Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT) organised its 55th Convocation on August 23. Union Minister Piyush Goyal was the chief guest at the event. The Institute conferred degrees to more than 600 students from different batches of IIFT's flagship MBA (International Business), Masters in Economics, PhD in Management and Economics, and Executive Programmes. The toppers from each batch were also awarded gold, silver and bronze medals in recognition of their accomplishments.
Applauding the institution's efforts in contributing towards research and training programmes along with its diverse teaching curriculum, Union Minister said, "change is inevitable, and if we are rooted in the past then, we may not progress." "Highlighting the importance of international trade, in order to progress swiftly, competing with other countries in terms of prices, quality, and services is mandatory. This will surely bring prosperity to the citizens," he added.
Mr Goyal also highlighted some key areas, on which a leading institution should work, which are, student diversity, internationalization of the curriculum and the role of alumni in collaborations, among others.
Vice-Chancellor of IIFT, Professor Manoj Pant, appreciated the perseverance and hard work of the students, faculty, administration and other staff members in bringing the institute to where it is today. He said: "The achievements of the institution by giving a special mention to 100 per cent placements in its flagship MBA (IB) programme, with a hike of approximately 20-25 per cent compared to the last year. The students from MA Economics have also been placed well in both the private and public sector, and the institute's economics division now rank 6th in internationally recognized IDEAS-Repec."
"The internationalization of the institute, and also highlighted the recent tie ups with prestigious universities of the USA and Europe. The research initiatives taken up by the institute that helped in improvising the national and international rankings," he added.
Professor Pant announced the new five-year integrated programme, to be initiated in the Kakinada campus from September 2022, and another campus of the institute at Maidangarhi is in the making.