Report of Industry – Academia Meet 'Industry Connect 2014'

Progressive Education Society’s
MODERN COLLEGE OF ARTS, SCIENCE AND COMMERCE
GANESHKHIND, PUNE-411016

INDUSTRY CONNECT 2014

11th and 12th September 2014

Report of Industry – Academia Meet “Industry Connect 2014”

Held during September 11 & 12, 2014 at Modern College, Ganeshkhind

Placement Committee of Modern College Ganeshkhind organized a two day Industry-Academia Meet. This kind of industry academia interaction was organized for the first time by the college for the third year students from across the streams viz. Arts, Commerce, Life Sciences and Computer Science. Also it was an exposure for the second year students who participated in the event as volunteers. With technology driven entrepreneurship coming up in the country in a big way, the academia is bound to have to a closer interaction with industry. So ,We the members of Placement cell of our college organized an Industry-Academia Meet “Industry-Connect” on 11th and 12th September 2014 in our college. 324 students from Arts,science and Commerce streams attended the event.

Objective of the Industry Academic Meet

The basic idea behind organizing such an interaction was to make the students conversant with the industrial world and to make them ready for the industry environment. Students need to know the skillset required to be fit in the Industry and they should know the ethics in the Industry. The Event Industry-Connect 2014 began with Inaugural Function. Dr.Gauri Kopardekar, Member of Placement Cell, introduced the Chief Guest of the event, Padmashree Mrs. Lila Poonawala.

Inaugural Session

Padmashree Mrs. Lila Poonawalla, Founder Trustee of Lila Poonawalla Foundation was the Chief Guest of the Inaugural function. She being the first female mechanical engineering student and also the first woman CEO in India’s business history, was the most apt resource person for the event. She stated that making student employable is the need of the hour and congratulated the college for its initiative in this regard. She stated that the academics alone is not enough but the real key to enter the industry is ‘Self confidence’. She urged the students for improving their communication skills especially oral and written communication in English as it is the global language of business and industry. She suggested that the college should conduct a mandatory Spoken English course of 60-70 hours for the graduating students. She stated that the students should acquire other soft skills to be more employable. As the industry asks for initiative, the students need to be proactive and ready to learn, she observed. She urged that the students should not shy away from getting new responsibilities. She urged that the students should put their heart and soul in the work and should make every bit of their work enjoyable.

Mrs. Poonawall suggested that the college authorities can approach the industry for their support in developing the laboratories through Corporate Social Responsibility. She appealed that more and more girls are entering almost all the fields of business and as they would be employed more, the boys need to be geared up for this enhanced competition.

Mrs. Poonawalla shared her own life experiences and her own struggle in the industry in the informal interaction with the students.

Dr. Sanjay Kharat, Principal of the College congratulated the Placement Committee for such initiative. He introduced different activities conducted by the college and also recent achievements of the college. He presented various strengths of our college in the areas such as research and interdisciplinary activities. He put forward different projects and college initiatives taken up for student progression.

Mrs. Varsha Bapat, Co-ordinator, Placement Committee explained the objective behind organizing such an event and presented an outline of the two day programme. Gauri Kopardekar, Member, Placement Committee introduced the Chief Guest. Progressive Education Society Office Bearers Prof. Suresh Todkar, Joint Secretary, Progressive Education Society, Prof. Prakash Dikshit, Visitor, Modern College, Ganeshkhind were also present for the session. Sochin, a student from SY BSc, Micro Biology was the compere of the event while Sharvari Sarawate, a student from SYBSc, Micro Biology Department