Once again students from the School of Business & Economics MBA programme will be taking up the challenge of competing in the 2008 Cranfield Regatta, an international sailing event which is designed to allow MBA students and alumni from all over Europe to meet their counterparts from other business schools. The regatta will take place around Port Solent and Cowes on the last weekend in July and Exeter’s eight-strong crew are working hard in the hope of a high placing for the University. The crew is made up of part-time and full-time MBA students and alumni who have a broad range of sailing skills and experience but are dedicated to doing their best for Exeter. This year’s crew consists of current students Nadia Nikolova, Simon Baird, Nagyb Shah, Stuart Harris, Richard Dawson and alumni Jonny Malcolm, Mark Roberts and Wade Tipton. The race will consist of four head to head races with the various business school teams taking part. The team has is being sponsored by Vospers South West Motor Dealership, Jam Creative, The Birmingham Assay Office and House of Marbles.

More : atom.ex.ac.uk

Five post-graduate programme (PGP) students of the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad (IIM-A) have set up a Private Equity (PE) and Venture Capital (VC) club to help students get hands-on experience by involving PE/VC players from India and abroad. Unlike finance clubs run by most B-schools in the country, this club exclusively focuses on PE and VC funding.

The lack of opportunities and experience in the PE and VC space led five students to set up the club called ‘Leverage’. With around 50 students interested in being members, the club will be a forum for students interested in all aspects of private equity and venture capital.

“We came up with an initial skeletal structure of the PE club by looking at institutes like Harvard and others from the Ivy League. But the end product has been entirely our idea of how a PE club should be. Although we prefer to call it an interest group for the time being, we plan to run a full-fledged club with more activities soon,” says Anirudh Singh, a member of the club.

“PE as an industry has boomed in India and we plan to invite speakers to the campus, hold conclaves, workshops and other events to provide a platform for the students and corporates to interact. Also, we are looking forward to hold intra-institute events, where the students can write an investment proposal and a panel of faculty members can judge them.

We have no restrictions when it comes to corporates as we would be involving both top- and middle-level players to encourage more and more activities in the field of PE and VC,” says Gagandeep Singh, another member of the club.

As part of formalising the club, the students are holding the first intra-institute event called the ‘Zen of Investing’, where the club plans to invite alumni working in the area of private equity, besides involving the faculty and students for the activity.

The club also has plans to tie-up with Post-Graduate Programme in Management for Executives (PGPX) students to getter a better perspective of private equity. “The PGPX students would be able to share their experiences about private equity and with their support, we plan to involve ourselves with the corporates in a deeper way through various activities, including projects and case workshops,” adds Anirudh Singh.

The club is in talks with a few corporates, who have shown interest in sponsoring the club.

“We are considering more options for funding besides the institute and the corporates we are in talks with. Currently, we are in the stage of gauging the responses from the people about the club,” says Anirudh Singh, before adding, “Although we have started out PE and VC, we may consider branching out to other areas like micro finance later.”

More : business-standard.com

Aaron F. Cooper II, a self-described worrywart, never thought his penchant for devising foolproof backup plans could translate into a calling. But that all changed when he signed up for an elective in risk management while at the University of Georgia’s Terry School of Business executive MBA program last fall. “It entails pretty much everything I’ve always been interested in my entire life, even before I knew risk management existed,” said Cooper, 27, a telecommunications engineer at AT&T (T).

Cooper is part of a new wave of students hitting business school campuses. For years, risk management—the process of analyzing exposure to risk and determining how best to handle it—occupied a sleepy corner in business schools, a subject mainly of interest to those who want to enter the insurance field. But with the recent turmoil in the financial markets and a push for more accountability, risk management has rocketed in status at business schools.

In the past decade, a growing number of B-schools have added concentrations in the subject, ramping up the number of classes they offer. Executive MBA programs are also incorporating risk management electives into their curriculum, responding to increased demand from executives and companies. In some instances, schools such as Georgia’s Terry are developing custom programs on the topic for top executives and boards of directors.

More : businessweek.com

The QS World MBA Tour, the world’s leading series of career and education events, will organize a one-day fair for aspiring MBAs in the capital tomorrow.

The MBA fair will be held at the Hyatt Regency (Ring Road) in New Delhi tomorrow between 2 pm and 6 pm.

More than 30 B-Schools from across the globe including Toronto -Rotman, IE Business School, Bond, Cornell-Nanyang, Ashridge Business School, Hult, U21 Global, Durham and ESMT will participate in the MBA fair.

The London School of Business & Finance, the only UK based institution to offer dual programmes combining an internationally recognised MBA or MIB with ACCA, CIM, CIMA or CFA qualifications, will also be a part of the MBA fair.

Participants of the QS World MBA Tour, which will visit 50 cities in 32 countries this year, include 17 of the top 20 US business schools and all of the leading European business schools.

The fair will provide students a chance to interact with the leading international business schools and short-list the best option available to them.

Nunzio Quacquarelli, Managing Director of QS told NNE, “It is the perfect chance to make an impression face-to-face with the very people reading your application forms, and that is invaluable to gain an edge in this tough field. The QS World MBA Tour provides the best step in the application process, the opportunity to ask intelligent, tailored questions on topics like personal fit, career opportunities, school specializations and financial aid.”

More : indiaedunews.net

Developing countries can jubelnd, impedes investment and competition from registration issues on the agenda of the WTO in Cancun. But it is perhaps too early to celebrate.

In an article in schools, the former Secretary General of Finance of India and WTO negotiators in the Uruguay Round, Mr. SP Shukla, reminds us, as in December 1988, at ministerial level in Montreal had the same divided on the issue of patents.

But, he said, in Montreal, “the Government of India has failed bilateral pressures, particularly from the USA, withdrew its opposition and agreed in April 1989 on the material aspects of property rights intellectual in the negotiations … The seeds of the WTO system, coercive measures, which in 1995 were sown in April 1989, ironically, soon after, and despite the success of manoeuvre at the Montreal meeting. “Mr. Shukla warns that the USA are enormous bilateral pressures on Brazil, China, India and South Africa to cancel its victory of Cancun.

Furthermore, continue to invest part of the WTO system. The study groups formed on these issues during the year in Singapore in 1997. It is only that the study groups are not yet in “negotiations”. This situation will prevail until an explicit resolution of deposit investments of the WTO is adopted.

Developing countries have been able to maintain investments of the WTO in Cancun, only because of the intransigence of developed countries on the issue of agricultural subsidies. They asked for concessions in agriculture in exchange for the inclusion of one or more of the Singapore issues at the WTO. Rich countries, particularly the USA, could not, because this compromise on the presidential elections in the USA in 2004. But it can accept this compromise in the future. This is not an advantage for poorer nations, such as the role of agriculture in the global economy has dropped dramatically. According to the World Development Report, the share of agriculture in the GDP of rich countries is 6 per cent in 1960 to less than 1 per cent in 2001. And for developing countries, it has fallen by 48 per cent to 23 per cent.

Thus, the reluctance of rich countries for agriculture is really with emotion. Economically, they have little to lose and much to gain in agriculture, in exchange for investments. Indeed, the collapse of Cancun, it is easier for the rich an internal consensus to “try” Agriculture in such an exchange.

It is necessary to change our strategy proactively so that we can end the small gains in agriculture and large losses on the Singapore issues. We must ask for cross-border trafficking of individuals instead of seeking concessions in agriculture.

In both rich and poor nations are poor towards poverty reduction. The rich say that the welcome is investment, transfer of capital in poor countries in order to facilitate and increase their wealth and reduce poverty. That can not happen because:

– World capital can no longer travel to poor countries;

– The long-term exposure to repatriate profits May débilitent economies and

– The predatory nature of multinational kill national entrepreneurship and an economy dependent. On the other hand, poor countries feel that agriculture, the opening of their open new markets, leading to higher prices for their agricultural products and improving their conditions of farmers. This should not happen again, because:

– Prices for agricultural products would decline as the growing competition between poor countries;

– There are limited opportunities for investment in agriculture, and therefore low potential to generate high incomes.

– The share of agriculture in the economy is declining.

These links doubtful on improving the prosperity must be abandoned. Eminent economist Mancur Olson showed that the increase in world income would be equally, if not more, by the free movement of natural persons as the free movement of capital. Some difficulties are noteworthy in this regard.

First, it is said that a multilateral agreement on free movement of labour allows free access to undesirable elements as terrorists. This can be processed into a right to deny access to certain people or groups. The USA, for example, can say it does not give free movement of certain groups.

Oil and Gas Corporation (ONGC) has submitted a government proposal to increase paid up capital by ONGC Videsh of Rs 300 crore according to RS 500 crore.

ONGC Videsh is a subsidiary of ONGC, is investing in oil ventures abroad.

“The registered capital of ONGC Videsh is relatively low compared to debt on its balance sheet. The issue of debt-equity compared sometimes the way of smooth running of our business abroad. We also proposed that the authorized capital of ONGC Videsh, up to Rs 5000 crore, “Mr. Subir Raha, Chairman and Managing Director, ONGC, said the edge of the newspersons launch of the “super-Unnati Prayas programme for ONGC employees.

Under this programme, ONGC sends his career in the mid-leaders of the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT) for an MBA 18-month residential program.

The program, under the direction of IIFT for ONGC workers should pay special attention on trade and international affairs.

For the first part, twenty leaders were selected from about 340 nominations received from ONGC employees.

Mr. Raha said ONGC and spend over Rs 25 crore per annum for the training of its leaders in management and engineering programs.

The company will also soon in a tie-up Management Development Institute to offer a general programme management of his career in the mid-leaders.

HYDERABAD: ICFAI Business School representatives M.V.R. Raja Satish and Rallapalli Raghuram won first prize at the NTPC ‘Electron Quiz’ Southern Regional Final competition held in the city on Monday.

Over 42 teams from various engineering and management colleges across the twin cities took part in the quiz competition and top three teams from the competition would take part in the national finals to be held at New Delhi, said a press release.

On the occasion, NTPC General Manager (Commercial) presented cash awards of Rs. 15,000, Rs. 10,000 and Rs. 6,000 respectively to the top three winners.

Who are the Snow White and Seven Dwarfs of the corporate world? Ever heard of co-opetition? And how does one term mutual funds that will not cover liquor companies?

Not just the competitors, even the audience had a fun time, guessing answers to these questions at the finals of the business quiz, conducted by the IIM-Ahmedabad Alumni Association’s (IIM-AAA), Chennai chapter, here on Sunday.

In the end, when the Bharathidasan Institute of Management, Tiruchi, walked away with the IIM-AAA Anchor Cup 2006, it was a well-earned victory, followed by S.S.N School of Management in the second place and Bangalore’s ICFAI Business School in the third. The P.S.G Institute of Management, Coimbatore, stood fourth.

The quiz was being held to sensitise business school students in south India to the latest corporate happenings, said A. Satish Kumar, president, IIM-AAA Chennai chapter. Anchor Health and Beauty Care was the chief sponsor.

The preliminary written test had been conducted in Chennai, Bangalore, Coimbatore and Madurai. The finals consisted of 12 rounds, including an audio-visual round, two oral rounds and a rapid fire round, with quizmaster S. Jagan keeping the momentum going.

The last winner of the trophy was also BIM in 1994 after which the quiz was discontinued till the IIM-AAA decided to re-launch it, Mr. Satish Kumar said.

Handing over the cup to the winning team, N. Murali, Joint Managing Director, The Hindu , said such quiz contests should be made part of the college curriculum as they were not just clean fun but also of educational value.

THE SECOND batch complete the Graduate Diploma in Post-Infrastructure Management (PGDIM), proposed by the Visvesvaraya Technological University (VTU), is scheduled for the beginning of the School of Management for buildings, facilities and development strategies (MINDS) India, here.

The PGDIM one year full-time for graduates in all disciplines of engineering sciences, including agriculture and the technical architecture and doctorates in other disciplines.

The program focuses on planning tools, project management, Contract Management, Infrastructure Finance, Information and communication technologies (ICTs), applications and geographic information systems; strategic environmental assessment, legal and regulatory environment and emerging paradigms.

ISD signed a Memorandum of Understanding

The city-based Dayananda Sagar institutions (ISD) has, in a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Government of Uganda as a technical partner and academic institutions of higher education is it in Uganda, for the know - make the ISD.

The partnership, according to the authorities JG allows upgradation of existing programs and new programs from time to time in institutions of higher education in Uganda. “DSI, put its infrastructure and the Faculty for teachers and students work on joint programmes and Bangalore in Uganda,” she said.

In addition to the partnership allows the exchange of professors and students between universities in Uganda and DSI.

DSI receive students in universities in Uganda charging on its institutions of higher education within the partnership.

The technical and scientific cooperation in information technology, engineering, management, languages, health sciences and health care.

As part of the agreement, which Sagar group will help to plan and build a pediatric health care in Uganda with the commitment to the development of national centres of education in this country, JG President D. Hemachandra Sagar.

The declaration of intent was signed by Fred Beyendoca, High Commissioner and Nimisha Madhvani, Deputy High Commissioner of the Government of India in Uganda, and Dr. Sagar.

St. John’s University conferred 2,146 undergraduate degrees at three graduation ceremonies held over the weekend.

The Rev. Donald J. Harrington, president of the university, gave the keynote address at all ceremonies for the 122d commencement exercises.

Addressing the students at the campus in Jamaica, Queens, yesterday, Father Harrington told the students that “the quality of life in society rests upon the quality of education in our grammar and high schools and in our colleges and universities.”

Referring to the rioting in Los Angeles, he said, “Regardless of how we interpret the events of the past month, regardless of where we seek to place the blame, I submit to you that an essential part of any solution must be the renewal of the educational system of our land.” Industry, Health, Banking

At the first ceremony, held in Alumni Hall in the morning, an honorary doctor of commercial science degree was awarded to Michael E. Maher, an alumnus of the university who is chairman of Maher Terminals Inc. in New Jersey, one of the largest independent container terminal operators.

Sister Irene Kraus, president of the Daughters of Charity National Health System in St. Louis, received an honorary doctor of letters degree.

In the ceremony held in the afternoon, also in Alumni Hall, an honorary doctor of commercial science degree was awarded to Richard T. Greene, president of Carver Federal Savings Bank, one of the largest black-owned financial institutions in the nation.

Edward Mercado, director of the Office of Civil Rights for the Department of Health and Human Services, received an honorary doctor of laws degree.

On Saturday, a commencement ceremony was held on the Grymes Hill campus of the university in Staten Island. An honorary doctor of civil law degree was awarded to Josephine L. Gambino, president and senior member of the New York Civil Service Commission. Cornell University

Cornell University’s 124th commencement took place yesterday in a cold rain with temperatures in the 30’s, prompting the university’s president, Frank H. T. Rhodes, to cut short his prepared remarks to the 5,900 graduates. University officials said it was the first time in 17 years that it had rained on commencement.

Each of the graduates of Cornell’s 11 schools and colleges at the ceremony, which was still held outdoors on the campus in Ithaca, N.Y., was given a red rose. Mr. Rhodes used the occasion to remind them to “take time to smell the roses.”