The Tata-Dhan Academy was created as a Centre of Excellence in Development Management Education in December 2000 by the DHAN Foundation in partnership with the Sir Ratan Tata Trust. The Academy’s focus is on its two-year Programme in Development Management (PDM) during which students learn to become development professionals and development entrepreneurs. After completing the programme, students possess a multi-disciplinary set of skills relevant to the development context.
In addition to the PDM, the Academy also offers short Development Management Programmes (DMP) to improve the skills of current practitioners and other development players. These programmes—covering areas such as microfinance, micro insurance, and leadership education—also aim to professionalize NGO operations and those of the development sector in general, ultimately improving efficiency and effectiveness. To facilitate relevant practical learning, the Academy emphasizes building upon the knowledge gained by these groups from their firsthand experiences. The Academy also strongly promotes practitioners as teachers, experiential learning, and knowledge-building through a structured action-reflection-action process. The DMP’s goal is to develop high-quality techno-managerial competencies supported by appropriate motivations, values, and attitudes necessary for working with people—the disadvantaged in particular—while “building people’s organizations to build people”.
Vision
The Tata-Dhan Academy aims at becoming a Centre of Excellence in development management education, training, and research.
Mission
- Induct and groom young graduates as development professionals
- Build the capacity of practitioners in the development sector
- Build and enable a world of knowledge and practice through action-reflection and by adapting global knowledge
