INAUGURAL SESSION
Date of Conduct: 21st of October 2021
Time: 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM
Speakers’ Name and Designations:
Shri Vijay Gokhale, Former Foreign Secretary Government of India
Dr. Vidya Yeravdekar, Pro Chancellor, SIU
Prof. Dr. S B Mujumdar, Chancellor, SIU
Dr. Asmita Chitnis, Director, SIIB
No. of Students present: 400+
Synopsis:
On the 21st of October 2021, the students of SIIB and various B-School students attended the inaugural session of the E Conclave. The topic of the session was “FUTURE OF WORK: DIPLOMACY POST PANDEMIC”.
The session started with an engaging video based on the theme of Diplomacy Post Pandemic. The video was followed by Dr. Asmita Chitnis, Director SIIB, giving an opening note on changing diplomacy worldwide and businesses adapting to this change. She also gave an insight into the contemporary happenings around the world like the Afghanistan crises, Quad Summit, and G-20. The chain went on by Dr. Vidya Yeravdekar, Pro-Chancellor, SIU, explaining the importance of International Business and the changing operations around the education system post-pandemic. Dr. S.B. Mujumdar, Chancellor, SIU, took the session forward, explaining the lessons the COVID-19 pandemic taught us amidst all the disruptions. He further gave insight into the interconnectedness of the future of work and technology and the importance of upskilling in modern times.
Taking the discussion further, our Honourable Chief Guest of the day, Mr. Vijay Gokhale, initiated his talk by discussing the importance and the evolution of diplomacy through all these years. Further, he stated that technology is not a substitute for diplomacy, and both need to go hand in hand. Mr. Gokhale also stressed the importance of other qualities such as constant learning, negotiation and work culture, and time as an essential tool for every country. He discussed how International Business has to work with Indian diplomacy and highlighted the importance of the three elements: Collection, Aggregation, and Communication. Mr. Gokhale also predicted the future of war to be autonomous and how a lack of innovation will degrade this situation. According to Mr. Gokhale, a diplomatic battle is imminent, and for that, two elements are crucial: knowledge of domain and law. He emphasised the future of work has given birth to the virtual world and has impacted diplomacy in serious concerns. By emphasising the importance of data, he concluded that it is essential for a country like India to take action and work on the future of diplomacy in collaboration with meaningful data and technology.
Further, the session proceeded ahead with a very interactive and informative question-answer session. The session concluded with a vote of thanks by Dr. Prakash Rao.
Feedback:
“In the E-Conclave conducted by SIIB, our esteemed chief guest Mr. Vijay Gokhale enlightened us with knowledge and information regarding the trade relations and how Indo-Chinese relations have been in the past few years with a touching bonus of how the economy can be improved. It was a very informative and engaging session.” – Inderjit Singh (SIIB, IB 2021-23)
Overall Feedback:
The session was abundant with insights into diplomacy and how the future of work has a crucial role in today’s world. The discussion revolved around how diplomacy and the future of work are not two independent entities and are both interconnected. Indeed, it was a session with a lot of information and learning opportunities.
