Date:29/11/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/11/29/stories/2007112961150400.htm

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Plan to accredit business schools in South Asia

Move aimed at improving the quality of managers and faculty

— Photo: Mohd. Yousuf

Heads get together: M. Rammohan Rao, Dean, ISB interacts with Deans and Directors of business schools from SAARC countries at the ISB on Wednesday.

HYDERABAD: The Association of Management Development Institutions in South Asia (AMDISA), that has premier business schools of South Asia on its rolls, plans to accredit the business schools in the region to help produce quality managers apart from improving the quality of faculty.

“Accreditation is not to rank but determine the quality of institutions and help them take stock of their situation and act accordingly,” felt the Deans and Directors of business schools who gathered at the ISB to discuss on “B-Schools in South Asia: Challenges & Strategies.” The meeting was hosted by the ISB in association with AMDISA.

Quality issue

The participants included Syed Zahoor Hassan, Vice Chancellor, Lahore University of Management Sciences, Pakistan; M. Rammohan Rao, Dean, Indian School of Business (ISB) and Hafiz. G.A. Siddiqui, Vice Chancellor, North South University, Bangladesh, among others.

Commenting that there was a shortage of quality managers, the academics also felt that numbers also mattered in this region. There was a shortage of numbers also but the focus should be on improving the situation in qualitative terms more than quantitative, they said. Dr. Rammohan Rao said accreditation was one such step in that direction. He said accreditation would be extended to relatively smaller management schools but they should fit into the parameters adopted by AMDISA. Dr. Rao said ISB would have more student exchanges with business schools in the SAARC region.

Professional boost

Dr. Syed Zahoor Hassan said AMDISA was focussing on providing professional development opportunities for management faculty, promoting research in areas which are of relevance to South Asian management, helping member-institutions undertake research, and finally integrating country reports for wider circulation.

Dr. Hafiz G A Siddiqui felt that more important are the non-academic aspects of AMDISA which are to develop cooperation, peace, and harmony in these regions.