The Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIMA) held a Special Convocation ceremony for the participants of the e-Post Graduate Diploma in Advanced Business Analytics (ePGD-ABA) 2022-2023 batch on campus today.
The Convocation was presided over by Mr Pankaj R Patel, Chairman of the IIMA Board of Governors, who is also the Chairman of the Zydus Lifesciences Ltd. He was joined by Professor Bharat Bhasker, Director, IIMA; Chief Guest Mr Srikanth Velamakanni, Chief Guest, Co-founder, Group Chief Executive and Vice Chairman, members of the Board of Governors, Deans, Programme Chairs, faculty members, among others, in the celebration.
A total of 37 students from the ePGD-ABA programme completed the Post Graduate Diploma in Advanced Business Analytics, this year. The award of degrees was read out by Professor Arnab Laha, Chairperson (ePGD-ABA) and handed over to the graduates by the Mr Pankaj Patel.
Addressing the gathering, Mr Pankaj R Patel, Chairperson, IIMA Board of Governors, said ‘In the current scenario, an organisation’s ability to compete effectively in such a competitive marketplace will be largely determined by its ability to tackle major hurdles by using and managing Big Data. However, many organisations are failing to leverage this shift because of the critical shortage of skilled manpower in this domain who can dissect this data and pull-out actionable insights.
There could not be a more opportune moment for you. As you walk out of these corridors, you return to your home ground equipped with an arsenal that will help you navigate the unpredictable, ever-evolving business landscape, empowering you to become the game-changers of tomorrow’s business world.”
Delivering the convocation address, Mr Srikanth Velamakanni, Co-founder, Group Chief Executive and Vice Chairman, said, shared his experiences with the graduating batch. Offering advise to the students, Mr Velamakanni said, “ We are living in unprecedented times. We are living in the age of AI –The future of work will be different from what we have seen so far. We must expect the unexpected. The “why, what and how” of work will be different from what have seen so far.” Mr Velamakanni said that professionals need to seek more meaning and purpose in thei work and dream big.
“Work will get automated. A lot of the work that we currently do as human beings will feel sub-human, inhumane, or too dangerous. How we will engage with each other, how we learn, how we make decisions and how we engage with information will change. As you venture into this world and build a fifty-year career, may you lead the world with unimpeachable moral clarity. And analytically speaking – May your errors always be random, your biases minimal, and your confidence intervals just right. And may you incorporate new data and revise your models often,” he concluded.
Delivering the concluding address, Professor Bharat Bhasker, Director, IIMA, said, “Business is transforming with data-driven decision-making taking centre stage. The ABA programme has been meticulously designed and bolstered by real-world projects to allow participants get a realistic view of industry challenges and arrive at solutions that can make a lasting impact on business. As you ride the analytics wave, I urge you to keep ethics at the core of your decisions and use your knowledge and skills to benefit the society at large. I wish you success and fulfilment in your careers.”
The e-PGD ABA programme is a 16-month programme in Applied Analytics for working professionals and is designed specifically to cater to the growing demand for skilled analytics professionals who can deliver state-of-the-art solutions to business problems. The programme has found encouraging response as it allows candidates to learn Applied Analytics without taking a break from their work. This is made possible through a carefully balanced mix of online and on-campus experiential modules which includes rigorous coursework, peer to peer learning and capstone projects – all weaved into one comprehensive programme that accommodates the hectic schedules of working professionals.
