IIT Madras Alumni Association takes flagship annual event online

The alumni association of Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras has gone online with its flagship annual event, Sangam.

Sangam 2020 will be held from December 1 to December 6. Under the theme Driving the New Normal, the event will deliberate on how governments, businesses and individuals can convert this moment of crisis caused by the global pandemic COVID-19 to an era of opportunities.

The IIT Madras Alumni Association (IITMAA) will also host a virtual showcase of global innovations from start-ups on topics such as Bharat in the New Normal, Healthcare and Therapeutics in the New Normal, Future of Work and Education in the New Normal, and Deep-tech in the New Normal.

Fireside chats at Sangam 2020:

• Vinay Sahasrabuddhe, MP and BJP national vice-president, on People, Policy and Politicians in the New Normal
• K. VijayRaghavan, principal scientific adviser, Government of India, on Achieving Impact Through Science and Technology in India.
• Subra Suresh, president, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, on Research and Education in the New Normal
• Sridhar Vembu, founder and CEO of Zoho Corporation, on Made in India, Made for the World and the idea of “idli profitability instead of ramen profitability for Indian start-ups”
• Bhaskar Ramamurthi, director, IIT Madras, on perspectives on IIT Madras — Excellence in the New Normal

Highlighting the importance of such deliberations, Shuba Kumar, president, IIT Madras Alumni Association, said, “We aim to bring together our alumni, students and faculty at IIT Madras as well as experts, academics, and corporates around the globe to discuss, collaborate and implement ideas for driving a new normal in India and the world.”

Sonam Wangchuk, founding director of the Students' Educational and Cultural Movement of Ladakh (SECMOL), will launch the New Normal Showcase of global innovations by start-ups and speak on Sparking an Innovation Culture.  The showcase will be available in December.

IITMAA is also conducting a free masterclass series from December 1 to help Indians grow on professional and personal dimensions.

Topics for masterclass series:

• Enhancing engagement in an attention-starved world - gamification in business and education
• SPRING — Bouncing Back from Rejection
• Neuroscience, meditation and mental well-being — A journey into the heart to achieve personal mastery and excellence
• Managing personal finances effectively

Those interested in the masterclass series can register by clicking here. 

Speaking about the global nature of the event, Krishnan Narayanan, vice-president, IIT Madras Alumni Association, and coordinator, Sangam 2020, said, “Sangam 2020 has a wide-reach. Nearly 2,000 people from 400 cities in India and around the world have responded to our survey. We have speakers and innovators from India, US, Canada, Singapore, Australia and Europe. We invite everyone to join us in this global exchange of ideas.”