A Round-up of the Kreaverse
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As the season of Christmas draws near and the New Year beckons with fresh opportunities, the Krea campus comes alive with a blend of festive cheer and nature’s splendour. The crisp, cool air carries with it the scent of rain-soaked earth, as occasional downpours paint the landscape in vibrant hues.
This week at Krea has been a harmonious blend of cultural celebrations and academic pursuits, reflecting the vibrant rhythm of campus life. Isn’t it wonderful how we consistently strike the perfect balance between fun and learning, creating an environment where growth and joy go hand in hand?
As we celebrate the holidays and prepare to welcome a promising new year, we take pride in the bonds that make our community stronger, the knowledge that fuels our dreams and the collective aspirations that drive us forward. Here's to a season of warmth, wonder and new beginnings!
If you have stories or news to share with the Krea community, we invite you to connect with us all.commsteam@krea.edu.in
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Dr Srajana Kaikini, Assistant Professor, Philosophy, School of Interwoven Arts and Sciences (SIAS) was invited by Asia Theories Network (ATN) to present at their ‘2024 Critical Humanities Workshop on6G: Genesis, Generativity, Gender, Genetics, Genealogy, Genocide’ held at National Taiwan University, Taipei. She presented her paper ‘Nature’s Face’ at this forum – the third articulation of her philosophical work on the face, as part of a panel on Images : [Un]natural and Supplementary. ATN is a global scholarly network functioning as a platform for exchanges and collaborations among humanities and interpretive social science scholars in Asia and other parts of the world.
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Dr Suchika Chopra, Assistant Professor, Economics, SIAS presented her research paper, titled ‘Understanding the Gender Wealth Gap in Germany: Asset Value vs. Asset Ownership’ at the Winter School 2024, organised by the Delhi School of Economics, Delhi University on 11 December 2024.
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Pratibha Jain, PhD student, IFMR Graduate School of Business (GSB) recently presented her paper titled ‘Exploring Employee Retention Dynamics in NPOs: A Descriptive Review’ at the 2nd International Conference (SEEDS 2024) organised by Middlesex University Dubai and Jaipuria Institute of Management, Noida, India.
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The International Conference on Sustainability, Entrepreneurship, Equity and Digital Strategies (SEEDS 2024), held at Middlesex University Dubai Campus on 17-18 December 2024, Professor Chandrasekaran N, Professor, Operations and Strategy, Area Chair - Strategic Management & Chairperson - Executive MBA programme, IFMR GSB and Dr Kumaravel S, Assistant Professor, Operations Management, IFMR GSB presented the working paper 'From Potential to Progress: Advancing Rooftop Solar Energy in India' on behalf of Dr Suresh Govindapuram, Assistant Professor of Economics, IFMR GSB and their team.
In addition, the team contributed the following papers to the conference:
‘Impact of Krishnapatnam Port on Regional Economic Development’ – An Analysis by Dr Suresh Govindarajan and Dr Kumaravel S
‘Navigating the Future: Tanjung Pelepas Port's Rise as a Transshipment Hub’ by Bhavya Dixit, Integrated MBA student, IFMR GSB, Professor Chandrasekaran N and Dr Indira Ananth, Independent scholar (Virtual)
‘Supplier Onboarding for an Organic Supply Network of Retail Stores in Chennai’ by Professor Chandrasekaran N and Indira Ananth, independent scholar (Virtual)
Click here for more details
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The MicroInsurance Innovation Hub (MIIH) has signed a strategic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with IFMR GSB, appointing it as an esteemed Honorary Associate, to advance research, capacity building, data-driven innovation, and sustainable development in microinsurance. This partnership highlights the commitment of both institutions to creating impactful, knowledge-driven solutions that support and empower underserved communities through microinsurance.
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Through this MoU, the parties aim to engage stakeholders, innovate with data, build awareness, advocate policies and ensure growth. The MoU signing was attended by Professor Lakshmi Kumar, Dean, IFMR GSB; S Sundara Rajan, Registrar, Krea University; Kamalakar Sai Palavalasa, Founder Associate, MIIH and Nagarani Muthuswamy, Head, Corporate Relations and Career Services and Associate Professor, OB & HR, IFMR GSB.
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The Executive Education, Krea University in collaboration with Magic 20 Tamil is organising a leadership mastery program for young entrepreneurs called Unleash Your Entrepreneurial Leadership: A 3-day Transformational Journey. 3 - 5 January 2025 at Krea University campus.
For details, call: 7845569820
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The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) will be holding its major summit, ’Mystic South - Global Linkages Summit 2025’, with a focus on the role industries, entrepreneurs, public-private partnerships and state governments in South India can play in powering India through to becoming a $10 trillion economy, in February 2025. As a run up to the summit, we at Krea University are thrilled to present ‘Mystic South Youth Summit’, in partnership with CII, exclusively for the Krea community. Tomorrow, between 9.00 am and 5.00 pm, SH2.
We invite you to participate and drive discussions on the role the youth can play in key sectors necessary to achieving our ambitious 2047 goals.
Click here to know more
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Layam, the Music Club, SIAS presented a Christmas Choir on 14 December 2024 at the Atrium.
Here's the composition of the choir:
Conductor: Dhriti
Sopranos: Bipasha, Khushi, Pravalika, Saishreya, Shridatri (Shri), Srinidhi (Penny), Tamara, Vaya
Altos: Ananya, Ann, Ayesha, Eve, Sumedha
Tenors: Aariya, Antariksh, Granville, Purvikalyani
Basses: Jonathan, Joshua, Manu, Ryan, Shreya
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Here's the composition of the octets:
Octet 1: Aariya, Dhriti, Saishreya, Shreya, Srinidhi (Penny), Sumedha, Vaya, Zec
Octet 2: Ava, Ananya, Ann, Granville, Pali, Prakash, Pravalika, Tamara
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The Christmas Winter Fair held on 14 December 2024 at the OAT was an evening filled with fun and fervour. Students immersed themselves in food, stalls, bonding and more. The fair featured a variety of mouth-watering food stalls, including those selling desserts, pani puri, shawarma and wraps. Shopping stalls also offered unique accessories, handmade crafts and festive goodies.
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A Christmas dinner was organised by the Ministry of Campus & Culture (MOCC) on 15 December 2024. Besides the delicious spread, there was a live band performance. The Krea community spent the evening bidding adieu to the passing year with music, food and drinks and the hope for the very best for the year ahead.
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Sukrutya, the Skills Club, SIAS, organised a movie screening of Home Alone 1 on 15 December 2024. The students enjoyed a cozy evening of revisiting this movie. Everyone felt nostalgic and enjoyed watching their favourite film.
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The Samarthan Committee, IFMR GSB organised the Wishtree Event on 14 December 2024 near RH2, aimed at fulfilling the essential needs of elders in old age homes and children in orphanages. The event benefited Samaparpana, an orphanage for mentally challenged individuals, and Asha Nivas, a children’s orphanage in Chennai. It featured a symbolic Wishtree adorned with chits listing basic yet vital items. Participants could either contribute the amount required to purchase the item on a chit or procure it themselves and hand it over to the committee. These contributions, ranging from toiletries to clothing and educational supplies, brought immense comfort and joy to the beneficiaries. The collected items were promptly delivered, fostering a sense of community and demonstrating the profound impact of collective compassion.
Report and photos by Shivani Pramod, Cohort of 2026, IFMR GSB
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The students and faculty of Physics discipline put together Physics Φ-esta 2024, a two-day festival celebrating Physics on 17 and 18 December 2024. Various public demonstrations and experiments were performed to explain physics principles to a general audience. Topics as diverse as the death of the universe, interconnections between physics and fiction, information and entropy in quantum physics and the history and future of superconductivity were discussed in the seminar sessions. The highlight of Physics Φ-esta 2024 was a demonstration of the Meissner effect, in which a small magnet was made to levitate over a superconducting material cooled with liquid nitrogen at -196 degrees celsius.
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Dr Rakshi Rath, Assistant Professor, Psychology, SIAS as part of her course The Psychology of Disaster Response and Humanitarianism (PSYC430), and the Inclusive Learning Support (ILS) invited Manjuwara Mullah, Founder, Amrapari, to deliver a Krea Psychology talk on ‘Embroidering Resilience: Community Building Through the Craft of Kantha’ on 12 December 2024. Working with women from the char communities to which she belongs, Manjuwara founded Amrapari as a response to the isolation and alienation caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and the persecution from the NRC. Her work is a testament to thinking and working with the community, of voices within the community and of an organic intellectual weaving the threads of resilience, one collective stitch at a time.
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In her talk, the speaker walked us through a journey of navigating a community facing displacement from climate disaster, the mental health crises of women who are doubly marginalised, and building together a community through kantha embroidery. She also conducted a masterclass on ‘Kantha and Building a Women's Collective’ the same day.
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Synergy, the HR Committee, IFMR GSB recently hosted The Great Escape: Synergy Edition. The first round was an engaging offline quiz with 28 teams participating and putting their knowledge to the test. In the second round, a quick memory-based challenge awaited the 13 teams that advanced from the quiz. Participants were given 15 seconds to memorise 15 words and a minute to recall and write down as many as they could remember. The final round was a debate segment, featuring four teams that emerged victorious in the previous rounds. The teams passionately debated stimulating topics across three rounds. The winners of the initial two debates faced off in the final round, showcasing their oratory skills and critical thinking.
Dr Debankur Saha, Assistant Professor, Marketing and Area Chair - Marketing, graced the event as the judge.
The winners were:
Jayam Manade Ra (Praveen KR and Chaitanya VLVS)
Chhore NCR Wale (Sandipan Das and Ayush Mahajan)
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Report by Shivani Pramod, Cohort of 2026, IFMR GSB
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The upcycling workshop, recently held by Prakriti, Environment Club, SIAS, was a two-hour session where students were encouraged to bring in old clothes or clothes they wished to creatively alter. During the workshop, participants painted jeans, cut pieces from them, and transformed them into neck chokers, bicep bands and even bracelets. It was a fun and creative process. Prakriti hopes to make this event even bigger next time.
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The overnight trek organised by SAHAS - the Adventure Club on 7 and 8 December 2024, in Satyavedu Forest, was a thrilling experience for 17 participants. After reaching the base, the group trekked to the campsite, arriving after nightfall. Campers pitched tents, gathered wood for a cozy bonfire and cooked dinner together, sharing stories and laughter over Maggi, bhel and tea. Under moonlight, games and music added to the charm. At 4.00 am, they trekked deeper, discovering waterfalls at sunrise and enjoying a refreshing swim. The trip, filled with wilderness skills like fire-building, tent-pitching and night navigation, ended with cherished memories and valuable lessons.
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The Psychology discipline and ILS organised a session titled Bilateral Stimulation Audio-Assisted Meditation on 19 December 2024. This workshop featured Nancy McLaughlin Walter, Co-Director, Research, The Monroe Institute, USA, who led a guided audio-assisted meditation for students, staff and faculty at Krea University. The session combined music and somatic experiencing to facilitate neural integration and healing, creating an immersive experience for all participants.
Following the meditation, there was a theoretical discussion on the neuro-cognitive, physiological and experiential aspects of the practice. Audio-assisted technology, which has been used for millennia to promote neural integration, sleep, well-being and immersive states of consciousness, was also explored. The Monroe Institute, based in Faber, Virginia, has been pioneering these techniques for over 50 years. This workshop was mandatory for students enrolled in PSYC 437: An Introduction to Theories in Counselling students.
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The Biology discipline organised a talk earlier today titled A Nobel Prize in Medicine, 2024, delivered by Dr Lakshman Varanasi, Assistant Professor, Biological Sciences, SIAS.
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The Global Arts, Sociology, and Social Anthropology disciplines conducted a workshop on 18 December 2024 for ARTS223 and SOCL337/ARTS339/PHIL339/LITT339 titled Serious Play: Exploring Bodies and Space for Performance Making. The workshop was facilitated by Dr Aparna Mahiyaria, Lecturer in Drama at the Department of Communications, Drama, and Film, University of Exeter (UK).
This theatre workshop focused on the fundamentals of performance training, exploring the dynamic interplay between performers, their bodies, and the performance space. By engaging in 'play', students were introduced to nuanced perspectives on movement and spatial engagement.
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Students undertook a repertoire of ‘playful’ exercises involving children’s games, sensory activities, improvisation, movement compositions, visual scripts, gradually building confidence and awareness. Students reflected on their practice for creative development, ending with a short, assessed performance piece that brings together the skills learned.
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A celebration of innovation and entrepreneurship
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The Centre for Entrepreneurship recently hosted Party Like It's 1999, a vibrant platform designed to nurture a thriving start-up culture within the university community. Students showcased their entrepreneurial spirit by presenting innovative startup ideas and sharing their visions for the future. Notable startups like Sibling, MakeItIntl, Southpaw Supply and BEING. COMPANY captivated the audience with inspiring stories of their journeys, challenges and growth, offering invaluable insights for budding entrepreneurs. The interactive format fostered informal discussions with founders, enabling participants to brainstorm ideas, seek advice and explore collaborations, thereby strengthening Krea’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.
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Sponsored by 'coffee?since 1999,' whose refreshing cold coffee added to the energy of the evening, the event was a hub of creativity, ambition and meaningful connections.
Report by Dhruvi Dombe, Cohort of 2028, Integrated MBA
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Speak it till you make it
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The Speakers Club, IFMR GSB conducted Improv Odyssey, an engaging and dynamic event designed to test participants' creativity, spontaneity and storytelling skills. The event saw an enthusiastic turnout. The event comprised 3 rounds - Reverse Charades, Whose Line Is It Anyway and Slide & Story. Improv Odyssey highlighted the participants' ability to think on their feet, communicate effectively and perform under pressure, making it a thrilling experience for both competitors and the audience.
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Winning team: Bunty aur babli (team name), Kashish Jain and Muskan Sodani (participants) Runner-up team: Poha Kachori (team name), Suyash Bajpayee and Harsh Bansal (participants) Special mention: Ctrl C Ctrl Z (team name), Alishan Asgar and Shraddha Saluja (participants).
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Chennai International Lit Fest
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On 14 December 2024, a group of 14 literature enthusiasts from SIAS embarked on a journey to Chennai to attend the 3rd Chennai International Literature & Arts Festival at the Madras School of Economics. Organised by the Chennai International Centre (CIC) and Valley of Words (VoW), the festival featured a host of renowned dignitaries as speakers and moderators. The panelists included the likes of William Dalrymple, P Sainath, Smriti Ravindra and Sikkil Gurucharan, among others.
The event offered cutting-edge discussions that fostered candid interactions between students, distinguished academicians, and panelists. A diverse array of topics was explored, ranging from the economy to feminism, caste privileges, and arts and culture. Beyond engaging one-on-one with the speakers, attendees also had the opportunity to have their favourite literary works signed by the authors.
Overall, it was an enriching experience for Krea students, celebrating the dynamism and depth of literature.
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Report by Amandeep Singh, Cohort of 2027, SIAS | Pictures by Sayie Gaigole, Cohort of 27, SIAS
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Mudra, the Dance Club, SIAS enthralled audiences on 16 December 2024 with their mesmerising showcase called Reverie. The showcase was a vibrant tapestry of dance, weaving together genres from classical dances (Bharatanatyam and Kathak, among many others) to fusions (like Kathak and Waacking), hip-hop, bollyhop, contemporary and self-choreographed pieces. Each piece reflected the dancers’ passion, creativity and dedication, embodying the club’s profound love for dance. The hard work and countless hours of practice were evident in their execution, expressions and synchronised movements. Reverie was more than a performance — it celebrated the boundless joy and unity dance brings.
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Mudra’s showcase left a lasting impression, its spectacular blend of dance genres showcasing the club’s boundless passion for movement and storytelling, leaving audiences in awe. I cannot wait for their next production; I’m sure it will be just as extraordinary.
Report by Pranvi Khare, Cohort of 2027, SIAS
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The Mathematics discipline is hosting a talk by Dr Neeraj K Dhanwani, IISER Mohali, titled Residual Fitness of Fundamental N-quandles of Links, on 24 December 2024 between 2.30 and 4.20 pm at JSW — IA.
Click here for more details
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The Economics discipline is organising two talks titled Introductory Session on Joint Program in Survey Methodology and Integrating Survey Data with Alternative Databases for Small Area Estimation on 23 December 2024 from 11.00 am - 1.00 pm at 3F. Dr Partha Lahiri, Professor & Director, Joint Program in Survey Methodology, Department of Mathematics, University of Maryland College Park, USA will deliver the talks.
Click here to attend | Click here for more details
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The next Krea Open House will be held in Chennai on 5 January 2025 at the Krea University Admin Office from 10.30 am to 12.30 pm. The in-person sessions will provide participants with a step-by-step understanding of Krea's admissions process, Interwoven Learning approach, academic curriculum and showcase the diverse opportunities Krea offers.
If you know someone who may be interested, direct them to register here
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Admin office: 196, T.T.K. Road, Alwarpet, Chennai - 600018
Campus: 5655, Central ExpressWay, Sri City, Andhra Pradesh - 517464
www.krea.edu.in
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