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Bennett University hosted a Vibrant Mumbai Meet on Friday, October 31, 2025, at the Jio World Convention Centre, bringing together top industry leaders and alumni. The day featured a powerful Industry–Academia Round Table Series followed by the Alumni Meet – Mumbai Chapter 3.0. The core theme was “Skills Over Degrees and Building a Future-Ready Talent Pipeline,” focusing on aligning educational outcomes with industry demands through interactive dialogue. Brainstorming and Interactive dialogue sessions from the Round Tables School of Design (SoD): The discussion, led by Dean Prof. (Dr.) Manisha Mohan, centered on AI integration, design thinking, and cultural rootedness. Experts like Poonam Soni and Sooraj Nair emphasized preserving artisanal skills and creating “safe spaces for failure and learning.” The future of design was seen in harmonizing craftsmanship, technology, and cultural intelligence. Times School of Media (TSOM): Moderated by Dean Prof. (Dr.) Sumit Narula and Deputy Dean Prof. Dhiraj Singh, this session defined the next-generation media professional. Participants, including Viveck Vaswani, identified 50 essential skills (e.g., Generative AI mastery, commercial acumen, storytelling). They resolved to integrate 15 core skills into the curriculum, encapsulating the vision that “A degree should represent 80% skills.” School of Management (SoM): Chaired by Dean Prof. (Dr.) Niraj Mankad, the session with senior HR and business leaders focused on corporate readiness. The consensus was that “learning is work,” signifying a shift to continuous professional learning. Sanjay Thakur redefined the MBA as a four-year journey of academic and practical learning. Dr. Kavindra Pant stressed that a high “learnability quotient,” attitude, and adaptability are essential for sustained professional success. The day concluded with Bennett University’s Alumni Meet – Mumbai Chapter 3.0, a celebration hosted by Sonali Dutt (MBA 2019), now with KPMG Mumbai. The event successfully brought together graduates from diverse industries for an evening of networking, nostalgia, and collaboration. Aditi, a recent graduate, highlighted how the university’s curriculum and internships gave her the confidence to handle complex media projects like celebrity interviews, while Akshara, now in PR, candidly shared that “the glamour world isn’t as glamorous as it looks,” underscoring the value of hard work, discipline, and perseverance learned during her time at Bennett. These conversations serve as a vital feedback loop, translating real-world business challenges into structured educational content to better prepare the next generation of graduates. They also reaffirm Bennett University’s commitment to forging a seamless link between higher education and industry requirements, actively nurturing a talent pool prepared for the future global workforce.
