Professor Finn was delighted at the news. Here is what he had to say –

"I am extremely honoured to have been selected to receive the Professor of the Year for Core Courses award. I have taught Core Financial Accounting at the ISB since 2002, and the School has become something of a second home to me. May is a hectic month for my children academically, and were it not for this, I would have liked to bring my entire family to share in the ISB experience. As it is, I think of my course in Term 1 of the ISB calendar as the psychological beginning of my professional year. I teach year-round, and so the choice of a starting point is somewhat arbitrary. I choose to start my year at the ISB because the enthusiasm, warmth, and intellectual vitality of the students are sources of inspiration that I continually draw upon, as I move on to other duties away from the campus.

I have the utmost respect for my fellow core Professors, many of whom are certainly equally deserving of the award. It’s hard to imagine a better constellation of teaching scholars than the one assembled by the ISB. They continually impress me with their commitment to learning, rigorous scholarship, and ability to make connections between theory and practice.

I very much enjoyed teaching the Batch of 2008 and can speak for the Term 1Professors as a group in saying that we were very happy with each section’s classroom performance. The 2008 graduates are worthy heirs to the academic traditions established by earlier batches. When I first came to the ISB in May of 2002, I was immediately struck by the students’ intelligence, camaraderie, professional experience, and commitment to the learning process. In those early days, the school was still viewed as a grand experiment. As it has matured and expanded, what’s most impressive is not the change, but the stability of these core strengths of the student body. They are the school’s most valuable endowment, and they draw visiting faculty enthusiastically back year after year."

Bouquets All the Way

Here are some qualitative comments about Professor Finn submitted by the students along with their nominations -

“Teaching basic accounting that forms the backbone of any MBA program was critical and he made it look so simple for all those who don’t come from an accounting background.”

“He combined classroom learning with great practical insights”

“His course content and, his simplistic approach in explaining critical concepts made him stand apart”

“He is a genuine teacher in every sense of the word, and has a genuine concern for the students”

“He taught a dry subject as accounting with such energy. The concepts will stay with me for life.”

“Very structured delivery. Explained a very boring subject with a cheerful demeanour.”

 

Professor Kamma shared-

"This was completely unexpected and out of the blue. When I got the call, I glanced at the calendar to make sure it wasn’t the April Fool’s Day!

I feel somewhat of a charlatan; a class is only as successful as its students, and this award is really a reflection of their contributions. We are just the catalysts.

It is an understatement to say how delightful it is to teach at the ISB. Not only are the students a pleasure to teach, but the administration, from the top down, and particularly the academic services office, does everything possible to let you focus on the classroom experience. Where else can you get IT support at 9.00pm on a Sunday? Or have Academic Services find typos in your syllabus?

The students are extremely talented – I learnt a great many things from them. For example, from Manisha and Neha I learnt the art of multi-tasking - how to sleep and appear attentive at the same time. From Kairoze, I learnt the concept of parallel worlds and how to turn even true-life decisions and firms into imaginary figments by the appeal, ‘But in the real world is…’. From several others, I learnt about Einstein’s fourth law - coffee-break time expands to fill all available class-time. And from Kanika, I learnt where the best bar in Delhi is!"

Professor Kamma walked away with equal notes of appreciation –

“His course has helped me bring an entirely different perspective the corporate actions that happen around every day, and look beyond the obvious”

“Superbly organised in thought and action, providing excellent insights. Showed that being thorough can actually be fun!”


“Prof Kamma takes case analysis to a completely different level.”

“Brilliant is the only word which comes to mind. The most comprehensive and detailed course in ISB by far.”

“M&A made much more sense to me after his class.”

“The intensity of analysis of the case-studies he used in the class was amazing”