Message from the Dean, Dipak C. Jain
General questions about Kellogg
Of all the business schools in the world, what do you think makes Kellogg so special?(What differentiates Kellogg from all the other schools?)
The Kellogg School of Management's diverse student community is one of our strongest competitive advantages, and we remain committed to admitting candidates with broad work experience, interests, talents, and cultural and ethnic backgrounds. Students choose Kellogg on account of our holistic approach-a unique blend of academics, diversity, team leadership and continuous innovation-which develops leaders in a culture of collaboration and innovation. There are very few business schools that allow students to serve as co-creators of knowledge in such a direct way - they collaborate with one another and the administration on key issues ranging from the admissions process to implementing new courses.
What do you think has enabled this?
A good deal of foresight and planning. The Kellogg School has been blessed with excellent leadership, and as far back as the 1970s, Dean Emeritus Donald Jacobs saw the emerging global economy and the importance of teamwork, as companies required increasingly broad skill sets that would allow their people to work across functions. So a large part of our success is due to the fact that we've had practice with the collaboration, teamwork, and global thinking. We've truly built this culture over time, and it shows in terms of the success that our alumni have as problem solvers within their organizations.
Are there any areas you think Kellogg needs to change?
For us to remain a leader in management education, we need to continually innovate. This is actually one of our strengths, so we don't need to change so much as continue to be very proactive in modifying our program or curriculum to best prepare our students to meet emerging business issues.
Could you share with us some of your development plans for Kellogg? Short-term? Long-term?
Development is obviously crucial to any educational institution, so we've focused significant resources in this area in recent years. We've built the development and alumni relations staff, and you'll hear more about other changes currently in the planning stages.
Kellogg brand in Japan
Unfortunately, there are still many people in Japan who perceive Kellogg to be a marketing school. What aspects of this do you think to be true and not true?
There is no doubt that the Kellogg School has a brilliant marketing faculty, and that we've built that reputation over the years due to the groundbreaking research that started with professors like Phillip Kotler and Lou Stern. But we believe that for recruiters and students that come to really know the Kellogg experience, academic excellence crosses all disciplines. Kellogg faculty in all areas demonstrate academic rigor and research relevance, which means that students benefit from tremendous teaching informed by cutting-edge concepts. Also, our alumni are further evidence that we are not just a marketing school - they have become successful in a great many fields, so it's clear they are gaining a broad skill set in many functions.
How can Kellogg further increase its presence and brand in Japan?
We have put a major focus on enhancing our global brand, which means investing in a number of key markets. Japan is certainly one of those, which was evidenced by Whit Shepard, Assistant Dean of Development and Alumni Relations, visiting the country in April. One of our institutional advantages is good relationships with key companies and executives, which is something we will continue to strengthen and leverage.
Questions for people interested in Kellogg
What kind of people do you look forward to come from Japan to Kellogg?
We look at multiple inputs for each and every prospective student, taking into account analytical scores, work experience - the number of years and performance - as well as their fit within the Kellogg culture. We interview every applicant to make sure we have the whole picture of each individual. We believe in our admissions process, and think that it helps identify and admit the right individual, regardless of where they are located.
How do you think they can enrich and contribute to the Kellogg community?(What are your expectations of Japanese students at Kellogg?)
Our expectations are the same for all students, no matter their country of origin - that they take an active role in their education and in driving innovation at the Kellogg School. One of our points of differentiation, to reference an earlier question, is that students collaborate with one another and with the administration in order to create new learning opportunities.
Two very recent examples come to mind - the new SEEK program, which provides a foundation for social entrepreneurship, and Kellogg Insight, the new showcase for faculty research. Both of these grew out of student initiatives, and were led by a broad cross-section of students.
After they graduate from Kellogg?
Again, we have the same vision for all alumni - that they continue to collaborate with the administration even after they've left campus. We want to have the same model for graduates as we do for students, in that their creativity and feedback from the marketplace helps guide the school. But with alumni, we also expect them to give back in a way that is personally meaningful, since implementing new ideas and remaining a leader in management education requires financial resources.
A message to the Japanese people who are interested in their pursuing their MBAs at Kellogg.
The Kellogg School offers tremendous opportunities to learn in an environment that closely replicates the business world. We provide global leadership development in a culture of collaboration and innovation, and support this mission by providing a platform for intellectual depth, experiential learning opportunities, a global mindset, and values and people skills. Both what you learn and how you learn at the Kellogg School will give you an enormous competitive advantage in the marketplace. If you can apply very powerful intellectual frameworks to global business problems, and then communicate your ideas to colleagues across functions, then you will do very well. Kellogg provides those skills and that kind of learning.
