In Conversation- Clarisse

Name- Clarisse Cohen

Exchange Student from - Euromed Management - School of Management and Business
Duration of Stay at XIMB(Month/YY) - 09/12 to 12/12

About Me - I am always willing to meet people and trying new experiences. That's why India has been a great choice for me !

In Conversation- A Teaser

 As a part of our initiative to increase awareness among Exchange students we have introduced video conversations. These informal discussions with current/ex students will help other interested students understand the environment at XIM better.

The video below is a teaser and actual conversations can be found under the category- Student Interviews

We hope visitors enjoy the experiences shared over here and we welcome any feedback.

 

XPressions 2012

                         

                                                         

                                         XPRESSIONS 2012

XIMB is the proud presenter of the biggest B-School Fest of Eastern India- Xpressions. This year too Xpressions'12 was filled with excitement, fun and above all the true XIMB spirit. Some of the events like Carnival De Vogue, Celeblitz, THIRKAN, Decibelz etc created razzmatazz in the campus and vibrant enthusiasm could be seen on the faces of all who were a part of this grand celebration.

                                          Carnival De Vogue

The dazzling CDV hardly needs any words to describe it. In fact, there are hardly any that can truly describe it. The event began with our own exchange students and members of the IRC dressed to kill. It would not be an exaggeration to say that they put the stage on fire and got the temperatures rising. This was followed by a series of rounds where the teams came forward with breath-taking fashion lines and clever choreography according to different themes.

The competition left us without a doubt that management students can rock any industry, fashion including. The event turned out as a huge success and was covered by the media, newspapers and was envied by the management institutes across the country and even across border lines!

The show had all this and performances such as a scintillating belly-dance by XIMB’s exchange student Marion a.k.a. the ‘Bellycious Bhuba’. The show, in my opinion had it all and you are invited to experience it first hand next year!

                                          Just Like That!!

This year, on its Silver Jubilee, XIMB experienced yet another eventful string of JLTs  across Expressions(the DJ nights at XIMB). However, it came with its share of surprises. The institute hosted four instead of the usual three parties one of which came with a theme of Halloween while yet another sparkled with stars from Bollywood’s Music Industry. The first day, we were struck by unexpected rainfall but we overcame even that by making the party a “Rain Dance”.

Believe me when I tell you this, if XIMBians know academics (which they do), they know partying better! These parties had us moving and grooving till the dawn and often beyond! With the SAXIM (the committee that organizes parties at XIM) keeping the drinks flowing and with the DJ playing the catchiest numbers of all time; the party was LEGEN---“wait for it”---DARY.

I would love to tell you more, I really would. But what can I say…what happens in XIMB…stays in XIMB.

                                          Thirkan

To touch... To move... To inspire... This is the true gift of dance. ‘THIRKAN’ which is an integral part of the cultural celebrations of XPRESSIONS is one of the most entertaining events. It is the group dance competition where teams from across the country participate. The winner of THIRKAN gets a wild card entry to the Nokia India fest 2012, Eastern Zone. The team UKT of Utkal University continued their winning streak bagging the first place this year too.

                                         

The competition began with a performance by XIMB students, which received tremendous applause. This set the tone for the entire competition. The teams showcased their talent and the audience witnessed various forms of dance like Hip-Hop, Bollywood, and Salsa etc... The theme this year was ‘DECADE’ and the contestants did a remarkable job in depicting the evolution of the various dance forms over the years. The variety and innovation in their performance left the audience spellbound. Further, there was a beautiful blend of technique, grace and expression that brought the audience to their feet. The event was extremely captivating and an absolute pleasure to watch. It left the crowd wanting more.

                                    Game Committees

Xpressions saw game committees’ launches with a lot of fervor and vigor. Game committees are one of the most valuable part of XIMB. 

                                   

                            

                       Skill City - 'The home for the creatively spoilt'

In today's corporate world where change is the only constant and the unexpected is to be expected, future managers and entrepreneurs constantly need to ideate and innovate to stay ahead. Skill City presents a gamut of events combining elements of wit, grit, perseverance, intelligence and common sense. Skill City tests creative and cognitive abilities.

The launch of Skill City was an evidence of their creativity. Skillers danced their way to the place of launch. Some of them came in tractor and rest in auto. . They merrily danced to the tune of dhol.. They had made a human pyramid in the form of SKILL. It was followed by cracker bursting. In the end they burnt the logo of ‘SKIll’ representing verve of their committee.

                                                 

                         

                                           Kurukshetra

The business world is a battlefield where wars are waged and fought day after day. Kurukshetra brings to you the arena where the skills of the better would be tested against the best; and the brain is the only weapon. Finally, glory bestows upon the team that can emulate the success of a real company by exuding an apt combination of operational, financial, marketing and human resource strategies. Kurukshetra is one of the toughest business simulation games in the country and the flagship event of Xpressions.

During the launch Kurukites (as they call themselves).. Played with fire... 13 flambeaus (mashals) they carried. 1 big ‘K’... one big rope was spread on the floor.. Logo of ‘KURUKSHETRA’ made of wood..  All were set to fire in the glory of their game. They truly lived upto the spirit of the name of their committee..

                                           

                                     Gladiator- 'A hero will rise'

The game consists of modules from various management functions like Finance, Marketing, Operations and Human Resource. The format of the game tests skills, acumen, knowledge and most importantly resilience and perseverance of the participants. The last man standing takes the much coveted title of the GLADIATOR along with the glory of outwitting the best minds in the country.

Gladiators drenched themselves in champagne and beer... they made a grand entry on bikes and cars... Men did a stunt show on bikes... It was followed by a stunt battle between two warriors... In the end they opened the cans of beers and bottles of champagne... Raised a toast and basked away in the glory of their game...

                                                   

                                                                      

                                       Helios

It is a game designed for students who are studying in undergraduate colleges. The objective of this game is to give them a glimpse of MBA education and also to help them in making the right decision in future.

Helios brings together bright and curious minds from diverse disciplines and tests raw management potential – can they innovate, compete and perform in teams?

                                           

                                                       

The launch of Helios included the personification of Greek God of Sun. Helios in the attire of Sun God marched along with his followers towards the place of launch. He was worshiped by his devotees. They carried the banners of Helios: God of Fire. In the end they burnt the logo of HELIOS validating their true spirit of commitment.

                                                                      

                                     Spardha

Spardha tests the social entrepreneurship quotient of participants through a series of stages encompassing   sectors which influence the rural scenario of India. Spardha gives you an opportunity to explore life in the hinterlands of Orissa. During the launch they had built a human pyramid... The man on the top of pyramid unfolded ‘SPARDHA’wallpaper… All the while they hummed their tag line ‘har dil se nikale aagaz... Spardha ka hai ye aagaz’ while encircling around their logo. In the end they carried flambeaus (mashal) symbolizing their conquest since 4 years.

                      

                                   Celeblitz:

Have you ever experienced the subtle magic that music offers? Ever felt the beats match your heart beat and take you on to another level and make those goose bumps rise?

We, at XIMB, have.

The most awaited event of this year’s Expressions turned out to be all that we could have imagined it to be…and more! It seemed that even the rain co-operated with XIMB and helped ensure that the event was a great success. This evening, XIMB hosted around 14,000 people within its campus with many waiting outside its gates in lines to enter. Yet, there was not even a single case of a mishap; and the entire event passed smoothly.

                               

Celebrities such as Salim, Sulaiman, Neha Bhasin and Shadab Faridi honored us with their presence and enchanting performances. Though the styles of  each of these artists vary, they came together in a way that the differences merged into one another. In fact, the different styles seemed to compliment each other bringing out a new rhythm and flow of music. This event proved that no matter how many times you watch high definition videos of songs on YouTube, the experience of a live performance really cannot be matched.

These energetic and enthralling performances got you tapping your feet to the lyrics and the tunes. And no matter what your favorite genre was, you just could not help wanting more.

The resplendent sun of this cultural celebration called Xpressions ended with the soothing dawn of 'Celeblitz'. All we can say now is that these moments will be cherished, these memories will be recalled. Some may bring a smile on our faces and some may force a tear to trickle down our eyes but one thing is certain that life post Xpressions will never be the same. It may have passed us in time but has undoubtedly left behind eternal bonds of friendship and camaraderie in our hearts for which, we will always be grateful to XIMB.

                                                             

                                    Thank you ! :)

                                                                      

Pieter Pan says it all

Just as Michael, I have three clocks on my desktop running. One of these clocks indicates what time it is in India. Besides helping me to find out what time I can contact old friends and professional contacts there, it does make me feel connected to the country I’ve spent 8 months of my life already, of which 4 at the XIMB campus.

The time we spent in Bhubaneswar for the 3Continent Master of Global Management had its ups and downs, as most experiences. Nevertheless the campus has all the necessary facilities for sporting and food, it is important to venture out and see more of the city itself (and thus the Indian way of living). A strong contrast between poor and rich, the feeling that everything is possible and a great sense of entrepreneurship are a only a few things that jump into my mind when I’m reflecting at this very moment. Walk around, take a Rickshaw, go to some bars, clubs and restaurants, and enjoy the many excursions. Make XIMB your base as much as possible, your safe haven to return to. The cooks will serve you hygienic and great food (whether at the XCafe or in the restaurants). You can also relax in the evening or go to the events organized by the other (Indian) students. They have great parties, try it!

Neswpaper cutting of Pieter and others visiting the Vending Zones in Bhubaneswar

The XIMB faculty and staff will go the extra mile to answer your requests. But also expect a high level of workload filled with cases, readings, presentations and papers. In a nutshell, XIMB is what you make of it yourself as it (and the city) has a whole lot to offer and learn from! But be sure to take it all in fast, as 4 months will have passed before you know it!

Good luck!

Pieter Vandenbroucke

 

Michael learns to rock !

I believe XIMB has many talents and powers running around its campus. It’s good that now, they can reach out to the world instead of remaining between campus walls and ‘disappearing’ into the strategies of Indian Corporate Industry after two years of broad learning.

In this way, the 3CMGM experience brought me three different ways of being a student. In Belgium, you are a competitive partner for faculty. You are being challenged by teachers and your classmates to show what you got! In NYC, you are a citizen of the greatest people magnet in the  world. You walk the streets like you own them. Simultaneously, the city eats you alive!
In India, you are a member of a larger XIMB campus. You see the dynamics between students, office and teachers, and you follow the rules of the place, both formal and informal, and both strange and rewarding !! This is also where we worked the hardest! We had so many deadlines for presentations, group works and papers. And the faculty would give us more work every day. We were challenged to be flexible, and I remember turning down many invites of Indian students for playing music, hanging around, playing football etc.. I participate in some of course. Most of them were night time activities… as the tradition of the XIMB student lifestyle prescribes!

One can understand that all this brings about a life changing rollercoaster ride across places. Places where you can do no more than being yourself, and gain friends with that. The best thing about this is that you learn about management and global organisations along the way. What appeared to be my priority when I chose this program (that is to learn about management), it became an added value to my global citizenship! 3CMGM brings about change to your heart and soul, and then to your brain.
I am now a global citizen. I have three clocks on my desktop (Mumbay, Nyc and Alaska) because I have friends there, and I wonder what time of the day they are having.

In second degree, I am a future colleague, service orientated, client friendly and flexible. One that understands his place in the value chain of a (global) industry. I also am trained to understand (and question) the strategy of my future company and the position my fellow colleagues are placed in. I am also trained to identify and to take care of stakeholders in the business I will do, and in this way, to do business for a better world.

Michael Ghysels

A noble step towards Humanity !

XIMB celebrates World Humanitarian Day
August 19th, 2012

 

The fifth International World Humanitarian Day was observed on 19th August at Xavier Institute of Management, Bhubaneswar (XIMB), in collaboration with Concern Worldwide India, for paying tribute to the men and women who work to save the lives and protect the health of people affected by emergencies caused by conflict or natural disasters. XIMB has long been associated with humanitarian work in Orissa and has championed the cause of the community by providing institutional solutions to societal issues. The Social Responsibility Cell (SRC) of the institute, which organized the event, also conducts other social initiatives all year round, including a Blood Donation Camp in association with Rotary Club, Bhubaneswar and the Red Cross Society, a Baal Mela for local school dropouts and tree plantation drives around Bhubaneswar.

                               

The event started with a street play organized by the students of SRC “Manavta ki pukaar” (meaning the ‘call of humanity’). The evening was initiated by the ceremonial lightning of the lamp and welcome note by Fr. P.T. Joseph, S.J., Director XIMB. It also witnessed dignitaries from the length and breadth of the country who gave their insights on the Humanitarian Day, including Mr. Mihir Bhatt, All India Institute of Disaster Mitigation; Mr. Ambika Nanda, of the United Nations Development Program; Dr. Mangala Prasad Mohanty, Honorary Secretary Indian Red Cross Society, Orissa State; Mr Chiranjeet Das, Concern Worldwide India; Dr Asha Hans, EVP, Shanta Memorial Rehabilitation Centre; and Mr. Deepankar Dutta, Country Director Concern International.

 

 

 

 

 Following the lighting of the lamp, Mr Dipankar Dutta spoke about the significance of the World Humanitarian Day, bringing to notice the facts and figures related to disaster mitigation. Dr Mangala Prasad Mohanty contextualized the International events and movements that have gained momentum in the present scenario. Mr Ambika Nanda from UNDP also shared his thoughts from his volunteering experiences that brought tears to the eyes of the audience. He and Dr Asha Hans spoke about the voices of the sub-altern or the marginalized. This re-emphasized the need to develop basic facilities and equipment so that the physically disabled are able to deal and survive calamities, as they are generally the worst hit victims. Mr Mihir Bhatt spoke of the need to systemize the humanitarian space in India. The fact that we have no fact-based report about a single disaster management program was shocking.

 

 

These thoughts lingered in our minds and made us truly realize the gravity of the situation. Many of us want to help the cause, but hardly any of us know the correct measures that should be followed to provide effective relief. Hence, it is the need of the hour to promote disaster management education on an international level. Mr Nanda rightly said, “when you are old, you can afford to work for the people; but when you are young, you have to work with them.” It shall be also be our initiative from now on to make our thought process more inclusive and keep in mind the problems faced by weaker sections of community.

                                             

 

It is a wonder how this day was blessed with bright sunshine though Bhubaneswar is in the midst of its monsoons. Perhaps this was symbolic of the ray of hope and energy this day brought not just in our campus but throughout the world…throughout humanity !

Candle March and Independence Day Celebrations

“At the stroke of the midnight hour, when the world sleeps, India will awake to life
and freedom. A moment comes, which comes but rarely in history, when we step out
from the old to the new...India discovers herself again”.
By Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru

             

               It was on 15th August 1947, when India won freedom from the British Raj

and this was the beginning of a new era where India arose as a free nation. The

Independence Day commemorates the birth of the world's largest democracy, India and this day holds a very unique significance in the Indian history. This was the day when India woke up to inhale the air of freedom.

However this independence did not materialize in one day. Many had to sacrifice their lives with a smile on their face as proud Indians. They were giving their lives for the sake of the freedom of their beloved motherland.

Every year India's Independence Day is celebrated by all proud Indians. The day is observed as a national holiday in the country. Though, local governments conduct the ceremony of flag hoisting all over India, the venue of main celebration is the Red Fort in New Delhi. The celebration starts every year with the unfurling of the tri-colored national flag by the Prime Minister of the nation followed by a televised speech.

India celebrated 66 years of Independence on the 15^th of august 2012. However celebrations at XIMB began on the night of 14^th itself.

The celebrations were organized by the Social Responsibility Cell of XIMB.  Speeches were delivered by the students, talking of India’s progress since independence.  Popular patriotic songs “Yeh jo des hai mera” and “Roobaroo” were sung by Mishti and she was accompanied by Ganapati on the guitar. SRC has undertaken an initiative called “Young Adult’s Education” to educate the mess bhainas. They also participated by singing the national anthem.  Further the students had put up a dance performance which was a flash mob on popular songs like “Jai Ho , Vande Mataram , Rang De Basanti”

Courtesy:Anirban De

The night ended with a candle march where all the students took up candles and walked around the premises singing various patriotic songs. This was in the memory of all the freedom fighters who pledged their life for their country as well as those unnamed soldiers without whose support independent India would still be a distant dream. The map of India drawn on the stage was illuminated by candles, signifying the independent unified India. The students sat around till the candles went out, creating a surreal atmosphere.

            On the morning of Independence Day , celebrations commenced at 9 a.m. with hoisting of the Indian flag.  Speeches were delivered by the Dean Admin as well as the faculty members.  Further speeches were delivered by the student community represented by Anand Agarwal and Shipreeta Verma.  Abodh bhaina who works in the mess delivered a speech in Oriya about the Independence Day.

This was followed by a play performed by the members of X-Stage. They portrayed the various freedom fighters and showed how despite independence there has been an erosion of the Indian value system.  They showed that Gandhiji himself came to see society as it is today and was extremely disheartened by the present state of affairs. However the play ended on a positive note saying that there is good in this world and by working together we can achieve the dream of a brighter tomorrow.

Finally we ended the program by singing the national anthem.

JAI HIND

 Courtesy:Anirban De

HR Summit

XIMAHR- the HR Association of XIMB in collaboration with the Placement Committee organized an HR Summit on ‘Emerging Trends in Talent Acquisition’ on 11th August 2012.

The Summit aimed to start a dialogue among Senior HR professionals, Industry Leaders and Stakeholders of today’s dynamic organizations on current HR issues and also provided an opportunity to understand the relatively new concept of talent acquisition and various issues related to it.Here is a summary of the speakers and their views.

Kanchana Manyam

AdditionalGeneral Manager - Human Resources at Shapoorji Pallonji & Co. Ltd. 

Ms. Kanchana underlined the four trends in talent acquisition namely employment trends, recruitment trends, selection challenge and role of recruitment. She mentioned that apart from IT and ITeS sector, sectors like Pharma (17%), Real Estate and Construction (13%) etc are experiencing double digit growth. As a result, there is a pressing need for redefining the source of talent pool and employability.

She also touched up on the fact that with the advent of technology, recruitment process has become a scalable process

Dilep Misra

President & Head Group HR at JK Group

Mr. Dilep, Head, Group Human resource has worked as HR Head of various companies and has exposure to HR practices of most business verticals. He is an XIMB (PGDM (HR)) alumnus of batch of 1993-1995.

He during his course of discussion highlighted the fact that his organization paid due emphasis on retaining employees and that is the reason; the attrition rate of their company is in single digit. He further said that his organization adopted CCl model and practiced job rotation of employees to improve their efficiency.

On further elaborating about the recruitment policies of his company he said that they hire people at top level through social media like twitter and LinkedIn whereas for the frontline job they go for direct recruitment.

Saurabh Nigam

Vice President — HR, IT & Admin

Mr. Saurabh Nigam spoke on attracting and retaining the Gen Y – The new age employee.The Gen Y is characterized by their self direction and put more weight age on non-financial incentives than financial incentives.He emphasized on nurturing a corporate culture, creating challenging work environment, provide job flexibility and building recognition and intrapreneurship programs. Gen Y being ambitious and outgoing, look for freedom, explicit career path and clear roadmap to success.

Bijay Sahoo

President - H R, Retail & 4G Infotel at Reliance Industries ltd

Mr. Bijay Sahoo gave valuable insights on the strategies and challenges faced by him during his 23 years of work experience in HR strategies, processes, technology, change management and leadership development across sectors.

He opined that colleges provide the pool of talent that can be groomed for taking future leadership role. He pointed that the importance of recruiting through employee referral, social media et al and how the technology has changed over time, starting from the job portals in 1990’s to social media in 2006-07 and now the mobile platform applications. He talked about HR Kalpavriksha that entails all aspects of Talent management like Planning, Recruiting, Training, Retaining, Sustaining etc.

“Intelligence + Humility=Successful Individual”  

Anish Singh HR Director,

Reckitt Benckiser

Mr. Anish Singh has over 13 years of experience in HR and has worked in reputed organizations like HUL, ITC, ICICI Prudential, Essar.

He emphasized that there is no war for talent; talent has already won this war. He observed that in today’s scenario employer branding is very important and it plays a very vital role in attracting the right talent. He highlighted some facts about his company mainly that his company is in touch with Gen Y and is a global company with global mindset.

He also observed that poaching of talent does not help any organization in the long run. In his organization they put a lot of importance on ‘diversity’, in terms of gender, nationality, and region.

Conclusion

Talent acquisition takes a long term view of not only filling positions of today, but also identifying talent for future openings. Talent acquisition professionals need to be skilled not only in sourcing tactics, candidate assessment, compliance and hiring standards, but also in employment branding practices. Also, talent retention (an important aspect of talent acquisition) assumes importance to build a succession model in place.

In an emerging market like ours, where labor capital is fast moving, talent acquisition and retention seems to be one of the biggest problems that plague the country today so talent acquisition is not just a fancy term, it is here to stay in this 21st century.