Goa Institute of Management appoints Arun A Elias as director

Professor Arun A Elias has taken charge as the new director of Goa Institute of Management (GIM). He has succeeded Ajit Parulekar, who was the Director since the year 2017. The new director, Elias, has more than three decades of academic experience and around 15 years of senior leadership experience in India, New Zealand and Fiji. 

For the past 27 years, Elias has also been associated with the School of Management at Victoria University of Wellington. Before joining Goa Institute of Management, Elias has held several academic and institutional leadership roles. He was also the dean of the College of Business, Hospitality and Tourism Studies at Fiji National University and the associate dean (International and Accreditation) at Victoria University of Wellington. He has also worked in multiple director-level positions at Victoria Business School.

In his inaugural statement, Arun Elias said, “GIM has built a strong academic foundation over the years, with a clear commitment to excellence in management education, research, and international engagement. As we look ahead, 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."

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Elias’s experience

Arun A Elias has a Master of Technology (M Tech) degree in Industrial Engineering and Management from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kharagpur and a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Management from Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand. 

He has also been associated with international accreditation bodies as a mentor and peer review panellist for the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), European Foundation for Management Development (EFMD)/ EFMD Quality Improvement System (EQUIS) and Association of MBAs (AMBA)/ Business Graduates Association (BGA). With more than 100 publications, his research work includes books, international journal articles, book chapters and peer-reviewed conference papers.

Commenting on the appointment, Ashank Desai, GIM Chairman, 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.”

His appointment has started a new phase for Goa Institute of Management. His experience in educational leadership, international education, research and accreditation will support the institute’s growth in both academic and global sectors.