PGDM DCP Program – ‘Let’s go out of the country ! Reflecting the Importance of International Immersion.

Participants of the program spend multiple terms in campuses in Ghaziabad and Dubai for undertaking the course work. The rigorous two-year full-time programs are interspersed with international internships, short-term, and long-term projects, international immersion modules and equip the candidates with the necessary hard and soft skills to immerse and excel as a global leader. The highlights of the Dubai stint of the course are the International Faculty, Industry Visits, Global connect weeks, long term projects, and the Dubai Immersion experience, aspects which mold the students to succeed as an Industry Leader. The first two terms spent at the Ghaziabad campus exposes the DCP students to the core subjects in a rigorous academic setting and provides a holistic learning experience through the student clubs and committees, beyond classroom learning. This lays the foundation for the students to explore their areas of interest in various specialization areas at the IMT Dubai campus in terms 3,4 & 5.

The DCP Program structure has now been thoroughly revamped, designed to equip budding managers with global ambitions to the changing realities of the World Economy. The revamped program architecture offering super specializations in Advanced Quantitative Finance, International Trade and Logistics, and International Business and Law trains the participants to acquire nuanced and specialized skillsets necessary for accelerated careers in global settings. The super specialization tracks build on the foundations of the Core Courses in the first two Terms and prepare the participants for specialized careers in areas of their choice. The super specialization tracks begin in Term 3 at IMT Dubai where students undertake Core Electives in each of the super specialization tracks in addition to the core courses. The participants undertake Summer Internship Assignments, post Term-3, supported by the placement offices at IMT Ghaziabad and IMT Dubai. Year 2 of the Program involves electives in the super specialization tracks in Term 4 & 5 at IMT Dubai. A UAE Immersion module and an Integrated Project are also incorporated into the course curriculum. The participants of the program complete the Final Term at IMT Ghaziabad. The students participate in the final placements at IMT Ghaziabad, with an option of exploring International placement opportunities supported and coordinated by the Placement Offices of both the campuses.

Culturally diverse workforces are the norm in the current corporate environment and Dubai is the ideal training ground for aspiring managers to experience this diversity first hand. Popularly known as the “Sandpit”, Dubai is a melting pot for world culture with over 80% of its inhabitants being expatriates. Many of the participants undertake summer internships and long-term projects with GCC-based firms and the experience helps students apply the skillsets assimilated during their course work in a global context. Many of the participants continue to work with the firms through long-term projects beyond the summer internships. Despite the steep learning curves and the “unfamiliar” and multi-cultural environment during internships and other projects, the participants describe the experience as both challenging and exhilarating.

The global exposure during the Dubai stint is not limited to the company projects or the internships. The International faculty delivering the courses, interactions with the culturally and ethnically diverse cohorts in the other programs at IMT Dubai and other international campuses situated in the Academic city (where IMT Dubai is located) adds on to this experience which gets amplified over time through the numerous Industry visits, club and committee activities with local outreaches. Both the professional and social interactions help the participants build a global network that becomes significant throughout their careers.

The success of a Global Leader requires an “on the go” learning of the local business environment including a thorough understanding of the macro dynamics of a country, and its socio-political and economic environment. The participants of the dual country program become adept at imbibing these necessary skillsets on the go and the growing number of DCP students preferring global careers stands testament to the success of this international stint.

The international immersion experience is not “All work and no fun”. Despite the rigorous academic schedules, DCP students are encouraged to actively participate in extracurricular and co-curricular activities all through the course of two years. The stint in Dubai, especially, provides ample opportunities to explore non-academic activities beyond the academic curriculum, and the student fests like “Vaudeville” and the Sports meet are crowd pullers adding to the social interactions. The geographical concentration of other academic institutions in the vicinity provides for a lively social environment for the DCP participants. The participants also spend a significant amount of time outside the campus visiting the numerous attractions in Dubai and other emirates. Quick vacations to Europe are also not uncommon due to geographical proximity. That a significant number of the DCP alumni decide to opt for careers based in Dubai, speaks volumes about the holistic lifestyle experience and attractiveness of Dubai as a city to settle in.

The PDGM Dual Country Program has been successful in molding Global Leaders since its inception. The International Immersion Experience contributes significantly to this training and is ideally suited for participants intending on pursuing a global career.

Take note aspirants, the world beckons!