IESE Business School at rank #3 in 2023 Financial Times rankings

What does getting rank #3 for IESE bschool Barcelona in Financial times 2023 global bschool rankings trouncing Harvard business school mean for IESE ? To realise that my son through his GMAT score got admitted in IESE and finished his course is a matter of humility and appreciation..

I posed this question to Open AI and here is what I got:

 

Being ranked #3 in the Financial Times 2023 global business school rankings is a significant achievement for IESE Business School in Barcelona. This ranking places IESE among the top business schools in the world, and trouncing Harvard Business School, which is widely regarded as one of the best business schools in the world, is a major accomplishment.

The ranking reflects the high quality of education and research at IESE, as well as its strong reputation among employers and alumni. It also indicates that IESE is competitive with other top business schools in terms of curriculum, faculty, student body, and career outcomes.

This ranking can also boost the reputation of IESE and attract more talented students and faculty to the school. It can also increase the school's visibility and influence in the business world, as well as provide more opportunities for partnerships with other top institutions and companies.

Overall, being ranked #3 in the Financial Times 2023 global business school rankings is a significant achievement for IESE, and it reflects the school's commitment to excellence in business education and research.

Click here for the IESE link and click here for the Financial Times website.

IESE’s focus on sustainability also stood out as key. IESE’s MBA is ranked second in the world for ESG and net zero teaching, which looks at course content dedicated to ethics, social, environmental issues and climate solutions for how organizations can reach net zero. IESE also scored highly for its emphasis on reducing its carbon footprint (ranking no.6 in the world on this measure.) - IESE website

Being in the global top 3 bschools is indeed a great achievement for IESE Bschool in Barcelona Spain. Though it has been in the top 10 ranks, over the past many years, it was #1 during Covid times, when all major bschools went in the online mode, IESE still was teaching with reduced strength offline in classrooms in Barcelona. This is the sixth time in its sixty five year history since 1958 that it has gotten ahead of Harvard Business School, a notable and laudable achievement for the whole team of teaching and non-teaching faculty, it was global #1 in five of those six times. 

In terms of salary we observe generally European Business schools, though they have high rankings have low salary levels, which they make up in the course of five to ten years and become comparable to US bschool graduates.

Indian School of Business Hyderabad clocks rank #39, while Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad and Indian Institute of Management Bangalore clocks global ranks of 51 and 52 respectively. (click here for the Financial Times website)

George ...

Value of blood donation - how blood donation can benefit self and society

Blood donation, once every three months, is a very healthy and selfless duty to society and can teach one several valuable lessons, including:

1. Giving back to the community: By donating blood, one can help save someone's life or improve their health. It's a selfless act of kindness that can make a real difference in the lives of others.

2. Empathy and compassion: When one donates blood, one may not know the person who will receive it, but is doing it to help them in their time of need. It can help develop empathy and compassion for those who may be going through a difficult time.

3. Responsibility: Donating blood involves taking responsibility for one's own health and well-being. One need to be in good health to donate blood, and it's important to follow the necessary precautions to ensure that the process is safe for both the donor and the recipient.

4. Gratitude: Blood donation can help one appreciate the value of good health and the role it plays in our lives. It can also make one grateful for the healthcare professionals who work tirelessly to help those in need.

5. Civic duty: Donating blood can be seen as a civic duty, as it helps ensure that there is an adequate supply of blood available for those who need it. It's a way to give back to the community and contribute to the greater good.

6. Regenerates body cells: Blood donation regenerates new blood cells in the body thereby bringing youthfulness in the body

7. Saving lives: Donating blood can help save the lives of people who need blood transfusions due to illness, injury, or surgery. The blood donated is often used to treat patients with cancer, blood disorders, and other conditions that require transfusions.

8. Reducing the risk of heart disease: Studies have found that regular blood donation may help reduce the risk of heart disease by lowering the levels of iron in the blood. High levels of iron can contribute to the development of heart disease.

9. Improving blood flow: Donating blood can help improve blood flow by reducing the viscosity, or thickness, of the blood. This can help reduce the risk of blood clots and other circulation problems.

10. Free health check-up: Before donating blood, donors undergo a health screening that includes testing for various health conditions such as anemia, high blood pressure, and infectious diseases. This provides donors with a free health check-up and can help identify potential health problems early on.

11. Replenishing blood supply: Blood donations are essential to maintaining an adequate blood supply for hospitals and medical facilities. By donating blood, individuals can help ensure that there is enough blood available to meet the needs of patients.

12. Boosting emotional well-being: Many people feel a sense of satisfaction and fulfillment from knowing that they have helped save lives through blood donation. This can contribute to a sense of emotional well-being and happiness.

In short, donating blood is a selfless activity that a person can do to the society than giving his own life. The author has got expert opinion from St. John's hospital and Narayana Hrudayalaya Bangalore that he can donate blood for a beautiful seven more long years till age of 65, taking his life time blood donation tally, if everything goes fine, to the beautiful number of 75. Blood donation also generates enough of Serotonin, the feel good hormone.

Donate blood and be a real hero for others ..

Blood donation can have a range of psychological effects on the donor, both positive and negative. Here are a few potential impacts:

1. Sense of Purpose and Satisfaction: Blood donation can provide donors with a sense of purpose and satisfaction knowing that they are making a meaningful contribution to society by helping others in need.

2. Altruism and Empathy: Donating blood can also enhance feelings of empathy and altruism. This can lead to increased social connectedness and feelings of goodwill towards others.

3. Improved Health: Some studies suggest that regular blood donation may have health benefits for the donor, such as a reduced risk of heart disease and other health conditions. This may lead to increased feelings of well-being and positive self-image.

4. Feelings of accomplishment: Donating blood can provide a sense of accomplishment and pride in knowing that you are helping others. This can lead to increased self-esteem and a sense of purpose.

5. Reduced stress: Some studies have shown that donating blood can help to reduce stress levels in the donor. This may be due to the act of giving being associated with positive feelings and the release of endorphins.

6. Altruism: Donating blood can promote a sense of altruism and social connectedness, which can be beneficial to overall mental health.

The negative impacts of blood donation are few but valid. They are

1. Physical discomfort: Donating blood can cause physical discomfort, such as dizziness, lightheadedness, or weakness. These symptoms typically resolve quickly, but they can be distressing for some donors.

2. Fear and Anxiety: For some people, the prospect of donating blood can be stressful and anxiety-provoking. This may be due to fear of needles, the sight of blood, or concerns about the donation process itself.

3. Physical Symptoms: Donating blood can cause physical symptoms such as dizziness, fatigue, or lightheadedness. These symptoms are typically mild and short-lived, but can be more severe in some cases.

George 

Meaning of philanthropy ..

Philanthropy, which is the act of giving one's time, resources, or talents to help others, can be motivated by a variety of reasons. Here are some possible reasons why people engage in philanthropy:

1. Social responsibility: Many people feel a sense of obligation to use their resources to help those in need, particularly when they have been fortunate in life.

2. Personal fulfillment: Giving can be a meaningful and rewarding experience, and many people find satisfaction in knowing that they have made a positive difference in the world.

3. Altruism: Some people simply want to do good for the sake of doing good, and helping others brings them joy and happiness.

4. Legacy: For some individuals, philanthropy is a way to leave a positive impact on the world and create a lasting legacy that will be remembered for years to come.

5. Tax benefits: Donating to charitable organizations can also provide tax benefits, which can be an incentive for some people to engage in philanthropy.

Ultimately, the reasons for engaging in philanthropy will vary from person to person, but the common thread is the desire to help others and make a positive impact on the world.

1. "No one has ever become poor by giving." - Anne Frank
2. "We can't help everyone, but everyone can help someone." - Ronald Reagan
3. "Charity begins at home, but should not end there." - Thomas Fuller
4. "The greatest gift you can give someone is your time, your attention, your love, and your concern." - Joel Osteen
5. "The purpose of human life is to serve, and to show compassion and the will to help others." - Albert Schweitzer
6. "The meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose of life is to give it away." - Pablo Picasso
7. "Philanthropy is not about money, it's about feeling the pain of others and caring enough about their needs to help." - Timothy Pina
8. "No one has ever become poor by giving." - Maya Angelou
9. "If you want happiness for an hour, take a nap. If you want happiness for a day, go fishing. If you want happiness for a year, inherit a fortune. If you want happiness for a lifetime, help somebody." - Chinese Proverb
10. "Be the change you wish to see in the world." - Mahatma Gandhi

Preparing for a day of Lean Operations capsule class MBA sem 4, Great quizzes ..

As preparation for sem 4 MBA Lean Operations revision capsule, I was working from last evening. 

For the basic lean Operations topics of 

Value stream map, 

Kaizen, 

Kanban, 

FMEA and 

Environmental Sustainability with the help of Google AI and Open AI, I have prepared 5 quizzes each with approximately 60 questions of which 50 are to be answered randomly. Total 317. I am doing it through MOODLE LMS so administration and correction, is very easy and fast. 

The last quiz, sixth one, involves all Lean TQM tools like Ishikawa diagram, RCA, 5 whys, Pareto analysis, run chart, ABC analysis and Scatter diagram and has 115 questions. Arranged a quiz of 75 questions to be completed in 60 minutes.

This quiz I can say with all confidence and gourage, is world class, competing with Professors from top business schools of the world (from where my son has passed out) including Harvard, IESE, Insead, Booth, Stanford, MIT SLOAN etc.

George 

Cancer Ward by Alexander Solzhenitsyn

When we talk of cancer, almost all of us have very sad stories to narrate of our loved people who have succumbed to the killer disease called Cancer. Even though research being carried out across the world in top medical institutes and Universities has resulted in small advances here and there but not a lasting solution, the medical fraternity has been unable to find what exactly causes cancer other than stating that it is caused by unnatural growth in some cells of the human body, probably triggered by carcinogens that have inorganic origin.

My mother-in-law after a bout of bone cancer in 1997 Dec, passed away on 01 July '98. Taking a 2 month leave from Goa govt engg college, we were by her side at Kidwai Institute of Oncology Bangalore and at her home in Kalamassery Kerala, spending just 3 months from detection in March '98 to passing away in July '98. Knowing the practical sides and sufferings of the patients, close family relatives during the fight with cancer is a big story for every patient. Spread over 3 months to 5-6 years, the fight is often futile. 

My 2012 reading of The Biography of Cancer by 2011 Booker prize winner Dr Sidharth Mukherjee, a turning point in my understanding of cancer, was an interesting read. Dr Sidharth an oncologist from MassGen hospital in Boston traces the presence of tumours even in the Egyptian mummies of 2000- 3000 BC.

 

Set in Russia in the late 60s, the semi autobiography of Solzhenitsyn in the cancer wards as a patient is neatly presented in the book. The book is the 1954 reak-life story of a small group of patients (Solznehitsyn included ?) in ward 13 of the Cancer ward of a hospital in Tashkent in Soviet Uzbekistan. After writing this book Solzhenitsyn was incarcerated in prison for ten long years for exposing the soft belly of the  Russian medical system, the corruption and bureaucracy. Going through this book 55 years after publication reminds us of the technological advancements in cancer treatment over the years, though the disease still eludes complete cure.

The book talks of the pains, thoughts, tribulations of the protagonist Oleg who experiences first-hand the events in the cancer ward of the hospital in Tashkent. The book explains about the four treatments for cancer, radiation, chemotherapy, hormone therapy and in extreme cases, surgery of the infected part or organ as continued six decades back as it is done to this day.  The word Cancer is said to have originated from Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine, (460 - 370 BC) in ancient Greece (though cancerous tumours were observed even before that around 2700 BC on Egyptian mummies as depicted in the book by Dr. Sidhart Mukherjee, The Biography of Cancer, in 2011). Hipocrates used the term Carcinos and Carcinoma for the non-ulcer forming tumour and ulcer forming tumour respectively as back as 360 BC. In hormone therapy, not used these days, males are injected with female hormones and vice versa. The protagonist of the book Oleg, underwent hormone therapy too.

These days except for the fact that more people have been infected with cancer, more relevant data has been collected  and treatment routines and radiation dosages are very carefully determined and administered, nothing much has changed in cancer treatment over the past six decades. Cancer still continues to be the killer disease it has been over the past thousand years, just that its incidence has increased.

 

For writing on the very primitive practice of cancer treatment, mired in corruption and bureaucracy under the Communist regime of Stalin, the tragedy is Solzhenitsyn paid a very heavy price, he had to undergo prison term of ten years in distant Siberia. That increases the worth of this book as an all time read for people around the world who value freedom and liberty including the freedom of speech and writing. 

Here is an OpenAI note on the book - 

Cancer Ward" is a novel written by the Nobel Prize-winning Russian author, Alexander Solzhenitsyn. Published in 1968, the novel tells the story of a group of cancer patients in a Soviet-era hospital.

The protagonist of the novel is a young man named Oleg Kostoglotov, who is suffering from cancer and has been sent to the hospital for treatment. Through Kostoglotov's experiences, Solzhenitsyn explores the physical and emotional challenges faced by cancer patients, as well as the broader social and political issues of life in the Soviet Union.

The novel is set during the Khrushchev Thaw, a period of relative liberalization in Soviet society, and it reflects Solzhenitsyn's own experiences as a cancer patient in a Soviet hospital. Through Kostoglotov and the other patients, Solzhenitsyn depicts the corruption and bureaucracy of the Soviet medical system, as well as the resilience and courage of those who are suffering.

The novel also explores the existential and spiritual dimensions of cancer, as Kostoglotov grapples with questions of mortality, meaning, and purpose. Solzhenitsyn's depiction of the human condition in the face of illness and adversity has made "Cancer Ward" a widely acclaimed and enduring work of literature. Overall, "Cancer Ward" is a powerful and moving novel that offers a deeply humanistic perspective on the experience of cancer and the struggle for survival in the face of adversity.

Even though it took me more than 3 weeks to read this mega epic of about 540 pages, in the midst of my busy teaching schedules, in small bus journeys, early morning reads, waiting time while visiting doctors, to be with Solzhenitsyn for three weeks and to understand his great mind and life was indeed time well spent.

George.