Dear Friend

This month I met with some of ISB’s supporters – our partners, alumni and faculty – in the US and the UK, as part of a series of events to mark the School’s ten years. As I travelled from London to Chicago, Boston and New York, I was moved by the show of support for the School and was overwhelmed by the large number of alumni who attended. This was the purpose of our ten-year celebrations. We wanted to connect with everyone who has been a pivotal part of ISB’s story and engage in invigorating debates and discussions on issues that are pertinent to our times.

In London, our discussion on “Building India’s Intellectual Capital” brought together intellectuals who have worked and researched on this aspect of India. Professor Phanish Puranam,  Economist Lord Meghnad Desai and Vice-Chairman of Standard Chartered Capital Markets Ltd, Sir Thomas Harris gave the audience plenty to ponder over with their insights.

In Evanston, Illinois, the home of our Founding Associate School, the Kellogg School of Management, we celebrated our successful partnership by thanking Dean Emeritus and Gaylord Freeman Professor of Banking at Kellogg School of Management, Don Jacobs, an old friend of the School, who, together with Rajat Gupta, was instrumental in conceiving the ISB. Dean of Kellogg School of Management, Sally Blount, many members from the visiting faculty and our alumni also attended the event. We exchanged old stories about the heady times during the School’s formation. Our collaboration with Kellogg and Wharton extended across continents and cultures and ISB will always be grateful to them for building such a robust academic atmosphere.

Our last stop in this leg of events was New York, where we once again greeted many alumni. ISB’s Professor Reuben Abraham who is the Executive Director of the Centre for Emerging Markets Solutions, talked to Professor Paul Romer of NYU Stern on his pioneering idea of “Charter Cities,” which could possibly be one future option in urbanisation.

Our selection of topics for these events was based on our belief that in the next decade, ISB must increase its impact. Our contribution cannot be limited to providing ethically responsible talent for industries alone – we must also be relevant to the society as a whole. In order to achieve that we must have a five-pronged approach. First, our commitment to students must continue even after they leave the School. We must assist them with lifelong learning. Second, our encouraging research output notwithstanding, we must continue to invest even more in rigorous research and help in its application in the industry. Third, we have to invest in developing strong capability and capacity in the Government. Fourth, we must help businesses and government to work on decreasing the societal inequities. Finally, we can only consider ourselves successful when we are able to extend our learning to the rest of the emerging economies. Our goals might seem ambitious, but I am confident in what all of us together, can achieve.

I look forward to hearing from you. Send me your feedback at ajit_rangnekar@isb.edu

Best regards,
Ajit Rangnekar