Global Macro-Economics Experiential Learning (GMEL)

Experiential learning and Innovation are an essential part of education at UBS. Also, as the first Green Business School in India, UBS academic team has been striving to develop a sustainable education experience that is innovative, flexible, futuristic, and transformative. This is focused on achieving quality, skill development, and holistic learning experience for learners. As part of their experiential learning and Innovation in global Macroeconomics, the Post Graduate Management students of UBS have created the following

1. Digital currency - In which the students create a virtual currency with their own Central Banks and themselves as Governors with their signature and chosen denominations. They exchange this with the other students of their class to experience the idea of currency creation and circulation. As India and other countries across the world moving more towards digital currency, this experiential learning is innovative and futuristic.
2. In this the students have created a short video on the various SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) with the background of our SDC wall at UBS apart from different topics of their presentations. The Sustainable Development Goals or Global Goals are a collection of 17 interlinked global goals designed to be a "shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet, now and into the future". The SDGs were set up in 2015 by the United Nations General Assembly and are intended to be achieved by 2030.

UBS beliefs in the concept and the value of sustainability are reflected in their curriculum which emphasizes the green theme and discussions on SDG (Sustainable Development Goals).

Game Oriented Experiential Learning (GOEL)

To conduct a session for HR students on Transformational Business Learning through Game Oriented Experiential Learning (GOEL) connecting with Employee Engagement and Organizational Development Courses.

Basically, any game makes the players to experience the energy, fun, procedure and task. Game Oriented Experiential Learning (GOEL) was evolved to compose the business aspirants to learn by doing. However, stakeholder’s focus and alert on the business paves a way to take prompt decision to achieve the team or organizational goal. Is it possible to experience the learners on these areas such focus, alert, mind programming and reprogramming, goal setting, strategy formulation, trust building, team bonding, cohesiveness and business communication? Yes, obdurately, games do that. (Ashraf Ali, 2020) The authors of Game Oriented Active Learning Says, Games are unique and powerful tools for learning. Every game is essentially a curriculum; each game functions as a unique engine that can re-engineer learning experiences. The language of games has been understood and appreciated by people of all ages across the world. Whether it is the spirit of competition, the desire to complete challenges or simply the joy of learning through play, there is a science behind how games engage and produce the best in us.

HR specialization

HT 423 Organization Development

HT 421 Employee Engagement and Counselling

Development of the organization comes through redesigning/changing the existing business strategy, structure and culture. While changing in the process, we could see the resistance among the set of employees in the organization. How will you manage the change as a leader? How will you aware the movement of competitor with regard to business strategy?

Hunter Game:

Basically, this game makes the participants to strategize, re-strategize, making to do the competitors analysis, change management and oneness among the team.

Babaas, baby and Ball Game:

This game empowers the participants to experience on positioning the individual talent among the team, and also talks about the employee retention and engagement programmes.

Strategy Connect:

It’s a kind of team building game, in which team members have to focus on aligning the goal on same line i.e goal clarity. Business world is full of competition, a wise strategic movement helps to hold the competitive advantage and catch the market share. The game makes the participants to experience all these learning.

Blindfolded Game:

It talks about that how a manager effectively communicates to their team to achieve the goal. The speciality of the game is everyone takes a role of manager and plays the fun-tastic game.

On the whole, the learning is a celebration, learning is a fun-tastic and learning is to be applied. Game Oriented Experiential Learning will a pave a way to build innovative andragogy in Business Education and it happens in Universal Business School, Mumbai. UBS has 100 percent transformational business learning for business executives and students.

The real transformation in lives at UBS.

Prof (Dr) Logasakthi Kandasamy - Associate Professor-HR

International Economic Review

To provide an environment where students enhance their knowledge on economic and geo-political issues by way of discussions, thereby enhancing their employability.

Methodology Used

The IER club adopts the following methodology:

• a. International Economic Review (IER) sessions are conducted every week, mostly on Friday mornings.

• b. The format of the sessions is as follows:

• i. Three students are selected at random, a week before the upcoming IER session.

• ii. The students are allotted three different recent topics of national and international importance.

• iii. The students prepare 5-7 minutes presentation on their respective topics and share their presentation decks with the faculty mentor one day prior to the session for proof-reading and modifications.

• iv. On the day of the IER session, the students one by one present on their topics with the help of their presentation decks.

• v. The presentations are followed by Q&A, facilitated by the faculty coordinator.

• vi. After the session, the decks are shared with all the students of UBS for future reference during exams or placements.

• c. The criteria for the selection of the topics is as follows:




• For most of the sessions, the topics chosen are taken from three major areas:

• i. One recent topic of national importance taken from the business newspaper/magazine

• ii. One recent topic of international importance taken from the business newspaper/magazine

• iii. One business concept related to any area of management – finance, economics, marketing, HR, operations etc.

Outcome

Since the sessions are conducted on a weekly basis, the learning process happens on a weekly basis as well. The key outcomes of the IER sessions are further classified separately from the point of view of the presenters and of the students sitting as audience.

Results:

As of March 2018, more than 40 students have presented on 30+ topics. The significance of results: Since the sessions are conducted on a weekly basis, the learning developed over a period of time can be very helpful in developing aptitude in general awareness among the students in the long run.

Improvements:

The sessions may be further improved by adopting the following techniques:

Conclusion:

• a. At the end of each session, the presenter or the faculty coordinator can ask the students for one key learning from the respective topic.

• b. The faculty coordinator can conduct a short multiple choice informal quiz on the topics presented in any session to add the fun element in the session.

• c. Feedback on speech delivery can be given to the presenters on a regular basis.

• d. The scope of the topics can be further widened to recent developments in various areas of management.

• e. The scope of the topics covered can also be widened to notable personalities in the business world of the present times, covering life and work of people such as Elon Musk, Chanda Kocchar, Steve Wozniak, Sir Richard Branson etc.

Steps forward:

Coming sessions of IER shall incorporate the above discussed improvement areas to further enhance the learning process and to add the fun and learn element to the sessions. Conclusion: The IER sessions have been successfully running week after week for more than six months as of March 2018. The sessions have seen more than 40 student presenters, and hundreds of hours of learning on global topics compressed to 45 minutes of discussion conducted among students themselves, thus creating a self teaching-learning environment among students. Overall, it has been a very effective tool for learning, enhancing students’ general awareness, and enhancing their employability scores thereby increasing their chances of placements in a significant manner.

GREECO Learning (GREEN ECO-friendly Classroom) A class room outside the classroom.

Teaching and learning becomes student-centric and inherently spontaneous when moved from the confines of the classroom set-up to outside the class room learning. Precisely from a conventional set-up to an unconventional set-up. It has been witnessed that creative and stimulating environment helps students to become more creative, imaginative and expressive.

GREECO was created with a strong belief that “Some lessons are best learn, when they are taught outside the class room”.

Mission:

Stimulate creativity by breaking conventional methods of teaching. Drive unconventional methods focused on student-centered learning approach and integrate Innovative style of teaching in the PGDM & International courses at UBS. GREECO is an endeavour to contribute to experiential learning pedagogy and to align with environmental concern, one of the core values of UBS.

GREECO ensures sustainability, as it educates, promotes, encourages and inspires students to be aware about environmental concerns.

GOEL:

• Reduce environment liabilities to save environment

• To provide students with unique learning model which ensures engagement, Innovation thus leading to a greater impact.

• Enhance students’ creative abilities and encourage creative contributions.

• Facilitate students to thrive and grow their imaginations.

• Encourage students to voice their creative thoughts.

• Facilitate students to develop Interpersonal skills.

• Enhance deep active learning.

• Shift focus from thinking to strategic thinking.

Methodology Used:

The GREECO Innovative pedagogy adopts the following methodology:

• 1. Session are conducted outside the class room in the lawn area which has a panoramic view surrounded with chain of mountains and lush green landscape, that provides an excellent platform for FRESH & NEW THINKING.

• 2. The format of the session is as follows:

  For a structured approach students are divided into equal groups.

  To ensure clarity right from the beginning of the activity, students are briefed about the group task and expectations from each group.

  Students are required to use their creativity though inside the box and outside the box thinking

  Students are required to make a poster presentation.

  After the session, the best poster and presentation is recognized/rewarded.

• 3. The criteria for the selection of the topics are as follows:

GREECO sessions, engaging topics are as follows:

• Business Model

• New business plan

• Brand plan

• Marketing plan

• Strategic plan

• Blue Ocean strategy

• Strategic canvas

Resources provided to the students

Students are provided with chart papers, sketch pens, colourful highlighters, post it notes, educational books etc.

Outcome:

The key outcomes of the GREECO sessions are:

GREECO has resulted in collaborative learning atmosphere because of the unique relationships developed outside the classroom. This relationship has become a bridge between the Module leader and students to confer, communicate & collaborate. Students are able to put the deep learning into practice “in the real world”, what they have theorized about from behind a desk, precisely they have learned to put Knowledge into action.

• Working in a group set up helps students understand team dynamics.

• How to present and communicate ideas effectively.

• Students shift their mind-set from merely thinking to Strategic thinking

• How to demonstrate creativity and innovation.

• The students get to learn about problem solving skills, creating unique solutions etc.

• Reward system enables each participant to give their best valuable inputs

• Involvement & enthusiasm of students in activities is much more while GREECO sessions are conducted as compared to traditional classroom setup.

• Aligning to the Vision & Mission of UBS that focuses on environment & experiential learning, students get the opportunity to learn in the lap of nature

Aligning to the Vision & Mission of UBS that focuses on environment & experiential learning, students get the opportunity to learn in the lap of nature

Results

Students have become more expressive, creative and innovative. They have learned to contribute valuable inputs in a group set-up. Most importantly their mind-set has shifted from merely thinking to strategic thinking.

Significance of results

The learning developed over a period of time has resulted in developing managerial skills which has contributed in strategy building and problem solving.

Improvements

The sessions may be further improved by adopting the following techniques:

• Students should be given white board and a marker to do a presentation.

• Students should be recognized for exceptional work through WOW cards and educational books.

• Students should be taken outside the campus atleast twice in each semester.

Steps forward

Future GREECO sessions will incorporate the above discussed improvement areas to enhance the learning process and to add the “learning with fun” element. Proposed session include visit to a nearby beautiful location outside campus (Bhivpuri) which has a spectacular view of mountains and lake.

Conclusion

Students have become more creative and innovative, through the sessions. I have been able to shift the mind-set of the students from merely thinking to thinking strategically. Students now demonstrate both inside the box thinking as well as outside the box thinking. Now they are willing to work in a group setup and have become strong contributors both in terms of generation of new ideas as well as execution. They bring completely new perspective towards solving problems in a unique, creative and more innovative manner. They have become effective communicators and have gained confidence to speak to groups and put forth their creative and innovative ideas. All this has enhanced their managerial skills thereby increasing their chances of placements in a significant manner.

Glimpse of GREECO sessions

Asia’s 1^st Global Cross Asset Trading Centre at Universal Business School

The above facility was installed and furnished by Thomson Reuters Ltd. This is a unique facility and Universal Business School, Karjat, is the only Business School in Asia, which is privileged to have the same.

UBS created a Global Cross Asset Trading (CAT) Room on Campus, where students are given $10 million notional capital and invest it across Asset classes (Fixed Income, FX, Equities and Commodities and Derivatives), in a minimum of 5 Continents. These are live markets, not simulations or a game which is what exists in the other Business Schools. Students are rated on the basis of their performance of the cross asset global portfolio and have the ability to make course correction at any time during a 24 hour period extended to a full trading month. Students are factoring in global macro-economic factors, country fiscal/monetary and current account deficits/surpluses, corporate performance and demand and supply factors which affect commodity markets.

Universal Business School established the following principles to create the Innovative Course.

• Desire to make students connected to markets

• Desire to make 100% Experiential Learning

• Students Portfolio success / failure determines the Grades

• Learn from actual market traders

• Behave like a Trader and Experience a trader’s mindset in real-time

• Learn to Connect the macro economy with the micro economy

• Learn to Connect Political and geo-political events to market movements

AT UBS, we were trying to replicate the mindset and workflow of a trader, an asset manager and a treasury manager. These are highly evolved roles and requires these roles to firstly become experts in one asset class and then gradually as they mature to become a cross asset trader / treasurer. Students faced the daunting task of this challenge, and hence they had a very steep learning curve. Some of the Finance students, realised they were not cut out to be traders, which in itself was a learning; whilst some others were high fliers and realised they had markets in their veins. The 2nd challenge was keeping the students linked to markets on a regular basis, given they had other courses which were also very demanding. So students at times would work during US trading hours to get out of their portfolios to avoid long out before the Asian day began. Students are equipped with the following.

• Develop the ability to understand the impact of Real life events on Markets and the ability to react instantly to market moving news

• Imbibe knowledge on the various Asset Classes and Derivatives

• Develop a keen sense for Portfolio Allocation and Portfolio rotation

• Developing a keen sense of testing ones Trader instincts

• Ability to Take Profit and Cut Losing positions

• Playing in the Real Global Markets in Real Time with real tools like Professionals with quasi money

• View technical charts and be able to technically analyze the right entry and exit points for various stocks as well as predict bull/bear sentiment

• Analyse and interpret news in a real time environment to understand impact on investments as well as new trading opportunities

• Developing the Analytical skills required to understand the causal relationships between global, national and regional macro and micro factors and the various cross asset trading instruments.

UBS has created a live trading environment with live data feeds from Thomson Reuters, the leading supplier of real time information. Thomson Reuters created the entire room and replicated what they do for Global banks with a 30 position trading Centre. The Trading Team constructed a model portfolio which was linked in real-time to markets. Students were trained in 3 semesters on the advanced levels of macro-economic, financial management, equity research, investment banking, asset management and treasury management and then had to bring all their learning’s to the fore in the CAT course. Their assessment was done on the basis of the rationale for their investment decisions, overall portfolio performance, asset allocation strategy, and reactions to global economic and political events in real-time.

CONTEMPORARY OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT – BABM6

The class of BABM6 will be setting up a Sandwich processing operation in the UBS canteen premises. The objective of this game is to learn the basic concepts of manufacturing though experiential learning .

GOEL of Operations

• Quality – As per standard decided . Reference Sample

• Cost – To be decided ( Indicated Price / sandwich is Rs 30)

• Delivery – 60 Sandwiches in 60 minutes time.

• Response time – Zero. Sandwich will be prepared before customers( students) arrive to the canteen.

The following preparations to be done and presented for approval to be done by the Sponsor before the actual manufacturing starts

1. Managerial Team

• Plant Manager – Responsible for the Goal of this Operation.

• Accounts Manager– Responsible for Costing

• HR Manager – Responsible for allocation of people roles

• R&D Manager – Finalize Recipe

• Purchase manager

2. Manufacturing team ( How many people to be decided ?)

• 1. Production Workers

• 2. Quality executive

Prepare Material requirement ( What and How much ?)

Prepare Recipe & Sample

Prepare Costing

Make process flow chart with Manning at each workstation.

Location & Layout design

Final Budget required ?

1. Managerial Team

• Plant Manager – Responsible for the Goal of this Operation.

• Accounts Manager– Responsible for Costing

• HR Manager – Responsible for allocation of people roles

• R&D Manager – Finalize Recipe

• Purchase manager

2. Manufacturing team ( How many people to be decided ?)

• 1. Production Workers

• 2. Quality executive

Prepare Recipe & Sample

Prepare Material requirement ( What and How much ?)

Prepare Costing

Make process flow chart with Manning at each workstation.

Location & Layout design

Final Budget required ?

SANDWICH MANUFACTURING – LEARNINGS & CONCEPTS

Given below are the various steps used in the manufacturing Industry using

• 1. Recipe – The New product development decided on what is the ideal recipe for the sandwich. ( Refer attachment)

• 2. Sample Approval – Different types of fillings were tried and tasted after which it was decided that we will do a Mayo Cheese Sandwich. The final sample was approved for further manufacturing.

• 3. Demand – Demand considered was 60 nos of Sandwiches.

• 4. Pricing – Based on the customer profile and competition , it was decided that the sandwich would be priced at Rs 30 per piece. However the final pricing decision would be taken once the costing was also checked of the recipe.

• 5. Bill of Materials (BOM) – The BOM for a sandwich was calculated by weighing the various ingredients that were used in the final approved Sample.

• 6. Costing – The buying costs for each of the ingredients was found out from the market by the Purchase department and indicative costs were shared with the costing team. The costing was done and see the cost sheet attached. The average cost was Rs 29 per sandwich.

• 7. Profit Plan – It was decided that the objective would be to break-even and hence the price was decided at Rs 30 per sandwich.

• 8. Manufacturing Process Flow Chart - The step wise manufacturing process was developed starting from Raw material preparation to Finished Goods. See process flow chart.

• 9. Quality – Any deviations done from the process flow chart would be rejected and would have to go through re-work before being sold.

• 10. Equipment List – The various equipments required for this manufacturing were listed and made ready.

• 11. Location – The location was finalized to be done at the canteen.

• 12. Layout – Production layout was a simple straight line process.

• 13. Crewing – The Crewing was decided for various workstations namely Raw material preparation for various vegetables , sandwich assembly and finishing operations.

RESULTS

• 1. Produced – 60 Sandwiches

• 2. Sold – 59 Sandwiches

• 3. Quality Check – 1 Sandwich

• 4. Production rate – 60 Sandwiches in 30 min.

• 5. Cycle time – 2 Sandwiches per min or 120 Nos / hour

• 6. Process time – 3 Min

• 7. Average Selling price – Rs 34 ( Started from Rs 30 and ended at Rs 50 )

• 8. Profit – Rs 200

• 9. Stock out – Tomatoes

• 10. Wastage – Cucumber & Mayonaise

• 11. Change in Spec – No Lettuce

CONCEPTS LEARNT

• Capacity – The amount of output that a system is capable of achieving over a period of time . Eg – a class room has a capacity of 130 people.

• Capacity utilization – The ratio of the time that the resource is actually used upon the total time available. Eg – a 130 seater room has a capacity of 130 people.

• Throughput time – The average time that it takes an unit to move through an entire process. Time elapsed time between starting and completing a job. Also known as Process Time

• Cycle time – The average time between completion of successive units in the process or system.

• Bottleneck – A resource that limits the capacity or maximum output of the process.

• Throughput rate – The output rate that the process is expected to produce over a period of time. Also known as Output rate.

• Productivity – The ratio of Output to Input.

• Efficiency – The ratio of actual output of a process to standard.

Conclusion:

Over all, the event was a success. It led to a better understanding and practical experience of the financial markets for the students. Further versions of the event shall be conducted on a regular basis to ensure continuity in learning and development of students.

INTRODUCTION

Universal Business School is a Management college preparing Gen Next Business leaders. At UBS We sincerely believe that all the business leaders should have fair knowledge of understanding and interpreting various legal aspects of business. Proper Understanding of laws is necessary for the students as it makes them know how to do the business by remaining on the right side of laws. Law cannot be given a lesser weight age than the other managerial subjects.

In order to promote the interest of the students and stimulate them for the legal knowledge we at UBS Karjat have decided to arrange for the first time moot court exercises. We will keep this initiative for every management class or course at UBS.

WHAT IS MOOT COURT?

The moot court is also referred as mock court where the procedures imitate those which are followed in real courts. The process is called mooting. This is an Extracurricular exercise where plaintiff, defendant, Judge and court clerk is there apart from the interested parties.

WHY MOOT EXERCISE IN UBS

• 1) To engage students in thinking deeply about the equitable principles of laws involved in a given suit.

• 2) To promote the research work and enhance their drafting skills of writing plaints, submissions, defence arguments and statements in the court.

• 3) To boost up the confidence of UBS – MBA students in addressing and improving their ability of oral communication.

• 4) To prepare them to think logically and rationally to face any business situation.

• 5) To make them understand the functioning of Courts. Police authorities and, Administrative departments of Government.

• 6) To create interest and excitement by a practical demonstration of the court proceedings.

Advocate Vijay M Sharma – visiting Faculty UBS Karjat Maharashtra

The federal prison on Alcatraz Island in the chilly waters of California’s San Francisco Bay housed some of America’s most difficult and dangerous felons during its years of operation from 1934 to 1963. Among those who served time at the maximum-security facility were the notorious gangster Al “Scarface” Capone (1899-1947) and murderer Robert “Birdman of Alcatraz” Stroud (1890-1963). No inmate over the years, more than a dozen known attempts were made to escape The Rock, as the prison was nicknamed.

Alcatraz was re-created at UBS to provide a new learning experience of prison for the student. The main motive of the activity was to make learning more challenging in an escape room like scenario.

A brain child of the Services Marketing Module Leader, Prof. Sushant Nanda, this novel experiential learning was experimented with the CMBA 12 & SSM1 cohort.

FRAMEWORK

The details of the activity was meticulously planned and executed to perfection. The anxious and palpitating moments experienced during this fascinating learning experience opened a new chapter in learning pedagogy.

LEVEL ONE

The 130 Seater Hall was converted into the prison cell. The banner on the door specifying the jail was indeed an attraction not only for the participating students but also for the rest of the crowd. A token number was allotted to each student like the chest number of prisoners. Each student was called on the basis of their token number and was asked to tell his topic of choice based on service industry like- Airline, Hospitality, Entertainment, Movies etc. Then a volley of questions were fired at covering the concepts of ‘Service Marketing’ into their chosen industry.

LEVEL TWO

If student got more than 70% marks at level one, , he/she got promoted to next level and they could escape to the “Labor Room”.

Those who score between50 to70 were pushed into the “Egg Cell” to be undergoing a much more stringent series of tests ( name it as torture if you so like).

Those who scored less than 50 had to go back to the central prison and wait for their turn to arrive again.

Each prisoner (as he escapes one phase) had to find the next-room on his/her own and complete the activity… Those who cleared the rigorous testing round in the “ Egg Cell” were allowed to escape to the “ Labor Room” and join their earlier colleagues.

LEVEL THREE:

There was an intense questioning round in the labor room and with each answer the successful prisoner was allowed to move one bench ahead. Those who managed to jump all the eight rows of benches were allowed to escape.

In the end only 3 prisoners finally manage to escape .

An interesting observation was that some of the prisoners who could not score well in the first round and were sent to the egg cell as a punishment, finally came up with flying colors and were amongst the top three to escape.

The three prisoners, who managed to escape, were declared as the winners with A+ grade. Four students who could reach the last row were declared as the runners up and were awarded B+ grade.

TAKE AWAYS:

The whole activity generated:

• A newer way of learning.

• Better perspective of sustainable competitive advantage vis a vis peers

• Clear understanding of concepts along with application to related service industry.

• Better insight of their respective industry

And last but not the least the prisoner, who successfully broke the shackles of Alcatraz and managed to escape were

• 1. Palak Arora

• 2. Ramya Goswami and

• 3. Nishant Omre

And the experimentation at UBS goes on.