Management education in the AI era

July 26, 2024

ETEducation featured an interview with SPJIMR Dean Prof. Varun Nagaraj titled ‘Management education in the AI era’. The interview centred around the future of education in India delved into interesting perspectives on the potential of Skill Universities, the evolution of management courses, and the impact of AI.

Prof. Nagaraj expressed scepticism about Skill Universities, stating, “In my opinion, a university has a mission that is greater than merely teaching skills. Universities must fundamentally impart knowledge, develop skills, and shape attitudes. Skills are just one of these three dimensions that a university is responsible for now.” Talking about short-term professional courses, he advised, “You should consider them as professional education courses, rather than as courses that are arbitrarily inserted into the core curriculum of longer-term MBA programmes.”

Prof. Nagaraj highlighted the significant influence of AI on the evolution of management courses and its impact on the job market for new business school graduates. He noted “We, as a society, should monitor these new jobs being created by AI very closely, as otherwise, there is a risk of exerting downward pressure on new job opportunities and on the employment of business school graduates.”

Regarding essential skills for students in information management and analytics, he advocated for intensive practice in critical thinking skills, which can be developed through detailed, argument-based exercises rather than superficial training. In light of the recent Data Analytics MOOC launched by SPJIMR, Prof. Nagaraj elaborated on how online and hybrid learning models are advantageous for teaching analytics, given their capacity to facilitate experiment-based learning and reach a broader audience. Asynchronous learning he believes will enhance educational outcomes in this field.

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