Association of Indian Management Schools (AIMS) announced the prestigious Ravi J Matthai National Fellowship Award at the 24th AIMS Annual Management Education Conference 2012 on “Innovative Management Education for Sustainable Development” held at Hyderabad. The three academicians who received the award are Prof. Dr. Uday Salunkhe, Group Director, Welingkar Institute of Management Research and Development, Prof. Shekhar Chaudhuri, Director, IIM Calcutta and Fr. E Abraham, S.J. Director XLRI Jamshedpur. 

The Ravi J Matthai National Fellowship Award, instituted in the memory of the first full-time director of Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad, is awarded to educators and professionals for achieving a high level of distinction in their respective disciplines.

Commenting on the award, Prof Mohd Masood Ahmed, President, AIMS said, “Apart from playing a 'policy advocacy role' in safeguarding the interests of business schools in India, AIMS mission is to ensure that management schools are providing value beyond the basics and contributing to society – in short, ‘application of knowledge’ in the service of the nation – the fundamental principle for business schools in India that Ravi J Matthai. This award seeks to recognize the leaders who are teachers and teachers who are leaders – who, thereby, set the standards ‘Excellence in Management Education’.”

Prof. Dr. Uday Salunkhe, Group Director, WeSchool said, “I feel privileged to be awarded such a prestigious recognition. My team and I feel further humbled to receive an award which bears the great RJ Matthai’s name. To me this name symbolizes the Excellence in management education. Being recognized and appreciated for my efforts, because, of the rare distinction of being bestowed upon this honour at the hands of Padmashri Dr. Pritam Singh, a teacher whom I have always considered as my inspiration and to be sharing this award with two truly great teachers and education institution builders, Dr. Shekhar Chaudhuri and Fr. Abraham. 

This recognition increases our responsibility to continue with greater vigour on our mission to reinvent business and management education by making it relevant for tomorrow’s realities.”Dr Salunkhe was the youngest President of AIMS in 2008, and is now the youngest recipient of Ravi J Mathai award in 2012.

Commenting on the award, Prof. Shekhar Chaudhuri, Director, IIM Calcutta said, “I am truly humbled by the decision of AIMS to confer the Ravi J Mathai National Fellowship Award for the year 2012 on me. I wish to thank the Executive Board of AIMs and all colleagues and well-wishers who were instrumental in selecting me for this honour and my colleagues at IIM Calcutta who have wholeheartedly supported me and accepted the challenges that IIM Calcutta faced during the last ten years. Without their support and involvement, IIMC would not have been able to achieve excellence in management education. 

For me the Ravi J Mathai Fellowship has great significance. First, it is recognition from my peers. I could not have asked for anything more. Second, this recognition is linked with the name of the legendary first director of my alma mater of IIM-A.  I therefore feel highly privileged and honoured to receive the Ravi J Mathai National Fellowship Award.

Fr. E Abraham, S.J. Director XLRI Jamshedpur said, “I feel greatly honoured in receiving the prestigious AIMS Ravi J Mathai National Fellowship Award. I am certainly not worthy of it but in all humility and accept it in the name of all of t e faculty, staff and students of XLRI Jamshedpur and XLRI Bhubaneshwar where I have spent last 30 years of my life. 

I dedicate this award to the Jesuit society which has nourished and supported and helped in everywhere to get to where I am today. Ravi J Mathai is a role model for me and he has set very high standards for us to follow. He is still so relevant in good corporate governance in B-schools, strategic vision and faculty centred management.”

AIMS flagship event is its Annual Management Education Convention on the topic of current interest to management institutes, management faculty and students, industry and government. AIMS Convention is a platform where well-known political leaders, national and international academicians, heads of management education institutes, faculty and students exchange their valuable views, opinions and experiences for the benefit of the audience.  The proceedings are brought out as a book and distributed to all those who participate in the event and also member institutes.