Pune :-FLAME University, the pioneer of Liberal Education in India, recently concluded the third webinar of Vimarsha, the Leadership Talk Series, an initiative of the student led VAJR group. The keynote address was delivered by Shri Sanjeev Sanyal, Principal Economic Advisor to the Government of India, on the theme “Decision-making for an Uncertain World.”
FLAME University provides the country’s premier interdisciplinary education experience, focused on liberal arts, leadership and experiential learning. Vimarśha is an ambitious attempt to further that experience. Vimarśha is a series of webinars delving into a range of topics seeking the wisdom of business and public leaders on how India can leapfrog out of the conundrum of socio-economic, geo-political, and environmental realities.
While addressing the gathering via webinar, Shri Sanjeev Sanyal, Principal Economic Advisor to Govt. of India, and one of Asia’s leading financial economists said, “Leadership is precisely about making judgements when you really don’t know what is going to happen in the future. [In this Covid-19 situation] we [Govt. of India] opted to hedge for the very worst outcome, and then, with a step by step approach, we responded to the other side for what was actually going to happen. So, very upfront, starting in the last week of March, we imposed a full lockdown. It is not because we were sure exactly what this virus was going to do – far from it – but what we were really doing was hedging for the possibility that this was literally going to kill millions of people.”
He also talked on the aspect of Walkability and how the combination of real-time technology and adaptable infrastructure can transform the model of designing footpaths, bridges, etc., which in turn can transform to Smart Model of a City. Dr Kamdar, VC of FLAME University, has related this aspect to FLAME’s infrastructure and said the campus is a perfect example of working in close coordination with nature.
While giving a final message to the Youth of India, Shri Sanjeev Sanyal said, “Once you begin to think about the world in a non-deterministic, complex way where everything is evolving all the time, then one thing strikes you immediately, which is that you cannot think in silos. You have to take into account the fact that the world is made of all kinds of different things. I am of the view that you should live life as it comes and embrace it and be adaptable, rather than have a view that I have to go down a particular path. It is the embracing and doing different things along the way that is enjoyable.”
Participants gained great insights and nuggets of wisdom from the session and thanked Shri Sanyal for sharing the thinking behind policy making and relating that to the basics of decision-making in an holistic manner.
Prof. Dishan Kamdar, Vice Chancellor of FLAME University, welcomed Shri Sanjeev Sanyal mentioning that this is very apt, relevant and interesting topic of discussion at this time.
The third session of Vimarsha witnessed an enthusiastic response and tremendous participation from industry leaders, innovators, educators, entrepreneurs, professionals and students across the country.
Post COVID-19, as individuals, organizations, and nations enter a new and uncertain normal, navigating these previously uncharted paths can be tricky. In such situations, decision making becomes crucial, and the art of thinking critically and logically even more so. The session was instrumental in throwing light on how these thinking skills, along with adaptability and flexibility, can be useful in the current and future times.
Questions raised during the session revolved around post-pandemic foreign investments and managing expectations during uncertain times.
Prof. Dr Niraj Mankad, Assistant Dean of Programs, FLAME University, thanked Shri Sanjeev Sanyal on behalf of everyone at FLAME University for his eloquent talk and insights on the topic.
