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Showcasing technical Prowess ; IIT-Roorkee hosted Cognizance, a three-day tech extravaganza where science and entertainment came together under one... [India Today](India Today Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Showcasing technical Prowess ; IIT-Roorkee hosted Cognizance, a three-day tech extravaganza where science and entertainment came together under one roof. For three days, from March 21 to 23, 2014 the sprawling campus of iit Roorkee transformed into a tech haven when the prestigious institute hosted its annual - and one of India's biggest technology festivals - Cognizance. This was the twelfth edition of the fest and in a bid to encourage innovation, the theme this year was 'Imagineering Change'. Cognizance witnessed over 20,000 participants from all over the world who were involved in over 180 events which were held both on-campus and online. Placing emphasis on the educational, cultural and financial impact of science and technology in our day-to-day lives, the fest saw a host of interactive demonstrations, hands-on activities and lectures by well-known speakers from the field of science and technology. Popular events at the fest included Armageddon- the ultimate battleground of robots, Aeronave where engineers and aero designers put their technical skills to a test, Silence Calling which focused on game development and Finesse which saw students discussing how to develop a business strategy for nurturing rural- centric occupations. "This year's Cognizance provided a glimpse of the future of technology and made an attempt to reduce the gap between researchers and engineers. Students also got an opportunity to acquire new ideas, develop their skills, create networks and interact with some of the world's great minds,? says Pradipta Banerji, director, iit Roorkee. The festival hosted several guest speakers from India and abroad, including Alberto Levy, an internationally renowned technology advisor who shared experiences from his professional career with students and Ravi Sandhu, executive director, Institute for Cyber Security, the University of Texas at San Antonio who threw some light on the methods for protecting the privacy, integrity and functionality of computer and communication systems. But it wasn't all work and no play at Congnizance. There was plenty of entertainment in store for students and guests in the form of an electronic dance music night hosted in association with Sunburn Campus, speed painting by Vilas Nayak, winner of India's Got Talent Season 3, and Hula B Boys, winners of another reality show Entertainment Ke Liye Kuch Bhi Karega. Taking Social Responsibilty Tech organisation SAP announces a multi-crore contribution to the HOPE Foundation. In a Corporate Social Responsibility (csr) initiative, application software enterprise SAP has pledged a donation of technology and integration support to HOPE Foundation India. SAP has donated Rs 3,567,500 to HOPE for integrating the SAP Business One technology. SAP will also provide additional support like customisation and training and generating benefits to volunteers, beneficiaries, partners and employees. HOPE Foundation has been a philanthropy partner of SAP India since 2000. In the first stage of the project, HOPE Foundation will utilise the core financial functionality of the SAP Business One solution which aims at enabling them to have greater transparency into their source of funding as well as streamlining regular reporting. The Foundation will be able to better organise day-to-day processes, analyse socio-economic data, manage the donor database better , and improve community programmes, financials and provide transparency to stakeholders. "Sharing our technology with HOPE Foundation embodies our company's mission to empower organisations to run better and improve people's lives,? says Anirban Dey, managing director, SAP Labs India. "We are fully committed to the success of our long-time partner and are proud to play a part in creating social impact and helping HOPE Foundation reach more people in need.? Stepping stones to success The Oberoi Group has opened online applications for its Systematic Training and Education Programme (step). Admissions are open until April 13, 2014. The step programme was launched in 2004 with the aim of providing training tools for young aspirants looking towards a career in hospitality. step trainees are also enrolled for the Bachelor's Degree in Tourism Studies from ignou. The unique feature of step is that it is free for students. "The students are instead provided a monthly allowance, accommodation, meals on duty, a uniform and medical insurance,? explains Mohit Nirula, dean, the Oberoi Centre of Learning and Development. Upon graduation step trainees are eligible to join The Oberoi Group through the Oberoi Central Employment Register as an Operations Assistant. "In addition, step trainees can also apply to be considered for the two-year post graduate management programmes at The Oberoi Centre of Learning and Development,? says Nirula.The course commences in August 2014. Taking a closer look NIIT University launches a new forum to improve our understanding of Asia. By Mridu Rai With the objective of sensitising the young generation about the rich and diverse legacy of Asia, NIIT University (nu) has launched a unique initiative called the Asian Lens Forum. "As Asians, this forum looks at renewing a sense of identity within us. It seeks to provide a direction and a vision towards a better Asia,? explains Rajendra. S. Pawar, chairman, NIIT and founder, NIIT University. The Asian Lens Forum will act as a platform for faculty members as well as students of nu to undertake research about challenges, achievements and roles of Asian societies in the globalised world. Explaining the need for such a forum, Pawar says that the history of colonisation in the continent resulted in "Asians having an understanding of themselves from the prism of western writers, historians and thinkers.? He adds that, "the Asian civilisation was severely damaged, if not completely beset by Western imperialism. This dominance extended to every arena whether it's our economic, social or cultural life.? While agreeing that in the new century, Asian countries are witnessing a major growth that allows them to stand head to head with the Western world, Pawar also says that our understanding of Asian societies is dominated by Western worldview. "Notwithstanding the significant development (of Asia), there continues to be a major dependence on the Western lens for Asians to study their individual societies. This will prevent a true contextual understanding of Asian realities? says Pawar. This exploratory exercise promotes the exchange of ideas and learning, laying the foundation for a platform that provides rich cultural, intellectual and scientific pickings for future generations of Asians and one from which even non-Asians can profit. Discussing emerging India Management Development Institute (mdi), Gurgaon, recently conducted a global conference on the theme of 'Managing in Recovering Markets'. This was first of the four conferences planned by mdi in the next three years. The key speakers at the conferences were P. Balaji, md, Nokia India, S.N. Gupta, ex-principal advisor trai and Dr S. Yamamoto of Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University, Japan. The topics of discussion included csr, Emerging Economy and Human Resource Management, Organisational Behavior, Strategic Marketing and Brand Management among others. "Until a few years ago, emerging markets were termed as a black box, this notion is no longer prevalent. People have more specific views on these markets today and believe that India is rising ahead amongst the bric nations. This is a great platform which will eventually help students to address problems in the current economic scenario and in return, challenge economists and scholars to find a resolution to these issues,? said Abheek Baruah, Chief Economist hdfc Bankat the conference. Taking centre stage Students of St Stephen's College perform a one act play at the Doon School, Dehradun. Two elite educational institutions of the country had a cultural exchange of sorts when St Stephen's College, Delhi performed a play at the Doon School, Dehradun recently. The play was put up at the request of Shrey Nagalia, who is the master-in-charge of dramatics at the Doon School. The young boys at Doon, or Doscos as they are called, seemed to love every bit of the action with some, perhaps, also watching with dreams of attending the prestigious college in the near future. The one act play staged was The Dumb Waiter written by British Nobel laureate Harold Pinter in 1957 and said to be influenced by Samuel Beckett's masterpiece Waiting For Godot. It is set in a small basement room somewhere in England and the play revolves around two hit-men, Ben and Gus who have been given orders to wait in the room for their next assignment.The stagnant and almost claustrophobic ambience of the play leads to the junior partner Gus constantly trying to break the overwhelming monotony of the situation. However Ben, the senior partner, is more keen on maintaining the current status quo and is often seen to lose his temper as a result of Gus' constant and nagging small talk. The cast from St Stephen's included Nidhaanjit Jain as Ben and Ajit Deshpande as Gus. The direction was done by Ankit Sharma and John Koshy. The Dumb Waiter play was also the inspiration behind the popular 2008 British black comedy film In Bruges which stars Colin Farrell, Brendon Glesson and Ralph Fiennes Staging plays is one of many extra-curricular activities that Doscos participate in. Photography, aeromodelling, music and carpentry are a few of the other activities that are on offer. New Zealand welcomes international students One of New Zealand's largest universities, Massey University has announced that it will now be delivering international education under a new banner of Massey University Worldwide. With the new brand, Massey University looks to expand its delivery of offshore education to international students. A $150,000 funding has been provided by Education New Zealand to support this initiative. Some of the programmes availaible under the new initiative include agriculture, business studies, emergency management and design. The university will further develop online programmes to align with international student's current requirements, making use of emerging technology and delivery platforms such as Massive Open Online Courses (moocs), as well as working with New Zealand businesses based offshore to build capability, and to bid for more internationally funded research. Massey University's existing distance learning and transnational activities include partnering with the Singapore government on food technology training, delivering postgraduate programmes for the Royal Brunei Armed Forces, and a blended programme for South Asian veterinarians and public health professionals. "Massey University Worldwide expands our teaching and research activity internationally helping to secure tertiary education as a major export earner for New Zealand," says Steve Maharey, vice- chancellor, Massey University. Learning from the best The Edutainment Show 2014 will highlight careers in the field of media and entertainment. By Mridu Rai The second edition of The Edutainment Show- India's largest educational exhibition and summit in the field of media, communication and design will be hosted this month at JW Marriott Hotel Mumbai for two days on April 26 and 27. Students aspiring towards a career in these fields will have an opportunity to broaden their perspectives by meeting industry professionals. Being one of the fastest growing sectors, careers in the media and entertainment are some of the most sought after today. With the Edutainment Show, the organisers look at bringing students and professionals together under one roof to helping them engage and network. "The Edutainment Show is a vibrant hub which provides a platform for students and education service providers who can converge and create value in this dynamic industry,? says Deepak Choudhary, director and CEO, Event Capital, who spearheaded this event. The previous year's show witnessed thousands of students attending the show to explore viable careers in the creative industry. The key speakers in the first edition of The Edutainment Show were Shane and Falguni Peacock (fashion designers), Gaurav Seth (Sony Entertainment), Chhaya Momaya (lifestyle expert) and Arunachalam Muruganantham (CEO, Jayashree Industries). This year the speakers include Neeta Lulla,fashion designer and dean, Whistling Woods Neeta Lulla School of Fashion, Jaideep Singh of Viacom18, Roshan Abbas, actor and Kanchan Kaur, dean Indian Institute of Journalism and New Media, Bangalore. "Our speakers will conduct interactive sessions, highlight career prospects in their respective fields and share real life experiences with aspiring students," says Choudhary who also informs that there is no registration fee for the event. So for those looking to make it big in the entertainment world, this could just be the right place to make a start. Online courses Paying heed to the increasing popularity of Massive Open Online Courses (moocs) in the education sector, Loughborough University, UK has launched its own mooc in Innovation and Enterprise and in Mathematics. This allows free and accessible education opportunities for students across the globe. The courses are being offered as part of FutureLearn which is the first UK-led provider of massive open online courses. The mooc Innovation and Enterprise led by by Loughborough's School of Business and Economics will focus on helping students convert innovative ideas into real life projects. It will describe the way innovation pathways work from the creation of new ideas to their selection and implementation. The course starts from April14. It will be taught for three hours per week. The Maths mooc has been designed for aspiring engineers and scientists to encourage them to think mathematically and explore essential concepts through an accessible introduction to graphical and algebraic techniques. This course starts from April 28 and will be conducted for two hours a week. Those interested in these courses can register themselves at www. futurelearn.com A flying start Airbus to sponsor India's first executive general management programme in aerospace and aviation. By Sonali Acharjee The Indian Institute of Management Bangalore (IIMB) and Toulouse Business School have signed an agreement to set up India's first Executive General Management Programme in Aerospace and Aviation Management. As part of its commitment to develop aerospace management education in India, Airbus will be sponsoring this two year part-time degree programme. This first-of-its-kind Aerospace MBA will be conducted by Toulouse Business School, whose own established and respected Aerospace MBA course has a strong business focus. Each year up to 75 students will be enrolled in the course. "India is one of the fastest developing countries in the aviation market and is also one of the richest talent pools for the next generation of business leaders and we want the best to enter the exciting world of aviation,? said Dr.Dwarkanath Srinivasan, CEO of Airbus India. "With more passengers flying each year in India, there is an increasing need for expertise in aviation business.? The partnership has been established to address the need to develop the next generation of India aviation professionals. Jacques Igalens, dean of Toulouse Business School says, "With the constantly evolving aviation landscape, the aviation industry needs world class leaders to anticipate trends and provide innovative solutions in today's fast changing and uncertain globalised markets. This programme truly aims at answering this need."We are delighted we'll be offering the first Executive General Management Programme in Aerospace and Aviation Management in India and to be supported by world leaders Airbus and the Toulouse Business School. The students will also have the option of earning an Aerospace MBA degree from Toulouse Business School. We strongly feel that this will give the right skills and the best possible training for our next generation of aviation sector business leaders," adds Devanath Tirupati, director in charge, IIM Bangalore ISB students invited to meet Bill Clinton The Healthcare Challenge set by Bill Clinton, president of the Clinton Global Initiative to tackle Non-communicable Diseases in urban slums, in association with the Hult Prize, is the largest student competition in the world. Over 11,000 teams from more than 300 global universities participated in the competition this year. After a rigorous screening 170 teams were invited to the regional finals held in 6 cities - London, Dubai, Sao Paulo, Boston, Shanghai and San Francisco simultaneously. Healthcare leaders, public policy experts and global business leaders further narrowed the field to six teams, one representing each city which will move onto the global finals. The ISB team, comprising of five students, wowed the jury at Sao Paulo, with their keen understanding of business, healthcare and technology. This is the first time an Indian team has entered the finals in the Hult Prize 2014 competition. The other six finalist teams are from France, Spain, USA and Canada. All the teams will go through an accelerator programme that provides mentorship and support with up to 7 weeks of stay in Boston. The teams will make their pitch at Clinton Global Initiative's annual dinner hosted by former US President Bill Clinton at New York in September 2014. The winner will receive a seed capital of $1 million towards a social enterprise. (c) 2014 ProQuest Information and Learning Company; All Rights Reserved. |