Students News

This month’s Students Corner edition consists of:

  • Exchange Athithi Program – Arielle’s Experience is regarding the Exchange and Athithi Program by the lens of Arielle Bkr from H.E.C Paris. 
  • Shared Wisdom Over Pasta – Group Dynamics is a write-up by Ridhima Khurana about group dynamics and networking via submissions.
  • Walk with Alums of PGP 1990 Batch is a brief description about Student Alumni Committee’s very own event conducted on 23rd November.
  • To gain – A short poem by Harika Sombhatla
  • Hey Love – A write up by Shreyosi Samanta 
  • Walk Away – A poem by Shreyosi Samanta 

 

Athithi Program – Arielle’s Experience

With the exchange term over and a last few days left for the exchange students at the campus, we got an opportunity to interact with Arielle about Athithi Program – where exchange students get an opportunity to stay with an Alum for a weekend and learn more about India.

Arielle is an exchange student from H.E.C. Paris, who was here for her 5th Term of MBA. Her journey at IIM Bangalore started in the last week of August and had an amazing stay at the campus for over three months.

In our candid chat with Arielle, we get an idea of the life of exchange students at the campus and how the Athithi Program plays an important role in their exposure over here.

How did you get to know about the program and what was the motivation behind enrolling for the same?

The Athithi Program is well known for H.E.C. Paris students who plan to come to IIM Bangalore for their exchange term. Hence, my major reason for enrolling in the program was to get an idea of life outside campus walls and understand the life of the Alums of the institute post their MBA. Also, I feel that the best way to understand a country’s culture is by getting involved in the day to day life. Hence, I decided to go for the program as it could provide me an exposure different from that provided by the campus life alone.

How was the experience of your stay at the Alum’s place?

It was indeed a unique experience of spending a couple of days at Amit Ranjan’s (IIM Bangalore Alumni) place. We had really insightful conversations not just with Amit, but with his wife as well over the two-day period. The experience provided us the complete picture of Indian culture, traditions, religions, and politics – which was much deeper than what I received from the books I read. We also had lots of fun activities – we went for a Bollywood movie – Andhadhun and had Biryani after that. One of the best Biryanis I had in my life. We even ordered it at campus for the other exchange students and they just loved it!

How do you feel this exposure will help you in the future?

I personally feel that in a global business environment that is present today, getting to know about the Indian culture will help me a lot, not just in my professional life, but in my personal life as well. It has instilled values of respecting diversity and how to understand people better even though there are some differences. And that’s why I would recommend the Athithi Program to all the exchange students who are here and will be coming in the upcoming years.


Shared Wisdom Over Pasta

It was three weeks into the first term at IIM Bangalore. Five people from different walks of life were having pasta on a lazy Monday afternoon. What they didn’t expect was that this evening would be the start of good relations along with professionals and personal growth.

Created by a random algorithm, groups such as this one have people coming from different states, professional backgrounds, and different contexts of life. Their job is to meet after classes and work on projects. Somehow we don’t realize, but these project groups make up for one of the most essential parts of the IIMB experience.

Working with a bunch of new people can be daunting, and breaking the initial ice is always a task. This is where the pasta comes in. A shared dish and a few shared laughs later, we realize that at the end of the day, most of us are not that different. We’re just a set of determined kids who, outside of their academic lives, are dealing with similar career challenges, personal stress, and cultural shocks.

Project teams teach us a lot, much more than our MPPO classes. We get to build our understanding of group dynamics, leadership, work delegation, and accommodating ideas. But more importantly, we learn how to be vulnerable without any inhibitions about failure or judgment. The shared meals and jokes help you to really listen and understand one another.

As the second term approaches its end, I look back at the various groups that I worked with, and I realize that each one made me better in some way or the other. In the words of our MPPO professor (something I never thought I would quote :P, just kidding!), “As we interact in a group, we’re no longer just a group anymore, we’re a team.” With that, I hope we all get to work with as diverse a set of teams in the following terms.

– Ridhima Khurana


Walk with Alums of PGP 1990 Batch

About 30 alumni of IIM Bangalore from the PGP batch of 1990 visited the campus on 23rd November 2019.

These alumni were first shown a presentation by Mr. Parthasarathy, Head of the Alumni Office, after which they were taken on a guided tour of the campus along with members of the Student Alumni Committee. The occasion was a cherished moment for these alumni, who had an opportunity to rekindle fond memories of their time on campus, and also appreciate the major infrastructural progress that has happened since their graduation 29 years ago – major among them being the addition of Hostel Blocks H to P, the new Sports Complex, and new classroom clusters among others. The alumni also visited the N. S. Raghavan Centre for Entrepreneurial Learning (NSRCEL), where they were appraised of the various start-up ventures that are and have been incubated since its inception.

This was the first in the series of “Walk with Alums” to be organized this year, with more walks planned during the upcoming Alumni Reunions in December.


To Gain

All I know for now is that deeds are overpowering thoughts;
actions are breaking all the laws;
But one day when the thoughts win the battle,
a day when conscience can no longer handle

That is the day I will be mine,
away from the façade, real benign;
Having no clue ‘bout what I’ll feel inside,
the emotion that stays back after having long cried

Nevertheless, one fact doesn’t seem to fail me,
one concept I’m sure to follow;
It doesn’t matter if you’re in pain, when you know for sure
that someday nearby, you’re sure to Gain.

-Harika Sombhatla
 PGP 2019-21


HEY LOVE

Hey Love! We have not really spent time in a while. So caught up with work, you see. I know you must be contemplating my return. I see you watching me silently from the distance wondering if I have forgotten you already. Trust me, I have not. You were like magic to me, transporting me to wonderful places, lush green mountains to raging thunderous waves, as I sat there watching you, my coffee turning cold and my imagination running wild through every fold, every mark and every scar on your skin. I close my eyes and all the memories of our time spent together flash before my eyes, every tale you narrated still vivid in my mind.

You notice me with a few others and you think that I have replaced you. No honey, they are from work, blunt edifices with no imagination; they can never compare with your beauty. They can never be you.

Maybe we should hang out at work someday. I will introduce you to all those around me and help them to get to know you better. Maybe some of them know you already.

Don’t be angry my love. Our relationship may have gathered dust but I promise to wipe that off soon. I will make it up to you. We will spend nights together again, sleepless nights, with you in my arms.

Dear Unfinished Book on my shelf; dear Murakami dancing to the tunes of the unknown, I will get back to you soon.

– Shreyosi Samanta, PGP 2019-21


Walk Away 

Look into my eyes woman
Tell me your name
Those dark brown eyes and luscious lips
The flowing mane and swaying hips.
Oh a sight for the eyes so sore
Is that all you are and nothing more?

What if you didn’t have eyes so brown
What if you had freckles and a frown
Excess cellulite and an ugly face
Woman, you are a disgrace!

Fairness creams and diets galore
You still remain the same as before.
What you shouldn’t be, what you should
Society keeps telling you that you are crude!
What you don’t know is,
You are so much more than that.

Wake up woman and find your way
Your knight ain’t coming to save your day
They can’t see you for what you be
Walk away, walk away….
You are so much more than what they say.
Walk away woman, walk away

– Shreyosi Samanta, PGP 2019-21