One of the foremost management institutes in the country, Goa Institute of Management (GIM) hosted its annual Grand Alumni Meet- an evocative event that marked the homecoming, celebration of 25 glorious years of GIM and unparalleled joy of communion with the Alma Mater, at its campus in Sanquelim recently.
The institute, known for its diverse alumni base, organized a number of activities this year for existing students as well as its alumni, the Grand Alumni Meet being one of the more prestigious events. The meet witnessed students from various batches of the prestigious institute coming together to celebrate and share experiences. This year, the Alumni meet was centered on the theme ‘Nostos’, which is a Greek term which signifies the homecoming or a homeward journey.
The event welcomed several successful graduates that have experienced all that GIM had to offer over the decades. It was not only a platform for the alumni to reconnect with their batch mates, but it served as a medium for present students to meet with the past pupils. It was presided over by Fr. Romuald D’Souza, Founder of Goa Institute of Management, Dr. Ajit Parulekar and Director, Goa Institute of Management as the chief guests.
The event kick started with the Annual General Body Meeting between the alumni and management which was to discuss issues regarding the college and about optimizing the available resources for a meaningful outcome with respect to the welfare of Goa Institute of Management.
Progressing into the afternoon, the event commenced with the lighting of the lamp, followed by the Director’s address, highlighting the major role alumni plays towards the developmental regime of Goa Institute of Management and about the multiple accolades that Goa Institute of Management has brought so far. Fr. Romauld D’Souza, Founder, GIM delivered a short speech on his vision about the changing role of alumni and how that will contribute towards a brighter future of Goa Institute of Management which was followed by a short ceremony to present the Alumni Achiever’s Award.
For the year 2017, the Alumni Achiever’s Award was presented to Gagan Banga, VC and MD, Indiabulls Housing Finance, who was a student of the 1998 batch of Goa Institute of Management. This was followed by Buddy Talk, which was the student-alumni interactive session, which gave the students insights into the fields that they are majoring in.
Simultaneously, Opportunity Mapping was conducted which was a mentoring session by the alumni towards budding entrepreneurs of Goa Institute of Management. The students presented their ideas in front of a panel who, in return, weighed the pros and cons of their business models, to polish them into better and effective plans.
Lastly to end things on a lighter note, musical performances, as well as a standup comedy act, were performed by the students of Goa Institute of Management.
The Grand Alumni Meet proved to be an ideal opportunity for the alumni to break away from the cocoon of their corporate lives for an evening of homecoming and celebration, to renew old bonds, foster new ties and relive the magical years they had at the GIM campus.
