There are types of institution building efforts, depending upon the sector in which the initiative is imbedded. I have had the fortunate experience of initiating and participating in such efforts in the Government supported academic sector, at IIM-K and later on as the ‘Leader of the Consulting Team’ at IIM-Shillong. Within the autonomous Government sector, the first statutory department of Management in the IIT-Pantheon was set up at IIT-Delhi with the writer serving as the Head of the Department. An Entrepreneurship Programme was also set up at IIT-Delhi with me as the Co-coordinator. There are other examples of my participation in institution building in the private sector, in the co-operative sector, and elsewhere. I can say with some experience that Foundation For Organisational Research And Education (FORE) is a unique example.
It came out of essentially private initiative of committed individuals from a cross section of domains including Government, Corporate, and Private organisations. The number of contributing sectors from which individuals came can be added to.The important concern is, that it was truly an effort of enterprising individuals who were dedicated to the cause of research and education. There was no rush to get on the Executive Board or even the General Body of the institution. Individuals contributed from wherever they were. The result is there for all to see. I considered it a privilege to be part of the team.
The website of FORE and its related institutions speak for themselves. They are all an effort of dedicated team work. As we enter the decade which will lead to the golden jubilee of the Foundation, I can testify to the vibrancy in the spirit of FORE, which permeates all its efforts.
It has kept pace with the times and maintains its focus on application oriented research and skill formation. The focus has been, amongst other things, on, enterprise, initiative, pushing the boundaries of knowledge, learning to deal with the current situation and preparing for the eras to come. More can be said, but I believe that fact must speak for themselves.
I welcome you to peruse the website of FORE and its related institutions for such details as you may wish to have. We look forward to being in dialogue with you.
Dr. Vinayshil Gautam, FRAS (London)
Vice Chairman