Leadership Series'18 at Symbiosis Institute of International Business

Leadership series - 2018 was held successfully on 27th October, 2018 at Symbiosis Institute of International Business, Pune. The theme for this year’s event was “Europe: The Way Ahead”. The theme has gained an increased consensus all around the globe due to various international aspects like Eurozone crisis, Brexit etc. The event was commemorated by lighting the lamp by Dr. Asmita Chitnis along with the esteemed guests. Dr. Vidya Yeravdekar, Principle Director, SIU addressed the gathering and welcomed the guests. She was then followed by Dr. Rajani Gupte, Vice Chancellor, SIU, who gave an introduction for this year’s topic: “Europe: The Way Ahead” and she also cherished her moments of being the director of the institute. The event started with a speech delivered by Marian Felkel, an International Exchange student, about his journey in India.

The keynote speaker, Dr. Prince Augustin, EVP- Group Human Capital and Leadership Development, Mahindra & Mahindra, addressed the gathering about the outcomes of various investments of the company in EU. He pointedly said that there is good relationship of the nation with EU in terms of trade and commerce. Mr. Ranjan Mathai, Former Foreign Secretary, Govt. of India, discussed about the point of view of Europe in terms of “Europe: The Way Ahead” i.e. new technology, climate change, migration, security threats and terrorism. A major issue that the EU is currently facing is the influx of migrants especially from various countries torn by civil war and terrorism. Also, to make the amalgamation of EU more successful, the Europe must learn to cooperate and collaborate with Russia and China. Our chief guest for the event, Dr. Juergen Morhard, Consul General of the Federal Republic of Germany, addressed the gathering about the experiences at the border of France. He shared different stories of his times and what challenges he faced when he was young. He shared different visions of making the theme possible, like sustainable currency, benefits from the open borders and various foreign policies. Also, he concluded by saying that strategic partnership of India and EU will be stronger enough in the near future. Post discussion by the panellists, a question and answer session was arranged wherein inquisitive students asked queries regarding the subject matter of discussion. The event ended with a vote of thanks by Director of SIIB, Dr. Asmita Chitnis, who acknowledged the guests, faculty and the students for gracing the occasion with their presence.