Indian Institute of Management Shillong

Indian Institute of Management, Shillong (Hindi: भारतीय प्रबंधन संस्थान, शिलांग, abbreviated as IIM Shillong or IIM-S), is a public, fully autonomous management institute in the city of Shillong, Meghalaya. It was the seventh Indian Institute of Management to be established in India and is consistently ranked among the top business schools in the country.^[1]

Established in 2007, with a vision of expansion and mobilization of facilities for offering quality management education and research in Northeast India, IIM Shillong differentiates itself by promoting sustainability, also hosting an international conference on sustainability, annually.

IIM Shillong offers postgraduate, doctoral, and executive programmes in management education, and Management Development Programmes (MDPs) spanning different streams of management. Admissions to the institute are based on scores obtained in the Common Admission Test (CAT). In addition, the institute has a Centre for Development of North Eastern Region (CEDNER), constituted to offer programmes relevant to the local community and society of the state and the region.

History

The proposal to start an Indian Institute of Management in the Northeast was unanimously taken in June 2004 by the Union Minister of Human Resource Development along with the Chief Ministers of the North Eastern states in the review meeting held at Shillong.^[2] Shillong was drafted as the permanent location for the institute after consultation between the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (MDONER) and the Chief Ministers of the states.^[3]

The foundation stone for the institute was laid by Shri. Arjun Singh, Union Minister of Human Resource Development, on December 1, 2007.^[4] The admittance of the first batch of students for the Post-Graduate Programme was formally inaugurated by Dr Donkupar Roy, Chief Minister of Meghalaya, on July 4, 2008.^[5]

The institute was setup at the Mayurbhanj Palace, the summer retreat of the Mayurbhanj Kings of Odisha. The Palace was renovated by the Meghalaya government^[6] with the construction of a permanent campus in development at Umsawli.

The first Chairman of the Board of Governors was Shri. Rathindra Nath Dutta, and the first Director, Prof Ashoke K. Dutta.

The administration building from the entrance

Institute Logo

IIM Shillong’s logo was designed by Anil Sinha and Ankita Gajjar from the National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad. The focus of the institute is embodied in the logo which uses color and imagery from nature – the sun, the sky, and the mountains. The portrayal of the sun in the upper half circle, with its rays spreading across, indicates progress and light. The definite linear lines making up the lower half circle is compared to the skill of the participants and suggests that their energy can be channelized. Within this, the area colored blue stands for the sky and the yellow region represents the mountains, indicating the location of the institute.

Academics

Post-Graduate Programme in Management (PGPM)

This is a two year, fully residential program with a curriculum comprising a mix of compulsory courses and electives, supplemented by specialized courses on industry sectors. Participants are offered subjects from the areas of economics, finance, human resources, information technology, marketing, operations, and general management. The programme begins with a two week foundation course on sustainability which focuses on developing sustainable practices in business management. Sustainability modules are also incorporated into every subject offered.^[7]

Some of the unique courses offered at IIM Shillong include Northeast Studies, Doing Business in the Northeast, Decoding Organizational Pathologies, and Sports Management,^[8] to name a few. Participants in the second year are also encouraged to undertake courses of independent study (CIS). Participants of the programme also undergo a summer internship between April and June, as part of the course.

Post Graduate Program for Executives – Managing Business in India and China (PGPEx – MBIC)

This is a fourteen month fully residential program for executives that aims to provide the opportunity to learn and conduct trans-national business.^[9] This course is spread across two campuses – IIM Shillong and Ocean University of China, Qingdao. In addition to classroom facilitation, the course structure also includes practical learning through internships and industry visits in both countries.

Fellow Programme in Management (FPM)

This is the doctoral level programme offered by IIM Shillong. The FPM is a four year fully residential programme with fellowships awarded in the following areas: economics, finance, HR, information systems, marketing, and operations management. Admissions for this programme are based on scores obtained through CAT, GMAT, GATE, GRE, or the Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) examination.^[10]

Management Development Programme (MDP)

These are short duration programmes varying from two days to six months, for working executives from the industry, education, and government sectors, held both on- and off-campus. The MDPs furnish executives a chance to familiarize themselves with the latest techniques, tools, and skills spanning different streams of management from Education Management to Sustainable Development.^[11]

Centre for Development of North Eastern Region (CEDNER)

Formerly known as the Accelerated Learning Centre (ALC), the CEDNER has been constituted to organize both short-term and long-term programmes relevant to the local community and society of the state and the region. Courses offered at the CEDNER respond to local needs, and make institute facilities available for training people from the region during various phases of their business and entrepreneurial activity.^[12]

Faculty Development Programme (FDP)

The institute also offers programmes for faculty development at regular intervals to help familiarize with current and relevant industry trends and practices.

Course Pedagogy

The pedagogy at IIM Shillong follows a case-based system. Participants are provided cases and supplement readings. Analysis and solutions are then discussed in groups with faculty facilitating and grading the dialogue. Participants are also encouraged to undertake projects falling under the purview of the subject and share their learnings with others.

Faculty

Canvas graffiti of Dr A. P. J. Abdul Kalam as an IIM Shillong student tribute

The institute has a current faculty strength of 28 permanent faculty^[13] and close to 40 visiting faculty. Faculty visiting IIM Shillong are a mix of professors from institutes across the world, and industry doyens and practitioners.

The former President of India, Dr A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, was a regular visiting faculty at the institute, offering courses for the second year students on a variety of subjects.

International Collaborations

IIM Shillong currently has a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Nanyang Technological University for the PGPM. MoUs signed previously include those with Drexel University, Virginia Commonwealth University, and Hamburg Media School, among others. The PGPEx has a MoU with Ocean University of China, Qingdao.

Admissions

Admission to IIM Shillong is governed by the Common Admission Test (CAT), an annual exam administered by the IIMs for selection into various business schools across India. The selection to IIM Shillong is a multi-stage process that is defined by the admission policy.^[14] There are slight variations in the criteria depending on the course applied for.

Student Life

Campus

IIM Shillong is currently hosted in a beautiful temporary campus – the summer retreat of the erstwhile Maharajas of the Mayurbhanj dynasty. The temporary campus, which previously accommodated the North Eastern Hill University, is in the south-eastern suburb of Nongthymmai. The campus is thrown into a pink blanket in the month of November when the cherry blossoms bloom. The campus houses both the student hostels and the classrooms. Recreational facilities and administrative offices are spread across the campus. The hostel block also accommodates the mess and cafeteria.

Plan of the new campus

The campus extension consists of barracks renovated to house participants and more classrooms. The director and faculty quarters are between the main and extension campuses. The institute has well-furnished heritage guest houses that provide stay for visiting faculty, corporate, and guests.

The new campus of the institute is under construction on a 120 acre space at Umsawli. Construction is expected to be finished in 2017.

Classrooms

The campus infrastructure boasts of state of the art technology. Classrooms are equipped with smart interactive boards, Bloomberg Terminals and videoconferencing facilities. Classrooms are also equipped with high-speed Wi-Fi and LAN networks. Student assignments and exams are handled on Moodle, a learning management system.

Library

The library, named as the Exim Bank Knowledge Centre, has an excellent collection of books, journals, magazines, and other information resources. The Knowledge Centre is also fully automated with the help of VTLS, maintaining different databases for books, reports, audio cassettes, video cassettes, CDs and journal articles.

Hostel & Recreation

The hostels consist of both single and double occupancy rooms. Hostel rooms are provided with amenities such as cots, mattresses, tables, chairs, cupboards, and heaters. Hostels are also connected to the wireless mesh network (WMN) and each room has a high-speed LAN port. The hostels also have common reading rooms.

The institute has multiple recreational centres, with a gym, table tennis table, badminton courts, basketball court, futsal court, and carom and chess amenities.

Student Activities

IIM Shillong is a student-run institute with participants taking care of daily functioning of the institute outside academics and administration. This is with a view to provide the participants hands-on experience in everyday management, problem-solving, and event management.

Student committees handle everyday processes such as placements, hostel and IT requirements, student affairs, etc. Clubs are societies that are dedicated to interest in different domains of management and otherwise. They also play pivotal roles in determining electives offered under different domains.

Committees

• Alumni Committee – provide year-round interfacing between the alumni and institute, primarily over videoconferencing and the alumni portal http://alumni.iimshillong.in/. Also organize Melange, the annual alumni meet.
• Cultural Committee – all festive celebrations within the institute and the local community are organized by the Cultural Committee. Other events organized include SPICMACAY concerts and Waltzzz, the annual dance workshop.
• Hostel Committee – take care of hostel amenities pertaining to stay and food. The committee also organizes the intra-college sports fest, Rannbhoomi.
• IT Committee – provide IT related solutions to the participants, faculty, and staff.
• 

  Rachel O'Reilly of Wildlife Works addressing students
  Placement Committee – coordinate Summer Internship and Final Placements for the participants.^[15]
• Public Relations Cell – handle all external communication with the media, corporate, and other institutes. The committee hosts multiple events throughout the year – The Podium, the corporate interaction series; Synergy, the corporate videoconferencing series; and TEDxIIMShillong, an independently organized TED event at IIM Shillong. The PR Cell is also responsible for online presence, institute information, admission mentoring, subscriptions, and merchandising.
• Sports Committee – responsible for the selection and management of sporting teams representing IIM Shillong. They also organize the Bamboo Premier League and Kopda Cup, auction-based intra-college football and cricket tournaments.
• Student Council – the apex student body. The Council handles all student affairs and interfaces between students and the administration. They also organize the annual Golf Cup; KhlurThma, the annual management fest; and Udaan, the annual business conclave.
• Symphony, the Literary Committee – publish the annual institute magazine, Symphony. Also arrange weekly movie screenings and group discussions.

Clubs

• bITeSys, the IT and Systems Club – bITeSys keeps IIM Shillong up to date on trends in the IT and digital world. The club organizes regular knowledge sessions on various software tools. The club holds monthly competitions pertaining to the IT domain. The club also organizes the PiktoTourShillong, an international infographic workshop held across 5 locations worldwide by Piktochart. DeCrypt, is the club’s flagship competition at KhlurThma.
• ConQuest, the Consulting Club – strives to equip students with knowledge and skills helpful in the pursuit of their careers in consulting and strategic management. The activities of the club include securing live projects from the industry, in addition to providing weekly bites from across diverse sectors. Strategist, is the club’s flagship competition at KhlurThma.
• ECoBiZ, the Sustainable Business Club – envisions to bring about ecological and social development through the effective use of management education, and strengthen the link between social prosperity and economic profit. The club organizes regular social welfare programmes for the local community. Samuchit, a green business plan competition, is the club’s flagship event at KhlurThma.
• i-Cube, the Entrepreneurship Cell – promotes entrepreneurship amongst the student fraternity. It aims to create a common platform for aspiring entrepreneurs from the institute and the region. The flagship event of i-Cube is EmergE, the entrepreneurship summit. The club also ties up with other entrepreneurial promoters across the Northeast.
• IIM Shillong Amateur Golf Club – with a golf tournament as the institute’s flagship event, the IIMSAGC aims to groom golfing skills in students while also spearheading the management of the Golf Cup
• Koutuhal, the Activities Club – previously the Quizzing and Debating club, Koutuhal has now expanded its scope to other literary events. The club is also diversifying into open mic, astronomy, philosophy, and MUN sessions. The club organizes weekly quizzing and lits events internally and also coordinates with other IIMs and IITs in coordinating the inter-college quiz and debate competitions. Ariadne’s Thread is the club’s flagship quiz held at KhlurThma.
• Markathon, the Marketing Club – marketing enthusiasts who provide a plethora of information, skills, and practices from the domain of sales & marketing. The club also provides live project opportunities and organizes marketing workshops. Godsellers is the club’s apex event – a live market that sees participants from different institutes test their marketing and selling acumen, real-time. The club also hosts Touchstone, the marketing case study challenge at KhlurThma.
• Niveshak, the Finance Club – focuses on creating expertise in multiple areas of the finance domain. Hold weekly events ranging from finance quizzes to stock market simulations. The club's flagship event at KhlurThma is Vishleshan. The club is also responsible for providing training for various global finance programmes such as the GIRC, CFA, CPA, etc.
• OpEra, the Operations Club – forum for operations and supply chain management. The club hosts multiple events year-round (Optimus 1.0 to Optimus 10.0), with a view to keep the participants updated on operational, process, and logistical implementations. Shrinkhala, is the club’s flagship event at KhlurThma.
  

  Cherry blossoms in the hostel block
• usHR, the Human Resources Club – one of the few HR clubs across business schools in the country, usHR stands for Union of Students for Human Resource. The club hosts a variety of event from outbound activities to decipHR, the HR case study challenge at KhlurThma.

Special Interest Groups (SIGs)

Special Interest Groups are student groups that pursue allied interests. There are a number of SIGs, for various pursuits such as photography, trekking, cinema, gaming, etc.

Internships & Placements

Summer Internships are mandated as part of the course curricula. The Placement Committee of IIM Shillong is responsible for overseeing the Summer Internship and Final Placements. Prominent recruiters over the past few years for both the Summer Internships and Final Placements include Amazon, American Express, Bosch, Dabur, Deloitte, Egon Zehnder, Flipkart, Google, GSK, Hero MotoCorp, HSBC, IBM, J. P. Morgan Chase, KPMG, L’Oréal, Mahindra, Nomura, Ola, Perfetti van Melle, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Reserve Bank of India, Siemens, Snapdeal, State Bank of India, Tata Administration Services, Volvo, and Yes Bank to name a few.^{[16][17][18][19]} Students have also opted outed of placements to start their own ventures across the world.^[20]

Live Projects & Competitions

A number of live projects are undertaken by the students of IIM Shillong. These range from government initiatives to projects from entrepreneurial ventures. These projects serve to enhance the participants’ competence across different domains while also providing additional exposure to the industry.

Students also partake in a number of competitions hosted by various companies and other business schools. IIM Shillong has developed proficient niche for competitions, having won various prestigious competitions such as the American Express Centurion Challenge, the HSBC IB League,^[21] L’Oréal Brandstorm,^[22] Nomura Case Study Competition, Tata Steel-a-thon,^[23] and Wipro Earthian,^[24] to name a few.

Events

The Podium

The Podium is the annual corporate interaction series of IIM Shillong. Organized jointly by the Public Relations Cell and the Placement Committee, the event sees corporate leaders from top companies address the participants on the industry and provide inputs on structuring their careers. The series is set over 20 sessions between the months of July and September.

EmergE

Emerge is the flagship entrepreneurship summit at IIM Shillong held mid-September. The event hosts various conclaves where industry doyens have a dialogue on their areas of expertise. EmergE also has two competitions for students from business schools - R€vo£u$n, the business plan competition and Reveal, the football case study sponsored by Royal Wahingdoh.

KhlurThma

KhlurThma is the annual management fest of IIM Shillong. The event is held during the second week of October in tandem with the Golf Cup. The event sees participation from over 5000 teams across the top business schools in India.

Golf Cup

The IIM Shillong Golf Cup is the flagship event of the institute. Held in October every year, the Golf Cup is the first such tournament to be held by any business school in India. The event emphasizes on taking corporate interaction out of the classroom onto the greens. Every year, the event sees a massive participation of reputed golfers, corporates, and top bureaucrats who compete at the Shillong Golf Course in various categories.

Udaan

Udaan is the annual business conclave that is hosted at IIM Shillong with the objective of connecting businesses from the Northeast with resources from across the world. Udaan serves as a platform where Northeast businesses can get access to advanced industry practices and technical know-how from industry pioneers, to utilize them in enhancing productivity.

Roshan Abbas at TEDxIIMShillong

TEDxIIMShillong

An independently organized TED event, under the banner of TED, TEDxIIMShillong, held in February every year, provides the platform to initiate ideas on fields outside business studies particularly, technology, entertainment, and design. The 2014 event organizer from the institute also received a TEDxChange Scholarship and represented India at TEDGlobal 2014 in Rio de Janeiro.^[25]

Melange

Melange is the annual alumni meet held towards the end of January. Organized by the Alumni Committee, the event serves as a congregation of IIM Shillong’s alumni while also keeping the alumni abreast about the institute’s progress.

SusCon

The Sustainability Conference is the annual international conference on sustainability held in March every year. The conferences sees papers on sustainability across different domains, submitted from all over the world. Scholars and corporate from over 20 countries have participated over multiple editions of the conference.

Nexus

Nexus is the annual senior-junior meet held in the month of May. Held across six cities, Nexus provides incoming participants with a better idea on the two years at IIM Shillong as they get to interact with both the second year students and alumni.

Other Events and Initiatives

IIM Shillong has also initiated a number of events that are still in their nascent stages such as, the Shillong chapter of the Mensa IQ Test; PiktoTourShillong a global infographics workshop held across five destinations worldwide by Piktochart; a 5k run that flags off the Golf Cup,^[26] and Nurturing Minds, a teaching initiative by the students for the local community.^[27] The institute also observes various days of national importance, marked by deliverances.^[28][29]

IIM Shillong has also been instrumental in drafting Meghalaya’s sports policy ahead of the 2016 South Asian Games in Shillong and Guwahati.^[30]

Location and Access

IIM Shillong is located in the state of Meghalaya, called the ‘Scotland of the East’. The current campus is 118 kilometres from the Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport in Guwahati, Assam and 103 kilometres from the Guwahati Railway Station. Flights from all over India are available to Guwahati throughout the day. The Umroi Airport in Shillong is 33 kilometres from the current campus and runs flights and helicopters from Kolkata and Guwahati subject to the weather. Cabs are available from these places directly to the institute.

The campus is located in a prime residential suburb and is well connected by cabs and buses to all parts of the city. A number of well-furnished hotels are available within fifteen minutes of the institute – Polo Towers, Hotel Pinewood, Tripura Castle, Café Shillong B&B, Aerodene Cottages. The Woodland, Nazareth, Bethany, NEIGRIHMS, and Civil hospitals are all located within ten to fifteen minutes of the institute. Neighboring institutes include the National Institute of Technology, Meghalaya, National Institute of Fashion Technology, Shillong, North Eastern Hill University, and North Eastern Indira Gandhi Regional Institute of Health and Medical Sciences among many.

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Indian Institute of Management Shillong.

• IIM Shillong Official website
• TEDxIIMShillong Website of TEDxIIMShillong
• Niveshak Website of Niveshak
• Markathon Website of Markathon
• ConQuest Website of ConQuest
• OpEra Website of OpEra
• usHR Website of usHR