A 90-minute commemorative brain-storming function on the topic 'Strategies for Management Development in South Asia” was organised on December 12th, 2013 at the AMDISA Secretariat. The Chief Guest was Professor Ramakrishna Ramaswamy, Vice-Chancellor, University of Hyderabad. The participants included heads / senior faculty from seven management institutions in Hyderabad.

In his welcoming remarks, Mr C Ramakrishna, Executive Director, informed that AMDISA had just set-up a committee of eminent persons to strengthen the inter-face between management academics and practitioners along the lines of EFMD's Corporate Learning Improvement Process (CLIP). He also mentioned about the initiation of discussions with University of Hyderabad for programmes model on the lines of those at Academic Staff College, University of Hyderabad for career advancement.

Professor Ramakrishna Ramaswamy led the session by making several important and relevant suggestions on the topic of the function. These included :(a) to strengthen the leadership roles and inter-actions between AMDISA, University of Hyderabad and the School of Management Studies on the UoH campus, for collaborating on a wide range of opportunities within India and across South Asia; (b) to set-up a “clearing house” at AMDISA, in collaboration with leading management institutions and organisaions in private, public and government sectors in South Asia, to promote cross-country internships of students, especially from smaller neighbouring countries in Indian organisations; (c) to organise cross-country Educating the Educators programmes, to continually help bridge the quality gap among institutions; (d) to organise 1-day conferences of leading academics, at least one from each South Asian country, soon after each AMDISA Executive Board meetings, to discuss emerging academic issues in the region; and e) more generally, AMDISA to go beyond regional certification and facilitation to leadership role.

Professor Ramaswamy's address as Chief Guest was followed by a brain-storming discussion among the participants, moderated by Professor Arif A Waqif, former Dean SMS-UoH, Executive Board member and Academic Director, AMDISA. While endorsing Professor Ramaswamy's suggestions, the participants added (a) the need to share information on institutions' academic activities and invite participation more widely across the region through AMDISA's Newsletter and website; (b) to promote faculty and student exchange programmes in the region for diversity; (c) to more widely publicise the services offered by AMDISA; (d) to improve the research programmes, data bases, and financial sustainability of AMDISA; (e) to organise capacity development programmes for heads of management schools affiliated to universities; and (f) to organise collaborative regional MDPs.

Professor Ramaswamy in his concluding remarks reiterated his suggestions on cross-border internship and faculty development programmes. Professor Waqif, in conclusion, briefly shared his experiences in organising regional workshops. He high-lighted the need for promoting recognition of academic qualifications across countries to facilitate movement of students. He further emphasised the need to make management education and management development more broad-based, to include more efficient management of infrastructural, social services, governmental, environmental-natural resources, and developmental sectors. Better management of these sectors would not only contribute to the efficiency of corporate and business sectors but also to quality of life. Mr Ramaswamy in his concluding remarks said that AMDISA would follow-up on promoting cross-border internship, and faculty and student exchange programmes. Mr T Ganeswara Rao, Manager, AMDISA, proposed a vote of thanks and appreciation to the Chief Guest, Moderator, all the participants and AMDISA staff.