Goa Institute of Management appoints professor Arun A Elias as new director

Professor Arun A Elias has taken charge as the director of Goa Institute of Management (GIM), succeeding professor Ajit Parulekar, who served as director since 2017. Professor Elias holds over three decades of academic experience and around 15 years of senior leadership across India, and other countries.

Earlier, professor Elias was associated with multiple academic and institutional leadership positions and was part of the School of Management at Victoria University of Wellington for 27 years.

He was also the dean of the College of Business, Hospitality, and Tourism Studies at Fiji National University, an associate dean (international and accreditation) at Victoria University of Wellington, and held multiple director-level positions at Victoria Business School, according to an official statement.

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Professor Arun A Elias academic experience

The new GIM’s director holds an MTech in industrial engineering, management degree from IIT Kharagpur, and a PhD in management from Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand.

Explaining his role and responsibilities as the director of GIM, professor Elias said: “Our focus will be on research with real-world impact, continuous innovation in learning and teaching, and socially responsible engagement with all our stakeholders. We will also work towards becoming an internationally renowned B-school with triple-crown accreditation. I look forward to working with the entire GIM community to build on this strong foundation and take the institute into its next phase."

He is also an active member of the international accreditation ecosystem as a mentor and peer review panellist for AACSB, EFMD, EQUIS, and AMBA, BGA.

He has more than 100 publications, including several books, peer-reviewed international journal articles, book chapters, and peer-reviewed international conference papers.

Ashank Desai, chairman, GIM, said: “Prof. Elias brings a combination of academic leadership, international experience, research strength, and deep engagement with the global accreditation ecosystem. His experience and international networks will add significant value as GIM strengthens its academic and international foundations. As the institute moves into its next phase as a university, GIM looks forward to building on its existing strengths and taking it to the next level of success under his leadership.”

“GIM also acknowledges the significant contribution of Prof. Ajit Parulekar, who has been associated with the institute for 26 years. During his tenure as Director, Prof. Parulekar guided GIM through a period of significant institutional transformation, including strengthening its academic and international standing and advancing its journey towards becoming a university,” Desai added.

Professor Elias has extensive academic leadership experience, international perspective, research contributions, and has engaged with global accreditation frameworks, which is expected to boost the GIM’s academic and international foundations, the official statement read.