15 Apr -21 Apr 2023

What kept the calendar buzzing this week at the Kreaverse? There was something for everyone, traversing the spectrum of interests, disciplines, ideas and concepts. We continued to make connections and viewed everything — from complex problems surrounding the world to everyday challenges — through the lens of the interwoven.

Krea, this Week is, in many ways, an echo of this very sentiment of interwovenness. From Economics, Environmental Studies, Literature, History and so much more, faculty continued to contribute to imperative discourses. The Outreach team at Krea continued with curated events that speckled the Indian map. Student Clubs and Committees continued to be synonymous with creativity in action as they scripted new innovative chapters in the field of sports, theatre, arts, dance forms, music, and entrepreneurship. 

As we curate this edition we are also gearing up for the milestone event that marks the biggest day on the Krea calendar, Convocation 2023, slated for July 1. An event where we all will come together to raise a toast and celebrate the stories of success, knowledge and dreams of hundreds of our Krea students as they spread their wings and take flight.

As always we want to reiterate that Krea this Week, is an ode to the collective ethos of Krea. We look forward to your feedback, contribution and anything else you may wish to share with us, each piece helps us build the Krea story, together. As we near the term break and students and faculty head to interesting summer projects, we will also be revamping our newsletter to fit the mood, needs and sentiments of the summer break, as we also adapt and recalibrate to what we firmly believe is the only way to move in this rapidly evolving world.

Please do keep watching this space for more…

This week we shine the spotlight on Genesis, the Admissions Committee at IFMR GSB.

The tagline of Team Genesis is, “It all begins here”, which perfectly goes with what the team does and has always been known for.  The Genesis Team, the Admissions Committee of IFMR GSB, is a student-driven committee under the institute’s Admissions department which coordinates the Admissions process for upcoming batches. The Committee facilitates the smooth onboarding of new batches into IFMR GSB. Their mission is solely based on making IFMR GSB more accessible and establishing belongingness among the new students even before they join. Currently Genesis has nine members who overlook various social media platforms and closely work with the management to reach out to the students. 

On Krea’s social media platforms, in the coming week we share Genesis’ intensive work across Outreach and Admissions.

This week, Priyanka Prasanna Acharya, Cohort of 2024, SIAS discusses how Krea University is supporting her in pursuing her academic aspirations while also nurturing her passion for exercise and rhythmic gymnastics. As an advocate for sports and fitness on campus, she actively contributes to organising engaging events and setting ambitious goals for the incoming cohort to cultivate a lively sporting culture.

Professor Nirmala Rao, Vice-Chancellor, Krea University was the Chief Guest at the 44th Convocation of the batch 2021-23 at Loyola Institute Of Business Administration (LIBA), Chennai, held on 15 April, 2023. Professor Rao delivered the graduation day address and shared lessons on leadership, ethics, value systems, equity, humility, compassion and the need to nurture friendships. Professor Rao encouraged the need for all young leaders to upskill, keep adapting, and evolving. The Convocation Ceremony was solemn and beautiful and lit bright with the enthusiasm of the students. 

The Office of Inclusive Learning Support (ILS) hosted a workshop on Combining Art Therapy and CBT to tackle procrastination. The workshop explored how the creative process of making art can help individuals to identify and address the negative thought patterns and behaviours that contribute to procrastination. The session also introduced several cognitive-behavioural therapy techniques that can be used in conjunction with art therapy to help individuals overcome procrastination and achieve their goals.

Kala, the Arts Club at SIAS put up a collage based on 20th century art movements and selected paintings as an accompaniment to Theatre Club Rangasthala's production, 'Red.' The view of a fragment of an artist's studio was showcased on the first floor, near Narasimhulu's cafe. 

Prof Stephane Mechoulan, Associate Prof, Dalhousie University, Canada presented a  talk at Krea University on 20 April. The session was hosted in association with IIT, Tirupati and as part of Krea’s ECONversations, titled, Revisiting the Effects of Abortion Legalisation on the Incidence of Sexually-transmitted Diseases. The session deep dived into the consequences of abortion legalisation on the incidence of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) in the United States.

On March 24, a group of former high court judges urged those pleading for same-sex marriage rights in the Supreme Court not to do so. Calling the petitioners’ cause as one that is imported uncritically from the West, their four-page statement mentions that legalising same-sex marriage would have “devastating” consequences, including the undoing of “Bharatiya society and culture”, weakening the “family system”, causing an increase in the number of people living with HIV/AIDS, purported negative consequences on children raised by same-sex couples, the risk of “population decline”, weakening of the gene pool of the “entire human race”, and the fall of “collective herd immunity and progressive evolution”. Are these purportedly "scientific" claims backed by evidence or reflective of long-standing social and cultural biases? Krea-CWP Faculty Associate, Sayantan Datta finds out. Read more

The first chapter of Krea PhD Scholar Narbadeshwar Mishra’s doctoral thesis, co-authored with IFMR GSB faculty Dr Jyoti Prasad Mukhopadhyay, titled, Does Nutrition Provisioning Impact Educational and Learning Outcomes of Adolescent Girls: Empirical Evidence from India has been selected as the honourable mention for the Asian Development Bank-International Economic Association Award 2023. 

The ADB-IEA award selection committee recognised the research work for its outstanding contribution to policy formulation in addressing the development challenges in Asia and the Pacific. The 56th ADB Annual Meeting will be held in Incheon, Republic of Korea.

Dr Sarabjeet Dhody Natesan, Associate Professor of Economics, SIAS, published a paper titled, A structural equations approach to policy evaluation: Case study of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Programme in the journal IIMB Management Review (IMR). The paper was co-authored with Prof Rahul R Marathe, Department of Management Studies, IIT Madras. In this paper, the authors aim to present the use of structural equation modeling methodology to evaluate a conceptual model empirically, identifying factors critical to policy implementation. The authors expect their work to promote the cause of implementation evaluation and encourage interdisciplinary methodologies for public policy evaluation purposes.

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Dr Sathyanarayanan R, Sundram Fasteners Associate Professor, Marketing, IFMR GSB recently wrote a guest article for The Hindu BusinessLine, titled, Vande Bharat and the Merchandise Opportunity.

The article discusses the popularity of the indigenous, sleek-looking and semi-high-speed Vande Bharat Express and sheds more light on the train, the fan-following phenomenon and a potentially new revenue stream opportunity for the railways through merchandise marketing. Read More

▶Breathe well: That's breathing right and gentle pranayama practices. Deep relaxed breathing helps you stay calm and focused and better oxygen supply to the brain ensures you can think clearly 

▶Exercise right: Atleast for 45 minutes a day. There are many benefits to exercising that's hard to ignore. Your energy levels will go up and you will be more productive 

▶Eat right : Pick energising natural, seasonal, lightly cooked, fresh  food and avoid deep fried, high sugar and junk as a lot of energy goes into digesting rich food. Deep fried food also makes you lethargic 

▶Sleep matters: 6-8 hours of sleep is needed for your body to rest and function

▶Hydrate: Drink lots of water and sugar free fluids. Less water can make you feel tired and hungry leading to overeating and weight gain. Weight gain again makes you lethargic. It’s a vicious cycle

We at Team Comms are excited to unveil our latest campaign — Shelf Life: A walk through Krea’s Library. We will be deep diving into the treasures of our very own library, HT Parekh Library, uncovering hidden gems in every nook and corner. Our mission? To showcase the diverse and fascinating stories that can be found within these walls and beyond. This campaign speaks to our dedication to exploring the boundless possibilities of the written word. Watch our social media space for more!

Lust for Life by Irving Stone

This week, Dr John Mathew, Divisional Chair, Humanities & Social Sciences and Associate Professor of History of Science, SIAS recommends the historical novel Lust for Life by Irving Stone, based on the life of Vincent van Gogh. 

Says Dr John, "In John Logan's Red, a play performed this week by the SIAS Theatre Club Rangasthala, and that refers to aspects of the life of the 20th century artist Mark Rothko, these lines appear, “And Van Gogh, of course, Van Gogh, trotted out on all occasions, the ubiquitous symbol for everything. Van Gogh the Misunderstood Martyr” – I would like, by way of a recommendation, suggest Irving Stone's magnificent creative biography of that ravaged genius, Lust for Life, written in 1934 and still in print, made into a compelling film in 1956, with Kirk Douglas as the protagonist. The choir featured, for its summer concert last year, a rendition of Don McLean's searching composition on the artist's life, with his first name the title Vincent. Given these prior points of reference, this book should make for an enduring memory."

A Culture of Growth – The Origins of the Modern Economy by Joel Mokyr

During the late 18th century, innovations in Europe triggered the Industrial Revolution and the sustained economic progress that spread across the globe. While much has been made of the details of the Industrial Revolution, what remains a mystery is why it took place at all. Why did this revolution begin in the West and not elsewhere, and why did it continue, leading to today's unprecedented prosperity? In this groundbreaking book, celebrated economic historian Joel Mokyr argues that a culture of growth specific to early modern Europe and the European Enlightenment laid the foundations for the scientific advances and pioneering inventions that would instigate explosive technological and economic development.

Mokyr looks at the period 1500-1700 to show that a politically fragmented Europe fostered a competitive "market for ideas" and a willingness to investigate the secrets of nature.

Image Courtesy: Wahiq Iqbal, Cohort of 2025, SIAS

Thank you, Avanti Nayal, SIAS cohort of 2025, for capturing the serenity of the campus, covered by the varied hues of the day