Football Fever- PGP vs Exchange Students

Well, a football match between India and France is not very likely to happen for a long time to come. We at IRC though could arrange a match on similar lines between PGP students of XIMB and the exchange students. The match was as entertaining as it could get with an impressive 5-5 scoreline and some amazing football.

There were some excellent performances from the exchange students. Melik, Thomas, Martin Sellier and Martin were impressive on the day. From the in-house team,Sameer, Satya, Rajesh and Pankaj stole the show. The game had all the ingredients one would expect in an engaging and competitive top class football game. Though the players from both the teams were very good pals off the field, all it mattered on the field was a win and the commitment showed.

Apart from the parties and daily football at XIMB, matches like these will be memorable in many ways and this was no different. One had to be there to feel the heat of the match. At the end of the day everyone was satisfied with the scoreline and voiced the same opinion that we need to have more of these matches. Team IRC will ensure that XIMB will witness more such football in the future.

International Experience at XIMB

Set in the heart of the city of Bhubaneswar is the campus of Xavier Institute of Management, which is a big sprawling campus complete with lush greenery and picturesque surroundings. It is the seat of knowledge and learning and is a wonderful experience to be part of. The student, the faculty, the staff all live within the campus as part of one large family.

XIMB provides to the students under the international student exchange programme, an excellent opportunity to interact and gain knowledge from the learned and experienced faculty who are willing to reach out to students not only in academic but in personal matters as well.

These students, who are a part of this incredible journey; live, learn and enjoy in this campus. It is like a ‘home away from home’ for them. Within a few days of stay, the students managed to pick up the Indian word ‘Namaste’ and promptly use it with anybody when approached !!!

Binsamou Christopher, a French student from IESEG, France, doing the fourth term of PG diploma in management (PGDM) at XIMB said to Expressbuzz, “Though I have a bachelor’s degree in finance and audit from France, the subjects offered here are pretty varied and interesting. Strategic management, accounting, business to business marketing, project management and IT strategy are some of the topics I had not studied earlier. The scope of learning here is vast and the approach is more practical”. Students get to do short term projects as part of their PGDM course with companies like Britannia and Apollo Hospital which definitely adds to the practical aspect of learning. (Article dated 23/08/2010 http://expressbuzz.com/education/namaste-is-the-only-hindi-word-he-knows/199687.html).

But life here is not all about studying. The motto goes “Study hard, Party Harder”. The oh-so-famous JLTs (Just Like That Parties) and Block Parties and not to forget the awesome parties thrown by the International Relations Committee (IRC) are the life blood of the student community here. Starting late at nights and continuing till the wee hours of the morning, gets students to chill out together and forget all academic pressures.

XIM efficiently offers a little bit for everybody. Sports fanatics turn joyous by the variety of sporting facilities available here. Be it football, basketball, tennis or indoor games like table tennis and badminton; numerous matches are organised with great fanfare where everyone participates either by playing in the match or cheering for the game as the audience.

Cultural enthusiasts also get their share by the large number of events and occasions like ‘Parichay’, ‘Sambandh’, etc. which are organized at frequent intervals in XIMB. French students have taken great delight in being a part of such programmes and have thoroughly enjoyed their roles.

The experience goes beyond the campus with a lot of beautiful places to visit and fun places to hang-out in and around Bhubaneswar. Come weekends and hangout places like Mayfair, Pal Heights, TDS throng with the XIMB student masses. Trips to Puri and Konark, visiting the ancient temples, beaches and sceneries have been one of the major highlights of their stay here. Not only that, there are loads of beautiful tourist places in India and the students have made full use of this opportunity to visit places like Goa, Andaman Islands, Kerala and enjoyed a lot.

“Learning the lifestyle and culture of this place adds another dimension to our knowledge.” As a parting note, Martin, another exchange student, says “XIMB is one of the best B schools of India. The members of IRC are very warm and welcoming and made our stay here really worthwhile. I made a lot of great friends here and I am glad to have come here and to be a part of XIMB.”

Feedback about XIMB from Exchange students

"What is it like for the exchange students to come here to XIMB for a term of three months?". We at IRC want everyone to hear it from the students themselves and here we are with a feedback video. We enjoyed every moment with them and are really happy to know that they had a great time too!

The students went around India and visited tourist hotspots like Goa, Cochin, Madurai etc., and very recently, a trip to Darjeeling. They started loving the Indian cuisine which is very diversified across different parts of the country.

They had words of praise for IRC members as well. They enjoyed the periodic parties and football matches we organized for them apart from the JLT (Just Like That) parties of XIMB.

We feel pleased and honoured that they described XIMB in one word as "family". They also sang a French song and dedicated it to XIMB. Watch the video for the song and much more.

Waka Waka at XIMB

The fever of football might have dampened elsewhere after the curtains went down in South Africa but not at Xavier Institute of Management, Bhubaneswar. It was evident by the intensity of the football match which was played between the teams representing 1st year and 2nd year MBA students on 31st July, 2010.



The time was 5:30pm and the venue was the football ground at XIMB.

-->Both teams entered the field amongst loud cheer from their respective supporters and with the blow of the whistle, the clock started ticking. It was evident right from the kickoff that it will be an attacking game.Forwards of both the teams kept trying hard to break the defense os opposition but PGP2 was the first to do so and the goal came in the form of a clean strike from Satya. PGP-1 bounced back and equalized within a minute with a delicate touch by Sourav. The match apeared to be in perfect balance with both the sides pushing to their edges. PGP-2 once again took the lead with a strike by Sameer and just before half-time they doubled their lead with the help of a penalty scored by Gladson. The half time scorecard read 3-1 in favour of PGP-2.

With the start of 2nd half PGP-1 showed that they were not going to fall back that easily and they reduced the margin by a goal from Gokul. PG-2 once again got their 2-goal lead , this time from a own goal by Deepak. Binayak then finished beautifully for PGP-2 and the match was pretty much decided at 5-2. PGP-1 tried hard to fight back and were able to score one in the dying moments- goal scored by Mani. It was too late and the match ended 5-3 in favour of PGP-2.

The whole match was pretty intense and there was great display of skills and competitiveness. If it has to be described in two words: "Total Football".

Meet the members

CORE COMMITTEE

He is unstoppable wherever he goes. He is quick, agile and smart; He is the guy who leads from the front. Thanks to his sporting genes Gladson John Vinod is an impeccable planner charting out different courses of action and delegating them well. His superb co-ordination skills enable IRC to function as a leaderless self motivated team. He is always looking for innovative ways to make the exchange student’s journey of learning and fun one of the most enriching experiences for them. He is the lynchpin of the team who leaves no stone unturned to take team IRC to new heights.




This happy go lucky girl is the epitome of the best fusion between work and fun. Her charming persona would capture your eternal thoughts and a few conversations with her would leave you wondering if god gifted her 30 hours a day. Shalini is equipped with unmatched team management skills manages to turn every work entrusted to her into a gem, a masterpiece. She along with others exemplified the IRC brochure and was also the mastermind behind the uber cool French Nite parties hosted in campus for our exchange students. She is a dynamic team player with a humorous sense of humour.

Fun, frolic and entertainment.. An integral part of “MiSaKh”, Agent 2, sadly without the license to kill, is the one who knows how to manage the “finances” well. All our hopes of having a party filled year lies on the hand of Soumendu who would be handling the finances of our team. Being focussed, down to earth and smart is what differentiates this gem of IRC. A writer of international stature Soumendu always cracks up at unexpected moments which make it fun working with him. Having a let’s-see-what-will-happen attitude easily makes him the coolest one!!

The fin-bond and the perfect brand ambassador of the Lady Sri Ram College is the quiet one who manages everything from the back-end making her the dependable one. Having found the perfect “one” this talented lady of ours, Rajshree, has also been the backbone of many group projects and provided interesting insights to some of the not-so-good imparters of the education. Attention-to-detail and tinsel town like attitude is what marks her identity and was very much evident in the newsletters of which she was an integral part.

This reclusive little lady has a carefree walk whenever you see her but once entrusted with responsibilities she adorns herself with unbeatable strength, courage and towers above the rest. This fun loving and multi talented girl can handle all kinds of responsibilities and is blessed with varied skills. Subhra along with others has been the anchor towards various initiatives like IRC’s newsletter. She was also an integral part of the process initiation for new exchange partners program.




This chick of ours is the one who looks dead serious and seems that she would not pay any heeds to anything even remotely related to “FUN”.. But that s just the first look!!! But really Madhulika is funny and enjoys what she does. It’s her slapstick wittiness that makes all the boring things fun and happening!!! Believe it or not, she’s actually the one who made the interview process interesting and a moment for us to remember throughout. Her diligent and hardworking attitude is what is keeping us hopeful about the start of the exchange program for RM. Glad that we could work together.

SHADOW COMMITTEE

Param in English means ultimate, profound and supreme which is just this Param is. When he is involved you can expect the work to be finished much before deadline. He is so full of energy and he is the live example of "Work Hard and Party Harder" and "One Man Army". At the same time he is a friendly person, you can call him at any weird time and he will be on his way to help and you need not call him for a party; he is sure to reach there first. Any team would be lucky to have him in the force.





Amit gives the first impression of a serious and focussed student. One would get to know him better by befriending him. A person with an uncanny sense of humour, who passionately reproduces the dialogues of Hindi Movies .He is spirited (open to interpretation) and keeps everyone in high spirits. He is a techie with a managerial aptitude- a complete package. A great team player and has his own style of doing things .In short: a versatile and a down to earth person.




Blessed with a sweet smile and compassionate heart Sukanya carves out an exclusive place in everyone’s life. With her ardour she is a darling in every group. Ever smiling smart lady whose smile enthrals you, whose lively talk mesmerizes you, and someone who won’t let you go until you give an ear to what she’s saying. Time just flies away when she’s around.





Shruti is the right mix of intelligence and fun. She is one of the youngest in the batch and one of the liveliest as well. She is one of those few girls who is overtly proud about her hometown. You can notice the excitement in her tone when talking about Delhi. With a commerce background she has a keen interest in Finance domain and will surely scale great heights in whichever field she enters.






Sudheer is a true worker bee; diligent, hardworking and thoughtful. He is one of the biggest football freaks one would meet and his passion and pride in his Telugu identity clearly shows. A compulsive blogger, he can always be found online. The best thing about him is his cute smile which never fails to bring a smile to your face too!

The aura of "May I help you" about Sasmita makes her one of the most indispensable persons whenever you need assistance. Get to know her a little better, and you would be surprised to find a sweet innocent kid within her. Though blessed with a Pentium III processor for normal everyday activities she is the smartest girl everyone looks up to because she is the human epitome of an "Enquiry Centre" as she invariably has all the possible details you might want.

Geo's penchant for life and his never say die attitude are things that set him apart. He has a strong inherent sense of duty that is virtually unshakable, making him relentlessly dependable. He can give an initial impression of being aloof, but that impression doesn't last five minutes into a conversation with him. He is a brilliant quizzer, who has a good knowledge in every sphere, a talented guitarist and above all, a friend anyone would feel proud to have.








Sagnik is an example of one who lives his life to the fullest, enjoys every moment and makes sure that others around him do the same. Though he is one of the most silent guys in class, a small comment from him leaves the entire class in splits. He is sure to pull you out of your despair with his casual, carefree way of life. He is the "Been there, done that" guy who lives in the moment and knows his priorities well. He is a great person to know and work with and a greater person to be friends with.

Darshit is a person with an extra-ordinary zeal to fly greater heights and dig deeper depths. A harmonious synthesis of intelligence, compassion and spiritual wisdom, he is a unique hard-to-find personality. Though one prefers to regard him as an introvert and silence loving guy, he is stupendous when he expresses himself through his quality work. Teeming with loads of innovative ideas, he can be described as a "serial innovator". Apart from studies, his passion for playing cricket, singing and writing are also remarkable. Finally, he is someone with infinite potential ardently willing to be unveiled.

Aravinda is a true gentleman with a big brother personality. He is a friendly person with a pure heart. The silent humour and kind of laugh he has, you can just hope that you are not sitting beside him in the class because once he gets started you will be on the floor. He is a good badminton player as well. People would love him to lead their group as he is a very efficient leader.

Niraj is a rebel who defines his own happiness and lives life on his own terms. He has an incredible ability to get along with people from all kinds of backgrounds. He may seem directionless at time, but under the surface is an intense individual. Now, the secret to his youthfulness - he survives on a liquid diet!