Events
Choosing Careers and Winning...
Asian School of Business is organising a forenoon programme on Career Guidance on 26 Aug 2011.
The speakers are BS Warrier, Maaney Paul and G. Vijaya Raghavan.
The intended audience comprises recent graduates and students in the final year of their graduation.
Joining hands...
CHAT Entrepreneur and management guru S. Rajeev, Director designate of the Asian School of Business, talks about the need for a mutually beneficial relationship between academia and industry
Ever wondered why Silicon Valley in the United States, home to some of the biggest technology corporations in the world, is still a leading IT zone in the world? S. Rajeev, management guru, IT entrepreneur, Stanford Business School graduate and newly appointed Director of the Asian School of Business (ASB) in the city, spent 20 years working in Silicon Valley (at AT &T Bell labs, among others).
He says that the key to its vibrancy lies in “circulation.” He explains: “Apart from amazing technological inventions, Silicon Valley has a lively entrepreneurship culture. That's there because there is also a lot of circulation of intellect, among technologists, academia, and the industry – a set of people whose job is to come up with new ideas and an industry with the knowhow to make money of these ideas. Unfortunately, here in India, this kind of circulation is solely missing. Only at the Indian Institutes of Managements (IIM) and Indian Institutes of Technology does such circulation happen, and that too only to an extent, with the former being far more involved with the industry than the latter.”
Ideal environment
And the city is an ideal environment to build up this culture of ‘circulation,' he says, especially because ASB and Technopark (where the institution is located) have the potential for a mutually beneficial relationship. “All they need to do is reach out to each other,” says Rajeev.
In fact, boosting such a culture is one of Rajeev's major aims when he takes over at ASB. “For example, Bell Labs invented the transistor. But their marketing strategy was so off that instead of them earning money of it, it was Sony who made billions from the technology. Similarly, the creative potential of some of the companies at Technopark are amazing. What they lack is solid marketing strategy. That's where ASB will come into the picture,” says this native of the city, in his American accented English. Rajeev is an alumnus of St. Joseph's School, Government Arts College and University College. He is now based in Bangalore and is part of the faculty of the IIMs in Bangalore, Kozhikode and Ahmedabad, apart from sitting on the boards of various companies.
Another pet interest of Rajeev's, which he hopes to bring to ASB, is rural development. He seems buoyed by late economist C.K. Prahlad's ‘Bottom of the Pyramid' theory, which proposes new models of business management by factoring in the economically disadvantaged socio-economic sector – the world's biggest demographic, with some 2.5 billion people – as creative entrepreneurs and value demanding customers.
Dream destination
“Individually the poor may not be powerful but collectively they are a force to reckon with. Already companies are getting on the bandwagon. Cavin Care, for example, came out with a Rs.1 sachet of shampoo, which became a big hit among them. Another incredible success is India Post's Rural Life Insurance Scheme, where the minimum entry price per person was brought down to Rs. 6 a day. What's all the more exciting is that Kerala, where every village has good communication and connectivity, is a dream destination for every market strategist.”
Of course, all this ‘circulation' depends on the education system in India, which he says needs to change. “There's way too much politicisation of education in India and our present education system in India kills creativity, plain and simple. It celebrates mediocrity. And that's coming from a country that once produced geniuses such as C.V. Raman, S. Chandrashekar, S. Ramanujan and S.N. Bose. We really need to invest in research. It's not as if we don't have the potential.”
News courtesy: The Hindu, 28 July 2011
Spending to save: a green campus in the making
The Asian School of Business campus coming up in the State capital will be a green landmark.
A Wi-Fi enabled environment, state-of-the-art classrooms, extensively landscaped grounds with tree cover, lush theme gardens, water features, leisure and recreation facilities, and, to top it all, a 22-metre-high gallery that affords a breathtaking view of the Western Ghats on one side and the Arabian Sea on the other. The sprawling new campus of the Asian School of Business (ASB) coming up at Pallipuram, on the Thiruvananthapuram-Kollam stretch of National Highway 47, promises to make learning a new experience.
Designed to be a Green Building complex and campus, the school boasts a range of eco-friendly, energy- efficient, and water-saving features and high-tech facilities. The 75-seat gallery-style classrooms and the 250-seat seminar hall are equipped with audiovisual equipment and videoconferencing facilities that make it possible to hold virtual sessions. One of the highlights of the campus is a fully integrated building management system (IBMS) with Wi-Fi, CCTV, and access control keys cards for all rooms.
The rooms are fitted with an energy-efficient lighting management system that utilises passive infrared (PIR) and microwave sensors to detect human presence and motion.
Automatic lights
The lights at the entrance and aisle come on as soon as someone enters a room and fade out after the person is seated, helping save power. The lights switch off automatically when the remote-controlled window blinds are pulled up to let in natural light.
The IBMS integrates control for lighting and air-conditioning across the campus, with individual override facility in all rooms. The air-conditioning system includes carbon dioxide sensors, which automatically activates fresh air intake when the level of CO2 rises beyond a specific level. The entire campus is barrier-free and ramps for wheelchairs are provided in the classrooms, the common areas, and across the buildings. “It is possible for someone on a wheelchair to navigate the entire campus without help. We have even provided toilets for the physically challenged on every floor,” says G. Vijayaraghavan, member-secretary of the school's board of governors.
Another feature of the campus is the 24-hour dedicated wireless connectivity that links students, via exclusive laptops, to courseware and the rest of the world. “Apart from those for the classrooms, we have plans to provide external nodes at select points to make the entire campus Wi-Fi-enabled,” Mr. Vijayaraghavan says.
The 16-acre property, falling within the Technocity project area, is being developed in a phased manner. The building complex covering six acres includes an administration zone, a library and sports centre, and the hostel block. The entrance to the school will have a landscaped plaza representing the overall campus character. The water tower with the viewing gallery on top dominates the ground.
A coconut palm plaza with water jets, a leisure court with stone pavilions, an Al Fresco garden, pebble streams, an areca palm valley, a tropical spice garden, a lily pond and aroma garden, covered walkways linking the buildings, and an amphitheatre with stepped lawn terraces are prominent features. A student plaza with multipurpose play courts and seating for games, outdoor exercise, and informal gatherings is another facility.
The campus boasts a rainwater-harvesting system that utilises a network of retention ponds, streams, wetland systems, and a half-an-acre reservoir for water storage to ensure water security and recharge groundwater resources. A sewage-treatment facility will recycle water for irrigation needs.
The buildings feature double-glazed glass and solar-reflective roofing material for thermal insulation.
“The Green features are expected to result in a 20 per cent reduction in power consumption and a 30 per cent reduction in potable water consumption. They add to the cost of the project, but, in the long term, they make sense. We have also adopted measures to control erosion and sedimentation and to keep terrain interference to the minimum,” Mr. Vijayaraghavan says. The Rs.64-crore project was designed by CPG Consultants, architects of the National University of Singapore, the Changi airport, Singapore, and Nanyang Technological University.
News courtesy: The Hindu, 7 May 2011
Convocation at business school
Programme at new ‘green' campus
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Asian School of Business (ASB) will hold the fifth annual convocation of its Postgraduate Programme in Management (PGPM) at 4p.m. on April 9. The programme would be held at the School's new ‘green' campus near the upcoming Technocity at Pallippuram.
Chairman of the Board of Governors of the ASB and advisor to the Prime Minister for the National Skill Development Council, S. Ramadorai, will be the chief guest on the occasion, a press note issued here said.
Also present during the ceremony will be Samuel Paul, former Director of IIM-A; S. Jagadish, former Professor at IIM (B);George M. Thomas, Patron, ASB and Managing Director of Kenton Group of Companies; and G. Vijaya Raghavan, ember-Secretary, Board of Governors, ASB, and founder-CEO, Technopark.
The ASB campus, spread over 16 acres, is nearing completion and it would be one of the first in the country conforming to ‘Smart Building Protocols' and its specially designed architecture for energy efficiency and water conservation made it compliant for the LEED Green Campus Certification.
“Technopark-based firm UST Global has implemented the building automation, making the ASB campus one of the first ‘intelligent' campuses in India. Classrooms are equipped with advanced audio-visual equipment and video conferencing facilities. A fully Integrated building management system (IBMS), Wi-Fi, CCTV and access control cards for all rooms will make the ASB campus one of the most hi-tech academic campuses in the country,” it added.
A state-of-the-art library and residential and recreational facilities are nearing completion in the first phase of construction.
Singapore-based CPG Consultants, who designed the National University of Singapore and the Nanyang Technological University, are the architects for the ASB campus.
“Placements for the Fifth batch of graduating students have seen considerable rise in the number of recruiters and the average pay on offer. The list of recruiters included companies like KPMG, Deloitte, Feedback Consulting, TCS eServe, UST Global and ICICI Securities,” the press note added.
News courtesy: The Hindu, 8 April 2011
Convocation at ASB on Saturday
The Asian School of Business (ASB) conducted the fifth annual convocation of its Post Graduate Programme in Management (PGPM) on Saturday at 4 pm. The convocation was held at ASB’s new own campus near the upcoming Technocity campus, Pallippuram. Dr S Ramadorai, chairman, Board of Governors, ASB, and advisor to the Prime Minister for the National Skill Development Council, was the chief guest. Prof Samuel Paul, former director, IIM-A, Prof S Jagadish, former professor, IIM (B), George M Thomas, patron, ASB, and Managing Director of Kenton Group of Companies and G Vijayaraghavan, member secretary, Board of Governors, ASB, were also present. Meanwhile, the ASB campus, which is nearing completion, will be one of the first academic campuses in the country conforming to Smart Building Protocols. The design is such that it ensures energy efficiency and water conservation. Dubbed one of the most hi-tech academic campuses, it has Singapore-based CPG Consultants as the architects. Jones Lang LaSalle, the international project management group, is the project management consultants.
News courtesy: Express News Service, 8 April 2011
Building the largest IT city in India
Technocity's location is well connected by road, as the site is adjecent to the National Highway.
The IT city is a short drive from the Thiruvananthapuram International Airport and the Kazhakkutom railway station.
Asian School of Business is developing its state-of-the art campus in the Technocity area. Trivandrum International School is very close to Technocity.
With the establishment of Technocity, the whole belt will qualify for consideration under the Union government scheme of Information Technology Investment Regions (ITIR). The launch of the Technocity project and further development of Technopark will make Thiruvananthapuram the first and complete IT city in the State.
Once completed, the Technocity will become the largest IT city in India. We have applied for funding to the Japan International Cooperation Agency through the Department of Economic Affairs of the Union government to raise the Rs.170 crore needed for infrastructure development of Technocity.
Mervin Alexander
Chief Executive Officer
Technopark
News courtesy: The Hindu, 5 June 2010
Nomination to Research Committee
Prof K Balakrishnan, Dean Admissions & Knowledge Management, ASB, has been nominated to the Committee on Internal Research Funding of the Chandragupt Institute of Management Patna. The objective of the Committee is to evaluate research proposals seeking financial support from the Institute internal research fund.
Nomination to High Level Screening Committee.
N.Parameswaran, Librarian, Asian School of Business ( Former Kerala University Librarian) has been nominated as a Member of the High Level Screening Committee for the Selection of Books under the Project ' 1000 Books to 1003 Schools' constituted by the Director of Public Instruction, Government of Kerala for the improvement of School Libraries. Sri. C.P. Nair IAS Former Chief Secretary, Government of Kerala is the Chairman of the Committee.