How an International MBA Student Became a Voice for Knauss in India

In early February, Aamir Munshi, PhD, stood at the University of San Diego booth at the QS India Summit, fielding questions from Indian university representatives about potential partnerships with the Knauss School of Business. The Mumbai-based educator, who earned his MBA in 2020, served as Dean Brian Tietje’s right-hand man at the conference as India undergoes what Aamir calls “an educational revolution.”

“I never thought six years after getting my MBA that I would be part of Knauss’ story,” Aamir reflects. But there he was, using his expertise in India’s education sector to help his alma mater explore opportunities in his home country. It was a full-circle moment that traced back to 2018, when Aamir first arrived in San Diego as an international MBA student.

A Close-Knit Community

Aamir joined Knauss’ full-time MBA cohort in fall 2018, pursuing a dual concentration in marketing and international business. Coming from Mumbai, where he was already teaching at local universities, he immediately noticed something different. 

“In India, the student-teacher ratio is much larger,” he explains. “But at Knauss, because of the smaller class sizes, I really got the opportunity to interact with all the faculty members, especially on a one-to-one basis.” 

But the highlight of Aamir’s MBA program was the international consulting projects. “I love traveling and I love studying, so this was the perfect combination,” he says. Over the course of his program, Aamir took advantage of opportunities to travel throughout Latin America–a region extremely far from India.

What made the experience truly life-changing, though, were the connections that outlasted the project. “We are friends still today,” Aamir says.

Faculty Who Shaped His Teaching

Beyond the international experiences, Aamir credits specific faculty members with shaping how he approaches his own work. During a summer consulting project with the Director of the Ahlers Center for International Business and Professors of International Business, Dr. Eileen Daspro, he analyzed a global market entry for Chosen Foods in South Korea.

“The frameworks I learned from Dr. Daspro–I carry these to my classroom today,” Aamir says. “It has helped me build my curriculum.”

Professor Craig Barkacs’s law and ethics class left an equally lasting impression. “His assessment tools I’ve imbibed ever since,” he says.

Even a digital marketing class led to unexpected opportunities. Working with the La Jolla Village Merchants Association on their social media, the client was so impressed that they invited Aamir to join their training panel for three consecutive years after graduation.

“This is not something that I would have gotten if I was not part of the program,” he says. 

Building on His Education

Today, Aamir works in his family’s export trade business in Mumbai, and teaches international business, ethics and strategy at Atlas SkillTech University, where his international business concentration from USD directly informs the work. 

“The pedagogy that is used by some of the professors–it’s just opened up a whole different toolbox,” he says.

This positioning at the intersection of Indian education and international business experience would prove valuable in ways Aamir couldn’t have anticipated.

The Request that Brought Him Back

When Dean Brian Tietje needed someone to support him at the QS India Summit, Knauss reached out to Aamir. “There’s nothing better than helping my alma mater grow if it is in my home country,” he says. “It’s a sector I love, I’m involved in, and experience every day. For me, it’s all green flags.” 

The QS India Summit brought together universities from around the world as India, the world’s most populous country, opens its doors to international education partnerships. Foreign universities are exploring everything from full campus setups to more modest collaborative programs.

For three and a half days, Aamir stood alongside Dean Tietje, meeting with Indian university representatives interested in potential collaborations. “An alum’s voice adds authentic perspective, which beats any form of marketing,” Aamir says. “USD is a small school in terms of its brand, and we need to get that brand out.”

The experience was deeply nostalgic. “Whether it was the on-campus activities, the networking events, the mixers, the panels hosted at the Joan B. Kroc School of Peace Studies–everything was like a flashback,” he says with a smile.

Between panel discussions and booth duty, Aamir shared his insights about India’s education landscape with Dean Tietje, recommending lower-cost collaborations to minimize risk while advising to move quickly. “India is running,” he told the dean. “You can take time, but you can’t be slow because someone else will come and grab it.”

Show Up and Speak Up

Aamir’s advice to current students is twofold. “Take any opportunity that’s coming your way, whether that’s networking or an unpaid consulting gig,” and, “ask the questions that no one is willing to ask.”

His own journey proves the power of simply showing up. “Make the most of the connections and friends that you find,” he says. “The sky’s the limit.”

 

– Katie Payne