AUEB and the Indian Council of Cultural Relations have jointly established an 'Annual Rotating Chair' in the field of Innovation and Entrepreneurship. Prof. K. Kumar has been nominated as the Visiting Chair Professor for 2010.

The Indian Council of Cultural Relations (ICCR), in agreement with Athens University of Economics and Business (AUEB), has established an 'Annual Short-Term Rotating Chair' in the field of Innovation and Entrepreneurship. Prof.

K. Kumar, Professor of Entrepreneurship at the Indian Institute of Management Bangalore, has been nominated as the first Visiting ICCR short term Chair Professor of

Innovation and Entrepreneurship at AUEB for the year 2010. He will be at AUEB for the period March to May, 2010.

K. Kumar is a Professor of Entrepreneurship and Chairperson of the N.S. Raghavan Center for Entrepreneurial Learning (NSRCEL) at the

Indian Institute of Management Bangalore (IIMB). Kumar had also earlier served as a Visiting Faculty in the area of Corporate Strategy and Policy at IIMB. As Chairperson of NSRCEL, Kumar is

responsible for directing its research, teaching and training activities, besides running a business incubation center. Kumar's research interests are in the areas of entrepreneurial strategies and high growth entrepreneurship in emerging economies.

Prof. Kumar joined IIMB in 2001 after sixteen years of experience in the industry, having held positions as CEO and President (Trigent Software), Management Consultant (Tata Consultancy Services), Product Manager (Computer Point) and Marketing

Officer (Crompton Greaves). Kumar had also successfully co-promoted two entrepreneurial ventures in consumer products and techno-commercial services respectively during his career in the industry.

Kumar holds a Bachelor's degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from Madurai University, and a Post Graduate Diploma in Management (MBA) from IIMB.  Kumar is also a Fellow of IIMB (equivalent of a Ph.D), with specialization in Corporate

Strategy. 

The Indian Institute of Management Bangalore (IIMB) is a centre of excellence in management, recognized as one of the top 100 management schools in the world, with international standards of post-graduate and doctoral level teaching, executive

education for senior and middle management, research and consulting. Set up in 1973 at Bangalore, the hub of the IT industry in India, the sprawling 100-acre campus is a green oasis situated in south Bangalore, with excellent infrastructure, including

the latest Information and Communication Technology and extensive library. The Institute's proximity to some of the leading corporate houses in the country gives the added advantage of integrating classroom knowledge with practical experience. It

enjoys tremendous reputation while its alumni are the leaders and CEOs of Indian corporations, and its faculty are the most respected ones in India and among the most prominent ones in Asia. The school features regular columns in international

financial press such as the WSJ.

While at AUEB, Prof. Kumar will offer a graduate course and an executive seminar on Corporate Entrepreneurship, and will also give a number of lectures in other courses in the areas of Strategy, Entrepreneurship, and Innovation. He will also

collaborate closely with faculty of AUEB on research issues, and will work with the leadership of AUEB on enhancing the presence and services offered by the University in the area of Entrepreneurship.

Given the importance of India in the global economy and the current deep crisis in Greece, the presence of Prof. Kumar offers a unique opportunity to students and faculty of AUEB, to develop a better understanding and knowledge about the

emerging, highly dynamic and innovative Indian business landscape, and how this is helping transform the economy.