– Panel Discussion conducted at the inauguration of STRIBES or Student Tribes Platform
– STRIBES focuses on tier-2 colleges and universities with limited industry engagement
The Department of Management Studies, University of Kashmir and STRIBES, a virtual platform that endeavours to bridge the gap between industry and academia for the overall development and nurturing of student communities collaborated for an interactive Industry Engagement Program (IEP) on ‘Making Students Industry Ready.’ The discussion was aimed at strengthening interface with the corporate world for development of a competent, capable, skill rich and industry ready talent pool. The panel discussion was organised at the launch of the STRIBES or Student Tribes platform, which mainly focuses on colleges and universities in tier-2 cities and beyond, where the industry engagement is still limited.
The panel discussion saw strong participation from the academia and industry heavyweights like Prof. Talat Ahmad, Honourable VC, Kashmir University, Randeep Raina, Chief of Technology, Nokia, Pradeep Gupta, Chairman and Managing Director, Cyber Media India Ltd, Anku Jain, Managing Director, MediaTek India, Sunil Raina, President & Business Head, Lava India, Prof. Iqbal Hakim, HoD Department of Management Studies, Kashmir University and Khalid Wani, Director Sales, WDC India. The interaction ranged from topics around technology, academic empowerment, deep technology as a career option, and student engagement, among other aspects.
In his message, Prof. Iqbal A Hakim, Head, Department of Management Studies, University of Kashmir, thanked the panelists for sparing their valuable time to interact with students. He highlighted the achievements and activities of the department and stressed on the need for strengthening corporate tie-ups. He expressed the hope the the Industry Engagement Program will evolve as a vibrant platform for training, mentoring and placing young and talented students from Kashmir.
Commenting on the initiative, Anku Jain, Managing Director, MediaTek India said, “I would like to congratulate Faisal Kawoosa and the STRIBES team for the new venture. It’s an honour to be a part of the inaugural session as the topic ‘Making Students Industry Ready’ is close to my heart and also extremely relevant in the present scenario, where the entire country is focused on initiatives that make us AtmaNirbhar. Education plays a decisive role in student empowerment and, with industry engagement, we can look forward to a new batch of qualified and capable individuals to contribute to the new India.”
Sharing his thoughts, Randeep Raina, CTO, Nokia India said, “Today’s classrooms must prepare students for careers and challenges that don’t yet exist. Education is evolving at a faster pace than any other period in recent history. There is a growing awareness among educators and families that today’s curriculum needs to evolve to meet tomorrow’s reality. Beyond tools and technology, students need to develop new skills to solve tough problems, collaborate effectively, and express ideas in new ways. Collaboration with industry is critical for academia to create scientific knowledge and obtain industrial data. Co-production can be seen to exist when a research problem is framed in the context of the application and allows diffusion during knowledge production. This initiative from Stribes in collaboration with University of Kashmir and industry stakeholders will be a stepping-stone to define the Future of Classrooms.”
Pradeep Gupta, Chairman and Managing Director, Cyber Media India Ltd, said, “Over the last 40 years, the entire Indian milieu has changed. Entrepreneurship is something that is sought after today, with several strong role models in the ecosystem. Entrepreneurship is all about breaking formulae, but one differentiating factor is that Ambition should be far above the Resources available. The best way to ignite entrepreneurship in university students is by inviting role models to campuses to power their imaginations while also offering students active incubators to develop their ideas.”
During the panel discussion, Sunil Raina, President & Business Head, Lava India shared, “An important question is, why do some people rise to the top and others fall behind? Attitude is of paramount importance. Successful people maintain an attitude geared towards continuous learning and upskilling. They also realise that it is important to persist, while staying relevant. Be humble, nimble, and simple. Students can always create success, no matter their background, if they follow these steps. Further, it would be great if higher education institutes, like Dept of Management Studies, University of Kashmir, have a module on attitude building as attitude is a key requirement while building a successful career.”
Khalid Wani, Director Sales, WDC India said, “Irrespective of your career choice, everything in life depends on selling something – be it an idea, a skill, or a talent. When you are a part of an organization, career growth is a pyramid and it depends on what you can sell. People with great careers are focused on building strong relationships – people who create value for the organization and all stakeholders. If you are in a sales role, it is necessary to have a mindset aimed at creating value for the entire ecosystem.”
According to Faisal Kawoosa, Founder, The Stribes, “Though a lot has been done over the years to bring industry closer to academia. In practicality is still confined to a few privileged institutions. Something like STRIBES was my dream and I thank the Department of Management Studies, Kashmir University in joining us as the 1st academic partner. I am confident with support from both – industry and academia, we will make STRIBES an enabling and inclusive for all platform.”
The newly launched platform is primarily focused around enhancing the ties between colleges in tier-2 cities, with the corporate sector. STRIBES will regularly hold leadership talks, brand stories and other engagements where students will get a chance to bond with the sector, while on campus. Through these initiatives, business leaders and mentors will help hone and sharpen the skill sets of the students, which will increase their employability score. STRIBES will conduct live interactive sessions as well as recorded leadership talks for the students, helping them understand the nuances of business, best management practices and also inculcate in them leadership and entrepreneurial instincts.
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