Name: Tanya Aravind – Balaji Institute of International Business
My name is Tanya Aravind and I am a proud student manager of Balaji Institute of International Business, Sri Balaji University Pune (BIIB – SBUP). As someone who has spent a considerable amount of time living overseas, the idea of studying at SBUP sounded just as exciting as it seemed challenging.
I connected with several alumni via platforms such as LinkedIn to better understand the kind of experiences I would be having at the university. Fortunately (for me), the alumni I connected with were largely from the online COVID batch of 2020-2022. This meant that I would be first-hand gaining experiences of the opportunities presented by the university post the pandemic and the demise of our beloved Bala Sir.
8 months into the degree and I can safely conclude that taking admission to Sri Balaji University Pune was one of the best decisions I have made in life. The numerous opportunities that students are given, the care and guidance of world-class faculty, and the routines established by the university are all contributors to long-term personal and professional success.
Of the numerous opportunities presented to the students, I seized the chance to be a part of a select group that would be travelling to Hyderabad. The event was the annual National Human Resource Development Conference hosted at the Novotel Convention Centre.
Keep reading to learn more about the 5 key takeaways I gained from the NHRD Hyderabad 2023 event!
5 Experiences & Learnings from NHRD Hyderabad via SBUP
NHRD Hyderabad was a wonderful experience to learn and grow, right from the beginning of the journey to making it back on campus safely.
1. Travel can be a Wonderful Teacher
Imagine waking up at 2:30 in the morning, your body buzzing with excitement and anticipation. Now imagine collecting all your luggage and climbing into a bus with 15 other peers and faculty members. The excitement keeps everyone awake and the singing of cheerful tunes is a core memory formed much before your journey has even begun.
The university ensured that every aspect of our journey would be safe and comfortable. Playing UNO with faculty members on the train, making sure that everyone is safely seated and navigating the storage of luggage were among the few tasks we completed as student managers.
The experience truly set the tone for what we would be looking forward to in the next week.
2. Knowing your Responsibilities is Critical to Performing Well
A day before the event commenced, we were called for a briefing with Dr. Vipul Singh (board member of NHRD). Dr. Vipul interacted with each one of us briefly, introducing himself and his team members.
We were given our roles and responsibilities that were expected to be executed to a T on the day of the event. Each student manager was assigned duties that were suited to their inherent talents and skills.
Recognizing who we would be working with and being prepared well in advance is a lesson we were trained in that day. Being mindfully aware of exactly what is expected from you is an excellent way to ensure that processes are executed smoothly.
Teamwork makes the Dream Work!
The driver behind every successful corporate operation is a team of dedicated and sincere individuals. The key, however, is these individuals recognizing that group effort has a much greater impact than singular contributions.
As teams representing the Diamond Sponsor for the event, all of us worked seamlessly together to ensure that our responsibilities were executed perfectly. We were in constant contact with every other member and were well-prepared to remain connected throughout the event.
Participation is a lot more Rewarding than Achievement
While there were several responsibilities that we had to execute as SBUP representatives, we were also urged to interact and engage with the guests. Each student manager took it upon themselves to visit the stalls set up at the event, interact and network with the professionals, ask questions at the sessions, and contribute to the ebb and flow of knowledge at the event.
Even more inspiring was seeing our esteemed faculty interacting and participating as well. Right from Dr. Rashmi Mahajan to Dr. G. Gopalakrishnan, Paramanandan Balasubramanian Sir and Dr. Manisha
Shukla, every representative was an integral part of the event’s overall success.
All Work and No Play?
Suffice it to say, by the time we trudged back to our hotel rooms, all of us were exhausted. But working with no time to truly enjoy the pleasures of Hyderabad was not something the university agreed with!
We enjoyed visiting a beautiful arts & crafts fair, and sampled local cuisine and the all-famous biriyani at Pista House. We were also treated to pizzas for our effort and went sightseeing at the all-famous Golconda Fort where we were dazzled by a light show under the stars.
NHRD Hyderabad was an experience that cannot be conveyed in one blog. It was life-changing, illuminating, exhausting yet exhilarating all at once!
I would like to take this as an opportunity to sincerely thank Sri Balaji University Pune for giving us such wonderful exposure. Each of the moments we experienced has now become the blocks upon which we will be building our careers!
As they say, the only source of knowledge is an experience!
Tanya Aravind
Balaji Institute of International Business
