The Prime Minister of Japan, Mr. Shinzo Abe visited India on September 14, 2017, to inaugurate the Rs. 1.1 trillion high-speed rail project along with Indian Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi. On the same day, IIM Bangalore also declared open its Indo-Japanese Centre on its campus.
The objective of building a dedicated Indo-Japanese centre is to strengthen India and Japan’s bilateral agreement, particularly educational and economic ties. The study centre focuses on understanding India in Japan as well as Japan in India through teaching, research and policy outreach efforts.
Director of IIM Bangalore, Prof. Raghuram pointed the similarities between Japan and India in the sphere of economic development and how both the countries complement each other. Detailed understanding of infrastructure and technology management in Japan will help IIM Bangalore to provide insights on the start-up culture to students, he added. Further, the director also highlighted that fact that IIM Bangalore has had an abiding and continuing interest in Japan. A few faculty members of IIM Bangalore have also collaborated with the Japanese institutions for conducting joint research and are additionally offering Executive Education Programmes. Taking this initiatives and collaborations to the next level is equally important, he concluded.
Also Read: - Japan - One of the Top Overseas Job Destinations
Vice Chairman of Toyota Kirloskar Motors Private Limited, Mr. Vikram Kirloskar expressed his happiness with respect to the setting up of India-Japan Study Centre. He indicated that both the countries are not only business and trade partners but also strategic partners.
Chairperson of IIM Bangalore, Ms. Kiran Mazumdar Shaw said the Study Centre could provide a strategic platform for mutually beneficial inter-governmental and academic initiatives for contributing to the shared ethos of the ‘Resurgent Japan, Vibrant India’ agenda.
Besides Indo-Japanese Study Centre, IIM Bangalore has also launched MOOC or Massive Online Open Course on Sustainability in Japanese. The premier B-School already offers elective course ‘Business Planning for International Markets’ along with ‘Japanese Language’ elective course. IIM Bangalore also conducted a senior executive programme for Japanese companies. The classroom technology of IIM Bangalore is being supported by a renowned Japanese company, Mitsubishi.
Also Read: - Students of Super 30 Win Aeroplane Model-Making Competition in Japan
The Indo-Japanese Study Centre at IIM Bangalore will also explore possible ways of offering dual degree programmes with Hitotsubashi University and others in Japan. Student exchange programmes with the partnering universities will be also be contemplated. An Executive General Management Programme (EGMP) for executives in Japanese companies in India is also underway.
Overall, the Indo-Japanese Study Centre will serve as an intellectual gathering point for students, research scholars, government agencies and industry leaders of India and Japan.