Study Abroad: India
May 24 - June 6, 2005

Click here to view a video from the 2005 India trip.

A group of five MBA candidates and two faculty members from the University of Kansas got a glimpse of the inner workings of several of India's most prominent businesses during a two-week study abroad program in June. Sponsored by the University's School of Business, in cooperation with KU's Center for International Business Education and Research (CIBER), the program offered participants a chance to acquire first-hand experience of the current business climate in India.

Led by Associate Professor Sanjay Mishra, program participants attended lectures at the prestigious Indian School of Business (ISB) in Hyderabad and visited a variety of firms in industries ranging from information technology, communications, software development and pharmaceuticals to more traditional sectors like hand weaving and film-making.

While many Americans now associate India with call centers and outsourcing, the program's participants were given a comprehensive view of the business climate in India and the challenges associated with doing business in a developing economy. In a meeting with the KU group, U.S. Deputy Commercial Counselor Donald Nay compared doing business in India with driving in Delhi, stressing the importance of going with the flow, being persistent, and occasionally looking in the opposite direction from where you are headed. Having already experienced the often chaotic flow of traffic in India, many of the students felt that this analogy was particularly apt.

Hyderabad is one of India's fastest growing urban areas, and is vying with Bangalore for the IT investments now pouring into the country. Several U.S. firms, including Motorola and Microsoft, have recently decided to locate major centers in Hyderabad.

ISB is a project of several prominent expatriate business figures, including Rajat Gupta, the top executive at McKinsey. Professor K. Ramachandran, Professor of Entrepreneurship and Strategy at ISB, personally welcomed the students to India and lectured on various aspects of entrepreneurship and business strategy. As program host, ISB also arranged meetings with the CEOs and top executives of such prominent Indian firms as ITC, APITCO, Infotech, Dr. Reddy's Laboratories, Shantha Biotechnics, and the Dabur Research Foundation. During one such meeting, Varaprasad Reddy, managing director of Shantha Biotechnics, spoke about his efforts to develop a low-cost Hepatitis-B vaccine for use in India, where the high costs of such drugs hampered efforts to control the disease.

The students also learned a great deal about Indian culture and society, and visited a number of historic sites and monuments. One of the trip highlights was a visit to the Taj Mahal in Agra, near Delhi. Program participant Steve Baru, CEO of Baru Investment Services, noted that he had often used the Taj Mahal to illustrate the importance of proportion in investment portfolios. Now he will be able to draw upon his own experience in describing the awe-inspiring structure.

For more information contact:
Bart Redford, International Programs Coordinator
Center for International Business Education and Research
KU School of Business
(785) 864-4616

The Original 2005 Program Information is as Follows:

In 2005, the KU CIBER will offer the first short-term study abroad opportunity in India. This course will help students understand the entrepreneurial climate in India and provide an introduction to India's culture, history, and economic environment. The class will examine industries with extensive entrepreneurial activity at differing stages of the business life cycle, e.g., mature-consolidating to new-developing. Target industries will be the pharmaceutical, textile, software, and film making industries.

The program will take place in New Delhi & Hyderabad. The host school is the Indian School of Business (ISB) in Hyderabad. The ISB has formal affiliations with The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, The Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University and London Business School (LBS).

WHO: MBA students from KU and other universities; graduate students from other professional schools such as engineering, architecture, law, and journalism; and undergraduate seniors (space permitting).

WHAT: Graduate level course focusing on Entrepreneurship in India. The course will examine the textile, pharmaceutical, software, and film-making industries in India. Students will also learn about the cultural, political, and economic issues related to doing business in India.

WHERE: Classes will be held at the Indian School of Business (ISB) in Hyderabad. Students will also study and travel throughout Hyderabad and New Delhi.

WHEN: This course will be offered May 24 - June 6, 2005.

Tajmahal

APPLY for this and other study abroad options through the Office of Study Abroad website at www.ku.edu/~osa. You will have to fill out an application form and submit a deposit. Accepted students will be notified within 7-10 days and will receive an acceptance packet and financial contract. The acceptance packet will contain instructions on how to complete the enrollment process. DOWNLOAD THE FLYER & APPLICATION HERE!

NON-KU STUDENTS are welcome to attend the course but will need to be enrolled as non-degree seeking KU students in order to receive credit. Once you have applied and been accepted, the Office of Study Abroad will send you a packet that includes a form to apply for non-degree status.

QUESTIONS regarding curriculum should be directed to the faculty leader, Professor Sanjay Mishra, . For applications or other information, contact the KU CIBER, 207 Summerfield Hall, (785) 864-3125 or email . You can also learn more from the Office of Study Abroad at www.ku.edu/~osa.