However, within one term at ISB I know at least one area where ISB is the clear leader – the faculty! ISB has already exposed me to some of the best professors that I have seen in my whole life.

Bruce Allen is the one that I personally respect and admire. He is the Professor of Business and Public Policy, Regional Science and Transportation at Wharton and also the Director of the Wharton Transportation Program. He is one of the visiting professors that we have here at ISB.

Prof. Allen taught us Microeconomics. The first interaction that we as a class had with him was one email that he sent to all of us. Usually all class related communication is already in the course details and additional information is sent by the Teaching Assistants. What was touching was that Prof. Allen sent us all mail himself, and it was a practise he continued until he finished the course.

The following lines in his first email gave me jitters and increased my curiosity with regard to this professor. “….Otherwise, there’s nothing else to do except come with a healthy appetite for learning (this has a double meaning as you’ll soon see!) and discussion.”

The first time that I saw him, he came across as a giant. He must be taller than 6 feet and has a very commanding presence in class. Thanks to his build, he seemed like a biker, a Harley-Davidson enthusiast, perhaps.

The best thing about him is his energy. He must be close to 60 yrs of age (having completed his PhD in 1969 when nobody from the class of 2010 was even born) and yet he exuded an aura of energy and enthusiasm. His syllabus was vast. But, it was comprised of some of the most interesting concepts I’ve learnt in ISB till date.

He brought in a certain liveliness to the class. Game theory were so much fun because of the unique style he explained it in. And I have never understood an alien concept like I understood insurance and warranty. Full credit to Professor Allen.

Then there were Mark Finn and John Zhang from Kellogg and Wharton respectively. Both were amazing in their own ways.

Mark Finn made Financial Accounting extremely easy to understand and implement because of his systematic approach to teaching. He exhibited a deep understanding of accounting practises worldwide and provided us with some very interesting examples from around the globe to reinforce concepts that he’d taught us. The concept of homegrown assets, for instance was showcased by using Paul Scholes of Manchester United as an example, and his sincerety, dedication and extensive prepration towards each class was evident in the four hours we spent with him each week.

John Zhang, PhD twice over, had this amazing sense of humor which heused to quote some off-the-wall, remarkable comments which eventually helped imprint the concepts on the subject firmly in my mind. His last class on Marketing Communication stretched to two and a half hours, and even if it would’ve lasted for another thirty minutes, I’d have still stayed on. That particular class shall be etched on in my mind for a long time to come.

Would I be able to learn from such people anywhere else? I am not quite sure, but what I do know is that learning from the best professors from different schools around the world adds so much to our learning experience, and this is why ISB is the place to be!

Premjeet – Section E – 61010403