Jaipuria Institute of Management, with its flourishing campuses in Lucknow, Noida, Jaipur and Indore, has earned quite a reputation for itself with its PGDM courses. The institute strives to encourage students to think out of the box and give them a transformational experience, which philosophy is put into practice by its Dean academics Dr. Kavita Pathak. When asked about ensuring classroom participation from students, Dr.Pathak reveals the secret – “Engaging with the students and making them curious to learn more.”
Dr.Pathakexplains her teaching philosophy by saying that the role of a teacher is to make himself / herself redundant over time, just like that of a parent. She has been with JaipuriaLucknow since its inception in 1995 and sees herself as an enabler for student learning. She believes in “providing cues and teasing young minds with stimulating questions,” to kindle the desire for knowledge among students. An MBA and PhD, Dr.Pathak has about 20 years of teaching experience behind her, which include not only the time spent with Jaipuria Institute of Management,Lucknow but also her four-year teaching and research stint at UQ Business School, University of Queensland, Australia. The latter, Dr.Pathak says, exposed her to “gold standards in academic practises.” The cross-cultural work life and interactions with students from diverse backgrounds added to her experience. In fact, she even mentions the courses on research process and qualitative methods that she undertook at UQ as those that changed her perspective as an academic author and researcher.
However she is quick to credit her experience atLucknowwith preparing her for the demands of UQ Business School, where she emerged as one of the best teachers when evaluated by students. At JaipuriaLucknow, where she has taught International Marketing, Services Marketing, Business Research Methods, Fundamental of Marketing and Consumer Behaviour, as an Associate Dean today, Dr.Pathak now handles aspects of student engagement besides academics.
During her tenure, Jaipuria Institute of Management, Lucknow has organised three national conferences on various themes and Dr.Pathak proudly mentions the recently-held three-day SIP (Summer Internship Programme) workshop that helped students sail through their SIP projects. With a few published papers to her credit,Dr.Pathak hopes to complete two papers on Higher Education and Hi-Tech Marketing this year as well.
And the message this committed educationist has for students? “You are what you think you can be. Challenge the limits and take life as it comes.”