Lord Chris Patten, Chancellor, Oxford University and NewCastle University, said, We have as great an interest in working with you, as I believe you have in working with us. We are an educational power house with some of the best universities in the world. There is so much we can do together.

Lord Patten was delivering the keynote address at the FICCI Higher Education Summit on November 2. He is also leading the delegation of over 70 British Universities at the FICCI Summit.

Thats the message from HRD minister Mr Arjun Singh while speaking at FICCI Higher Education Summit, being held in New Delhi on November 2-3. Said Mr Singh, Education is a sensitive area. Indian students are gullible and need to be protected from fly-by-night operator. Mr Singh was responding to the demands for more liberal regime allowing foreign institutions to set-up their campuses in India with 100 % FDI investments.

IIM-A received 1352 applications this year, which is an increase of about 60% over the previous year. IIM-A is targeting a batch size of 80 with one section.

The average GMAT score for the entering batch of 2008 is a high 731. This is amongst the highest in the world. For instance, the entering class of 2006 at Harvard Business School had an average GMAT score of 707, and Wharton had an average GMAT score of 713.

Announcing the initiative, Ashok Soota, Chairman of CII Mission on Knowledge and Skills and CMD of Mindtree Consulting said, India can be the knowledge superpower. Knowledge Summit is meant to create the ecosystem and linkages that can make it possible.

Bolstered by the positive student feedback on last years Open SimCAT, IMS has scheduled this years SimShock for November 4. Test is open for non-IMS students also.

Says IMS, SimShock is a must take for all the CAT 07 aspirants as it will give them a chance to experience the CAT one time before the actual CAT.

The IMS Academic Innovation Wing last year had crafted an innovative paper in terms of structure and pattern. Even Math section had poetry in it! Last years Open SimCAT became popular with the student community for the shock it gave them.

Over 60 students from IIM-A PGPX programme will go for international immersion to some of the leading international B-schools including Columbia Business School. Whats more is that the participants will also pursue a live project internship with blue-chip companies like Morgan Stanley, Microsoft and Unilever.

Dr Dholakia is set to join the company as an advisor to Adani Group Chairman Mr Gautam Adani. Gujarat based Adani Group is a conglomerate involved in development of Ports, Power, Logistics, SEZs, Energy, Global Trading, Shipping.

For Dr Dholakia, who had stepped down on October 10 after successfully completing his five year term at IIM-A, this will be a full time assignment. IIMA spokesperson informed MBAUniverse.com that Dr. Dholakia would be on leave without pay from IIMA, retaining his lien on his faculty position at IIMA.

The competition will draw prizes worth US $ 3000. Competition is open to top 20 B-Schools in India, and select top B Schools from Europe and America.

Luxury brand Backes and Strauss has tied up with IIFT to help draw out its entry strategy in India. IIFT will be the official partner of Backes and Strauss for the Case Study. Indias leading management portal MBAUniverse.com is the official media partner of this initiative.

And with easy availability of computing and connectively through internet, the new Flat world empowers the individuals, more that it does the corporations, to implement their ideas. Thats the message from Thomas L Friedman, the guru of Globalization and author of best seller The World is Flat. Speaking at a lecture organized by Penguin Books India in New Delhi on October 29, Friedman said, The new Flat world uses the PC, Internet and workflow processes to connect individuals and businesses in an unprecedented way.

The conference had interesting sessions related to the Make-In-India and Make-In-Maharashtra theme. The chief guest, Shri Subhash Desai, Hon. Minister for Industries, Govt. of Maharashtra outlined the efforts made to improve the Ease of Doing Business in Maharashtra and the likely impact of these measures on the states economy and employment. Shri Girish Kuber, Editor of Loksatta spoke about areas that needed urgent reforms, like the labour policy, for the Make-In-Maharashtra initiative to be successful.