On the 21st of July 2012, Dr. Jai Prakash Upadhyay took over the reins of Jaipuria Institute of Management, Indore. A PhD in Management from IIT-Delhi, Dr. Upadhyay carries more than 25 years of diverse experience with organisations with the Government of India and Afghanistan, as well as the United Nations (UNDP & International Organisation of Migration). For more than a decade now, he has been involved with Executive Education at the national and international level, with premier management institutions like FORE School of Management, IMT Ghaziabad and WIU. He has conducted around hundred MDPs for senior executives of the public sector and for MNCs, including international organisations like UNDP, UNICEF & WHO.

Below is a short excerpt from a chat between the Campus Journalists of Jaipuria Institute of Management, Indore and Dr. J.P. Upadhyay on his views about the brand new, first-of-its-kind digital campus of Jaipuria Indore, and his vision for the institute.

Campus Journalist – Welcome to Jaipuria Indore, Sir. We wish you a wonderful tenure ahead. Firstly, how do you see your role as the Director of Jaipuria Institute of Management, Indore?

Dr. Upadhyay – I see myself as responsible for the overall functioning and growth of the institute. We are part of the Jaipuria Group of Management institutions and have a shared mission and vision. As the Director, I have to manage all the three verticals of the institute – academics, administration and external interface – and lead ‘team Jaipuria Indore’ to achieve the mission and vision of the institute.

I have adopted a highly consultative and participative approach in managing the affairs of the institute. Academic issues are discussed and decided in the meetings of the Faculty Council, which meets almost every week. Even for managing the administrative and campus development issues, we have set up committees. My endeavour is to create synergy and collaboration between various committees/teams and to ensure that they are mission driven and vision aligned.

Campus Journalist – How has your teaching and industry experience been so far? Are there any particular experiences you would like to share?

Dr. Upadhyay – I cherish my experience as Institutional Development Advisor of UNDP, when I set up the Afghan Civil Service Institute in Kabul. I led the institutionalisation of its organisational structure, staffing, training curriculum and operational manuals; I also prepared its strategic plan. I mentored the faculty and management team of the institute. Another assignment I enjoyed was as Professor & Programme Director at FORE School of Management, Delhi. I’ve also enjoyed the challenges of advising organisations in implementing the Balanced Score Card and setting up mentoring programmes. (I am a certified designer and implementer of Balanced Scorecard -a strategic performance management system from 2GC, Australia).

My experience has been mostly in the management of large public delivery systems, and designing and implementing capacity development interventions. I’ve also led and managed the Learning and Development function in large organisations at a national and international level. Currently, I am doing a consultancy assignment for UNDP to design a leadership competency framework and training strategies for civil servants.

Campus Journalist – I think it was in that context that you were recently invited to address an international seminar on ‘Civil Service Leadership for 21st century’ held in New Delhi in September, wasn’t it? On a different note, we know that you have led nearly 100 MDPs through your career. You are a certified ‘Trainer of Trainers’ in Training Needs Assessment, Design, Management and Evaluation of Training from Thames Valley University UK, ITC, ILO Turin (Italy), and AIT Bangkok. Do you see this as one of your thrust areas in Jaipuria Indore?

Dr. Upadhyay – Undoubtedly. Conducting MDPs and facilitation skills is my forte and I enjoy organising Capacity Building and Personality Development workshops. You must’ve already experienced the recent workshops on ‘Enhancing Self Awareness’ and ‘Enhancing Self Effectiveness’ for managing stress and enhancing concentration. We will be building on this expertise to conduct Executive MDPs for Corporate Houses in Jaipuria Indore.

Campus Journalist – What will your philosophy be towards classroom teaching and pedagogical tools?

Dr. Upadhyay: I enjoy engaging and enabling, and believe in infusing a high degree of academic rigour in whichever organisation I serve. As a ‘Trainer of Trainers’ I am slowly and steadily bringing in new training technologies and techniques to the classrooms of Jaipuria Indore, with extensive use of real life cases and illustrations. I believe in adopting a basket of methods to suit diverse learning styles and ensure class participation. Personally, storytelling and humour are an integral part of my delivery style. It leads to high engagement with students and helps me enjoy taking classes.

Campus Journalist –

Thank you so much for your time, Sir. We hope to gain immensely from your diverse leadership experiences. We already see a lot of energy and enhanced corporate interest in Jaipuria Institute of Management, Indore since your arrival.