Monday, February 8, 2010

Spring Semester....first thoughts..

The Spring semester at IMT Dubai has started, and needless to say it is on with a bang. The pleasant breeze , the cool temperature, the green lawns, the laughter filling the atmosphere once again, the tea out of the vending machine in the morning, the loafing in the cafeteria, the intellectual simulation in the classrooms with new courses…it is all making IMT-D alive and thriving!

The first week was slow to start. The September 2008 batch started classes on the 17th instead of the 10th, so they were mostly enjoying their one extra week of break back home. The few students from the September 2009 batch and the new January 2010 batch that were here, took that time to settle back in slowly and steadily.

The January batch of 2010 has the strength of 14 students as of now. They belong to different places and have come with high aspirations. We hope to include and involve them very soon in the IMT-D activities and events and make them an integral part of the campus. To make a start, and catalyse the interaction, some of the students of the September 2008 batch took them to a Tour of Dubai.

We went to Jumeira Beach, one of the major attractions of the city, and were lucky enough to reach around sunset. With the backdrop of the Burj al Arab, the deep blue sea, the setting sun and the brilliant pink color of the sky, we got to have some good quality time and some very nice picture shots! Then we proceeded to the next big landmark of dubai, The Dubai Mall. For our new students, this was a good opportunity to see the grandeur and life of Dubai. It was our attempt to give them a taste of the city. Overall, the Tour of Dubai was a great way to break the ice and turned out to be a fabulous experience for everyone.

The second week has now commenced with the buzz of Placements and Internships in the air. On January 20th, the Kotak-Mahindra group came to the IMT-D campus for the first big round of placements. Around 120 students applied, and went through the recruitment process. The students of the September 2008 batch got a chance to experience the process and learn more about Personal Interviews and Group Discussions. The day went into the selection and elimination of applicants, with the final result of 5 students getting placed from this process. A start, and a good one at that. The process of placements is officially underway and all the best wishes go to the September 2008 batch!