PROF. (DR.) BISWAJEET PATTANAYAK
Ph. D., D.Litt., D.Sc., FIMA
Founder & President, ASBM University
- Former Professor at IIM – Indore, Lucknow, and Mumbai
- Former Director, IIBM, Guwahati
- Elected Member, National Council, All India Management Association (AIMA)
Professor Biswajeet Pattanayak, the Founder and President of ASBM University, is an internationally acclaimed expert in human resource management, organisational behaviour, and management education.
He has held prestigious academic positions, such as Professor at three Indian Institutes of Management (IIM) – Indore, Lucknow, and Mumbai, and Director of Indian Institute of Bank Management (IIBM), an institution under the Reserve Bank of India. With over three decades of experience, he has made exceptional contributions to academia, institution building, corporate training, and consulting.
Accreditation and Education Policy
Prof. Pattanayak has been closely associated with the quality movement in higher education. His expertise, gained through hands-on involvement with the accreditation process of NBA (National Board of Accreditation, India), NAAC (National Assessment and Accreditation Council, India), ACBSP (Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs, USA), and SAQS (South Asian Quality System of the Association of Management Development Institutions in South Asia, a SAARC body), has enabled him to contribute substantially to academic accreditation. He is also a certified evaluator for ACBSP.
As the Chair of Region 10 (South Asia) of ACBSP from 2021 to 2023, he played a pivotal role in enhancing the standard of management education by bringing business schools across countries like India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Cambodia, and Vietnam under the accreditation umbrella. His work with ACBSP involves overseeing the accreditation process, engaging with educational institutions to ensure compliance with global standards, and fostering a culture of continuous improvement.
Contributions to National Education Policy and State Education Policy
Further, Prof. Pattanayak contributed to the implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 as a panel member in consultative discussions organised by NITI Aayog, Government of India. His insights on the future of education in India have been highly valued by policymakers and educators alike. He has played a key role in the development of the education policy in his home state of Odisha as a member of the state-level committee for the development of the State Education Policy. He was also appointed by the Hon’ble Chief Minister of Odisha as a mentor under the ‘Mo School’ initiative, a programme designed to improve the infrastructure and educational standards of schools across the state.
Mentorship and Leadership Roles
Prof. Pattanayak serves as the Mentor of the World Bank-assisted Centre of Excellence in Human Capital Development at Utkal University, Odisha, under the Odisha Higher Education Programme for Excellence and Equity. In this role, he has played a critical part in designing and implementing programmes to improve the quality of higher education in the state.
Earlier, he was nominated by the Hon’ble President of India to serve as a member of the Courts of the Central University of Rajasthan and Guru Ghasidas Central University. He is an advisor to the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), Government of India. He has also worked closely with various professional bodies, including the All India Management Association (AIMA), where he serves as an elected member of its National Council, and the National HRD Network, where he was a member on the Board.
Academic Achievements and Recognition
Prof. Pattanayak’s academic credentials include a Ph.D. and a D.Litt. in Organisational Psychology, and a D.Sc. in Management Science. He is also a Fellow of the All India Management Association (AIMA). His academic journey is marked by remarkable achievements like becoming a full Professor and Chair of the HR & OB Area, and also of Executive Education, at IIM Indore at the young age of 35, and the Director of a national institute (IIBM, Guwahati) at the age of 38.
Corporate Experience and Consulting
In addition to his role as a teacher and academic administrator, Prof. Pattanayak served as the Group HRD Head of the Essar Group, where he played a crucial role in shaping organisational culture and human resource strategies. He also contributed to the steel industry through his work at Steel Authority of India Ltd. (SAIL), where he led initiatives in human resource management and organizational development.
A highly respected educator and trainer, Prof. Pattanayak has trained over 1,000 senior executives across leading companies in various industries. His unique teaching approach, including the innovative use of movies (starting with the block-buster Lagaan) in management courses for the first time in India, has received widespread recognition and earned him the sobriquet of the ‘Lagaan Professor’. This teaching innovation was featured globally when Prof. Pattanayak conducted a workshop on “Team-building and Leadership” at the 62nd Annual Convention of the International Council of Psychologists in Jinan, China.
His corporate consulting experience includes assignments for top organisations, including the World Bank. He has helped organisations improve their human resource strategies and leadership practices, making him a sought-after consultant.
Institution-Building and ASBM University
Institution-building has been a cornerstone of Prof. Pattanayak’s eventful career. He established the Asian School of Business Management (ASBM) at Bhubaneswar in 2006 as a stand-alone business school. It developed into a top-ranking B-school in the country and was converted to a full-fledged unitary private university – ASBM University – by the government of Odisha in 2019. His ability to build and sustain institutions of academic excellence is further exemplified by his role as the Director of Indian Institute of Bank Management, Guwahati, an institution under the Reserve Bank of India.
Research, Publications, and Recognition
In addition to his academic and institutional roles, Prof. Pattanayak has earned a name as a researcher of high order. He has authored 27 books and over 104 research papers published in leading national and international journals. He actively participates in national and international conferences, chairs sessions, and presents papers at major global forums, sharing his expertise in human resource management and organizational development. He also edits the ASBM Journal of Management, an international journal devoted to management and related subjects, since 2008.
Awards and Honors
Prof. Pattanayak’s work in academia and leadership has earned him numerous prestigious awards and honours, including:
- International Teaching Excellence Award 2016 from ACBSP, USA, recognising him as one of the top ten management educators worldwide.
- Education Leadership Award (2023) and Lifetime Achievement Award (2022) from the World Education Congress.
- Business Excellence Award for Education (2021) presented by Shri Dharmendra Pradhan, Hon’ble Union Minister of Education.
- Deccan Herald Best Teacher in Management Award (2008).
- Dewang Mehta Award for Best Professor in HRM (2008).
- Career Award by AICTE.
- Citations in Reference India, Who’s Who in the World, Indo-European Who’s Who, and Leading Scientist of the World by the International Biographical Centre, Cambridge.