MDI Gurgaon Hosts Early Career Academics Colloquium 2024

Management Development Institute (MDI) Gurgaon, in collaboration with The Teaching Learning Centre (TLC) and the Indian Academy of Management (INDAM), inaugurated their highly anticipated Doctoral and Early Career Academics (ECA) Colloquium & Conference on December 19, 2024. The theme of the event was "Sustainability in Emerging Economies: Integrating Business Excellence in Management Education." This invited scholars, researchers and educators nationwide to seek innovative approaches for embedding sustainability in management education. With 140 registrations, the conference demonstrated high interest and engagement with participation from high reputed Institutes/Universities like IIT Delhi, IIT Roorkee, IIFT, IIM Indore, IIM Lucknow, IIT Patna,  MDI Gurgaon, University of Auckland (Australia), University of Leeds (England), BITS Pilani (Dubai), Skyline University College (Sharjah), École des Dirigeants et des Créateurs d'entreprise (Paris), Universidad de Los Andes (Colombia), Durham University (England), Wrexham University (England), GE Energy (Vernova), XLRI (Jamshedpur).

The first day of the Doctoral and Early Career Academics (ECA) Colloquium & Conference commenced with a warm welcome and registration as participants from across India and beyond gathered at the Athena Banquet Hall, The Pllazio Hotel. The ceremonial lamp lighting marked the official inauguration of the event, followed by inspiring speeches from distinguished dignitaries, including Arvind Sahay, Director, MDI Gurgaon; Sumit Kundu, President-INDAM and Professor of International Business, Florida International University; Pawan S. Budhwar, Associate Deputy Vice Chancellor, Aston University, UK; and Jyotsna Bhatnagar, Dean Research, MDI Gurgaon.

The morning progressed with an expert panel discussion on the theme, “Sustainability—SDG Goals: Discoveries and Challenges—Way Forward.” Moderated by Prajapati Trivedi, Commonwealth Secretary General’s Special Envoy for SDG Implementation and Distinguished Professor at MDI Gurgaon, the panel featured eminent speakers such as Shubhi Kesarwani, CEO, Gurujal and Ankit Agarwal, Founder-CEO, Phool.co. The discussion explored innovative strategies for implementing the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in governance, business, and education.

A key highlight of the day was the Interactive CESIM Simulation Workshop, moderated by PRitu Srivastava, Faculty Member, MDI Gurgaon, along with Rohan Jugran, Head of Customer Success, CESIM and Abdul Baji, Growth & Product Head, CESIM. This engaging session provided participants with hands-on experience in fostering critical thinking and practical application of sustainability principles through advanced learning simulations, offering valuable insights into achieving excellence in classroom instruction.

Participants enjoyed networking and engagement opportunities during tea breaks and a networking lunch, facilitating meaningful interactions and collaboration. The afternoon was dedicated to conference paper presentations, where scholars and early-career academics showcased their research across parallel tracks. Key topics included green finance, sustainability-driven digital transformation and the intersection of technology and sustainability, providing fresh perspectives on advancing sustainable practices in business and academia.