IILM Global Study Program – ISM Dortmund

We started with the global study program for three weeks from 5th August-25th August at ISM Dortmund with 34 students, (from Lodhi Road and Gurgaon)accompanied by two faculty members. Prior to the departure an orientation was held for the students and their parents briefing them on the process of the global study.The week started with the orientation at the ISM Campus and the students received a very warm welcome from the International Cell.

The first week was designed for studying the module titled Strategic Management. The examples used by Prof. QeisKamran covered all disciplines including economics, politics, marketing etc.The last week of the program covered the second module titled Entrepreneurship and Innovation. The module was delivered Using multiple tools such as videos, live cases and in case presentations involving creative and innovative thinking activities

The pattern of delivering the modules was very well received by the students.

1. Lecture-Activity-Lecture pattern of teaching: The modus operandi of the Professor at ISM Dortmund was to follow Lecture-Activity-Lecture pattern of teaching &learning.The students were equally involved in the teaching learning process.Every 20 minutes of lecture was followed by a half an hour activity.This not only engaged the students but also ensured that they are able to apply the concepts,theories & strategies in a real-life scenario.Activities taken up with the students involved Video snippets, live company examples, group presentations, brain storming sessions etc.

2. Idea Generation/Brain storming sessions: The Entrepreneurship module was delivered using a lot of brain storming sessions wherein the students were made to work on entrepreneurial ideas/prospective business models. This was able to gain maximum participation from the students as they were required to present a business idea that could capture the untapped needs/segments, specific to the Indian Markets.The focus was also on considering CSR & environment protection as core to the ideas generated.

3. On the spot Case based class presentations: The students were provided with Stanford & HBR case studies on the spot as an element of surprise class presentations. The purpose of the discussion was to bring out the analytical and problem-solving skills of the student group. Each of the student was required to present.The rules of presentation was made clear to the students in the beginning.Each group presentation was followed by a series of Q&A by the Professor so as to judge the analysis involved in the points presented.

During the visit students were also taken for a city tour of Dortmund which they immensely enjoyed. The bus tour was very well conducted, and the students enjoyed the scenery and the places of interest which Dortmund offers.

Two company visits were organised one at Dasa and the other at Wilo.

– Dasa is an exhibition centre run by the bureau of occupational safety and health hazards and focussing on
– Safety measures for all kind of catastrophes be it earthquakes, tsunamis and volcanoes.
– The safety gear and equipment’s required to counter such catastrophes.
– Detailed explanation of all countermeasures to combat calamity.

The students were also taken for the second company visit to a German based company named-Wilo.The students experienced the production of pumps and other parts using robotic technology.The students were briefed about the made to order production philosophy followed by the company.

The closing ceremony was held prior to the departure with the dean thanking the students for the visit at the ISM Campus followed by the departure of the students from Germany.

ISM Dortmund Campus Tour, City Tour and Company Visit

There’s a big world beyond the IILM campus, and a student can experience it through the golden opportunity given by IILM Undergraduate Business School as Global Study Program. In order to be a responsible leader in today’s time students need to have first-hand experience of cultures, organizations, and business practices around the world. In order to cater to this requirement IILM’s global offerings encompass a mandatory 3 week global study program.

This program was organized for our stage 2 students of 2016 – 19 batches. Based on the preferences, students were taken to International School of Management, at Dortmund, Germany. The entire program was sponsored by IILM and the partner school except that the students had to bear extra expenditures like food, travelling etc.

On the 6th of August 2017, 35 students collectively from both Lodhi Road and Gurgaon campus boarded flight for Dortmund, Germany along with two faculty members. While the travel itself, the students were handed over the ISD sim cards so that they can make calls to their parents and inform them about their safe arrival at Dortmund. In addition with this the students were also explained about the rules and regulations to be followed at the hostel. Each and every student was provided on the same day with a train/bus card to travel nearby location for free of cost. The students were also provided with a unique identity card in order to seek entry into International School of Management, Hamburg, Germany.

This three weeks program was a blend of two modules, industry visits and cultural immersions. A highlight of this interesting curriculum is here.

1. Strategic Management: Prof. Qeis Kamran

The course covered the basics of strategic management, key elements, current trends in strategy, strategy thinking styles, the role of resources and knowledge, branding, decision making, organizational politics, international and collaborative strategies, strategy and innovation. Module also introduced Prof. Kamran’s six forces model which challenged Porter’s five forces. This module was delivered through lectures, case study and visit to Google. The students appreciated the delivery of the course.

Industrial and Cultural Visits in Germany
Dortmund City Tour :
Learning Outcome: The students were informed and explained about the Dortmund city’s heritage and culture.

Feedback : Liked and appreciated by the student

DASA Company Visit

Overall the students had a great 360 degree experience in terms of classroom learning, industry visits, cultural immersions, hostel lifestyle, traveling using public transport etc.

Google Headquarter Visit in Toronto, Canada

On August 16, the IILM UBS Batch 3 of BBA in Entrepreneurship (2016-19) traveled to the world’s second most business-competitive global city, the home of the Toronto Maple Leaves, and tourist attraction CN Tower. Students spent the weekend visiting some of the most reputable companies in the world and participating in a community service project. The evening began with an introduction to Google’s mission and values, and a tour of Google Toronto’s new offices. Google’s two key workplace values are healthy lifestyles and environmental friendliness, said a Google representative, which was evident in the design of the office: from the polished concrete floors to the inexpensive timber stand walling to the galvanized steel wall frames, and reclaimed seats from the old Montreal Forum.

Meeting rooms were named after cities and parks in Eastern and Western Canada, with a shower room (for employees needing to shower after bicycling to work) named “Niagara Falls.” Google has also partnered with Bullfrog for its energy needs in order to create a net zero carbon footprints, the girls were told.

The trip brought together a diverse group of individuals, both within the Seneca College and at the companies they visited. Students spoke with knowledgeable professionals from these global businesses, toured the facilities, and learned firsthand it’s like to work for a global professional services firm. Later the students were given a chance to ask numerous questions regarding “How Digital Marketing can help their Business grow”. A pizza supper and a presentation on Google’s products concluded the evening.

Learning Outcome: The students were able to relate the concepts learnt in the classroom. They learnt about the various strategies adopted by Google. This visit was a part of the module Strategic Management. A pre and post briefing reinforced the concepts delivered.

Feedback: Well appreciated by the students.

A Visit to Toyota manufacturing plant in Cambridge (Canada) to Witness Kaizen at Work

IILM BBA in Entrepreneurship (2016-19) Batch 3 Students visited Toyota manufacturing plant in Cambridge (Canada) on 17th of August 2017 as a part of 3 weeks’ Global Study Program. The group to this unmemorable company visit consisted of IILM BBA students along with me. This factory tour of Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada is unmemorable as it gave us an opportunity to witness Kaizen at work, a concept constantly popping up in the field of business management.

Nothing can be more fascinating and intriguing than seeing how things we use are made! This company visit and the guided tour takes you into the heart of the Toyota Plant. And you are immediately transported to a world of efficiency where the Team Toyota and robots build the cars. Sorry that there are no photos, as electronic devices are not permitted on the tour.

The leading reason tourists access the Cambridge visitor & information centre isn’t to tour the city’s historic downtowns or play in its famous parks – it’s to visit Toyota and see where hundreds of thousands of cars are made.

The Toyota plant has practiced Kaizen “change for the better” since the plant came into existence. Known for rapid, continuous, improvement, Kaizen has been practiced in many locations across the globe. We find so many case studies on it in the field of management studies. The plant also employs “in time” assembly as nothing is built unless it has been ordered. As a result, no spare vehicles sitting around for speculative selling.

We also witnessed how the production process at Toyota involves zero wastage where the scrap in minimized and again utilized in the process.

It was an amazing experience for the whole group of IILM BBA students to witness the robots populate the welding lines. We even saw the famous Godzilla robot(s) that pick up assemblies and move them from one level of the factory to an upper level.

All in all, it was an amazing and edifying company visit. The IILM UBS Global Study Program was conceived to benefit the budding entrepreneurs and managers to immerse themselves in another culture as well as experience the challenges and opportunities facing organizations around the globe. During such tours as the visit to the Toyota manufacturing plant in Cambridge, students meet leading executives and gain first-hand experience of concepts and practices like Kaizen. Such tours also extend global awareness and enhance the international perspective of IILM BBA students.

BBA in Entrepreneurship and the Significance of Digital Marketing Module

This is an era of the digital, and your customers have become smarter and are engaging in various tasks on different digital devices including purchasing as well. So, the management professionals and entrepreneurs have to go digital as well.


Digital marketing holds huge promise for BBA Entrepreneurship students. It promises to prepare them for a new wave of marketing roles in different firms, as well as equipping them to explore new avenues in family business management and new entrepreneurial ventures. As technology continues to drive business in the 21st century, mastery of digital marketing operations and techniques is a prerequisite for success. IILM BBA in Entrepreneurship prepares students for this huge opportunity and makes sure that its graduates start thinking Digital.


On August 10, 2017, we had the commencement of two-day Digital Marketing Class at Seneca College, Toronto for the Batch 3 of BBA in Entrepreneurship (2016-19) as a part of 3 weeks Global Study Program. 19 students were in the batch to attend to the class given by Prof Greg Locke. The workshop mapped the current scenario in the digital media ecosystem, the challenges businesses face, areas where entrepreneurs and management professionals get stuck up and the way ahead.


It was a two-day module – in which our student participants got an overview of fundamentals of Digital Marketing and how they can leverage Digital Marketing effectively for their business or brand. The module had sessions on Display Advertising, Search Advertising, Social Media Marketing and Mobile Marketing along with Analytics/how Digital Marketing activities can be measured.


This digital marketing class was a comprehensive program in online marketing and analytics. It was a two-day program that combined pedagogy using lectures, case studies, hands -on exercises, assignments and practical. The training class very well equipped the participants to understand the nuances of digital marketing and prepared them to make appropriate marketing strategies using all forms of digital media. The class left the participants capable of understanding the key elements of online marketing in creating an effective digital marketing strategy for businesses.

IILM BBA Study Tour to Stuttgart, Home of the Mercedes-Benz Headquarters

An IILM Undergraduate Business School leader steps out to explore what lies beyond the familiar, to develop a well-rounded perspective. It is with this aim that as a part of unique BBA curriculum the college takes its students for Global Study Program every year to provide them an experience which is unmatched, in terms of global exposure and lateral thinking.

The IILM BBA students tour Canada or Europe as a part of its Global Study Program to avail of the unique opportunity to study in a global environment and learn holistically. During the BBA study tour, our students visit industries to understand the functioning of the units and also experience the local festivities of the area.

This year we visited the Mercedes-Benz Headquarters in Stuttgart, Germany on 3rd August, 2017, as a part of our Global Study Program. The gigantic and ultramodern Mercedes Benz Headquarters in Stuttgart-Untertürkheim displays a huge collection of historic vehicles owned by the world’s oldest automobile manufacturer. In addition to cars, the headquarters also displays trucks, buses, experimental vehicles, and racing cars built by Mercedes Benz. I was leading the group with one of my colleagues Ms. Nidhi Piplani.


Germany in general and Stuttgart in particular are synonymous with the purr of meticulously engineered motors and the sheen of polished chrome. Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, and Volkswagen all popped up on the world map from this central European country, and Stuttgart may very claim the honour of being the origin of two such highly regarded automobile manufacturers. Car enthusiasts certainly covet the opportunity to spend some time in the cutting edge state to feast on the sight of the enviable, antique vehicle collections on display at the world renowned Mercedes-Benz Headquarters and Porsche Museum. We visited both, Mercedes-Benz Headquarters and Porsche Museum.


Almost three times the size of the famous Porsche Museum, the Mercedes-Benz Headquarters majestically spotlights the 125 years of magnificent automotive history throughout its nine intertwining levels. The building design was inspired by the form of a DNA double helix; its layout mind-bogglingly twists. With well over 1500 exhibits and 160 vehicles on display, visitors to the building are transported back in time as they slowly spiral their way through galleries highlighting the world’s very first motorized vehicles. Then they move to the bottom level of the renowned building where the contemporary Mercedes-Benz awaits its recognition.


Overall, the industry visit to the Mercedes-Benz Headquarters as a part of our this year’s Global Study Program gave us an opportunity to actually see and experience for ourselves the application of the theory which we study in the classroom. This tour enriched the students and the faculty member who felt that it was a lifetime experience. This is what makes IILM UBS a top BBA college with a remarkable difference!

IILM Global Study Program and a Visit to the Porsche Museum in Stuttgart

Just to give you a brief background, in its endeavors to provide world class exposure to its students, IILM Undergraduate School of Business makes it mandatory for its students to be a part of its Global Study Program. The IILM Global Study Program takes the form of a study tour of 3 weeks to one of its partner universities in Canada or Europe.

The IILM UBS Global Study Program is so designed as to benefit the budding entrepreneurs and managers to immerse themselves in another culture, experience the challenges and opportunities facing organizations around the globe. It also extends global awareness and enhances the international perspective of IILM BBA students. During such tours, students meet leading executives and government officials while visiting businesses, industries, and cultural sites.

This year we visited Porsche Museum in Stuttgart, Germany on 9th August 2017, as a part of our Global Study Program. Porsche’s museum in Stuttgart, Germany is the world’s largest museum of science and technology, for which people are continually jealous of everyone that has the opportunity to visit it. I was leading the group with one of my colleagues Ms. Anisha Rani.

You will really be impressed if you are standing in front of the grand Porsche Museum in Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen. The gigantic building of the museum is amazing and looks so light, almost like floating in the air. The museum building is resting on only three V-shaped pillars. The contemporary design of the largest science and technology museum continues in the building. In a plain and elegant surrounding, the development of the Porsche brand and the sleek sports cars are illustrated.

The entire reason for visiting Stuttgart was to visit the Porsche Museum along with the Mercedes-Benz Headquarters. Porsche best exemplifies good design values, which was obvious there, and which the IILM BBA group members appreciated. We found that the car company has an unbeatable lineup of vehicles that was achieved through an approach that’s very much different from that of Apple. The science and technology Museum is designed by Delugan Meissl and is situated near the company’s headquarters. The museum is executed meticulously and tells a mesmerizing story using great graphic design and installations.

Simplicity and the conviction of constant evolution are probably the strongest traits of Porsche as a world-class brand. This is what really strikes you move through the Porsche museum.

 

To conclude, the trip to the coveted Porsche museum didn’t disappoint the group! The Porsche museum tour took us through its prestigious racing history, the evolution of the Porsche brand, and its technological achievements that have revolutionized automotive industry today. Many of us in the IILM BBA group had a great time playing with the engine sound effect machine and looking at the cars but few even found enjoyment in the detailed descriptions of Porsche’s development of the tip-tropic automatic gear system and their weight reduced fuel pumps.

With a mind filled with great memories and edifying experience, bidding adieu to the Porsche Museum, at-least probably till next year!