Established in 1970 as a not-for-profit society, the Institute for Financial Management and Research (IFMR) was set up to provide research-based inputs to industries and the government in the areas of finance and economics. Sponsored by the erstwhile ICICI Ltd, the House of Kotharis and other major industrial groups, IFMR Society was the first of its kind in Asia.
The current Board of Governors is headed by Mr. R Seshasayee – Chairman, IndusInd Bank Ltd, Mumbai, and consists of Mr. N Vaghul, ex-Chairman of ICICI Bank, Ms. Nayantara Kothari, Director of Kothari Safe Deposits Ltd and Mr. Kapil Viswanathan, President of IFMR.
IFMR Society is the sponsoring body of Krea University - a state private university in Andhra Pradesh. Krea University is listed in the University Grants Commission (UGC) website.
Today, IFMR Society is as an umbrella organization housing several sub-entities like
These sub-entities enable IFMR to conduct pioneering research in development economics across a wide range of areas such as: Finance, Financial Inclusion, Digital payments, Infrastructure and Governance, Agriculture, Health, Education, Labor, Entrepreneurship, SMEs etc. They specialize in conducting high-quality policy and action oriented research and inform policymaking debate by partnering with influential stakeholders too.
IFMR also collaborates with leading professors and economists, think tanks, research organizations, governments and industry experts across the globe on research design and implementation, and data analysis and dissemination.
Recognition:
Over its nearly five decades of existence, IFMR Society has been recognized by various bodies:
Krea University’s mission is to help humanity prepare for an unpredictable world. We do this by developing a view of the future through rigorous and interdisciplinary research and education that continuously feeds the design of Interwoven Learning. In doing so, we enable high potential individuals to learn to create positive, catalytic impact ethically.
The challenges of the 21st century are substantially different in scale, scope and pace. The language of machines is becoming predominant, as we step into the fourth Industrial revolution, where many manual jobs are on the verge of becoming things of the past. Climate change and vagaries of nature are creating newer challenges too. Re-imagining our education systems and enabling our students to become agile, adaptable, ethical and purposeful leaders is extremely important today.
At Krea, we believe in a holistic approach to education we call interwoven learning, based on a set of guiding principles we see as essential for a transformative, cutting-edge university experience. Though global in aspiration, our roots are in India – a country with 1/6th of the world’s humanity which provides a wonderful canvas for us to experience and educate the next generation about the interplay of Man, Machine and Nature.
It is against this backdrop, that I invite you to explore the various opportunities offered by the School of Interwoven Arts and Sciences and IFMR Graduate School of Business at Krea.
The School of Interwoven Arts and Sciences weaves together the traditional humanistic approach of liberal arts with a recognition that quantitative and technical skills are increasingly important – as the mark of a well-rounded mind and individual. So, while the emphasis is on courses such as literature and philosophy, we also ensure that our students are comfortable with data analysis, quantitative reasoning, computational concepts, and so on. Liberal arts have traditionally been about broad ways of thinking, and here at Krea we combine it with the recognition that specific, hard skills are also important in this day and age.
The IFMR Graduate School of Business has already established itself as a leader in the MBA and research space, with a rich array of distinguished professors, internships in industry, and other collaborative learning opportunities to develop business and leadership skills. The school’s Placement office has an excellent track record and is continually working to expose newer and varied companies to the rich array of IFMR GSB student talent.
LEAD – a preeminent research and action institute in India with a portfolio of more than 200 studies and evaluations, and a global network of over 300 partners ranging from NGOs, academics, corporates, governments and donors – further enriches the Krea ecosystem. It presents an excellent opportunity for students, researchers, and experts to collaborate on interdisciplinary and interwoven research and capacity building initiatives in the domains of financial inclusion, small business and entrepreneurship development, governance and health.
At Krea University, our professors are not only excellent researchers but also dedicated teachers who mentor students through their course work and study. We also host a number of adjuncts and practitioner professors who bring the ‘real world’ directly into the classroom.
Exposed to the essential skills of Comprehension, Critical Thinking, Collaboration, Computational Ability, Creativity, and Communication, students at Krea are trained to make connections across disciplines. They also develop strong roots within a discipline, with firm connections between the ‘real world’ and the classroom led academic world. Most importantly, they become self-directed learners and doers.
Since its inception in 1970, IFMR GSB’s mission has been focused on contributing to the growth and development efforts in India through research in various areas of Management. The emphasis of the PhD programme at IFMR GSB from its commencement has been on academic rigor, strong foundational knowledge, independent research and scholarship.
Under the aegis of Krea University with its pioneering vision of interwoven learning, critical thinking and interdisciplinary education, IFMR GSB offers an exciting and intellectually stimulating research environment.
At IFMR GSB, accomplished faculty work closely with PhD scholars as partners on a challenging and highly fulfilling academic journey. The PhD programme is uniquely designed to provide students the flexibility to explore their research interests independently in a wide variety of areas and hone them in a collaborative setting.
Through in-depth coursework combined with impactful research, the PhD programme at IFMR GSB is committed to training scholars who become thought leaders and teachers themselves. The alumni of the Ph.D. programme have assumed faculty positions in prestigious academic institutions as well as significant research engagements at think-tanks and corporates.
At IFMR GSB, be prepared to work hard and think harder but also be assured that you will be embarking on a meaningful, rewarding educational experience amidst a thriving academic community.
A candidate seeking admission into the Krea University PhD Programme must satisfy the eligibility requirements prescribed by the University as under. The eligibility criteria are:
Master’s Degree or equivalent in any discipline with 55 percent marks in the qualifying examinations
(OR)
Five-year integrated Master’s degree/Dual degree or equivalent in any discipline with 55 percent marks in the qualifying examinations
(OR)
A Professional Qualification like CA, ICWA, CS with at least 50 percent marks in the qualifying examinations
PhD scholars publish extensively in reputed journals and present their research in various national and international conferences. The in-house “Journal of Emerging Market Finance” reinforces IFMR GSB’s research credentials. The annual research symposium provides an excellent platform for scholars to showcase their work and interact with researchers from reputed national and international institutions. The course of study is designed to provide intensive training in research and teaching.
The alumni of the PhD programme have assumed positions as faculty in prestigious academic institutions such as Ashoka University, Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Indore, IIM Kashipur, IIM Shillong, IIM Amritsar and the Madras School of Economics. Other alumni are in significant roles in research institutes, think-tanks and corporates such as CRISIL, SCOPE International, ICICI, Institute for Human Development and Centre for Excellence in Fiscal Policy and Taxation.
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