'3 Idiots is a very popular film in China'

Bringing in students and young professionals from seven different countries, the Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore (IIMB), recently hosted ‘ShARE World Seminar’, a two-day seminar which focussed on energy and economy in South Asian countries.

The participants discussed and debated topics ranging from social responsibility of business, microfinance, micro-lending related issues to even corporate social responsibility being just a branding exercise.

These thought-provoking discussions and debates enabled the students to understand their subjects on a deeper level and helped them answer many business queries. Yasin, one of the participants, said most of the discussions were quite enlightening. “With people coming from different backgrounds, many perspectives were brought to the table and that made it even more interesting. I enjoyed the debate on how corporate social responsibility has become just a branding exercise,” he added.

Kanika, who came from the Delhi School of Economics to take part in the seminar, said the event helped her network not only nationally but also internationally. “It was nice to see how different we are and at the same time, how similarly we approach economic issues. I guess that was bound to happen as most of the participants were from South Asian countries and face very similar issues,” she added.

What one also saw at this seminar was the interaction between international and national students. Hugo Oligeira from Portugal, said that this was his second visit to the country and his first to the City. “We have been only on the campus. But I have enjoyed the weather here and the ambience. I am aware of the Indian culture and find the students here very motivated and dedicated,” he observed.

Be it trying out some of the local delicacies, capturing candid shots of the seminar on their cameras or even making new friends, the international students said that they were returning home with many special memories. “For us, Bangalore has always been the IT capital and when it comes to IIMB, the first thing that comes to my mind is ‘3 Idiots’,” said Echo, a student from China. “Out there, ‘3 Idiots’ is a very popular film so when we came here, I could actually relate to all the places where the film was shot. After attending the seminar, I was very impressed with the kind of logic and concern the students here have for their society,” added Echo.