
























Report on Faculty Development Program (FDP) at Fostimma Business School
Event Overview: The Faculty Development Program (FDP) organized by Fostimma Business School was conducted over a span of five days, aimed at enhancing the teaching methodologies and professional skills of the participating faculty members. The event provided an in-depth exploration of modern business education trends, pedagogical innovations, and technological tools that are shaping the future of management education.
Objective: The main goal of the FDP was to provide faculty members with the tools and strategies needed to enhance their teaching effectiveness, incorporate innovative pedagogical methods, and engage in continuous professional development. The program focused on the integration of technology in business education, improving research capabilities, and fostering a deeper understanding of the latest trends in management.
Program Highlights:
1. Inaugural Session: The FDP kicked off with an inaugural session that included a welcome address by the Dean of Fostimma Business School. The address focused on the importance of faculty development in improving the quality of education and keeping up with the fast-evolving trends in business and management education.
2. Expert Sessions: The FDP included sessions led by distinguished experts from academia and industry, covering a wide range of topics, including:
- Pedagogical Innovations in Business Education: Strategies for engaging students, designing interactive learning experiences, and incorporating case studies and simulations into teaching.
- Use of Technology in Education: Introduction to online teaching tools, learning management systems (LMS), and platforms for virtual classrooms. Faculty members were trained on tools like Moodle, Google Classroom, and Zoom for effective online and hybrid teaching.
- Research Methodologies in Business Studies: Insights into advanced research techniques in business, including qualitative and quantitative methods, and how faculty can incorporate these methods into their teaching and research work.
- Industry-Academic Collaboration: Sessions discussing the importance of aligning academic curriculum with industry needs, fostering partnerships with businesses for research opportunities, internships, and case study development.
- Data Analytics for Business Educators: How to leverage data analytics for better decision-making, curriculum development, and student performance analysis.
3. Interactive Workshops Hands-on workshops were conducted to provide faculty with practical skills:
- Interactive Teaching Techniques: Workshops focused on active learning, flipped classrooms, and the use of simulations to teach complex business concepts.
- Data Analytics Tools: Faculty were trained in using tools like Excel, Tableau, and Power BI for data-driven decision-making, research analysis, and creating dynamic dashboards.
- Research Proposal Writing: A session dedicated to the art of crafting research proposals, publishing papers in reputed journals, and understanding academic writing standards.
4. Panel Discussion: A panel discussion on "The Future of Management Education" took place, where experts from academia, industry, and technology shared their insights on how management education needs to evolve to keep pace with global changes. Topics included the rise of artificial intelligence in management education, the shift toward online learning, and the increasing importance of soft skills in business leadership.
5.Feedback and Assessment Throughout the FDP, continuous feedback was sought from participants to ensure the sessions were addressing their needs and expectations. In addition, a final assessment was conducted to evaluate the participants' understanding and the practical application of the content covered in the program.
6. Closing Ceremony The FDP concluded with a certificate distribution ceremony, where participants were recognized for their engagement and learning outcomes. The closing speech emphasized the importance of continuous development for educators to stay relevant and effectively contribute to the academic community.
Feedback and Outcomes: Feedback from the participants highlighted the relevance of the topics covered and the quality of instruction. Many faculty members found the workshops on technology integration, teaching strategies, and data analytics particularly valuable. The FDP succeeded in:
- Enhancing the teaching methodologies of faculty members.
- Enabling faculty to incorporate more technology and data-driven approaches into their teaching.
- Improving the research skills of participants and motivating them to engage in collaborative research with the industry.
- Promoting the importance of ongoing professional development for educators.
Program Highlights:
1. Day 1: Text Sentiment Analysis & HR Job Description The first day began with an engaging session on Text Sentiment Analysis and HR Job Description Matching.
- Dr. Saumendra Mohanty, Consultant in Data Science & AI Trainer and Professor, along with Prof. Saloni Srivastava, presented a case study on hotel reviews, demonstrating how sentiment analysis can be applied to understand customer feedback. They also introduced the concept of Job Description Matching using tools like Orange and Python, highlighting the importance of automation and AI in HR processes.
- A hands-on session was conducted, guiding participants through a real-world application of job description matching with the use of Python scripts.
2. Day 2: Data Visualization & Interpretation On the second day, the focus shifted to Data Visualization and its interpretation, essential for decision-making in business.
- Mr. Mohit Aggarwal, an IBM Certified Trainer & Power BI Specialist, and Dr. Neetu Kamra, IBM Certified in Descriptive Analytics, Predictive Analytics & Design Thinking, led insightful sessions on Data Visualization with Power BI and Visualization with Cognos. They covered how to create effective dashboards and reports, emphasizing the importance of visualizing complex data for better understanding and decision-making.
- Participants were given practical experience with Power BI and Cognos to build visualizations and interpret data in meaningful ways.
3. Day 3: Introduction to Generative AI and LLM Sentiment Analysis The final day of the FDP delved into the realm of Generative AI and its applications in sentiment analysis.
- Ms. Neha Issar, Assistant Professor and IBM Spark & Scala Certified, introduced Generative AI, providing an overview of how large language models (LLMs) are used in various business applications, including sentiment analysis. She presented an Analysis Case Study with Generative AI and Python, demonstrating how these tools can be applied to analyze vast amounts of text data.
- The session also provided participants with hands-on exposure to Gen AI tools, allowing them to experiment with sentiment analysis in real-world business contexts.
- Participants were awarded IBM Certification for completing the workshop, certifying their skills in using these advanced tools.
4. Program Convenors: The FDP was expertly convened by Prof. (Dr.) Subhash Kakkar, Prof. (Dr.) Ruchika Yadav, and Dr. Sweety G. Chhabria, who ensured smooth execution of the sessions and facilitated insightful discussions throughout the program.
Feedback and Outcomes: The FDP was highly appreciated by the participants for its comprehensive content, practical relevance, and the expertise of the trainers. The key takeaways from the program included:
- Gaining proficiency in using Python and AI tools for data analysis and sentiment analysis.
- Acquiring a deeper understanding of data visualization tools like Power BI and Cognos.
- Learning about the applications of Generative AI and LLMs in business and analytics.
- Improving skills in interpreting and visualizing complex datasets to make informed decisions.
The hands-on approach and interactive learning environment ensured that participants could directly apply the concepts to their academic and research projects.
Conclusion: The FDP at Fostimma Business School was a successful and enriching experience for faculty members. By focusing on emerging technologies like AI, data visualization, and sentiment analysis, the program enhanced the participants' technical skills and provided them with valuable tools to improve their teaching, research, and overall academic contributions. This initiative has laid a strong foundation for continued development in the areas of data science and artificial intelligence in academia.