20 February 2026
Amrut Mody School of Management’s (AMSOM) Interdisciplinary Approach to Management Education Featured by Harvard Business Impact
The Amrut Mody School of Management at Ahmedabad University has been recognised by Harvard Business Impact in a spotlight feature titled “Exit Lecture Hall, Enter Boardroom: How AMSOM Undergraduates Are Learning by Leading.” The feature highlights the School’s interdisciplinary design of management education and its systematic use of participant-centred pedagogy at the undergraduate level. Globally, such pedagogy is most often associated with MBA programmes, making its structured integration into undergraduate education especially notable.
While case method teaching is typically embedded in postgraduate classrooms, at AMSOM it begins early and is practised rigorously. Students prepare structured analytical briefs before class, debate real strategic dilemmas faced by companies, and defend their reasoning in discussions that require evidence, clarity, and intellectual discipline. Participation is analytical and accountable rather than performative.
As Dean Shobha Das notes in the feature, “Our university focuses a lot on interdisciplinary thinking, and the case method is a really wonderful way to do interdisciplinary work, especially with undergraduates.” Classroom discussions move across finance, economics, operations, sociology, psychology, and sustainability, helping students understand technical decisions alongside managerial incentives and societal context.
The article also highlights the School’s use of shorter Quick Cases that draw students into complex problems without overwhelming them, preventing superficial summarisation while preserving analytical depth. Multi-round simulations move students from analysis to execution, where they manage working capital, respond to competitive pressures, and experience the financial consequences of their decisions over time. “Through simulations,” reflects Dean Das, “students don’t just imagine being decision-makers. They become decision-makers.”
Equally significant is the emphasis on listening and reasoned disagreement. Students are expected to justify their arguments, question assumptions, and engage seriously with differing perspectives. Situated within a comprehensive research university, AMSOM integrates multiple disciplines into its pedagogy, ensuring that graduates leave with judgement, analytical maturity, and the capacity to act under conditions of uncertainty.
This recognition affirms a deliberate educational design at AMSOM. Undergraduate management education is structured as preparation for organisational complexity, where leadership demands interdisciplinary thinking, disciplined reasoning, and the ability to make decisions in uncertain environments.
