Dr Shailendra Raj Mehta took charge in Ahmedabad today as President, Director and Distinguished Professor for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at MICA – The School of Ideas.
Mehta has a BA and MA from Delhi University (St Stephens College and Delhi School of Economics respectively). He earned an MPhil in Economics from Balliol College, Oxford University, and a PhD in Economics from Harvard University. An accomplished academic, he has taught at Purdue University and IIM Ahmedabad, where he headed the collaboration between Duke University’s corporate education arm Duke CE and the management institute. He was also the Chairman of the Board of Management at Auro University and Provost/Vice Chancellor of Ahmedabad University.
Tridip Suhrud, Member of Governing Council of MICA, said, “The Governing Council of MICA is delighted to welcome Prof Shailendra Raj Mehta as President, Director and Distinguished Professor for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at MICA. We are certain that the distinguished academic and research career Mehta brings on board, coupled with the dedicated faculty of the institute and its students, will help MICA realise its full potential.”
Mehta, in his introductory address, said, “MICA was set up 26 years ago to inhabit the space at the intersection of the worlds of business, communication, design, entrepreneurship and innovation, and it is one of the few institutions in the Asia-Pacific region to do so. More than ever before, a leader has to have the ability to craft a vision and a narrative about the future and accomplish it. The graduates of MICA have been doing so successfully in the business, political and social arenas.”
He added, “We plan to attract the best students, staff and faculty and announce several high-level hires shortly, along with new and exciting global collaborations. MICA also has the experience and the expertise to understand the momentous transformations underway in the digital field. There is a unique opportunity for all the stakeholders of MICA to take this understanding to the next level. The next few years promise to be as exciting as any in MICA’s past. I am excited to be part of this journey.”
Preeti Shroff, Dean of MICA, said, “The MICA community is honoured to welcome Shailendra Raj Mehta as the new President and Director.
We look forward to working with him to explore new and exciting frontiers in academic programme innovations, faculty training, industry collaborations, government and social sector partnerships, and networking with leading institutions around the world.”