While being extremely popular in the US, such short courses do not enjoy similar acceptability and patronage in India. However, the Wharton School courses might change all that.

Come January 1999, Calcutta will be the venue for the first of such workshops. Edward Bergman, a member of the Wharton School faculty will be here to conduct the four day workshop on Negotiation and Dispute Resolution in Business.

Taking up the venture on a profit making basis is Surbhit Dabriwala, an alumni of the University of Pennsylvania and also a student of Edward Bergman. "It is one of the best aspects of studying in the US. While studying English history and literature I could take up classes on Negotiation and Dispute Resolution," he said.

The workshop will cover various techniques like tripartite, integrated, and distributive bargaining. Dabriwala says "theworkshops will give Indian corporates a feel of the business strategies being worked out at the Wharton School."

Dabriwala has been asked to serve on the prestigious Secondary School Alumni Committee for University of Pennsylvania, in Calcutta. He is one of the four members on the committee in Calcutta.

As a member of the Saraogi Foundation, Dabriwala is involved in popularising the university as a destination for USA-bound students from India. The foundation, started by Dabriwala's grandfather, is sponsoring the information seminars to be conducted by the university, in Calcutta in the near future.

Speaking about the Wharton School workshops, Dabriwala said "These will be short courses with a target audience comprising of the corporate sector and the professionals. We are looking at having 100 participants for each workshop."

In fact the courses will be marketed to a much larger group of people. Dabriwala says "Students of management, solicitors, lawyers, businessmen and just about anybody involvedin business may be interested in this workshop and we are open to all of them."

Speaking about the Wharton School, Dabriwala says "The organisation is pretty open where the professors run their own show. The presence of the administration is something almost intangible."

"All the professors are renowned professionals in their own field and they conduct the business programmes according to their own schedule," he adds. Professor Bergman, aged around 55, himself is a professional mediator and dispute resolver of considerable repute in corporate America, says Dabriwala.

Many things about the workshop to be held in January is yet to be finalised. Among which are things like venue and the banner under which the workshop will be held. The Saraogi foundation, though cooperating with the University of Pennsylvania on other matters will not be involved with this project. There are possibilities that tie-ups with some Indian business-school may be reached and the workshop may be held under their banner.

WhileDabriwala looks at it as a possible revenue earner, he is apparently driven by his zeal to bring the University of Pennsylvania, where he did his graduation, over to Calcutta, his home city.

It may be mentioned here that the Wharton Award of the University of Pennsylvania was given to Dhirubhai Ambani this year and there are talks on for the setting up of a Business School, under the Pennsylvania University in Hyderabad. The starting of the short business workshops might open new dimensions of cooperation between the university and India.