As the news of the appointment of professor Errol D’Souza as the new director of the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad, spread, appreciation poured in from all academic circles. Applauding the Ministry of Human Resource and Development for their decision to select professor D’Souza, colleagues felt that this was the best that could have happened at this juncture. Sharing some of the key challenges that lie ahead professor D’Souza, professors who have worked with him cite global rankings, maintaining the quality of teaching, taking position, academic freedom to name a few.

Commenting on the appointment, professor Anil Gupta of IIM-A said, “I am extremely happy that our process has been respected and a judgement of our search committee has been accepted. This is the best that we could have expected. This is a good news for the institute for a larger social context and I am sure he will prove to be not only able and thinking person but also more inclusive in his approach towards all stakeholders.

Speaking about preference for a director having international exposure, Gupta said, “The institutions were built by people who grew from the ground. IIM-A’s reputation was not built in last three or four years but built over decades. The thrust that institute is placing on research is justified but maintaining the quality of teaching is equally important. Research and teaching have given us recognition.”

Speaking about challenges that IIM-A faces, Gupta said, “We need to have marathon runners, people who will pursue a particular line of inquiry for decades and institute should support such people. We need to have 10-15 people who will take a long shot and aim at cracking a problem that is unprecedented and then people in the world will take note of it. Global recognition will come when people pursue their passion for a at least a decade or two. Speaking of freedom, he said, “One has to create institutional space. I got a lot of space no matter which director was there. I wish more people get that space. There should be ten Anil Gupta’s. I was nothing without space I was given to me by IIM-A or else I would not have been able to think innovatively. I got all freedom at IIM-A as a faculty.”

“Secondly, we need good teachers. I hope that sooner or later we will realize that the need for good teachers will remain and that means we should allow people who teach well to grow. We have not given recognition that they deserve to outstanding teachers.” The most important challenge is that our engagement with policy makers and analysis has gone down in last two decades.

HERE’S THE NEW DIRECTOR

Prof D’Souza studied Economics and Statistics at the University of Mumbai.

Received Kashinath Trimbak Telang gold medal for obtaining the first rank in in his MA (Economics).

Obtained PhD as a University Grants Commission National Research Fellow from Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi.

Worked on academic committees of the UGC and Indian Council of Social Science Research  

 Has been associated with the Planning Commission of India, the RBI, including as a Member, Technical Advisory Committee on Monetary Policy.  

 On the Academic Council of the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, the Institute for Human Development, Delhi, and on the Advisory Board of the International Centre for Development and Decent Work at Kassel, Germany.  

Was a director of National Housing Bank and is currently on the Board of Governors of the National Institute of Public Finance and Policy, New Delhi, etc.

HELD APPOINTMENTS SUCH AS

    IFCI Chair Professor at the University of Mumbai  

    India Chair Professor at the University Sciences Po in Paris  

    Visiting Professor of the Indian Institute of Advanced Study, Shimla  

    Honorary Senior Fellow of the Institute of South Asian Studies at the National University of Singapore  

    Visiting scholar at Columbia University