We aspire to develop industry influencers, innovators and entrepreneurs with the spirit of work ethics, says Director

Dr Sangeeta Tandon, Director of MET Asian Management Development Centre, goes over the institute's USPs in detail. She goes into great depth on the institute's cutting-edge infrastructure, placement training sessions, exams, webinars, and a variety of seminars that assist students get practical experience.

Dr Tandon holds PhD degree in Management. She has authored two textbooks in Economics and one in Environmental Management for post graduate students.  With a flair for writing, she has presented and published several research papers in National and International Conferences and many management journals.

Read the complete interview below.

Q: What are the three things that your institute is doing that will enable it to differentiate itself from the competition?

A: Our institute has several International tie-ups such as with the CII, London, ACCA, London, MIM, New York, etc. MET enjoys a very high level of brand equity in the academic world, having won multiple awards. Currently, we are looking ahead to accreditations and more collaboration in various disciplines, both nationally and internationally.

MET can boast of its wi-fi enabled state-of-art infrastructure using the latest technology with an adjoining playground, a library with more than 85,000 books and Journals, computer labs, a very hygienic canteen, guest rooms and a music room in the prime location of Bandra, Mumbai. We have adopted world-class teaching standards and our empowered MBA may be rated equivalent to any other two years management programmes as our curriculum goes beyond the syllabus of bookish knowledge imparted within the four walls of a classroom.

Work culture and the education system have both seen a tectonic shift globally in recent times, so we have adapted and adopted the new norm of online system of education and conducted online lecture sessions, placement training sessions, exams, several webinars throughout the year that includes the virtual platforms for an International Conference on ‘Dynamic Positioning Management and Tectonic shift” and other International corporate and alumni guest lecture sessions to make students globally updated. Today we can conduct hybrid mode of both online as well as offline sessions to have a global education reach.

Q: What are the top three initiatives undertaken by you that are helping your students become more industry-ready?

A: We aspire to develop industry influencers, innovators and entrepreneurs with the spirit of work ethics and service to society. In an increasingly globally connected environment, the emphasis throughout the course is on the application of knowledge, intercultural awareness, an in-depth understanding of creating and sustaining value in a modern enterprise into the future.

This is why we have also introduced subjects like Life Management Skills, Business Ethics and Corporate Social Responsibility. We hold workshops to train our students with the latest IT techniques and take them through the Basics to Advanced Excel. Recently we have introduced specialisation in Business Analytics with our PGP-SBA course. The course aims to enhance a participant’s ability to think critically and strategically in seeking solutions to complex problems within a VUCA environment.

We aspire to develop industry influencers, innovators and entrepreneurs with the spirit of work ethics and service to society.

We have carefully selected highly qualified professionals to impart knowledge and our visiting faculties represent the world of professionals who bring with them their rich experiences and expertise. Our large alumni base at very high positions in the industry across the globe is very well-knitted with its network and represents our strong pillars of strength. We frequently invite corporate guests and alumni to conduct talks, lecture sessions and workshops that enrich our students with the contemporary practices in the industry.

We continuously look forward to building competencies and sharpening skills not only academically but for an all-round development of the student’s personal and professional growth. To make the process of learning fulfilling and enjoyable, we create a vibrant atmosphere by giving  access to our e-library and the most unique and the only one of its kind, the MET World of Music  We encourage participation in and organising of celebrations like the MET Utsav and competitions like MET Combat, Mettle, Munijan, Elocutions, etc. We have been conducting MET on Wheels programme, industrial visits, outbound management training programmes, several CSR initiatives for social outreach and have also taken our students abroad for China Study Mission and Dubai MET Connect.

Q: What are the key attributes that a student should have in order to qualify for your Institution and perform well?

A:  To qualify, a candidate must pass the eligibility criteria. An above average intelligence coupled with a sense of commitment, honesty and focus is important. A high level of EQ (Emotional Intelligence), in conjunction with an ethical attitude, sportsmanship, team spirit and creativity is strongly preferred.

We expect and implore our students to make the most of all that MET has to offer. We expect them to push their limits to reach beyond the grasp of their hand. It does not matter, ‘where they come from’ but what matters is ‘where they reach’.

Q: Which programme/s would you say is/are your best? What is it that helps your institution differentiate itself for this programme?

A: All programme/s are unique and updated continuously as per the industry demands. It depends upon the aspirant’s career goals and educational background as well as his aptitude to rightly choose the course that suits him most. We have our counseling team that can assist the candidate in making a choice.

The Director herself willingly counsels the students when they have to choose their respective specialisations at the end of the first year. The faculty members and alumni are also taking an initiative to guide and mentor.

 Q: What are you doing to improve/drive better campus placements for your current students and alumni? What kind of jobs routinely come to campus? What would you say are the key recruitment trends for your college (observed over the past five years)?

A: We have a repository of over 400 recruiters and also a substantial number of start-ups that come to the campus every year. We conduct specially designed professional placement training sessions throughout the year for aptitude testing, logical reasoning and quantitatives. The students are regularly attending communication classes and being groomed to face Group Discussions and Personal Interview sessions. Other personality development workshops on soft skills, e-etiquette, Business etiquette and Leadership Management are conducted to endow them with a wholesome and holistic development.

We provide opportunities to students to participate in live industry projects. Students are handheld during their summer internships programmes with each one being given a guide from the faculty. Our large alumni base help out in strengthening the domain knowledge by teaching, mentoring, securing internships and final placements. Through several national and international seminars, workshops and corporate/alumni talks, we provide ongoing industry interface to our students.

Our large alumni base help out in strengthening the domain knowledge by teaching, mentoring, securing internships and final placements. Through several national and international seminars, workshops and corporate/alumni talks, we provide ongoing industry interface to our students.

The placement season begins as early as the month of September itself and many students get placed by the end of semester III itself. Almost seventy to eighty percent of students are placed before the end of the last semester. We continue to place students till the month of July/Aug next. The recruiters that come earliest are amongst the top companies in the industry like Deloitte, Crisil, Aranca, Tata Group, WNS, Godrej, Reliance, PWC, etc. and year after year they recruit regularly from our institute. Job profiles offered are Business analyst, financial analyst, relationship managers, Business Development managers, data analyst, marketing managers, etc. Projects are offered by HUL, Colgate, Tata Group, Magnus Developers and others.

Over the last two and half decades, our Institute has held the record of almost 100 per cent placement. Many students are being placed internationally as well.