Orientation

XILUR 2022

XILUR 2022 - Inauguration and orientation program of academic year 2022-23

The School of Communications at XIM University recently held its orientation programme, XILUR, for its new undergraduate and postgraduate students. Dr. V. Vijay Kumar, the Dean, delivered a comprehensive presentation on the School’s Manual of Policies and other important practices followed by the School and the University.

After the presentation, the freshers were briefed separately on the undergraduate and postgraduate levels about placement and internship opportunities, as well as their potential roles in various institutional committees for co-curricular participation.

To provide students with a first-hand experience of their course expectations, XILUR dedicated two sessions to seminars by esteemed industry experts. Mr Samrat Mukherjee, Founder and CEO of Crow’s Nest (Now Madison Digital), delivered the keynote speech on ‘The Impact of Digitalization on Advertising and Communications.’ He discussed the evolving medium of advertising, new-age consumerism, and the process of segmentation and targeting based on advanced technology and Artificial Intelligence.

The second session’s keynote speaker was Mr Sugata Roy, Head of the Social and Behavior Change Programme at UNICEF, Odisha, who spoke on the theme “Development Communication as an Advocate for Positive Change.” He emphasized the importance of serving society and engaging in community service and explained the nuances of crisis management guidelines and rural communication campaigns based on digitization and behavioral or perception change among village communities.

Overall, XILUR 2022 was a resounding success, emphasizing the need to bridge the gap between academic learnings and industry inputs to equip all students at the School of Communications to become informed, ethical, and passionate media professionals of tomorrow.

XILUR 2021

XILUR 2021 - Inauguration and orientation program of academic year 2021-22

The School of Communications hosted XILUR 2021, an online orientation program for the new batch of 2021-2023 PG students. The event provided an introduction to XILUR, followed by a welcome address from the Dean, Dr. V. Vijay Kumar. He provided an overview of the M.A Mass Communication Program, including the Manual of Policies, Faculty, and Courses.

The keynote address was delivered by Mr. Rupam Borah, a Creative Strategy Consultant and Founder & Chief Creative Officer of Virus, Oneify & La Belle Vie (Multidisciplinary Design Firms) and former Executive Creative Director at Leo Burnett & Ogilvy. The session was attended by M.A 1st and 2nd year students, and Mr. Borah discussed career opportunities in the field of Advertising and Marketing. He also explored how brands and marketers are adapting to the “new normal” and designing their communication appeals to connect with consumers. He emphasized the importance of studying consumer behavior for advertising and marketing professionals.

The students were briefed on internship programs and industry interaction opportunities during a Career Advisory Services briefing, under the guidance of Prof. Arpita Saha, Faculty Coordinator of Career Advisory Services, School of Communications. Overall, XILUR 2021 provided an informative and engaging start for the new batch of master’s students, equipping them with essential knowledge and insights to succeed in the dynamic field of communication.

AAGMAN 2021

AAGMAN 2021 - Inauguration and orientation program of academic year 2021-22

On September 15th, 2021, the School of Communications hosted Aagman 2021, an online orientation program for the incoming B.Sc (Hons.) batch of 2021-2024 via Zoom. The program aimed to introduce students to the world of Graphic Design, an emerging and important field in Mass Communication. Mr. Arun Prakash, Assistant Production Manager at BYJU’S, was the guest speaker, responsible for the entire value chain of 3D production from script to final delivery. With previous experience working for well-known brands like DQ Entertainment and Disney, Mr. Arun Prakash shared valuable insights with the students.

The keynote speaker for Aagman 2021 was Ms. Anjana Menon, Founder of Content Pixies and a consultant to CEOs, blue chip companies, and policy makers. With over two decades of experience as a business journalist with Bloomberg News in London and Singapore, Ms. Anjana discussed the career opportunities in the field of Journalism and Content Development across platforms. She emphasized the role of storytelling in content development and how communication appeals are being altered to connect with the audience. Ms. Anjana has also authored a best-selling book called “What’s Your Story?” in collaboration with Adri Bruckner and Marybeth Sandell.

Dr. V. Vijay Kumar, Dean of the School of Communications, delivered the welcome address and took the students through the B.Sc (Hons.) Mass Communication Program, Manual of Policies, Faculty and Courses. The students were also briefed on the Career Advisory Services offered at the School of Communications under the guidance of Prof. Arpita Saha, Faculty Coordinator of Career Advisory Services.

XILUR 2020

XILUR 2020 - Inauguration and orientation program of academic year 2020-21

School of Communications, XIM University organized its virtual orientation Program – XILUR 2020 on 3^rd and 4^th September 2020 through Zoom application – an online platform. XILUR symbolizes the beginning of a fresh and eventful academic journey and it stands for Xavier initiative to learn, unlearn and relearn.

The two days program witnessed well-known media professionals and industry stalwarts addressing the students of School of Communications. The program began with a brief introduction to the event by Prof. Anamika, the coordinator–of XILUR 2020. The Dean (acting) Prof. V. Vijay Kumar welcomed the students and provided a detailed overview of the two-year BSc (Hons.) and MA Mass Communication programs of the University.

Ms Navika Kumar, Group Editor-Politics Times Network was the keynote speaker on this occasion. She spoke about her experiences and the prerequisites for a media professional. The session with Ms Navika Kumar was quite interactive and the budding media professionals got an opportunity to understand the world of Convergent Journalism. This session was moderated by Prof. Arpita Saha, faculty of School of Communication. The session was attended by the new as well as the existing students, parents, guardians, and faculties of School of Communications.

In the second half of 3^rd September 200, Mr Daniel Williams, a motivational speaker inspired the students of School of Communications to take up challenges despite all the difficulties and march ahead towards their goal. This session was moderated by Prof. Jyoti Ranjan Sahoo, faculty and attended by all the students of the school.

In the first half of 4^th September 2020, Mr Anil Nair, Co-founder and COO at Very Multimedia Solutions Pvt. Ltd., Bengaluru addressed students on, Creative Communication in the Digital Era. Mr Nair spoke about “Out of the box thinking” and the importance of “being illogical” in the field of creativity. This session was moderated by Fr. Alwyn Rodrigues SJ, faculty of School of Communications. and attended by all the students of the school.

In the second half of 4^th September 2020, Ms Gayathri Ojha, Vice President – Marketing & Corporate Communications, CSR – Total India addressed all the students of the school on The Role of Mass Communication in Building Corporate Reputation.

During this XILUR 2020, Prof. Arpita Saha briefed the new entrants about the Career Advisory Services and Internship offered by the school, while Prof. Nirmalya Baral briefed students on the Student Activities Committee of School of Communications. Prof. Nadira Khatun took the charge of ice-breaking with the newcomers. The existing students of School of Communications (2^nd & 3^rd year UG students and 2^nd year PG students) had an interaction with the new joiners and welcomed them to the School of Communications family.

Finally, the program came to an end with the Vote of thanks proposed by Prof. Anamika, the coordinator of XILUR – 2020. The detailed program schedule is attached herewith the report. Letter of appreciation was sent to all the speakers on completion of the event. All these programs were held online through Zoom platform. The technical aspects were managed by Mr Pramod Saha and Mr Ratiram Khaka while the administrative and back-end support was provided by Ms Carline D’Costa.

XILUR 2019

XILUR 2019 - Inauguration and orientation program of academic year 2019-20

The inauguration and Orientation program of School of Communications for the academic year 2019 -20 was held on 1^st and 2^nd of July. XILUR symbolizes the beginning of a fresh and eventful academic journey and it stands for Xavier initiative to learn, unlearn and relearn.

The Chief Guest for the inaugural event was Shri Jyoti Prakash Panigrahi, Hon’ble Minister of Tourism, Odia Language, Literature & Culture, Government of Odisha and Dr. Lopamudra Tripathi, Communication for Development specialist at unicef, was the Guest of Honour. XIM University dignitaries, Prof. Dr. Fr. Paul Fernandes SJ, EX-Vice Chancellor,XIM University, Prof. Fr. E. A. Augustine SJ, Registrar and Fr. Donald D’ Silva SJ, the Dean of School of Communications were part of the esteemed panel.

Shri Panigrahi, who is also a board member of the University, elaborated on the need for a responsible media and how as budding professionals one should be aware of the needs of the society. He also deliberated on how XIM University has spearheaded the changing landscape of higher education across the nation.

The Guest of Honour, Dr. Tripathy emphasized on a sense of heightened empathy towards society, which she believes is the foundation stone of the media profession. She urged students to focus on contextualized communication in which the communicator should be able to address the apprehension of the common man, thus becoming the agents of social change. With even a greater zeal, Dr. Tripathy an erudite speaker, readily answered the questions put forth by the students. The session was moderated by Prof. Fr. Alwyn Rodrigues SJ, faculty School of Communications.

With School of Communication’s motto of communicating life, the School has always stood apart from its contemporaries in the way that it has never succumbed to the dominant trend of churning out ‘market’ ready graduates. Rather, it has groomed students as socially conscientious young men and women who would be the future thought leaders with vision, creativity and imagination.

XILUR 2018

XILUR 2018 - Inauguration and orientation program of academic year 2018-19

It was perhaps one of the most awaited moments for the XIM University Alumni Committee and the ALCOM Team to see the day unfolding on February 15, 2020. It was a maiden attempt made by the XIM University. Since its inception, barely four batches of PG and three batches of UG students had passed out from the New Campus at Harirajpur. February 15th witnessed an air of excitement, emotion and nostalgia where entire day was chalked out with common as well as school specific events.

With a goal of continuing the relationship with the XIM University students, and believing that an institution of higher learning is a partnership; partnership among students and alumni, faculty and alumni, administrators and alumni, benefactors and trustees, neighbourhoods and more, to build a robust learning community and a culture of ongoing education.

Speaking on the occasion, Vice-Chancellor Fr. Fernandes said, “We extend a warm welcome to our fresh batch of students pursuing mass communication courses. XIM University is committed to provide excellent educational opportunities and a world-class experience in its variety of courses.” He also exhorted the students for hard work and honesty and encouraged them to take up the challenges and be the forerunners in the development of the media industry.