After eight years in industry working as an HR professional, Professor Abdul Qadir moved on to become a teacher of HR in May 2009. A faculty member at Jaipuria Institute of Management, Noida ever since, Professor Qadir feels that his shift into academia has been the best decision he has ever made.

“The journey at Jaipuria has been quite promising. Infact, the learning has been mutual. While I’ve been able to bring in the industry perspective and practical usage to the HR classes at Jaipuria Noida, the management at Jaipuria has certainly helped me sharpen my teaching techniques. Apart from the regular workshops for Jaipuria faculty involving teaching through Cases and Case Writing, I’ve had the opportunity to attend the Case Writing workshop by Prof. Ariff Kachra from Richard Ivy School of Business (University of Western Ontario, Canada) held at ISB, Hyderabad. Workshops on Business Ethics, and Business Models & Business Plans, conducted by National Entrepreneur Network (NEN), have also been of great use in my development as an academician.”

Prof. Qadir believes that when it comes to Management, the teaching philosophy has to revolve around bridging the gap between classroom learning and the industry workstation.

“Faculty members at Jaipuria Institute of Management ensure that apart from organising seminars and workshops, atleast two sessions in each course are dedicated to guest lectures from industry experts. Not only does this help confirm the classroom teaching, it provides the young managers of tomorrow with the latest updates and know-how straight from the industry.”

Having specialised in Human Resource Management Systems while part of the corporate world, Professor Qadir does a lot of research work in this field, as well as in the field of Psychometrics. His earlier published works include topics such as‘High attrition rate: A big challenge for BPO firms’ (published in ToI’s Ascent as well as in the October 2005 edition of CSR), ‘Brilliant leader’ (Vision, Jan – June 2010) and ‘The art of feedback: An interpersonal transaction’ (NSB Management Review). He is currently researching topics like‘Six Ts of Effective Performance Management System’, ‘Resolving Conflicts’ and ‘Resistance to Change’.

“In fact, Psychometrics – along with literature on leadership and motivation – is also favourite pastime reading for me. Being with my student mentee group also keeps me occupied beyond the classroom hours at Jaipuria Noida. I do write a bit ofUrdu poetry as well, quickly jotting down random thoughts that I like to weave into a sher at my own leisure.”

It is probably his ability to understand and write Urdu poetry that makes him a highly involved In-charge of the Dramatics Club of Jaipuria Institute of Management, Noida. Professor Qadiri’s the coordinator for all MDPs and training programmes for Jaipuria Noida, and has conducted training programmes for Transport Corporation of India Ltd. (TCIL), Gurgaon and National Dairy Development Board (NDDB), Anand (Gujarat). He has also held open and customised MDPs for managers and executives of organisations like Coromandel International Ltd., KRIBHCO, Tata Chemicals and National Fertilizers Ltd. He is also working on a consultancy project for the Ministry of Science & Technology.

“From the perspective of an academician with close linkages to the corporate world, I see that the times ahead are going to be far more taxing and demanding; I alwaysadvise my students to be mindful of this. It takes a lot to get through a premium B-school like Jaipuria Institute of Management, so pay heed to the grooming and get organised into better individuals.”

He chooses the words of George Bernard Shaw to give his mantra for life to the budding managersatJaipuria Institute of Management. “Take care to get what you like, otherwise you will be forced to like what you get.”