The Language of Business/Negocios/Enterprise Commerciale/व्यवसाय/Biashara -- In A Word: Relationships

The College of Business and Information Technology (CoBIT) speaks a certain language: relationships.

1 + 1 MBA program students, (L to R) Dr. Avani Sunil Inamdar, Kanishka Baskaran, and Aditya Jadhav presenting a case study.

The number and variety of international students who come to Lawrence Technological University for business and information technology degrees has increased significantly in recent years. That’s due to the quality and innovativeness of its MBA, Business Data Analytics, and IT programs and to active in-country recruiting and digital marketing in parts of the world where LTU has established mutually beneficial working relationships. One outreach has resulted in an exciting relationship that gives students the unique opportunity to study in their home country and finish their MBA at LTU. The Pune Institute of Business Management (PIBM) and Lawrence Tech have designed a 1 + 1 MBA program for students of PIBM wherein they study their first year in India and their second year at LTU.

Mina Jena , CoBIT’s director of business programs, said, “This is unique because it allows students to combine their first-year experience with a second-year experience in the United States. The 1 + 1 program gives students the option to pursue the CPT (Career Practical Training) program of the U.S. Office of Homeland Security after they’ve completed their second semester. After graduation, they can apply for OPT (Optional Practical Training) to work for an American company in the U.S. for a period of one year.

Jena said a second advantage of this program is the selection of business-related concentrations available when students are in their second year: business data analytics, cybersecurity, finance, information technology, marketing, and project management. There are other advantages, too. She explained, “We’re opening a different door to them. It’s not just a visit for a couple weeks, but assimilating into American culture, meeting American students, living on campus, getting a deeper experience of the American education system, being introduced to American companies, and learning about the complex business environment and how they all are connected.” During their second year at LTU, PIBM students will have full access to LTU’s Career and Professional Development resources.

Earlier this year, Jena and Jim Ritz , Career Services Advisor, presented two professional development workshops for first-year PIBM students via Zoom: “How to Build Your Personal Brand for A Professional Career” and “Life in The USA: An Intercultural Awareness Workshop.”

“There was a lot of excitement for this professional training,” Jena said, “with students asking a lot of questions about living in the U.S. and about employment opportunities.”

Three of the current first-year Pune students, Dr. Avani Sunil Inamdar, Aditya Jadhav, and Kanishka Baskaran, shared their reasons for their interest in the LTU/Pune 1 + 1 MBA program.

Following in her parents’ footsteps, both Ayurvedic physicians, Inamdar also earned her degree in Ayurvedic medicine. In answer to the question “what drew you to this program,” she wrote, “My decision to transition from medicine to management stems from my upbringing. I was imbued with an entrepreneurial spirit from an early age. I opted for a career in management."

“My upbringing in a family business honed my skills in team management and sales from a young age, fostering a keen interest in marketing that continues to drive my exploration of the field. Despite my background in medicine, my knowledge of technology was lacking, and recognizing its significance for the future, I turned to LTU to bridge this gap. The prospect of studying in a country known for its excellence in management and services further emboldens my aspirations,” for a possible extension of her family’s pharmacy business into exporting Ayurvedic medicines globally. She plans to make marketing her MBA concentration.

Jadhav learned about the global MBA program from his father, an Indian government employee. While he holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering, Jadhav said, “Most MBAs in India don’t provide global exposure. I’m very excited about studying in a new country and learning a new culture.” He did his research on LTU. “LTU is a prestigious college and has a wonderful program with case-based courses with wonderful teachers.” He's attracted to marketing as his concentration because “it’s more people focused. They take a data-driven marketing approach. When I think about my mechanical engineering background, digital marketing really interests me. I can reach a global audience and it’s a more practical way of thinking.”

Baskaran’s experience as an agricultural scientist focused on “green” agriculture taught her analytical thinking. She said, “I’m interested in this MBA because it’s the other side of agriculture: agri-business management, and the degree contains a lot of analytical thinking.” Baskaran wants to concentrate in Human Resource Management. “I felt a match with HR because I see myself in an HR position in an agricultural company primarily focused on diversity.” Ninety percent of Baskaran’s family lives abroad, “so being in the U.S. is my heightened dream.”

Their first-year studies at PIMB include marketing, business analytics, business statistics, research methods, economics, and business law. “In every subject, every teacher shares with us how it works in the U.S. with interactive case studies and readings, learning the basics of business of India and the U.S.,” explained Inamdar.

LTU staff and faculty have stayed in regular contact with the 10 incoming MBA students. Arriving at LTU in September 2024, these students will not be strangers to the campus or to the U.S. culture or educational system. “We don’t feel like we’re new to LTU,” Inamdar said.

Underscoring the importance and value of this new global MBA program, Rajasshrie Pillai, director in-charge of PIBM Group of Institutes, concluded, “India’s Prime Minister [Shri Narenda Modi] wants to create global citizens.”

by Renée Ahee