Experts, academicians discuss the need to foster spirit of innovation and entrepreneurship among youths 

Apeejay Institute of Management & Engineering Technical Campus in Rama Mandi Jalandhar recently organised an International Conference on Technology , Innovation and Entrepreneurship: For Sustainable Global Development and Economic Growth

The event, attended by 250 delegates from across the world, served as a vital forum for researchers, practitioners, and educators to converge and explore avenues for leveraging technology, innovation, and entrepreneurship toward fostering economic prosperity on a global scale.

The conference featured distinguished keynote speakers, including Dr. Ambika Zutsi, Professor at the University of Southern Queensland, Australia; Mr. Daniel Grossman, CEO and Chairman of Credma AG, Switzerland; Presidential Speaker Dr SK Chadha, Professor, University Business School; Guest of Honour Dr. Tejinder Sharma, Professor, Department of Commerce, Kurukshetra University; Session Chairs, Dr Baljit Singh, Associate Professor, IIM Jammu;  Dr. Anil Mittal, Professor, School of Management, Kurukshetra University; Dr. Ashish Arora, Associate Professor, GNDU Regional Campus and Dr. Sheetal Kalra, Associate Professor, GNDU Amritsar, who illuminated critical insights into harnessing the power of technology and academia to drive sustainable development and business growth.

The event began with an insightful speech by Dr Tejinder Sharma, Professor, Department of Commerce, Kurukshetra University, who emphasised the need to revisit traditional values and foster an innovative and entrepreneurial spirit. He further highlighted the pivotal role of educational institutes in equipping students with the requisite skills to thrive in the ever-evolving business landscape. Dr Sharma added that revisiting the spirit of Punjab can promote entrepreneurship among students. The spirit entails thinking big and working to make those thoughts come true. The youth of today should not be dismayed by misleading narratives of unemployment. There are almost 90,000 start-ups and many unicorns. Spiritual orientation can help in attaining sustainability.

Dr. Ambika Zutsi, Professor at the University of Southern Queensland, Australia emphasised the importance of embracing circular economy principles, advocating for the adoption of practices such as reuse, recycling, and redesign to ensure business sustainability. She also raised pertinent concerns regarding the implications of artificial intelligence and stressed the significance of holistic student development and the cultivation of soft skills.

Mr. Daniel Grossman, CEO & Chairman, Credma AG, underscored the transformative potential of collaboration between industry and academia in shaping a sustainable future. He expressed his enthusiasm over the partnership between Credma AG and Apeejay Institute, emphasising its fusion of technology and talent for driving innovation.

In his Presidential address, Dr. SK Chadha, Professor at University Business School, emphasised the importance of knowledge sharing and dissemination, urging individuals to embrace creativity, respectfulness, and an attitude of gratitude.

The inaugural session commenced with ceremonial lamp lighting, symbolising the illumination of knowledge and insights that would transpire throughout the conference. Dr. Rajesh Bagga, Director of Apeejay Institute of Management & Engineering Technical Campus, extended a warm welcome to all attendees, emphasizing the institute’s commitment to fostering a culture of innovation and excellence. 

Dr. Bagga highlighted the significance of collaborative efforts in harnessing the power of technology and entrepreneurship for sustainable economic development. He also stressed the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration in addressing the complex challenges faced by today’s society.

Dr. Ajwinder Singh, Conference-Chair, presented the conference theme address.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐟𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐜 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐬, 𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐟𝐨𝐜𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐧 𝐜𝐫𝐮𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐚𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐧𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐲, 𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩.

𝑩𝒖𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝑴𝒂𝒏𝒂𝒈𝒆𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝑻𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒌:

Scholars presented papers on sustainable business development models, quality management, cross-cultural management and innovation, innovations in logistics and supply-chain management, foreign direct investment, logistics, aviation, and transportation in the digital age, mergers & acquisitions, and business legal environment.

𝑬𝒏𝒕𝒓𝒆𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒆𝒖𝒓𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒑 𝑬𝒄𝒐𝒔𝒚𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒎 & 𝑰𝒏𝒏𝒐𝒗𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝑻𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒌:

Researchers explored responsible entrepreneurship and the role of government, industry-academia collaboration in entrepreneurship education, sustainable development goals and knowledge transfer in entrepreneurial firms and SMEs, entrepreneurial mindset and skills for the future, the role of incubators, venture capitalists, and other facilitators for promoting entrepreneurship, entrepreneurship challenges in the post-Covid era, and global entrepreneurship and innovative business models.

𝑭𝒊𝒏𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒊𝒂𝒍 𝑴𝒂𝒏𝒂𝒈𝒆𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝑻𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒌:

Papers were presented on topics like innovative practices in financial institutions, financial process and product innovations, scholarly papers on risk management and ecommerce laws.

𝑰𝒏𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒎𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝑻𝒆𝒄𝒉𝒏𝒐𝒍𝒐𝒈𝒚 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑺𝒖𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒊𝒏𝒂𝒃𝒊𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒚 𝑻𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒌:

Scholars discussed topics such as artificial intelligence, machine language, and deep learning, database system, data warehousing, and data mining, bio-medical instrumentation and sensors, network coding and information theory, web application and internet computing, big data management, cloud computing, and IoT, e-learning, e-business, enterprise information systems, and e-government, and soft computing including AI, neural networks, and fuzzy systems.

In his valedictory address, Dr. Tejinder Sharma, Professor, Department of Commerce, Kurukshetra University reiterated the importance of curiosity-driven research and aligning business strategies with technological advancements. Dr. Anil Mittal, Professor, School of Management in his keynote address, underscored the significance of transitioning from profit-centric to socially responsible business models for ensuring long-term sustainability.

Dr. Rajesh Bagga, Director of Apeejay Institute of Management & Engineering Technical Campus, expressed gratitude for the overwhelming participation and fruitful discussions throughout the conference. He highlighted the institute’s commitment to fostering a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship for driving positive societal impact.

The conference provided a dynamic platform for the exchange of ideas, insights, and best practices among scholars, practitioners, and industry leaders. Participants departed with renewed inspiration and a deeper understanding of the role of technology, innovation, and entrepreneurship in driving sustainable global development and economic growth.

Concluding the grand event,  Mr. Rajiv Kumar Bharadwaz, co-Chair of the conference, proposed a vote of thanks in the end.