Preethi Sridhar is on cloud nine. This second-year PGDM student of Xavier Institute of Management and Entrepreneurship (XIME), Bangalore, has just bagged the Best Student Research Paper at 20th annual convention organized by The Association of Indian Management Schools (AIMS) recently. Her paper on the convention's theme — 'Nurturing Thought Leadership through Management Education' — was ajudged one of the five best entries across the country. She received the award from industrialist Kumar Mangalam Birla, who was the chief guest at the event.

A gold medalist in biotechnology from SRM University, Chennai and an active member of the editorial board of the XIME newsletter, and the representative of the batch, Preethi has won several inter-school and college elocution competitions and debates. "I was confident and lively during my presentation. Though I had to explain the paper in front of eminent personalities and well-known industralists, I was not even a bit nervous," she says.

In her presentation, she stated that every MBA programme should include creativity as a part of course work. Although many schools are moving in this direction by teaching electives on creativity and new product development, so far, 'Thought Leadership' hasn't made it to the list of required courses in any major business school.

Further, she said that in most B-schools, course work has been designed in such a way that application isn't emphasized. This is particularly true of Indian B-schools. She says, "If we were to look into some of the course work in, say a Harvard Business School, the emphasis is more on thought and application." She adds, "Our educational institutions need to wake up to the new reality, and unleash creativity if we have to be in the thick of the blurred, interconnected and borderless world. It will also be a true measure of our freedom and empowerment."