The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Banyan, IFMR sign pact to develop management programmes on development

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Apr 13, 2007
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Banyan, IFMR sign pact to develop management programmes on development

Special Correspondent

EXCHANGING DOCUMENTS: Vandana Gopikumar, founder, The Banyan (right), with Nachiket Mor, Member, Board of Governors, IFMR (left), in Chennai on Thursday. Vaishnavi Jayakumar, founder-trustee, The Banyan, is in the picture. — Photo: S.R. Raghun athan

CHENNAI: Representatives of the Banyan Academy of Leadership and Management (BALM), a unit of The Banyan, and the Institute for Financial Management and Research (IFMR) on Thursday signed a memorandum of understanding to develop special management programmes focussing on development.

Vandana Gopikumar, founder, The Banyan, and Nachiket Mor, Member, Board of Governors, IFMR, signed the documents that will set in motion a process to hone astute management capabilities of young leaders, who have a measure of sensitivity to social issues.

R. Chandrasekar, Dean - Academic Affairs, IFMR, said the MBA programme would train people to become effective managers in the non-profit sectors.

While all management students of the institute will have an introductory component on development in the first year, those interested in specialising can pursue a specially designed course during the second year. Other short-term courses/workshops will also be offered.

The MBA course will offer inputs in mental health, social development and research, organisation and management and entrepreneurship/leadership. A strong emphasis will be on leveraging The Banyan's experience of working with the marginalized sections.

Ms. Gopikumar said the organisation's experience over the last 14 years indicated there was a serious dearth of human resources when it came to social work. "We need a combination — technical and academic inputs along with management skills," she explained.

Mr. Mor said the tie-up between BALM and IFMR would give social work a fresh, vibrant image and build a person with vision and the capacity to put it to practise.

Chairman, Board of Governors, IFMR, N. Vaghul, said the course would provide systematic training and build skills in young people who had the passion but lacked the know-how.

Bharat Raman, Additional Advocate-General 1 and Trustee, BALM, said NGOs like the Banyan had developed special skills that would have to be passed on to students.

Project Director, Tamil Nadu State AIDS Control Society, Supriya Sahu, said the initiative had the capacity to revolutionise the social sector; remove the stigma surrounding social work by bringing in professionalism.

Director Manirathnam said there was a narrow visual image of a social worker and the time had come for the development sector to take leaps ahead.

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