The HARMONY project, co-funded by the Erasmus+ Programme for Capacity Building in Higher Education, aims to bring together students and academics from Europe and South Asia to enhance cultural understanding and exchange, and to support universities’ internationalization at home. One of the key objectives of the project is to build students’ intercultural knowledge and sensitivity to cultural diversity by transforming international Relation office into vibrant multicultural focal points through the establishment of an Intercultural Hub.

Pro Vice Chancellor Dr Meena Chintamaneni inaugurated the the NMIMS Intercultural Hub on 15^th November, 2022. NMIMS international students from France, Germany and Nigeria, SBM students and facukty attended the event. The event was organised by NMIMS School of Buisness Management - International Student Relations Committee

Then NMIMS Intercultural Hub would work to insure students and staff have the intercultural skills to thrive in globalised workplaces and communities. This would be through various co-curricular and extra curricular activites such as Research projects on culture and communication studies, Collaborative online Integrated learning (COIL Project), Summer and winter schools for students, Annual Digital story telling competition, Multicultural Guest Speakers, Celebration of national and international festivals, Faculty and staff exchange, Semester abroad for students, International Internships, International immersions, Supporting NMIMS Schools with foreign Language programs and more.

The program began with ribbon cutting for the Inauguration by Dr. Meena Chintamani, the pro Vice Chancellor of NMIMS University.

It was then followed by various events including:

• Lighting of the Lamp and Saraswati Vadana
• Welcome Address speech by Dr. Meena Chintamani
• Sharing of Intercultural Experience by two French exchange students
• Sharing of Intercultural Experience by an Indian exchange student
• Sharing of Intercultural Experience by a Nigerian exchange student
• Performance by Treblemakers, the Music club of SBM, NMIMS Mumbai
• Performance by Zephyr, the Music club of SBM, NMIMS Mumbai
• Music and Dance performance by foreign exchange students
• Vote of Thanks by Meena Saxena, Director of International Linkages, NMIMS University
• High Tea

Cross-Cultural Learning Experiences by Students

Pravin Dalal School of Entrepreneurship and Family Business Management (PDSE&FB), NMIMS

Cross-cultural learning enables students to learn about their own and others’ cultures. It enhances one's knowledge of cultural norms, values, and behaviours. It further allows students to discern and communicate cultural differences with sensitivity and confidence. Teaching intercultural sensitivity can often feel challenging. Kobes (1984) emphasised an Experiential Learning Cycle to achieve an optimal cross-cultural learning experience.

In a University initiative to provide a concrete experience of cross-cultural learning, the twenty-third cohort of the Pravin Dalal School of Entrepreneurship and Family Business Management (PDSE&FB), NMIMS, visited four countries, Belgium, Austria, Germany and Switzerland, to explore and learn about design, innovation, and global business prospects.

Effective experiential learning is seen when a person progresses through a cycle of four stages: (1) having a concrete experience followed by (2) observation of and reflection on that experience which leads to (3) the formation of abstract concepts, (analysis) and generalisations (conclusions) which are then (4) used to test a hypothesis in future situations, resulting in new experiences.

The International Study Trip

In a journey to connect students with culturally different people and to move along a spectrum from “ethnocentrism’ to “ethnorelativism”, Professor Seema Mahajan, Director at the Institute, designed the IV 2022 (This is the 29^th delegation in a span of 15 years and over 4000 entrepreneurial students benefitted from the same).  It exposed students to global brand positioning, leading design and innovation, entering foreign markets, addressing barriers to entry, developing a futuristic perspective, and helping them imbibe best international practices.

The cohort relied heavily on experiential learning to achieve a practical cross-cultural learning experience.  They visited 14 firms over 12 days, like IMEC, Riedel glass, Schindler, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Erdinger. The four-step process of experiential learning is in the diagram below:

The Experiential Learning Cycle

Source: David Korbes

The Journey

1. Concrete Experience

The student cohort interacted with Mayors, Investment teams, Industry leaders and trade representatives across the four countries for a first-hand experience of cross-border trade concepts, go-to-market strategies and technological trends. They observed global best practices in quality assurance, packaging and supply chain management.

• The visit to ERDINGER provided a complete insight into how Weissbier is brewed and bottled to enhance the taste and aroma
• The visit to Schindler illustrated the shape of tomorrow’s cities through technology and innovation and intelligent, inclusive, and sustainable urban mobility
• The cohort interacted with Mr Stephan Hafrel, CEO of Comate, and discussed key challenges of implementing innovative solutions across their respective businesses. The cohort visited CommScope - wireless automation. Their state-of-the-art technology, with 17965 patents, provided a broad overview of the evolving communication landscape
• Visits to other companies enabled students to develop a perspective and a broader vision of the future.
• Culinary customs reflect culture. The students had ample opportunities to study culture through the culinary route closely.

2. Reflective Observation

The students reflected on the new experience in light of their existing knowledge. Their interactions with the environment were significant as they served to answer inconsistencies between experience and understanding.

The Impact

3. Abstract Conceptualization

 The wealth of observations from the four countries will enable the students to logically analyse their ideas and theories. It is hoped it will, in turn, provide them with more thoughts and ideas.

4. Active Experimentation

The trip empowered the cohort to experiment with their ideas, apply them to their daily routine, and observe the impact.

The trip has been highly successful and is expected to change students’ lives. It will enhance their thinking process and change their perspectives through holistic reflections.

Fifteen students of the University of Auckland are in India for a six-week internship program by Global Career Center.

Dr Charu Bhurat, Assistant Professor - ASM SOC and Dr Anindo Bhattacharjee, Assistant Professor - ASM SOC, of the Department of International Linkages, organized an innovative ‘meet and greet’ session for the guests. The intention was to help the guests find buddies during their stay in Mumbai.

The session was held at the Intercultural hub, NMIMS campus, on the 28^th of January, 2023.

The two-hour session emphasized generating cross-cultural awareness through interactions between the students of NMIMS and the guests. The activities included a Bollywood music jam, a Bollywood dance and an ice-breaking session.

It was encouraging to see wholehearted participation from different schools of NMIMS, with 32 students participating from the School of Commerce, School of Performing Arts, School of Economics, School of Science, School of Family Business, School of Pharmacy and School of Engineering.

The event created a warm bonhomie between all participants and was a shining example of the Indian tradition of Athithi Devo Bhava.

NMIMS Balwant Sheth School of Architecture (BSSA) and Karlsruhe University of Applied Sciences (HKA), Germany, presented a pilot study for the Redevelopment of the Thane Belapur Industrial Estate, conducted jointly and to be carried out as a full-scale research and implementation project by the two universities coming together to share expert knowledge and specialisations in the field of urban development and infrastructure.

NMIMS is dedicated to the betterment of society and strives to play a big role in nation building through its initiatives and projects. With the world facing increasing environmental challenges, it has never been more important to find sustainable solutions that will make our planet a better place for generations to come. This project aligns with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, and is a demonstration of the commitment of both institutions to creating a more sustainable future.

The event was attended by Dr. Frank Mentrup, Lord Mayor of the City of Karlsruhe, who led the delegation, Shri. Bipin Shah, President, Thane Belapur Industries Association, Shri. Amit Sheth, Hon. Secretary, Managing Committee of SVKM, Shri. Nayan Patel, Committee Member of SVKM, Dr. Ramesh Bhat, Vice Chancellor, SVKM’s NMIMS, Dr. Sharad Mhaiskar, Pro Vice Chancellor SVKM’s NMIMS, Dr. Ashish Daptardar, Registrar, SVKM’s NMIMS, Dr. Kaiwan Mehta, Dean, Balwant Sheth School of Architecture, Dr. Alka Mahajan, Dean, Mukesh Patel School of Technology Management & Engineering, Ms. Meena Saxena, Director Department of International Linkages, Mr. Murad Futehally , Coordinator of this project and other dignitaries from both the Institutes. Dr Jan Riel of HKA joined the event virtually and made a presentation online.

SVKM’s NMIMS hosted a senior leadership delegation from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech) at its Mumbai campus on 13^th and 14 February 2023. The event was aimed at bringing together academic experts to discuss and promote collaborative applied research, curriculum development, internships, and placements for students. NMIMS Mukesh Patel School of Technology Management & Engineering and Virginia Tech already enjoy a fruitful collaboration for their various programs, like the NMIMS MPSTME 3+1+1 Coordinated Program and NMIMS Sarla Anil Modi School of Economics dual degree program, which is the first in India to offer such a program

The Virginia Tech delegation comprised Dr. Cyril Clark, Executive Vice President and Provost, Dr. Daniel Sui, Senior Vice President for Research and Innovation, Dr. Guru Ghosh, Vice President of Outreach and International Affairs, Dr. Tarun Sen, MD & Professor Emeritus of Accounting and Information Systems, and Mr. Harold Brayman, Foreign Commercial Officer at the U.S. Department of Commerce, Mumbai among other senior academics and scholars.

The eminent members representing SVKM and NMIMS included Shri. Amit Sheth, Hon. Secretary, Managing Committee of SVKM, Shri. Nayan Patel, Committee Member of SVKM,  Shri. Shalin Divatia, Committee Member of SVKM, Dr. Ramesh Bhat, Vice Chancellor, SVKM’s NMIMS, Dr. Sharad Mhaiskar, Pro Vice Chancellor, Dr. Meena Chintamaneni, Pro Vice Chancellor and several department heads members, Deans, Associate Deans, and professors of the SVKM’s NMIMS were also present on the occasion.

PART 1 Photos

PART 2 Photos

NMIMS Department of International Linkages organised an interactive session for faculty of NMIMS School of Business Management and School of Commerce with 15+ Academics of Professional Development in International Business(FDIB) in India program . The event was held at the NMIMS EU harmony Intercultural HUB Saturday, 7^th January, 10.30 – 12 Noon 

The delegation of 15 + academics and staff are part of Professional Development in International Business in India program hosted by Florida International University, Center for International Business Education and Research - from December 28, 2022, to January 9, 2023.

Dr Sharad Mhaiskar, Pro Vice-Chancellor and Ms Meena Saxena, Director Interantional Linkages, explained the rationale for the exercise and the meet began with a formal round of introductions followed by individual and group conversations based on the faculty’s areas and interests.  

Most of the faculty members found common areas of discussion and very soon, the room was filled with the pleasant buzz that can only emanate from kindred thoughts shared in different contexts with the same goal in mind: bringing meaning to pedagogy while associating with vibrant young minds.  The ice was further broken when the delegates engaged in an impromptu dance segment led by an SBM faculty, filled with vigor, fun and laughter to the tunes of Bollywood numbers.  

The discussions continued over tea and light refreshments, with the members sharing notes on pedagogies, classroom experiences in their respective domains, and also research interests.

EU Erasmus + Harmony Project 

Inauguration of the Video Wall & Project Update 

31^st October, 2022

NMIMS University Vice Chancellor Dr Ramesh Bhat formally inaugurated the Video wall, funded by EU Erasmus + Harmony Project . The video wall provides a dynamic backdrop in the NMIMS Board Room as it adds significant value to the meeting speeches and presentations with pictures, illustrations, charts, videos and much more. It provides the best viewing experience for the participants as they get to see highly enriched presentations. We see the Video wall providing a great experience for the virtual participants and enable showing both the content shared and the remote participants.

Pro Vice Chancellor Dr Sharad Mhaiskar provided an overview of the Harmony project and the activities thus far, at the NMIMS Academic Council meeting which was attended by VC, PVC, Deans & Directors 

Harmony Project a multi-institutional and multi-country consortium of 11 universities which began in January 2021 and is scheduled to end in January 2024, provides an excellent opportunity for peer--learning of internationalisation strategies.Internationalisation at home is one of the key pillars of this project. Its focus is towards systematic institutional efforts for improving non-mobile students’ global skills in domestic environments. The video wall will facilitate these efforts  

The project is aimed at understanding key internationalization strategies adopted across various Universities from Europe (Spain, Bulgaria, Lithuania, Slovenia) and Asia (India, Bangladesh & Vietnam), facilitating capacity building of faculty, staff and student mobility and incorporating certain best practices in academic curriculum. 

Consortium members