In an era where automation and artificial intelligence pose a credible risk to several professions, critical thinking and decision making are still in the human domain. Business schools are expected to be the finishing schools where students are provided with the tools to help them navigate this increasingly dynamic world.
My daughter, Rudrani Dasgupta, is enrolled in the Post Graduate Diploma in Banking and Financial Services offered by National Institute of Bank Management, Pune. She is a student of the 2016-18 batch and has been successfully placed in PriceWaterhouseCoopers as a Risk Consultant. It might come as a surprise that prior to joining this course, my daughter had pursued her higher studies in Science. This indicates the level of thorough preparation that NIBM puts in developing its students. The curriculum is designed in a manner that provides individuals from other streams to grasp the fundamentals of finance and banking before moving onto more complex and advanced topics. The faculty is well balanced with a mix of people from academia and industry. This provides students with the theoretical knowledge necessary besides enlightening them about industry practices and expectations. The student to faculty ratio is good with most of the faculty staying on-campus. The course is spread over six trimesters with mid-term and end term exams for all the courses. A lot of emphasis is given on quizzes, class assignments, and group projects. This not only helps to make students think on their feet but also teaches them to work in groups of disparate individuals. A unique feature of NIBM’s curriculum is the Banking and Financial Services Project each student is required to complete in the fifth trimester. This project completed under the guidance of a professor helps students improve their understanding about their project area. Since the projects are related to banking practices, it provides students with a platform that makes it easier for recruiters to hire them. My daughter benefitted immensely during placements due to the quality of her project. NIBM also has a very well-endowed library which has a large collection of books, journals and magazines.
Life outside classrooms is as important as the lessons imparted in them. NIBM is truly blessed to have such a vast campus within the Pune city limits. The campus is well planned with lots of greenery and is home to a vast variety of birds and animals. There are sufficient open spaces for students to relax and indulge in myriad sporting activities. The hostels have sufficient rooms to house the students comfortably and with daily cleaning by the housekeeping staff, which is one less chore for the students. There is a mess which serves all the meals to the students. With a host of different communities, co-curricular and extra-curricular events get sufficient importance at NIBM.
In conclusion, I would like to say that NIBM with its well-designed course curriculum, quality faculty members, and high industry interaction is the perfect launching pad for any aspirant who wants to make it big in the field of banking and financial service.
By Ms Monideepa Dasgupta
Mother of Rudrani Dasgupta
PGDM 2016 – 18 | NIBM