The Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) are gearing up to meet the increasing demand for student and faculty exchanges — besides joint programmes in research and training — with more international collaborations and dual-degree programmes.

IIM Calcutta (IIM-C), for instance, is planning to start a dual-degree programme with its foreign institutions. Saibal Chattopadhyay, dean, IIM-C, says: "We have collaborations with around 50 institutions in over 26 countries for our two-year post-graduate programme students and another 10 collaborations are in the pipeline, for student exchange programmes. We are currently looking at course similarity or equivalence in our partner institutions so that we can start offering dual degrees to our students, in addition to the exchange programmes that we have." The institute is also looking at dual-degree programmes for its executive education programmes.

At IIM-C, too, around 50-60 students go on foreign exchange programmes every year and this year the number will touch 100.

Under the dual-degree programme, students get to study for one year in a foreign B-school after completing a year in India. Exchange programmes, on the other hand, provide students with exposure to other cultures and business practices. Around 700 students annually take part in the student exchange programme from India. Of these, about 400 students go from India to other foreign universities.

IIMs need to get more foreign collaborations since their numbers are also increasing with the schedule castes (SCs), schedule tribes (STs) and other backward classes (OBCs) quota implementation. Each foreign partner institute takes not more than five students. So, IIMs need more foreign partnerships with educational institutes to send all its students overseas on various programmes.

IIM-C, meanwhile, is exploring partnerships in countries where it does not have any collaboration yet. Universities in China and Australia are a case in point. The institute has collaborations with institutes in Germany, the UK, France and Belgium.

IIM-Kozhikode (IIM-K), on its part, is eyeing multi-purpose collaborations with foreign universities. Debashis Chatterjee, director, IIM-K, notes: "We have collaborations with around 20 foreign institutions right now and another 10 collaborations are in the pipeline. We are looking at multi-purpose collaborations for student exchange, faculty exchange and even exchange programmes for executives."

IIM-K has signed an MoU with Leipzig University in Germany for similar exchange programmes, especially for executive education. Among other initiatives, IIM-K has tied-up with Global Indian International School (GIIS) and will start a 'Leading School' programme soon which is expected to be held six times a year. It will have school principals, faculty and CEOs from Singapore, Europe and North America visit its campus for the same.

IIM-K is also looking at similar programmes for its faculty abroad. IIM-K's faculty goes to Harvard University to participate in its 'Interactive Learning' programmes. "We send around 30-40 per cent of our students on exchange programmes abroad and the number is only expected to increase with the quota implementation," says Chatterjee.

IIM Lucknow, on the other hand, has collaborations with around 23 institutions overseas for student and faculty exchange programmes. Sailendra Singh, faculty for international linkages and financial aids at IIM Lucknow, said, "We are exploring more such collaborations to provide value-additions to our students. This would depend on synergy in academic calendars of both the institutions. The number of students going on student exchange programmes would also increase from the current 50."

IIM Bangalore (IIM-B) does not have a dual-degree programme, but it has a student exchange programme. Some students (on an average 80-90) from IIM-B spend their fifth term at a university of their choice abroad. IIM-B has collaborations with more than 70 universities -- 40 of which are in Europe. Students from 41 universities around the world, according to an IIM-B spokesperson, visit the campus in their second year and spend one term (around three months) on campus.