Fisher College of Business MBA students who completed their virtual Global Applied Projects (GAP) with partner companies in India during spring semester were invited to network with Ohio State business alumni. Co-hosted by the India Gateway and the Fisher College of Business on May 8, the virtual event provided Ohio State students and staff the opportunity to connect with 11 alumni in Bangalore, Delhi, Gurugram, Mumbai and Pune. The Ohio State alumni are professionals at financial institutions, investment firms, banks, consultancy companies and private businesses.
The online gathering encouraged participants to reminisce about their learning experiences while at Ohio State and the impact Fisher programs have had on their professional development and international careers. During his introductory remarks Anil Makhija, dean and John W. Berry Senior Chair in Business at Fisher, emphasized the relevance of experiential learning and how the GAP program contributes to the overall learning experiences.
Kevin D. Beran, senior project manager for experiential learning in the college, elaborated, “GAP is not only focused on the students or the global business community and employers, but also with our extensive and passionate alumni all over the globe in various ways. None of this could be possible without the strong ties to Buckeye Nation and with the generous support of Ohio State's Gateway Offices, who work tirelessly to identify new project opportunities and to engage with alumni, industry-leading businesses and non-profits organizations around the world.”
“The participating alumni from India, representing various industries and sectors, are in the best position to become true cheerleaders for the GAP program, explained Nikhil Tambe, director of the India Gateway. “Some alumni have already expressed interest to explore means to get directly involved and source projects for future GAP cohorts.”
GAP participants work as a team to apply, integrate, and focus skills learned at Fisher to address an organization's business challenge or opportunity in order to drive value, actionable recommendations, meaningful results and transformative change for firms and organizations outside of the United States. The two projects in spring 2021, one for Tata Steel and another for The Indian Hotels Company Limited, were led by senior executives at the companies. Due to the pandemic, the cohorts completed their projects virtually this year. Each team of six students adapted to work in a global setting and interacted with industry leadership located halfway around the world. During their 10-week long assignment, the students had to get up to speed quickly to understand the problem statement they were addressing, while simultaneously learning about the new company, its work culture and values, as well as understanding different communication styles.
Ohio State has been collaborating with universities and corporations in India since 1958, focusing on advancements in educational training and agricultural research. Ohio State’s footprint has progressively expanded to include collaboration on a much larger scale, including those areas outside of agriculture. Building upon these established collaborations, Ohio State opened its India Gateway in March 2012 to better serve the university and its partners both in Columbus and in India.
For alumni relations reach out to Vinod Rani and for information on activities with Fisher College of Business partners in India contact Manoj Garai.