Rohit Jindal graduated from IIFM in 1996. He is currently working as an Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Decision Sciences at MacEwan University’s School of Business. Rohit holds a Ph.D. in Environmental and Resource Economics and is known for researching international carbon markets, payments for ecosystem services and applying behavioral economics to study environmental issues. He lives in Edmonton, the capital of Alberta and the largest northernmost metropolitan area in North America! He is still adapting to how extreme it can get in Edmonton, from very cold (-40 C) in winters to very hot (+38 C) during summers within the same year!!
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rohit-jindal-b9216731/
Q. How has been your journey from IIFM so far? What were some of the key milestones/learning in this journey that you would like to share with us?
A. Reading about IIFMites every week is a treat as I am humbled by the fantastic work being done by many of my peers from IIFM. When we graduated in 1996, little did we know about the adventures that lay before us! I describe my journey as:
…कहाँ से चले, कहाँ के लिए, यह खबर नहीं थी मगर,
कोई भी सिरा, जहाँ जा मिला, वंही चल पड़े…
My first job upon graduating from IIFM was with Indian Tobacco Company (ITC) in Hyderabad. As a Marketing Trainee, I was placed in a cohort of MBA graduates from several renowned management schools. I was pleasantly surprised that my IIFM training had given me enough skills to excel in such a competitive environment. However, life took a sharp turn as the girl I wanted to marry (she was a fellow IIFMite) convinced me to ditch the corporate sector and join her in a field-based NGO in Udaipur. I did, and we married shortly after!
This was the mid-1990s and Udaipur was full of development walahs from IIFM, IRMA, TISS, XISS, etc. It was a fun place and work was always exciting. Day visits to remote villages were followed by animated discussions late into the night, accompanied by dal-chawal and endless cups of tea. In a few years, I led a team of more than 15 professionals in implementing rural development activities in more than 200 villages. It was very satisfying.
After spending seven years in the field, I felt like exploring the world, and what better way to apply for higher studies abroad (we had no money to travel any other way)! I was lucky to be selected as one of the six to receive a Shell Chevening Fellowship to study in the UK. I decided to do a master’s in resource management at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland. For my thesis, I studied a carbon forestry project in Mozambique, one of the world’s first major land-based carbon projects. Using forests to earn money by absorbing carbon emissions made sense with my IIFM background. Overall, it was a great experience, and when I topped the department the following year, I convinced myself to continue studying.
So I went to the US and completed a Ph.D. in environmental economics at Michigan State University. During my studies, I worked on several cool projects, including running conservation auctions with farmers in rural Tanzania and collaborating with Chicago Climate Exchange to study the feasibility of market-based mechanisms for carbon forestry in developing countries. One of the milestones I am proud of from that time is running the national carbon forestry program for United Nations World Agroforestry Centre in Vietnam.
My work from that time was avant-garde, as I was selected for several prestigious fellowships, including the Earth Postdoctoral Fellowship from Columbia University. Another was the newly launched Banting Fellowship, viewed as Canada’s highest award for postdoctoral work. Banting seemed the way to go, so I moved over to Canada. I first worked at University of Calgary’s Haskayne School of Business and later at University of Alberta’s Resource Economics and Environmental Sociology department. An exciting research from this time is my behavioral experiments in Vietnam which showed that people do not necessarily cheat when they can. This work has several implications for designing monitoring protocols in environmental management programs.
Anyways, I digress. By this time, an academic career was imminent, and I joined MacEwan University’s School of Business. The university is located in downtown Edmonton on a very urban campus, strikingly different from the very green IIFM. I often miss the feel of a pristine natural environment just seconds from my hostel or classroom at IIFM. It has been almost ten years since I joined MacEwan, and I have led some exciting projects during this time. I mainly teach business statistics, financial mathematics, and a senior-level course in corporate social responsibility. Since last year, I have also become the Department of Decision Sciences Chair. This means I get to interact with diverse academics working on several cool projects.
Q. What is the most satisfying part in your career?
A. I have been fortunate that large parts of my career have been very satisfying. However, there are two parts that I am very fond of. The years spent working in the field in Udaipur are still a source of joyful memories and colleagues that have since become lifelong friends. And here at the university, whenever a student excels, I feel immensely proud. Over the years, being awarded prestigious fellowships such as the Shell Chevening or the Banting has also been very satisfying. I realize now it’s time to give back to society somehow. So I try to work on research projects that I think will contribute positively.
Q. Has your learning at IIFM helped in shaping how you approach your professional roles?
A. I often think about the invisible bond among most IIFMites which is to do with the deep connection we all feel to the environment. Over the years, graduates from IIFM have excelled in varied fields, but they are still drawn to nature. Environment, sustainability, social well-being, and giving voice to subalterns are issues that concern most of us. I find these topics cropping up in every research project I do. One of the courses I love teaching is developing a sense of environmental stewardship among business students. All my academic programs after IIFM have been focused on environmental and development issues. So the two years at the institute have significantly impacted every aspect of my professional career.
Q. Who (or what) are the biggest influences or drivers in your career? What would be your advice to freshers and IIFM graduates who are looking to choose similar sectors/roles.
A. At IIFM, I was a big fan of Prof C.S. Rathore. Over the recent years, I have also followed Dr. Madhu Verma’s work quite closely. My batchmates from IIFM have also played an enormous role in shaping my career trajectory. Most of us have stayed faithful to the ‘green’ vows we took at IIFM as we work on environmental issues uniquely. Before coming to IIFM I completed my undergraduate in engineering. So few of my engineering batchmates work on anything close to ecological problems. But almost every IIFMite I know has continued to work in the environment in one way or another.
I cannot advise much to freshers and recent IIFM graduates. They are much more knowledgeable than we were at their age (or stage). I would only say that a million IIFMites are now spread worldwide, and most still bleed for the institute. Reach out to them and keep expanding the family!
Q. How did you decide to go for higher studies post IIFM? And how was the experience?
A. As I mentioned above, my primary motivation was to see the world. I had no money to travel overseas, so higher studies seemed the best route, and it worked! Over time, I also started to enjoy academic life and am now addicted to it. But, as I have discovered since then, higher studies are unnecessary after IIFM. Plenty of IIFMites have done exceptionally well with their PFM degrees. IIFM gives us enough skills to do well; we need more self-confidence (at least some of us).
Q. What are your favorite memories during your IIFM days?
A. Every day and every moment at IIFM was fun. The two years there now seem like a beautiful dream. It was so easy to make friends. I am still in contact with most of them, even after 25 years! When I arrived at IIFM, I was already accepted into a ‘regular MBA’ elsewhere. Since the PFM program started earlier than most others, I thought to let me go there for a few days, after which I will join this other MBA program. However, in a short time, I was emotionally bonded to IIFM, its beautiful campus, and the feeling that all of us were doing something different, something unique. When I left to join the other program in Chandigarh, my batchmates gave me such a heartfelt farewell that I returned the following week. After that, I never had any second thoughts about IIFM.
We were close in our batch (PFM 1994-96). We would be together most of the time, and on weekends would venture into the city for a delicious meal at ‘Bapu ki kutiya’, or for a stroll next to the lakes. Antakshari was a prominent feature of our evening routine, and there were many times when we would keep singing literally from dusk to dawn! The following day, we would take a dip in the stream behind the mess. All festivals and birthdays were celebrated with full gusto, and parties continued late into the night, with many of our batchmates becoming expert singers and dancers. Holi wasn’t complete without a ceremonial splash in the moat beside the hostel. There are a million memories from that time, each so dear to me that I can fill pages describing nostalgia that I still feel in telling them. The sun-soaked campus, on the top of a hill, amongst what seemed to us was pristine nature, and all this with people who became very dear…these were the best two years of my life!
Q. In hindsight, what was the biggest contribution (courses, faculty, library, friends, alumni.. Anything else!!) or take away from IIFM that you think played a critical role in shaping you as an individual or professional?
A. IIFM gave me a love for nature and a deep appreciation of the environment. Most decisions since then have been influenced by my experiences from that time. All my academic pursuits are directed toward the environment in one way or another, be it the choice of the programs I pursued or the career choices I have made since then. Another thing that I feel deeply about is that somehow IIFMites can escape the ubiquitous rat race that most management professionals face in their careers. Perhaps we are aware of our unique professions or appreciate something more profound than wasting ourselves on the hedonic treadmill. IIFMites, in general, are a happy lot. Many of us (including me) found our life partners there, which keeps us doubly grounded.
Looking back, I realize that the fieldwork stint with the forest department and two rounds of organizational training gave me valuable real-world experience. As a result, I found myself well-prepared for my professional career afterward. Since you mentioned the library, let me confess why I was interested in IIFM in the first place. When we were invited to the campus for interviews and group discussions as part of the admission process, I was mighty impressed by a beautiful library accessible by a lift. Which library in those days had a lift! I thought, wow, this looks like a well-endowed place, and I decided to try it.
Q. The best buddies / seniors /faculty at IIFM? Some memorable tidbits that you like to share?
A. I had (and continue to have) lots of buddies from IIFM. I am married to a fellow IIFMite. My roommate at IIFM is very close to me, and we still chat regularly. Our WhatsApp group is very active. Not a day goes by without someone poking others. Even today, I associate my batchmates with the hostel blocks they were in. Lantana boys, Silver fir crowd – each group has a distinct identity for me. I can call any of my batchmates any time and get into an animated debate without a care for what they would think. We got along very well with our seniors and juniors and still do. I was also very close to Prof C.S. Rathore, Dr. Madhu Verma, and Biswas Sir. Majumdar Sir, an IFS was dear to all of us. Just last month, a batchmate of mine sent us videos of the melodious ghazals that Majumdar Sir sang for him during their recent meeting.
Q. As an alumni, what’s your advice to freshers or those are joining IIFM to get best out of the 2 years there?
A. I would say have fun but also focus on your studies. You are going to pick valuable skills, and all of you are going to succeed. Keep pushing, and if you ever need someone to give you that extra support, reach out to the alums. Their hearts will always beat for IIFM no matter where they are or what they do.
Q. What is your typical day at the work? And how does it look like while you are on a break?
A. Now that I am the department chair, much of my time goes in addressing administrative issues. A typical day starts with a quick peek at my emails to see if any urgent matters need an immediate response. I commute using public transport, and I am proud of that because its not easy to wait for a bus or a train in sub-20 temperatures that are the norm here in winter. I usually have prescheduled meetings with other faculty members on academic and administrative issues in the office. For example, our business school recently received a grant of $125 million, and we are now actively looking to expand. I sit on all hiring committees in the department, and the same goes for all tenure and promotion decisions in our department. So, a lot of time goes into preparing for these meetings. I also teach every term and have ongoing research projects that keep me busy.
When on a break, I like to explore my surroundings and take it easy. A cup of coffee at a nearby cafe or a stroll in a park gives me a lot of joy.
Field research in western Rajasthan in 2022
Q. And how about weekends, hobbies, family and anything else you want to add?
A. I am an active meditator, and if there is a break during the week, I try to catch up on my practices during the weekend. My son plays ice hockey, and it’s my responsibility to take him around. Each game and its prep takes several hours, so much of my time goes into that. I also have friends in town who I hang out with – perhaps listen to some music together or share a delicious meal.
Q. Favorite Books, movies, authors?
A. I don’t get much time to read fiction these days though I still pick up a mystery now and then. Rather than a favorite author, I browse for topics that catch my attention. I am reading an anthropological account of the Yanomamo tribe these days (written by Napoleon Chagnon), after which I intend to read Eknath Easwaran’s translations of the Upanishads. Perhaps Nassim Taleb’s Incerto (collection of all five of his books) after that…
Q. IIFM is driven by alumni’s passion and commitments towards its goal. How would you like to contribute to IIFM or IIFM alumni, students? Your engagement with IIFM Placement or OT/SI?
A. I am available anytime to chat with IIFM students. A couple of years ago, Dr. Madhu Verma invited me to a guest lecture at the institute. I am also happy to give online classes or participate in brainstorming sessions. I am a member of a few different IIFM-linked WhatsApp where we regularly interact with former and current students.
Q. What do you think is different at IIFM now vs when you studied there?
A. There are more students in every batch, and I think there is even a Ph.D. program. Of course, there are many more buildings, but the essence of IIFM is still there. I also believe that the current students are quite active in networking with the alums, which is quite good.
Q. Any suggestions on who you want to get profiled/interviewed here?
A. I am trying to think who amongst my batchmates has not yet been featured…You will find both Sudin (PFM 1994-96), and Manas Ranjan (again PFM 1994-96) very insightful. As is ADP (sorry, I still do not know his full name after so many years but trust me, ADP will suffice). Another suggestion would be Kajoli Tankha (PFM 1995-97). Apologies if you have already covered any of them.