The Hyderabad-based Indian School of Business is planning to launch a global advanced management programme in collaboration with the top non-United States business school Insead.

The three-week programme, aimed at the top management of Indian companies with significant overseas presence, will offer its first course in March 2004.

Founded in 1957 in France, Insead is rated as the number one non-US business school by BusinessWeek, based on a survey of 247 corporate recruiters and 10,000-odd students at 82 business schools worldwide. The latest survey put Insead ahead of the famous London Business School.

"The programme will be especially designed to focus on strategies for tackling challenges and seizing prospects in today's turbulent global business environment. It will also deal with strategies for overseas acquisitions. It will be simultaneously held in different countries by different B-Schools in association with Insead. All of them will spend the last week at Insead campus in France debating and sharing their thoughts," Shyam Viswanathan, associate dean (executive education) of ISB, told Business Standard.

ISB, with executive education programmes as one of the main focus areas, already launched GAMPs in association with Kellog School of Management and The Wharton School.

While the first round of programmes involving both the schools are already over, the second round will start in September 2003 and January 2004, respectively.

The profile of corporate executives who attended GAMPs include Dabur India CEO Sunil Duggal, Godrej Industries executive director M P Pusalkar, Gujarat Ambuja Cements director P N Seksharia, Thermax vice-chairperson Meher Pudumjee, Tata Telecom sales director AG Nair and Amara Raja Batteries chairman R N Galla.

Typically, a 3-week in-campus GAMP at ISB costs about Rs 500,000-600,000. " The uniqueness of our EEPs compared to the ones offered by other B-Schools in the country is our faculty. We follow the portfolio faculty model inviting the best 2-3 faculty from a best B-school in the world. We have a faculty advisory board, representing the icons in their respective fields," Viswanathan said.

"People attending our EEPs will gain exposure to the latest thinking and experiences of internationally known academics. Our focus is on thought leadership and change management, not just skill development," he added.

In addition to GAMPs, ISB, as part of its EEPs, also offer short-duration ( 3 to 6 days) open-enrollment general management programmes for top management as well as managers with high potential for leadership, and customised programmes to meet the specific needs of the organisations. A GMP costs about Rs 100,000-150,000.

About 480 candidates have participated in various EEPs of ISB last year.

"We will be doubling this number this year. It will keep on doubling every year for the next three years. Our aim is to get leadership in EEPs in the country," Viswanathan said.

ISB will be launching an accelerated development programme for non-MBA senior managers, who are about to grow to the general manager level, in November 2003, and is also looking at offering programmes on vertical domain areas.