Mr. Sanjeeb Kakoty is an Associate Professor at IIM Shillong, Meghalaya. He was born and educated in Shillong. After completing his Master’s degree in History, he did PhD in the History of Technology from NEHU and completed the 3 TP program of Management from IIM Ahmedabad. He wears many hats in the form of a Teacher, Writer and Documentary Filmmaker. His latest book entitled Science, Technology and Social Formation in Medieval Assam was published by Cambridge in 2012.

IIM Shillong

What are the key factors that keep you connected with the education sector?

"Education brings positive changes in society and I like those changes"

Being a social scientist and a historian, one thing that has always intrigued me was the phenomenon of change in human society and the factors contributing to that change. I believe one of the biggest factors behind any desirable change in society is education and I consider it a privilege that I am a teacher. Because a teacher is also becoming a student of society and history for the rest of your life. The approach which I always follow in my life is that you should try and use your understanding of the past, link it to the present and come up with perspectives that will act as a catalyst for desirable social change.

What is your leadership philosophy?

"No matter how powerful you are, never forget your roots and be humble"

When I was young, during a conversation with my father he had told me, “Whenever yourself becomes too big, take some time off from your busy life and look up at the night sky. When you see the billions of stars there, you will realize how tiny you are”, I have always remembered his words and for me, leadership starts with this humility. The higher you climb the further you can see beyond the horizon. At IIM Shillong, I have maintained a relationship of trust and mutual respect with my students. It enables us to look at the world without inhibitions and discover the courage and determination to learn and unlearn anything and everything.

Give us a brief about your college and its philosophy?

"We aim to develop great leaders through our various long and short term courses"

I remember an interesting conversation with our Director Prof D.P. Goyal who said something that struck a chord with me. He said that “if the intent is clean and clear and the process is right, good results cannot but follow". The mission statement of our institute is to generate and disseminate knowledge in all aspects of management education to develop innovative leaders with strong ethical values. In other words, we believe that actions speak louder than words. We have been consistently providing full-time courses and short-term programs that would enable us to reach these objectives and after seeing thirteen batches of PGP students passing out of IIM Shillong and the diverse positions they occupy in different parts of the globe, we are proud of what our alums have achieved. 

What benefits can a student gain from studying here in your college? 

"We strive for the overall and sustainable development of our students"

IIM Shillong is unique for a number of reasons. We are the 7th member of the large network of IIMs and the only institution that has sustainability embedded as its core value. We are also one of the founding members of the World Business School Council for Sustainable Business and contributed to the report on Management Education for the world that was presented at the UN Rio Earth Conference. At IIM Shillong, Sustainability is ingrained into every subject domain and ethics and values occupy a place of pride. These aspects of institutional emphasis certainly lays the foundation for creating thinkers and leaders for the future.

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How does the curriculum of IIM Shillong ensure the best practices of the industry?

"It is developed and updated after rigorous consultation with industry and education experts"

The curriculum of our institute is both robust and dynamic. There is an elaborate process in place whereby curriculum content and course design happens with inputs from experts from both academia and industry. In addition, there is a system of bringing industry experts into the classroom. We do have a set of core values as enunciated in our mission statement and those values guide us. They are:

  • Openness to new ideas and experiences
  • Intellectual freedom
  • Self-experimentation and creative pursuit
  • Adherence to fair, just and ethical practices
  • Compassion for others

How is your institution more welcoming to students of different races or economic backgrounds?

“We celebrate and respect the diversity which is present within our campus and in society”

Being located in the northeast and in Shillong, IIM Shillong has inherited as its natural heritage a tradition of diversity in terms of language, race, religion and cultures that would be almost impossible to find elsewhere. We respect and cherish this diversity and also actively seek to incorporate indigenous knowledge systems in our discourse and research. Our quest for promoting sustainable development and inclusive growth through various financial and nonfinancial schemes which makes us responsible towards the marginalized and weaker sections of the society. 

How are the institute and students responsible for each other's growth?

"Both are equally important for each other"

The role and responsibility of the institution and the students are complementary to each other. We at IIM Shillong seek to promote the philosophy of co-creation of knowledge and sharing of responsibility to achieve greater learning. Being strong believers in what Swami Vivekananda said “Education is the manifestation of the perfection already in man”, so we try to promote this quest for perfection by providing an enabling atmosphere that would lead to self-realisation and social development.

What do you think should be the Institution’s top priority over the next 10 years?

"To work towards fulfilling our dream of becoming an internationally recognised institute"

I firmly believe that our priority for the upcoming 10 years should be to work hard to make our vision statement of becoming an internationally recognized management Institute with a global outlook grounded in Indian values come true.

When you first came to IIM Shillong what was your vision for the institution? Has it evolved over time?

"It was basically to interact with students on the topic of sustainability"

When I first arrived at the institute, my objective was to deliver lectures for the Sustainability Foundation Course which all students have to undertake. Over time, I realized that in order to achieve success in something as complicated as the goal of sustainability, I would have to adopt a more nuanced perspective and hence I revisited my hard-wired value position. In other words, to realize the World’s sustainability goals (as those incorporated into the UN’s SDG’s), would require both strategic advances and pragmatic retreats without compromising on the core values.

What would you like people to know about your institute?

"In the name IIMS the S stands for Shillong and for Sustainability, the only IIM to promote Sustaibility as its core value"

We are the 7th IIM in the country and rated fairly high. The seed of our birth was conceived in 2007 and we became operational in the year 2008. We are considered among the older IIMs of the country and probably the only one that shaped itself to what it is today, without a mentor institute. We are probably the only institute that has sustainability as the cornerstone of its philosophy and has played a stellar role at the national and international levels in the role of incorporating sustainability into the domain of management. 

What do you see as the greatest strengths of your college?

"Our open attitude towards new ideas is what makes us strong"

The greatest strength of our institute is our openness to new ideas and a deeply ingrained empathy for the less fortunate. Our stated objective of sustainability makes us a potent force that can help inculcate values, ethics and responsible leadership qualities in our students.

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What are some of the biggest challenges you see, both for higher education in general and for IIM Shillong?

"To remove the trend of paper degrees as a proof for individual abilities"

Education all over the world is seen as a passport to secure higher-paying jobs. In the process what is often ignored is the role it can play in transforming the individual with a set of higher values. This results in paper degrees and certificates being seen as credible proof of an individual’s education. Often these certificates and degrees may be earned without transforming the individual and inculcating strong values in them. When this happens, educational institutions become like factories and conveyor belts that churn out degrees. The biggest challenge before any conscientious educational institute, including ours, is to successfully buck the trend.

Any suggestions which you would like to give to the current youth and aspiring students?

"Live your life to the fullest and take care of everyone around you"

We need to remember that the journey of our life is more important than the destination. The well-being and happiness of an individual is intrinsically linked to that of their fellow travelers which include their family, friends and society at large. We can make this world a better place by focusing on the journey, and contributing to the well-being of family, friends and society. Let us not waste this precious and beautiful gift of human consciousness in chasing chimeras.