As the sun goes down and the night sets in, the colours of Holi come alive. Bright shades of pink, red, blue and green glow on the faces of the over 270 students at ISB’s Mohali campus. This celebration is a vibrant symbol of the close bonds that have been forged in the last 11 months. Students, most of them in the 24-35 age group, many with work experience in different parts of the world in a range of industries, have lived for a year as one family at ISB Mohali.
Spread across 70 acres in Knowledge City, this ISB campus came into existence in 2012. Often mistaken to be independent of the campus in Hyderabad, the Mohali campus is as much an ISB as the Hyderabad campus. Both have the same courses, similar batch composition, combined placements and provision for inter-campus exchange, owing to the ‘One School, Two Campuses’ ideology practised by the institute’s faculty, students and alumni.
Buildings and greenery
Complementing the planned beauty of the Chandigarh tri-city, the ISB Mohali campus is a great place be in. At the centre lies the ‘Academic Square’ supported by columns of steel, in keeping with the spirit of the youth and the future the campus represents. This building houses lecture theatres, faculty offices and the library (LRC – Learning and Resources Centre). The student villages (residential blocks), faculty housing and the hangout areas are spread across the campus in small clusters.
The architecture is vibrant, thanks to the Indian and global touches given to the buildings. The Academic Square is connected to the food court and student café, and leads to the in-campus stores and facilities, via the ‘infinity corridor’. The unique design of the passage is not just a spot for taking photographs, but is also a symbol of the ambitious path ISB students are expected to take.
Although the campus provides facilities for all the popular sports, the squash courts are the most in demand. The intensity and rigour of the one-year MBA requires students to look after their daily well-being. Extremely comfortable shared and studio accommodations, with daily house-keeping services, make lives easier for students living alone or with their families. An in-campus grocery store, gym, yoga and other lifestyle facilities complete the self-sufficient community.
One striking feature of the campus is the greenery amongst the buildings. Rows of trees and grassy patches make living here an amazing experience. The campus is LEED Gold certified and efficiently uses resources with a minimum carbon footprint. It is no surprise, then, to see the excellent standard of living attracting an increasing number of international candidates to ISB every year.
Students like the classrooms as much as they love the campus. Learning from some of the best professors in the world with exceptional class participation from students makes the classrooms a place of high energy. But what truly defines the Mohali campus’ uniqueness is the inclusiveness and bonding. Students discuss their previous work experience and future plans over study group meetings, and discuss the latest research and industry trends with professors over meals.
Placement week
While the MBA focuses on developing a competitive advantage, the student batch demonstrates a common goal when it comes to placements. The placement week usually brings the whole campus together, with intense mock interview sessions and resume preparations taking place. The strongest friendships are forged during such times of pressure and uncertainty.
While alum interventions and industry interface opportunities do help shape the students, the maximum ‘transformations’ happen because of the batch’s collective journey together. Student-run professional and social clubs provide platforms for crucial interactions and learnings.
Campus events
Mohali hosts multiple events on campus throughout the year, starting with AIKYA, where students host their local AIKYA families, who are their go-to people throughout the year. This is followed by ‘Bandhan’, when students host counterparts from low-income families to spend a day on campus and have a full day of fun. Such events remind the batch of their responsibility towards society and make it an integral part of their managerial future.
Between the strict deadlines and tight schedules, students make time not only for academics but also for their hobbies and interests. Stand-up comedy, poetry evenings, dance nights and personal story-telling sessions keep the campus alive throughout the year.
At ISL (ISB’s Sports League), students go through the exhilarating process of auctions, team management and weekend tournaments. This year, the 500-seater ‘Godrej Auditorium’ saw a full house during the institute’s leadership summit, which saw eminent personalities such as Dr Manmohan Singh and Dr Kiran Bedi take the stage.
Despite the fast-track five-week terms full of assignments and exams, the Mohali representation and victories from ISB in all national and international B-School competitions was at a spectacular high. ISB even hosted its own competition fest, ‘Advaita’ at Mohali and it saw overwhelming participation from across the country.
In a country where institutions are recognised by their legacy and long history, ISB has risen to the top in a short span of 16 years and Mohali, since 2012, has joined the effort of creating exceptional future leaders. Amid a fast-changing business environment, the Mohali campus is perfectly poised for churning out responsible and adaptive leadership hat will help add great value to the country’s business scene.
(The writer is PGP student, class of 2018.)