IIM Bangalore will inaugurate the India-Japan Study Centre on campus, today on September 14 to promote collaborative research between partnering Japanese institutes, industry and IIMB.

Japanese Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe’s India visit has not only laid the foundation of the most anticipated project of the year, i.e India’s first bullet train, but has also given both the nations a chance to strengthen their economic and educational ties. The Rs 1.1 trillion high speed rail project was inaugurated by PM Narendra Modi and his Japanese counterpart.

India-Japan Study Centre

Along with this, the Indian Institute of Management Bangalore (IIMB) will inaugurate the India-Japan Study Centre on campus, today on September 14. The major objective behind setting up of the same is to promote collaborative research between partnering Japanese institutes, industry and IIMB.

As per NDTV report, Prof G. Raghuram, Director, IIM Bangalore said, “At a macro level, there are complementarities between India and Japan in the sphere of economic development. We have a lot to learn from Japan on infrastructure and technology management, and we can offer them insights on the start-up culture.”

Responding to the launch of the Centre, promoter-industrialist Vikram Kirloskar, Vice Chairman, Toyota Kirloskar Motors Pvt Limited, said, “I am very pleased to hear that IIMB is setting up the India-Japan Study Centre. Japan is investing in India in a big way, in transportation — not just in cars but also in the bullet train. It is the perfect time to start such a Study Centre.”

Dual degree programmes will be offered with Hitotsubashi University and other universities in Japan, and customised electives and immersion programmes for exchange students of the partnering universities.

“The India-Japan Study Centre at IIMB can also provide a synergistic platform for mutually beneficial academic and inter-governmental initiatives to contribute to the shared ethos of the ‘Resurgent Japan, Vibrant India’ agenda,” observed Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, Chairperson, Board of Governors of IIMB, and Chairman, Biocon Ltd.

Other objectives:

To become a knowledge centre of Japanese business history, business strategies, culture, and technology innovations
Focused studies on India-Japan collaborative projects
Promote collaborative research between partnering Japanese institutes, industry and IIMB
To host scholars from Japanese institutes of higher learning, practitioners from industry and policy makers
To disseminate the outcomes of academic research in the focused areas
IIMB has also launched a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) on sustainability in Japanese.