At a time when we've come to consider entrepreneurs a dime a dozen, The School of Management and Entrepreneurship at the Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies (KUFOS) has brought life back to the profession with Waves 2018. Established in 2018, this national level inter-university management fest brings together around 2000 students from across 300 colleges to compete and participate in the programme which will be held on September 13 and 14. As they warm up for the first promotional events for the fest, we spoke to the Student Coordinators of the event, Rijoy Thomas and Amrita T about what to expect from the event this year. Excerpts:
Can you tell us about the event and what it represents for students like you?
Management fests are very common across universities. KUFOS being an important one, it was important to have a significant programme to celebrate the value of management studies. It is usually a 2-day event and in the past year we've seen the participation of over 1500 participants and expect much more this year. Students come as contestants and participants from universities across different parts of the country. The programme is supported by sponsorship and is kept afloat with a great deal of investment, But to celebrate the spirit of entrepreneurship, half of the money is raised through our own activities. It is about identifying the budding entrepreneur in you.
How does Waves stand apart in the world of Management colleges?
The very title of the fest is a homage to our institute and the values that it passes on. The programme is run by the management and offers a Rs 25,000 cash prize for various events. Students come as participants from management institutes, B-Schools, fashion institutes and art colleges. Unlike last year, we will definitely be running it for the standard two days because there is more involvement from interested students.
What is the inspiration behind the event?
Waves was born out of a desire for students to find their own skills and for them to be able to participate in something bigger than themselves and generic academic goals. The question is, what is the point of simply passing out of college without gaining anything that we can show for ourselves for the rest of our lives. Such activities help us develop skills that can help us throughout our lives. In addition to this, a large chunk of our proceeds is donated to charitable causes.
What can we expect in the weeks running up to the event?
In anticipation of the event, we are conducting a number of activities. The first activity was conducted at Vytilla Junction on July 26. It was a cleanliness campaign of sorts. Most of what we do is supported by promoters on a CSR basis so there is always an element of social justice to what we do. This programme is being conducted with permission from the mayor, so people have responded in great numbers. We were also an instrumental part of a Kerala government project based in Alappuzha. We continue to be associated with that project which is a green conscious programme. Everything we use from now to the date of the event will be environment friendly. We have pledged to avoid all plastic products.
What makes this year's event special?
We have been working on a number of activities as a part of the event. Currently, our preparation mostly deals with fundraising for the actual event. We are organising a massive clean drive. It will be a public campaign that involves the general public and the participation of students from various institutes and anyone can be a part of it. In August, we have Entrepreneurship Day and Onam, most of our themes will be centred around this. From August 6 to 10, we are organising stalls in various areas and raising funds through that. We are trying to depend more on ourselves and less on the institute.
