Experiential learning (EL) is the process of learning by doing and reflecting on the experiences. If education is important for building knowledge, then EL is important for building career skills required to apply knowledge into practice. MBA is a multi-disciplinary and rigorous course where the students learn variety of subjects from different disciplines such as social sciences, technology as well as commerce. At the end of the day, it is expected that the students will be able to integrate the knowledge acquired in these subjects and will be able to apply the same in solving complex challenges at the workplace. EL helps in bridging the gap between theory and practice or between classroom learning and real-life challenges.
At K J SIM, EL is given a respectable place in the entire teaching-learning cycle of two-years. In fact, it starts immediately after the students are admitted and are enrolled for the Induction program. The induction program covers a variety of engaging sessions to expose the students to new pedagogies of management teaching through EL methods. One such module is an (1) outbound program, where the students learn various management concepts and theories through management games. In this initial stage of inducting EL helps in emphasizing collaborative learning. It is very gratifying to observe that students coming from every corner of India and from varied backgrounds get settled as one team and start looking out for each other within few days of working together.
The extent and depth of EL also keeps on growing along with regular course curriculum and academic developments of the students. At K J SIM, EL happens at two levels – academic and non-academic. Let’s talk about academics first. Integration of EL in academic delivery is made in various ways – inviting (2) Industry experts for live sessions on the campus, taking students for (3) Industry visits, enrolling them in (4) Live projects and concurrent projects, etc. Guest sessions are organized by the facilitators to invite an industry expert on a particular topic being discussed in the class. Many assignments given in various subjects such as consumer behavior, brand management, operation research, etc., to name a few require students to collect the data from the field and analyze it. K J SIM has another advantage in terms of location. Being located in the heart of Mumbai, it is much easier to get the right kind of industry experts and get them inside the classroom. Industry visits are very useful in developing the holistic understanding of the students. For instance, learning about supply chain management in the classroom is strengthened after visiting the company and observing the supply chain management. Apart from these, we also organize (5) Summer internships, culminating to intra and inter-college competitions, where students present their learnings, in a healthy competitive environment. At KJSIM, one of our key differentiating features, as a MBA institute is the (6) Internationalization initiative, that promotes sharing of best academic and research practices through interactions between diverse education systems and helps in developing global citizens through mobility of teaching staff, students and scholars. Under this, various EL activities are driven, e.g Live projects with mixed students’ groups, Site visits of hosting countries, Student exchange & Student immersion programs etc. Recently we completed one-week India Immersion Program (1st-8th December 2024) for students of DHBW, Stuttgart, Germany during which we conducted 5 EL-Live projects in which DHBW and KJSIM students collaborated on real time problems/case studies and presented their learnings. 21 KJSIM and 23 DHBW students worked together on 5 live projects attempting to solve problems across themes of Project cost management, Canteen management, Somaiya store profitability, Sustainability on campus, Alcohol import / industrial commodity price pattern.
The Internationalization strategy to foster global competencies in our faculty and students, is also in line with The National Education Policy, 2020 (India) that envisions attaining highest global standards in the quality of higher education.
It is agreed that any reputed business school worth its salt will have all these activities. What sets K J SIM apart from other institutes is that we provide EL opportunity to the students to do a ‘Capstone Projects’ (CP) focused on solving on “problem statements” to generate “solutions” that are “value-driven” and “sustainable” in nature. The “problem statement” offering organizations can be of diverse size and spectrum and are chosen based on the “managerial quality” of projects the can offer and the professional guidance provided, during the course of the project. The tenure of a CP can vary from 3-6 months, depending on the nature and scope of work. These projects are dedicated for 1st year batches, dedicating 10yrs /week, under a hybrid structure of 5-6 hrs online and 3-4hrs offline commitment. To support the students’ endeavor, the academic calendar also allocates 2 days in a week (post lunch) for Capstone work, keeping it lecture free. Once the project is completed, students submit their findings and their work is evaluated, inclusive of feedback & inputs from all 3 key stakeholders of the CP – Client (provider of problem statement), Student (solution provider of problem statement) and Mentor (guide and evaluation authority of the CP). Each CP is at par and equivalent to a Master’s thesis and evaluated for 100 marks / 3 credit points of the overall MBA program. Our institute has good reputation and network in the industrial sector, as well as has a number of sister concerns like K J Somaiya Hospital & Research Centre, Research Innovation Incubation Design Labs (Riidl) and BioRiidl (both incubators to nurture startups), Godavari Biorefineries, etc to name a few. These networks, along with locational advantages of being in the financial capital of India, Mumbai, provides us with ample choices to select good quality CPs for our students to work and gain hands-on EL in the process. CP is the newest addition to KJSIM’s EL initiatives. Launched in 2023 and driving strongly into 2024, we have onboarded more than 204 students across 49 projects from 26+ organizations.
These projects partner with MSME and Social development sectors. Some examples are Emerson Export Engineering, Laxmi Organics, Proklean Technologies, Naturell India (RiteBite), PinkTree Health, LEGOFI, Swami Samarth Electronics, Fishtokri, Helo Health, City Atlas, Orgatma Foods, Mumbai Donut CoLab, Somiaya College of Nursing, Somaiya Store, UB Glamourous, Kotak Mahindra Asset Management Company, Financial Planning Standards Board(FPSB), Social Venture Partners (SVP) India and Ankur Experiential Learning Initiative (ELI). Capstone projects aim to provide valuable learning experiences, ensuring the students are well-prepared for dynamic business environments. Few unique projects to share about – (A) Ankur ELI, a KJSIM project, aims to develop a robust learning environment and provide holistic development for a management student. The initiative is primarily about teaching children from Gujarati Medium English communication skills and Mathematics; and (B) the Proklean project, in global collaboration with Montclair State University with multi-national teams, is helping an Indian business grow across international borders, utilizing a flash-consulting approach.
It is possible that EL might lead students to disillusionment as many times the students will observe the limitations of many theories and tools learnt in the classroom when implemented in practice. We believe that this is also an essential part of learning. It may encourage the students to apply critical thinking in finding out what may or may not work on the ground.
The non-academics part of EL is equally engaging for the students. There are more than 20 students’ committees in K J SIM which are mostly governed and run by students themselves. They cover varied aspects of business school life such as placements, admissions, cultural fests, entrepreneurship events as well as intercollegiate events. Students’ engagement starts right from designing the annual calendar to accommodate various events round the year which provide opportunities for holistic development of the students. But more importantly, these committees and varied events provide an opportunity to work together, learn from each other, manage the events which includes managing finances, operations, as well as all the stakeholders – internal and external.
It is often observed that the young generation is more conscious about social issues whether it is about deteriorating environment or lack of opportunities for underprivileged class. We are aware that young candidates who aspire to become management professionals are not only career oriented, but they want to lead more fulling lives. We have various students’ bodies such as Enactus (social entrepreneurship cell) where students participate in getting engaged with such social issues and do their bit to change the lives of underprivileged persons. In the process they learn a lot – about our society, about the aspirations, grit and perseverance of the bottom of the pyramid section and challenges related to diversity and inclusion. This helps them build empathetic and conscientious leadership.
It’s enough to say that for K J SIM, EL is not an add-on feature of management education. It is a critical ‘Building Block’ of the learning process!
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