equipped flats managed by a resident warden, are self-catering.
After the first year of study most students move into rented flats. Dunedin has a wide range of rental accommodation from historic houses to multi-unit, purpose built complexes. The university’s office helps students in finding private accommodation.
Degree programmes. The University of Otago offers a wide range of undergrad and postgrad degree programmes in the faculties of humanities, sciences, business and commerce, health and biomedical sciences. They range from bachelor’s, honours to double and combined degrees. The varsity is particularly well-reputed for its biomedical and health sciences programmes.
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Scholastic options at Otago
University of Otago offers three-year bachelor’s, four-year honours, double and combined and two-year postgraduate degree programmes. Among them:
Humanities. Anthropology, Asian studies, Chinese, English, German, history, music, law, teaching, theology, psychology, political studies, economics, education, French, geography, sociology, modern literature and film, film and media studies, communication studies, gender and women’s studies, design studies, theatre studies, visual culture, etc. (Tuition fees: NZ$6,500-8,000)
Sciences. Biochemistry, genetics, microbiology, physiology, pharmacology, anatomy and structural biology, mathematics, physics, neuroscience, physical education, surveying, clothing and textile sciences, food science, energy studies, geology, microbiology, etc. (NZ$8,000-10,500)
Business and commerce. Accounting, economics, entrepreneurship, finance, statistics, information science, international business, management, marketing management, tourism. ( NZ$7,000-8,000)
Health sciences. Medicine, dental surgery, medical laboratory science, pharmacy, physiotherapy, dental technology. (NZ$7,950-20,500)
Biomedical sciences. Drugs and human health, functional human biology, human reproduction and development, infection and immunity, nutrition, metabolism and human health. (Tuition fees: NZ$8,000)
Living expenses (annual): NZ$10,260
NB: NZ$=Rs.29
Summiya Yasmeen