Orientation Programme 2014-2015

G D Goenka University organized an orientation programme for the newly admitted students to all of its eight Schools from 26th to 28th August 2014. The major objective of the programme was to make the parents and the students aware of the academic aspects of the courses, rules and regulations of the university and to ensure parental participation in mentoring the performance and progress of the students. It also aimed at bringing convergence among expectations of the students, the industry and the University.

The three-day programme included the registration, document verification and interaction of parents with Dr. Raj Singh, Vice chancellor, G D Goenka University on the first day. The salient features of the university were showcased and the queries of the parents were addressed by the Vice Chancellor during the interaction. He also spoke about the inter-disciplinary nature of teaching and learning process at G D Goenka University and highlighted the University’s motto to empower students with various skills, which would make them employable in the global market.

To explain the paradigm shift in learning Dr. Raj Singh motivated the students to develop their learning potential rather than focusing on the quantity of learning. He also asked the students to be connected with the future through latest technological advancements.

After that University Regulations & Examination system, Discipline and Anti Ragging Measures were explained by Dr. Deependra Kumar Jha, Dean of Academics, G D Goenka University to ensure clarity in all important matters as far as the decorum in the University is concerned. The credit requirement details were discussed by Ms. Suneet Soni, Controller of Examinations of the University. She gave a detailed overview of the rules and regulations of the University with regards to the expectations from each student in terms of academics.

The second day commenced with the welcome address by the respective Deans of each school, in which they introduced to students the Heads of Departments, members of the faculty and gave them an overview of the curriculum. Here too each School had a different flavour and emphasis, yet adhering to the overall ethos and principles of G D Goenka University as a whole. If Prof ChhabiMisra, Dean, School of Architecture & Planning stressed that Architecture as a field cannot exist in isolation anymore and the students should become part of strands of mutation and open up much more than before; Prof KakoliSen, Associate Dean, School of Humanities & Social Science emphasised how the concept of Interdisciplinary Project is a marked differentiator of this University.

The students of School of Fashion & Design had an interactive skype session with the Dean, School of Design, University of Politecnico Di Milano, Prof. Arturo Dell’ Acqua. He discussed International design philosophy and the collaboration between the two institutes as well as about the exchange programmes offered. He also mentioned his amazing experience about the infrastructure as well as the first batch he interacted with during his last visit.

This was followed by an ice breaking session filled with fun activities to let the freshers’ feel at ease on the campus. Every School came up with interesting activities suited to the aptitude of their freshers.One commendable aspect of the Orientation Programme was the fact that the student volunteers not only managed help desks efficiently, but also helped organize the entire proceedings. The students were assisting in receiving parents and guests, backstage activities and hospitality as well. The new entrants were offered the handbook which gave basic information about college activities, guidelines, tips etc.

There were simultaneous sessions organised in different schools with interesting panel discussions to stimulate the minds of the new entrants. To discuss the emerging trends in Technology and the demand of industry a panel discussion was held by School of Engineering and Technology. The esteemed panellists were Dr. P S Rana, Former Chairman and Managing Director, Housing and Urban Development Corporation (HUDCO), Mr. PK Gupta, Director, Backup Recovery Systems and Practice and Chief Architect – Asia Pacific and Japan, EMC2 and Mr. Nischal Kapoor, Vice President IBM. Prof. (Dr) D K Jha, Dean School of Engineering, acted as a moderator.

The School Of Humanities And Social Sciences had a combined session with School of Communication and School of Law, wherein a panel discussion took place with some of the leading luminaries of the Legal world, senior judges and advocates, who talked about many thought-provoking issues facing the country and how the new generation can play a significant role. In the School of Hospitality, a panel of industry experts introduced the students with the demands of hospitality sector.

In School of Architecture & Planning, the topic for the Panel Discussion was ‘Roadmap to become an Architect’. The Panelists were the Prof. Manoj Mathur, Prof TapanChakravarty and Prof Chhabi Mishra, Dean, School Of Architecture and Planning, G D Goenka University. Prof TapanChakravarty gave a presentation on the topic which the students could relate to. The point of being creative was stressed on by all the panellists.

After this, the students went back to their respective Schools and were given a glimpse of the experience that they can expect here at G D Goenka University. Every School did it their way, bringing in originality and innovation. In the session in School of Humanities and Social Sciences, they were made to watch a clip from the movie ‘Chak De India’ which was followed by a discussion around their interpretation of the movie clip. Many interesting analyses emerged in the discussion and a lot of psychological terms were used by the students. Another part of this session was an activity designed around the key objective of making the students explore the campus.

In the School of Fashion & Design, this session was conducted by Ms. Sonali Pal and Mr. Phaneendra Nath where the students did a fun filled paper activity on positive and negative spaces. They came up with really good ideas and designs on the paper by cutting the shape of the letter for their name initials. The idea was based on nothing goes waste, and leftover can also be used for creative developments.

The third day of the orientation programme concluded with a talent hunt competition in which the budding talents of the students were showcased through dance, music and dramatics.

The students were exhilarated and enthusiastic about starting their studies in an institution that focuses on the overall development of each student encompassing academics, extra-curricular activities, awareness about the society we live in, a spirit of innovation and creativity and the pursuit of excellence in all these.