Page 71 - EW June 2023

Extraordinary Achievement in Education Leadership Award 2023-24

Dr. Kavita R. Laghate

Dr. Laghate receives award from EducationWorld Publisher/Editor Dilip Thakore

irector of the Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Manage- developing Mumbai’s top-ranked B-school respected for
ment Studies (JBIMS) — an autonomous unit of the producing industry-ready business management gradu-
DUniversity of Mumbai — for two terms and currently ates. It was during her first term as director that JBIMS
Senior Professor, JBIMS, and Dean, Faculty of Commerce was granted autonomous status in 2014 by Mumbai Uni-
and Management, University of Mumbai (UoM), Prof. versity. Apart from nurturing and developing JBIMS into
(Dr.) Kavita Ramchandra Laghate is one of India’s most the commercial capital’s Top 3 B-schools, Dr. Laghate has
respected women higher education leaders with a long and substantially contributed to contemporising business and
distinguished career in commerce and business manage- commerce curriculums of UoM’s over 700 affiliated col-
ment education. leges. In her capacity as Dean, faculty of commerce and
An alumna of Nagpur University, Dr. Laghate began her management, UoM, she is shouldering the responsibility
career in 1993 as lecturer in the department of statistics, of NEP 2020 implementation and preparing its 2024-29
Nagpur University followed by tenures at the Sydenham perspective plan.
Institute of Management Studies Research and Entrepre- “My career in higher education has been very fulfilling
neurship Education, Jankidevi Bajaj Institute of Man- especially the experience of preparing JBIMS for grant of
agement, and Narsee Monjee Institute of Management autonomous status. Yet throughout my three decades in
Studies — all sited in India’s business and commercial UoM, my objective has been to ensure that affordable qual-
capital, Mumbai. In 2011, she was appointed professor at ity higher education, particularly business management
JBIMS, routinely ranked among India’s Top 20 B-schools education, becomes accessible to youth from all sections of
in all media and government rankings. A year later, she society,” says Dr. Laghate, who has published 36 research
was promoted to the office of Director of this prestigious papers in well-known journals and addressed over 38 na-
degree-awarding B-school. In 2015, she was nominated to tional and international conferences.
the Senate of University of Mumbai, and after serving her In 2014, she was conferred the Best Director Award of
term was reappointed Director of JBIMS in 2018. Simulta- the Higher Education Forum, Mumbai. For her extraor-
neously, she served as finance and accounts officer of UoM, dinary contribution to the growth and development of
and Director of its Institute of Distance and Open Learn- higher education in Maharashtra, particularly upgrading
ing. In 2022, Dr. Laghate was re-appointed appointed se- commerce and business management education standards,
nior professor at JBIMS. the Board of Directors of EducationWorld are delighted to
During her decade-long innings at JBIMS as Direc- present the EW Extraordinary Achievement in Education
tor, Dr. Laghate has played a major role in nurturing and Leadership Award 2023-24 to Dr. Kavita R. Laghate.

JUNE 2023 EDUCATIONWORLD 71