The students of Siksha ‘O’ Anusandhan (SOA) University got a chance to meet ace sprinter Dutee Chand, the fastest Indian woman, last week at a felicitation ceremony. The function was organised by the varsity to honour her for her achievements at the 55th National Open Athletics Championship held in Calcutta, where she bagged three gold medals in 100, 200 and 4x100 metres. 

The varsity presented her a cheque of Rs 50,000 and a memento. The vice-chancellor of the varsity, Amit Banerjee, announced that they would develop a sports drink for the nourishment of athletes. The drink, to be named after Dutee, will be a combination of vitamins and nutrients extracted from natural sources. Researchers at the medical and pharmaceutical colleges of the varsity will work towards manufacturing the drink. Dutee spoke on various issues ranging from her experiences in life and the trends in athletics. 

Finance conclave

The KIIT School of Management (KSOM) under KIIT University organised its 6th National Finance Conclave on September 26. The conclave’s theme was “Financing the growth of India - the roadmap for the next decade.” It aimed at acting as a bridge between the industry, management students and the academia. The conclave saw participation from corporate honchos, academicians and students from various B-Schools across India. A number of panel discussions were held following which students interacted with experts such as CFO and president (finance) of TVS Srichakra Limited K.P. Rangaraj, senior vice-president of Peerless Funds Management Rohit Kumar Chawda and general manager of Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) Biranchi Narayan Sahoo. The students discussed issues like the creation and circulation of wealth for economic sustainability and infrastructure, the differences between private and public investments and the importance of ethics and transparency in business. 

Sports meet

A number of sporting events were conducted at the Xavier Institute of Management Bhubaneswar (XIM-B) on September 26 and 27. The event, titled Colosseum, witnessed students of various institutes as well as corporate houses such as Infosys Limited and Tech Mahindra battling it out in several categories with great enthusiasm. While Infosys bagged the winners’ trophy for cricket, football and basketball, Tech Mahindra won the tennis event. XIM-B was declared the winner in table tennis and badminton. The event was organised by the sports committee of the institute. The institute promotes industry and corporate interface and Colosseum 2015 bears ample testimony to this endeavour. For the students, the event was an opportunity to interact and enhance cordial relations with the business houses.

Symposium 

The students of the department of chemical engineering at National Institute of Technology Rourkela conducted an international symposium on the management of solid waste from industries and rural and urban settlements. The issues and challenges relating to waste were also discussed at the two-day meet that was held last week. Around 100 students took part in the symposium along with waste management experts from universities all across the world. The students talked about how solid waste production in this country is growing in volume and toxicity every passing day and its eventual impact on public health as well as the environment. The students also discussed the numerous solid waste facilities in foreign countries and how they could be actually implemented in the state of Odisha.

Pedal on 

Students of various colleges in Bhubaneswar celebrated World Car Free Day recently. The students cycled to their colleges and other places with an aim to encourage people to be less dependent on their cars and try out other alternatives. They belonged to We All Ride Bicycle group, which had been promoting cycling and walking as an alternative mode of travel. The members distributed placards with messages to promote the importance of the day. Meeting people at various traffic squares, they tried to convince them to switch to eco-friendly modes of transport. They rode in groups to gather people’s attention and explained the various health benefits of cycling. 

Nuakhai celebrations

The students of Sambalpur University celebrated Nuakhai at the Biju Patnaik auditorium last week. The students organised several cultural programmes during the occasion. Donning colourful attires, they grooved to a number of Sambalpuri songs. Popular folk songs of western Odisha were also played. The students from various departments of the varsity got an opportunity to know each other and exchanged goodwill messages. They also adorned themselves with the traditional Sambalpuri attires and danced to foot-tapping numbers. Students also requested Rohit Pujari, the deputy chief whip of the ruling BJD, to renovate the auditorium.

Cultural exchange

A cultural exchange programme was held where students of KIIT University interacted with around 25 international students from 15 countries of Europe, Africa and the Americas on September 27. The event that was held on the KIIT campus, witnessed students showcasing their cultures along with trying their hands at learning the art forms from each other. The international participants performed a Scottish dance and also grooved to the hit song Jai Ho. The Indian students performed bhangra and portrayed the culture of the country through a fashion show. Two rock bands also performed at the event. It was also an occasion for the students to make new friends. It was organised by Master Peace India to promote intermingling of cultures across the borders.

HR challenges

The students of Asian School of Business Management (ASBM) discussed the evolving nature of human resource jobs and the challenges HR professionals face at a conclave held in the institute earlier this week. Organised on the theme “Value HR: Concept to Practice,” the conclave witnessed students taking opinions from senior HR professionals about the challenges and problems in their respective fields. The professionals spoke about managerial skills and on how to keep a balance between work and personal life. The ASBM’s Journal of Management was also released at the conclave.