B-school trends come and go, but one that seems to have legs is the creation of specialized MBA programs, particularly by second-tier schools. The schools find them useful for attracting students and cementing their brand identities at a time when competition among schools for the best students is intense. In recent years, they’ve becoming increasingly common (BusinessWeek.com, 7/19/07) even at high-profile schools. Haas School of Business at the University of California at Berkeley, Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Sloan School of Management, and the Wharton School now offer specialized MBAs, majors, or dual degree programs in areas like real estate, sports management, biosciences, electronic commerce, and health care.

But is a specialized program always a good choice for an MBA student?

Not necessarily. While established programs have placement records on par with those of their general MBAs, many newer programs have not yet established the kind of recruiting relationships that guarantee students high-paying jobs at graduation. And graduates always run the risk of getting hamstrung by their specialties later in their careers, when an industry downturn forces them to look outside their specialties for opportunities.
Chart Your Own Path

Some who have gone through the specialized programs say they are best for those with a firm idea of their future goals, and who are keen to chart their own path. “I knew what I wanted to do,” said Carrie Stern Rathod, who received her MBA from Wisconsin’s Brand ‐ Product Management Center in 2005 and now works for Procter & Gamble (PG), which recruits regularly from the program. “There’s a range of people for whom this program is ideal. If you have an entrepreneurial bent but are not sure you’re ready to take the leap yet, the program might be right.” But, she added, “I think it would be tough if you wanted to go into consulting or something like that.”

For students who aren’t comfortable breaking away from the pack or seeking out professional contacts in unconventional ways, a specialized MBA might not be the best choice. This is especially true at less well-known schools, where big companies often don’t recruit. Students in these programs agree that making industry connections can require a lot of initiative from the student. “If you have a very specific company in mind, you might need to be a trailblazer in making relationships with those companies,” says Rathod.

More : businessweek.com

An innovation expert from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) will be visiting the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad (IIM-A), in November to promote the importance of user-based innovations in creating successful companies.

“India and Indians residing worldwide have a wonderful record as innovators and entrepreneurs. I believe users tend to be the real developers of many important products. Recently, research by my colleagues has shown that many new companies are started by users who become entrepreneurs. Learning about how user innovations foster the creation of successful new companies will be very useful information for IIM students and others in India,” says Eric von Hippel, professor and head of Innovation and Entrepreneurship Group at the MIT Sloan School of Management and professor of Engineering Systems at MIT.

It will be his first trip to India, which he also intends to use “to forge closer contacts with my colleagues at IIM-A, who have very similar research interests”.

The lecture is part of a two-week long ‘Inventors of India’ workshop by the Centre for Innovation, Incubation and Entrepreneurship (CIIE) at IIM-A. About 70 inventors and innovators of all ages and technical background are expected to be present at the event. Premier institutes could also be called to participate at the workshop.

“Eric will participate and may give the inaugural address at the workshop. In addition, he will interact with the faculty and students and explore possibilities of collaborative research. Apart from visiting some grassroot innovators, he will interact with our incubatee companies as well. Several things are being planned and we are quite excited about his visit. Also, we may ask institutes like National Institute of Design (NID) and Mudra Institute of Communications, Ahmedabad (MICA), to pitch in,” says Rakesh Basant, chairman of CIIE and a professor at IIM-A.

An expert in Principle of Developing Economics, Eric has made two of his books available openly on his website at no cost to the reader: Democratising Innovation, published in 2005 by the MIT Press, and Sources of Innovation, published in 1988 by Oxford University Press. Leading companies in the world have used practical methods based on his research.

Hippel is also expected to meet grassroot innovators at SRISTI, an NGO founded by Anil Gupta, a professor at IIM-A. Incidentally, Gupta too would be lecturing at MIT as part of the Amy Smith’s International design and development course on July 16-17.

More : business-standard.com

Ana Margarita Hernandez and Alex Modesto Maidique yesterday was married at St. Patrick’s Cathedral. The Rev. Octavio Cisneros, director of the Spanish Apostolate, Diocese of Brooklyn, led the ceremony.

The bride, until recently, an apprenticeship program specialists from the New Jersey Medical School in Newark, was a graduate of Montclair State College. In September she became an associate scientist at Stanford University, where Mr. Maidique is an extraordinary professor of mechanical engineering.

Mr. Maidique is a director and Executive Vice President of Collaborative Research in Waltham, Massachusetts, a genetic engineering, and assistant professor of production and management at the Harvard Graduate School of Business Administration. He previously taught at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he earned BS, MS and EE degree and a Ph.D. solidstate physics. It also has a master’s degree at the Harvard Graduate School of Business Administration’s Executive Program.

The bride, daughter of Mr. Ms. Hernandez and Romulo Santa Clara, Cuba. The young bridegroom is the son of Hilda R. Maidique Miami and the late Mr. Modesto Maidique, the Confederation has served as senator in Cuba from 1924 to 1932.

Mamie Tam, daughter of Mr. and Ms Kwong Tai Tam New York yesterday, was married to Michael C. Chen, the son of Mr. and Mrs. Chen YS James Harrington Park, NJ The ceremony was in the Roman Catholic church of Saint - Vincent Ferrer by the Very Rev. Paul A. Walsh.

The bride, a financial analyst, is an assistant director of consumer services group with Citicorp.

He was graduated cum laude from the State University of New York at Stony Brook and earned a master’s degree at New York University Graduate School of Business Administration and a Master’s in Asian Studies at the Seton Hall University. His mother, Judy Lum Tam is a gastronome in Brooklyn and Port Washington, LI His father is retired.

Mr. Chen, a vice-chairman of the East Navigation Company Inc., New York, a bulk carrier and container cargo shipping, was educated at Cornell University and a Master of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard Graduate School of Business Administration. His father is President and Chief Executive Officer of the Sea King Corporation in New York, a bulk container of oil and petroleum concern.

The sustainability of Akshaya “overcome the digital divide” in the state project is carried out if the positive aspects of the famous model for development of Kerala emulated by private entrepreneurs, not afraid to take risks.

After the Prime Mover in the state of Kerala IT mission official of an executive body, Akshaya draws heavily time to test the model as schools, health centres primary, know-how centres (reading rooms public) and other utility companies within a few kilometres from each other to provide efficient services.

This unique development paradigm put into practice by directors of yore contributed to what the State achieve enviable physical quality of life index.

Provides concept, in the presence of Professor Kenneth Keniston visit, the Indian program director, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), M. Kiran GR, Mission Coordinator, IT mission of the Business Line said that it wanted to be replicated in Akshaya, has already been mentioned in the pilot project in Malappuram district.

E-Akshaya kiosks have been planned so that every household in the country would not be farther than a long search for a distance of two kilometres to access electronic services. A number of masses of information and communication technology (ICT) to experiment with models elsewhere in the country have failed to take merely the absence of a sufficient number of service centers.

The government has directed public institutions, failed because of the laity management styles. In the Akshaya model, however, that the private contractor is responsible for enforcing the provision of services with the government ready to renew the support infrastructure, including content.

The sustainability of Akshaya centres is ensured, at least theoretically, to the extent that the contractor is underway for a benefit for which it has a Business Model. Unlike the case of a government of the project, the contractor is free to innovate and implement his ideas, according to local needs.

Asked if it spreads everywhere comparable model, Professor Keniston, said the group ITC e-choupal kiosks were the first to see in his eyes.

“At least, this is the only business model that I can not in India. It is a great effort disintermediation, where farmers have benefited and where the pay system itself. But what is operational and functional distinguishes itself by the Akshaya - Model and disability groups in which they become familiar with the theme on the needs of a rich and already well-established rural, agriculture, “he added.

There is another angle. Malappuram district is known for the large number of foreigners in the Gulf region, plus other sites abroad. Akshaya centres, a long way to ensure that women and communicate them immediately at a lower cost so menfolk with their employees overseas.

Among the five lakh families in Malappuram district, 4.5 times more than lakh have someone in the Gulf region.

The Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL), which has its headquarters in the department of economics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and devotes itself rigorously tested, what works in reducing poverty, announced the creation its first field office.

Located in India, the new office will serve as headquarters of the J-PAL’s operations in South Asia. The Institute for Financial Management and Research (IFMR), a large Business School, a J-PAL in this field office in the host city of Chennai in southern India.

Narayana Murthy, co-founder of Infosys, was the chief guest and speaker at the event on Friday. Representatives of the J-PAL-partners were also there to help open the office, including Madhav Chavan, founder of Pratham, Nina Singh, general staff of the Rajasthan police, Ajay Mehta, director of the National Foundation for ‘India and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Seva Mandir, and N. Vaghul, chairman of the Bank and Icici IFMR.

J-PAL-South Asia-IFMR work to improve the effectiveness of programmes of poverty in South Asia, knowledge of political leaders that the scientific results to the development of successful measures against poverty.

The sector office facilitates the management of rigorous evaluations of fight against poverty, strengthening relationships with partner organizations throughout the region, strengthening local capacity to undertake rigorous evaluations and the dissemination of search.

J-PAL began in June 2003 by Abhijit Banerjee and Esther Duflo Sendhil Mullainathan and is supported by a substantial endowment Mohammed Abdul Latif Jameel, a graduate of MIT, the head of the Jeddah-based Abdul Latif Jameel Company. WITH mark the generous donation by the designation of Poverty Action Lab by Mohammed Jameel father, Abdul Latif Jameel, in October 2005.

Indian Institute of Management Kozhikode (IIM-K) is organising three-day Management Development Programme (MDP) in “e-publishing” here from December 12 to 14

Raja V. Raman, IT expert, the program opens on December 12. The CD program Krishna Kumar, director, IIM-K. The program is aimed at publishers, information intermediaries, librarians, computer and computer professionals, MG Sreekumar and R. Radhakrishna Pillai, coordinators of the program, said in a version here.

The program carefully designed a window on the big picture of the growth and evolution of the landscape of scientific publishing and commercial, is also the transmission of knowledge and skills, that the information industry and professionals l information must be in a position of the first Front of technology and vocational training. The experts handling sessions.

Participants in the program may be for an exhibition open vis-à-vis publishing philosophies and Open Access and Open Source Institutional repository software development interoperable archives of scientific publications.

The programme will also be a showcase of two internationally renowned Open Source, Institutional repository software, indeed, “e-prints, developed by the University of Southampton, in collaboration with the Open Archives Initiative, the USA and” space “developed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

A three-day program on digital libraries are organized on the Indian Institute of Management Kozhikode (IIM-K), campus of the July 14.

The program is aimed at IT and computer professionals. The program is the knowledge and skills (design and the technical components) that computers and computer professionals, she still remembers the complex challenge of the digital library technologies.

Sessions

To experts in the fields of computing and information technology for meetings. Training and Hands-on training in famous open-source software digital library, such as “Green Stone” (developed by the University of Waikato, New Zealand), `Eprints” (developed by the University of Southampton , United Kingdom) and `DSpace” (Developed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA) are the characteristics of this program.

Participants will return “Green Stone” software on CD-ROM issued by the University of Waikato, New Zealand and the establishment Green Stone-based digital library in their respective institutions. Waikato University is also taking charge of the implementation workshops Hands-on session.

IBM announced today that the rice Rizavi the company as its Managing Principal Global Travel & Transportation Consulting organization. In this capacity, Mr. Rizavi is spearheading the growth of the consultancy firm in business travel and transportation segment.

Before his arrival at IBM, Mr. Rizavi served as Managing Partner of Arthur D. Little, where he reconstruction efforts of the business travel and transport, and has served as Executive Director of a joint venture between AD Little and the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research.

In addition, Mr. Rizavi Group Vice President of global travel and transport industry in the Electronic Data Systems, where some of its customers, Lufthansa, Continental Airlines, SystemOne / Amadeus, USTravel, BTI America, Aero Mexico, National Car Rental and General Motors .

“Rice Rizavi brings a wealth of experience with clients indicates opportunities and technology as leverage strategic advantage in the middle of the changing environment today for companies,” said Greg Conley, General Manager, IBM Global Travel & Transportation Industry Group. “His expertise in support of the Directorate General of issues related to the development strategy, profitability, new avenues for growth, distribution, mergers and acquisitions, Post-Merger integration and restructuring of enterprises is prove invaluable as we develop and improve our travel Transport & Consulting, in practice, a global basis. ”

Mr. Rizavi holds an MBA from Eastern Washington University and a bachelor of commerce with distinction from the University of Delhi. It is also a graduate of the training center Organizing Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Direct and in partnership with key suppliers sector solution, IBM Global Travel and Transportation Industry Solutions Unit develops, markets and supports industry products, services and solutions for the travel and transportation industry, including sectors activities airlines, airports, railways, De cargo and logistics businesses, hotels and other passenger related services.

In addition to integrated solutions, IBM Global Travel and Transportation Group provides consultancy services to all levels of the company, including the Business Re-engineering, and it also manages the computer, on behalf of several companies for travel through strategic outsourcing agreements.

Nicholas Negroponte, President and co-founder of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Media Lab has promised children in the Third World, a laptop to $ 100 is a reality for them next year. In India, IT staffs have already embraced that philosophy.

In the ‘World in 2006 “issue of The Economist, Negroponte, said the third world can not afford the price of $ 100, violent disagreement with the captains of industry.

It takes some time to One Laptop per Child (OLPC), a non-profit association are woven from MIT, India to achieve, but IT staffs are already in the thick that hugs Negroponte’s nice to philosophy for children , Education and Food is important.

Indeed, the chairman of the Corporation, Wipro, Azim Premji H. ‘idea is not far from Negroponte, when he said, “the last index of a country to independence is the manner in which their children live” in a “Land of children dancing in the rain.”

After stating that the problem is not in India laptops, but also basic education, computer companies such as Wipro and Infosys have inserted a primary education accessible to the extent possible. The initiatives of the Foundation and Infosys-Azim Premji Foundation are just a few examples. IBM, Microsoft and Cisco and many others have also recognized that the only way to the creation of prosperity through education and nutrition.

By 1999, the probe report (Public Report on Basic Education in India), a grim scenario of the school system in the country especially in rural India and physical infrastructure, teachers unmotiviert, debilitating and irresponsible curriculum management were seen as major challenges.

Given these indications from the main results of IT companies do what the government should do. And having a difference. “Registration has increased and therefore the participation and the percentage pass. It was a decrease interruptions,” said Madhu Pandit Dasa, President, Akshay Patra, a nonprofit organization and lay the ISKCON Started and now, Mohandas Pai, Kris Gopalakrhishnan, CFO and COO of everyone on the board of Infosys work with the same care and passion, be better. He started in the middle of the day his regime five years, while the government in the state of Karnataka in the past year.

“I think this is a good way to improve nutrition among children,” said Nobel laureate Amartya Sen, praised the implementation of mid-day meal scheme in the country, was founded in 2003. He also said, “Schooling can be an important source of food and the food industry reached exactly where you want, we will be able to meet.”

“Akshay Patra has a holistic approach to education,” said its vice-president, Chanchalapati Dasa. He added: “Our mission is the eradication of poverty and illiteracy,” which manifests itself in the organization declaration No child should suffer from hunger and hunger, should not be an obstacle to education .

“We have already 29000 children from 8 sites in the country. Not only the elimination of illiteracy, but also improving the potential of children. The programs are managed by a team of dedicated professionals. The After-School Programme mentoring by faculty at Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, “said Tanya Chitranga Chai Dasa, the program director.

The education and nutrition seem to go together. This message arrived on “The future of the Mid-day meal” prepared by the Centre for Development of Economic Sciences at the Delhi School of Economics.

Prof. Jean Dreze of the Centre for Development Economics, said: “It is a form of providing food security for children.” The investigation has been Chahattisgarh, Karnataka and Rajasthan and has clearly stated that the regime has greatly contribute to the welfare of children and their future.