The Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIMA), a premier global management institute, celebrated a special, in-person Convocation ceremony for the students of its e-Mode Post Graduate Programme in Management (ePGP) and e-Post Graduate Diploma in Advanced Business Analytics (ePGD-ABA) on campus today.
The Convocation was presided over by Mr Pankaj R Patel, Chairman of the IIMA Board of Governors, who is also the Chairman of the Zydus Lifesciences Ltd. He was joined by Professor Errol D’Souza, Director, members of the Board of Governors, Deans, Programme Chairs and other faculty members, staff, alumni, graduating students and their families at the ceremony.
A total of 105 students – 63 from ePGP and 42 from the ePGD-ABA programmes completed the Master of Management Studies and Post Graduate Diploma in Advanced Business Analytics, respectively this year. The award of degrees was read out by Professor Sanjay Verma, Chairperson (ePGP) and Professor Sachin Jayaswal, Chairperson (ePGD-ABA).
Delivering the convocation address, Mr Pankaj R Patel, Chairperson, IIMA Board of Governors shared that futuristic workplaces would need a workforce that could collaborate seamlessly, offer out-of-the-box ideas, showcased diversity, and holds expertise in digital technologies. He emphatically stressed the need for digital upskilling among working professionals and said, “When we speak of disruptions and futuristic approaches, digital technologies have been at the core. It’s a silent revolution that is sweeping across that will lead to a new era of how we live, work, and think. The speed with which we embrace this change will give us an early mover advantage. The power lies in knowing how it can transform our businesses and enabling organisational transformation so that the larger organisation too is in sync with the change. A robust culture of learning and upskilling can bridge the divide and take the enterprise to the next level of expertise.”
On the occasion of the convocation, Professor Errol D’Souza, Director, IIMA, said, “IIMA has always strived to give working professionals an edge as they advance in their careers through its distinct programmes. Our efforts are aimed at developing well-rounded professionals who can better understand the needs of their organisations, develop sensitivity towards the people they work with, manage resources efficiently, and, most importantly, develop the ability to anticipate future demands. We are confident that this group of graduates will also uphold the Institute legacy by leveraging their knowledge and skills to make a meaningful impact on business, people, and society. I wish the ePGP and ePGD-ABA graduates’ success and fulfilment in their chosen paths.”
Speaking before the convocation, Professor Pradyumana Khokle, Dean (Programmes), IIMA said, “We started having Special Convocations from January 2022 to highlight the importance of new generation of e-programs at IIMA that are meant for practicing executives. Even as they combine the strengths of online and offline delivery with most of the delivery being online, they maintain the academic rigour required for a Degree/PG Diploma from IIMA. I would like to congratulate all those who have successfully completed their programmes and wish them well for their future.”
The ePGP course offered by IIMA is a two-year programme designed for experienced working professionals. The programme is offered over more than 850 hours of classroom sessions over a satellite-enabled interactive classroom, which allows students to take lessons at study centres in their own cities. Following this, the students move into the IIMA campus to take classroom modules that are scheduled at different timeslots.
The e-PGD ABA programme which is a 16-month programme in Applied Analytics for working professionals and is designed specifically to cater to the growing demand for skilled analytics professionals who can deliver state of the art solutions to business problems. The programme has found encouraging response as it allows candidates to learn Applied Analytics without taking a break from their work. This is made possible through a carefully balanced mix of online and on-campus experiential modules which includes rigorous coursework, peer to peer learning and capstone projects – all weaved into one comprehensive programme that accommodates the hectic schedules of working professionals.