Sit back and breathe in the petrichor
Going to sleep at the dawn's crack
The rigour won't cut us any slack
These two years will make or break us
But we will emerge with a light within us
So friends lets come along
and embark upon our journey in
IIM Shillong !!
These were my words during the closing ceremony of the sustainability course which is mandated by my institute, IIM Shillong. I am Pankhuri Saxena, currently a participant in the PGP 2018 batch here. Similar to most of the first year MBA participants, I was also very excited to join an IIM, particularly the one situated in a hill station - the Campus in Clouds. And within the first week itself, I gained an experience that no other B-school offers. When the other people were gearing up to start the academic rigour in the B-schools, my batch experienced a pedagogy that was fully immersed in the principles of sustainability. IIM Shillong is a B-school which not only prepares you to be successful managers but first of all lays the groundwork for you to develop a sound character and values. During this whole week, all our teachers were fully dedicated to teaching us the sense of responsibility towards our environment and our future generations. Here we came to know how sustainability is not something that the environmentalists talk about but it is a state of mind, a dynamic change in one's perspective. It not only includes the basic practices to save our planet earth but to understand the deep and cohesive relationship triangle between nature, economy and human society. We also learned how innovation can lead to value creation. These are made up of ideas that emerge after a long time by the intermingling of many hunches. This introductory week was also focused on character building and the search for one's true self. This sounds too out of place in a business-oriented pedagogy but I soon realized that this has to be the first step for the Indian youth who are standing on the launch pad of their careers.
After these learning experiences, we went on a trek to the sacred groves near Shillong called the Mawphlang forest. It was a mesmerizing experience to visit the ancient ritual site of the Khasi people of Meghalaya. This state is the hidden treasure trove of folklore, history and a rich culture. As you can see my journey in IIM Shillong is not only restricted to intensive studies required in a b-school but also include sensitizing experiences to build a holistic view towards life.
Aditya Birla Group
Given an opportunity, I would want to work in Aditya Birla retail limited as I am interested in the marketing sector. And working with this esteemed organization would surely jump start my career.
Pankhuri Saxena
PGP 1st Year
IIM Shillong
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