THE CHRONICLES
(Monthly Newsletter of NICMAR University Pune)
Nurturing Ideas and Shaping the Built Environment of Tomorrow!!
January 2024
Volume 2, Issue 1
January 2024
Leadership Speak 
NICMAR has had its mission to serve the Construction, Real Estate, Infrastructure and Project Management (CRIP) sector for the past four decades. The formation of NICMAR University, Pune has reaffirmed our commitment to serve the CRIP sector with renewed vigour. NICMAR University, Pune is diversifying in allied areas of the CRIP sector like planning, energy, architecture, etc. In this new journey, we are leaving no stone unturned to make sure the legacy of NICMAR will be carried forward through the adoption of rigorous quality assurance processes.
NICMAR University, Pune has a dedicated quality assurance department actively involved in ensuring that all our programs provide a world-class 360-degree student experience. The department also houses the Internal Quality Assurance Cell (IQAC) of the university to provide guidance, support, and document that the processes followed at the university are in alignment with the vision and mission of the university.
The IQAC cell is striving to align the curriculum and student experience in line with the New Education Policy 2020 of the Government of India. We are constantly working towards improving our quality processes by organizing workshops on innovative pedagogy and assessment schemes for our highly qualified faculties to make sure our program outcomes are achieved. Training programs are offered to the support staff as well to make sure the university processes flow efficiently and students have a great overall experience at the university.
NICMAR University, Pune’s relentless focus on quality is in line with its vision to produce ambitious, capable professionals and future leaders in the built environment domain to solve global challenges.
Warm Best Wishes,
Dr. Rahul Deshpande
Dean Quality Assurance, NICMAR University, Pune
January 2024
Alert
ADMISSION 2024
Applications for NCAT 2024 registration are closing on 16th January 2024. For more details, please refer tohttps://www.nicmar.ac.in/pune/admissions
January 2024
Announcements
UPCOMING ALUMNI MEET
Register now for the event: https://lnkd.in/gNneyPWV
January 2024
Latest Updates
Ph. D. admission process of the January 2024 batch was conducted and 18 applicants (7 Full-time and 11 Part-time) were given an admission offer. Out of these, 5 Full-time applicants were offered NICMAR Doctoral Fellowship.
January 2024
Happenings @ NICMAR
Addresses by President and Chancellor
Dr. Anil Kashyap, President and Chancellor attended the Roundtable on 'Raising the Bar: The Significance of Benchmarking in Higher Education’, held at the 18th FICCI Higher Education Summit 2023. Dr. Kashyap was invited as a Keynote Speaker at the Indian Lean Construction Conference 2023. Dr. Kashyap was also invited to address the ‘National Education Excellence Conclave’ organized by the Centre for Education Growth and Research (CEGR) on 20th December 2023.
Dr. Kashyap was the Special Guest in the Conference on ‘Accessibility and Inclusion in the built environment’ organised by I for Humanity on 21st December 2023.
International Faculty Visit
Dr. Hariharan Naganathan, Assistant Professor from Wentworth Institute of Technology, Boston, M.A., U.S. visited NICMAR University on December 1, 2023. During his visit, the major points of discussion were on the operationalization of the MoU in the areas of Faculty Expert Speaker/Seminar Series; Buddying Researchers from both institutions; Exploring co-teaching opportunities; Developing a committee for exploring online platforms for knowledge dissemination and Ph.D. Research Advising.
Global Immersion Program
Students from NICMAR University, Pune pursuing MBA in Real Estate and Urban Infrastructure Management and MBA in Advanced Construction Management worked on live projects in Pune and Mumbai alongside the University of Denver, Burns School of Real Estate and Construction Management students during November and December 2023. This collaborative project was undertaken under the Global Immersion Program jointly organized by NICMAR University and the University of Denver.
A total of 24 students from each university participated in the program. The students were divided into groups of four and allotted live projects. In November, the students met online to discuss and conduct secondary research on the projects. Between 4th to 8th of December 2023, the student groups were hosted by NICMAR University, where they prepared for primary data collection, conducted site visits, compiled and analyzed the projects, and made the final presentation to the jury.
Industry partners such as SPCL, HCC, Kolte Patil, Godrej, and Shroff-Group wholeheartedly supported the program by sharing project briefs and requirements, facilitating site visits, team discussions and participating in jury.
Understanding real estate and construction market trends, project management techniques, business strategies, and mechanisms to handle risks and challenges were the key focus areas that the students learned. Working in cross-cultural groups provided students with international perspectives.
Editor-Author Interaction Series
On December 5, 2023, NICMAR University, Pune, organized an engaging Editor-Author Interaction Series, to promote interaction and learning among faculties and scholars. Dr. Vivek Sah, Editor of the Journal of Real Estate Portfolio Management shared his editorial expert insights and provided valuable perspectives to the attendees. Dr. Mrs. Sushma S. Kulkarni, Vice-Chancellor, NICMAR University, Pune, chaired the event and highlighted contributions of national and international journals in the field of education.
Dr. Rajni Kant Rajahans, Dean, Research and Development, moderated the event. NICMAR University, Pune faculty members and research scholars actively participated in this session, which led to a vibrant exchange of ideas.
Workshop - Writing Funded Research Project
NICMAR University, Pune, hosted an enriching “Writing Funded Research Project Workshop” on December 06, 2023, for its faculty members and research scholars. The resource person, Dr. Rahul Ralegaonkar, Professor, VNIT, Nagpur, shared his insights about the nuances of writing a successful funding application. His guidance helped participants discover invaluable perspectives, adding great depth to the discussions and learnings during the project presentation session.
Dr. Anil Kashyap, President and Chancellor, NICMAR University, Pune shared his experience as a successful recipient of many funded projects. Dr. Mrs. Sushma S. Kulkarni, Vice-Chancellor, NICMAR University, Pune, emphasized the critical importance of workshops focused on writing funded research projects and their impact on research and teaching outcomes.
The event was organised by Dr. Rajni Kant Rajhans, the Dean of Research and Development. Such initiative reflects NICMAR University, Pune’s steadfast commitment to academic excellence and collaborative knowledge sharing, paving the way for scholarly growth.
Gender Responsive Budgeting Workshop
NICMAR University, Pune in collaboration with Arun Jaitley National Institute of Financial Management, Faridabad (ANIFM), Faridabad conducted a 2-day district level workshop on “Gender Responsive Budgeting” between 18-19th December 2023. Dr. Anil Kashyap, President and Chancellor, NICMAR University, Pune during the inauguration event spoke about how some of the underdeveloped and small nations have taken a lead in Gender Budgeting and how India can learn from them.
The main objective of the event was to sensitize participants about Gender Responsive Budgeting. Mrs. Vandana Jena, Ex Secy. Department of Land Resources, ministry of rural development, Ex-Principal Advisor, Planning Commission of India and Dr. B.K. Pandey, Professor of Practice (Economics) and Ex Adviser Planning Commission & Niti Aayog were the key speakers.
They spoke about how women and girls face various forms of vulnerability throughout the life cycle. Additionally, their vulnerability increases significantly if they are poor, socially disadvantaged, or live in a backward or remote area. Gender Budgeting is a tool that can be used to address these vulnerabilities. The event was attended by participants from MSME and various officers from the state government of Maharashtra.
Workshop for Students
A workshop on “Integrating De-carbonisation into Built Environment - Pathway to Net Zero Buildings” was conducted by the School of Construction (NICMAR University) in collaboration with Alliance for an Energy-Efficient Economy (AEEE), ecocollab, Mahindra Life Spaces, WRI, Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), VKe Environmental consultant on 14th December 2023.
The workshop was attended by around 150 students from MBA Advance Construction Management and Environmental Sustainability, along with other colleges from Pune like BNCA and BRICKS College of Architecture.
The objective of the workshop was to make students aware of sustainable practices and work hands-on to reduce the carbon footprints in buildings, learn about carbon accounting, the present scenario of decarbonization in the building sector, renewable energy integration, and sustainable design practices in construction.
Guest Talks
A talk on “India as an Emerging Economy” was organized by NICMAR Business School on 18th December 2023. The engaging talk was delivered by Prof. Satyen Lama from Arun Jaitley National Institute of Financial Management. Prof. Lama an Officer of the Indian Economic Service, 2004 Batch, has served as Assistant Director in Labour Bureau (Ministry of Labour), Deputy Director in Directorate General of Commercial Intelligence & Statistics (Ministry of Commerce), Joint Director in Financial Stability and Development Council Secretariat (M/o Finance), Secretary/Registrar Debts Recovery Tribunal (Ministry of Finance), Director in the Office of Development Commissioner (Ministry of MSME), and Economic Adviser (North Eastern Council).
Students of MBA enjoyed the presentation, especially the way he explained the process of reforms and how the Indian economy has evolved since Independence.
NICMAR Business School organized an expert talk on “Business Development as a Career Choice for Management Graduates" on 22nd December 2023. Mr. Harshad Agarwal, National Sales Head, RicronPanels delivered a motivational talk and gave the students the Mantra for Success "Network is Net worth". The lecture was attended by students of the MBA batch.
Guest Seminars
The Centre of Excellence for Academic Practices organized a guest seminar on “Teaching Learning Practices at Wentworth, USA” for all faculty members of NICMAR University on 1st December. 2023. The resource person was Dr. Hariharan Naganathan, Assistant Professor in the Construction Management area, School of Management, Wentworth Institute of Technology, USA.
Dr. Hariharan shared about his use of industrial internship as a pedagogical tool for teaching courses in Construction Management. He discussed how using that experience he created innovative assignments and better teaching experiences for his students, making them understand and solve real-life problems.
Another guest seminar on the topic, “Learning Enhancement Initiatives” was organized by the Centre of Excellence for Academic Practices for all faculty members of NICMAR on 22nd December 2023. Dr. Krishna Vedula, Executive Director of Indo Universal Collaboration for Engineering Education (IUCEE) and Professor Emeritus, University of Massachusetts, Lowell, USA, was the resource person for this seminar.
Dr. Krishna Vedula highlighted the importance of faculty development initiatives and spoke about various innovative learning enhancement initiatives for increasing the students learning in the classroom.
Inauguration of facility
NICMAR University, Pune inaugurated a new initiative, "Centre of Excellence for Academic Practices" and a facility of the same, specially created for the enhancement of teaching-learning practices at the University. The Centre was inaugurated on December. 22, 2023, by Dr. Krishna Vedula, Executive Director of Indo Universal Collaboration for Engineering Education (IUCEE) and Professor Emeritus, University of Massachusetts, Lowell, USA.
The objective of this Centre is to provide high quality, integrated, and flexible academic and pedagogical practices which will directly impact the learning experiences of students and their learning outcomes. The aim is to foster a culture of excellence in academic practices by shifting focus from traditional teacher-driven learning to student-centric, outcome-based learning, as advocated by NEP 2020. The event was coordinated by Dr. Anil Agarwal, Dean Academics, and Dr. Kirti Rajhans, Head, Centre of Excellence for Academic Practices at NICMAR University, Pune.
Faculty and Staff Achievements/Awards
Dr. Sagar Malsane was invited as a resource person for AICTE ATAL Academy Sponsored Offline FDP on "Construction Automation and Robotics Towards Sustainable Infrastructure” organized by the Department of Civil Engineering, Sri Venkateswara College of Engineering, Sriperumbudur, Tamil Nadu (4th – 9th December 2023). He delivered a talk on BIM for Efficient Project Information Management in front of 25 participants.
January 2024
Executive Education Programs
The following management development programs (MDP) were organized by the School of Executive Education Programmes, NICMAR University, Pune in the month of November:
| Name of the Program | Name of the company | Date | No. of participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Management Development Programme in Capital Planning, Estimation and BPC | Tata Steel Limited | 04th - 07th December 2023 | 28 officers |
| Project Manager Capability Development Programme | KEC International Ltd. | 14th & 15th December 2023 | 21 officers |
| Project Management Practitioners’ Programme (Level 1) | Tata Power Company Limited | 16th December 2023 | 24 officers |
January 2024
Alumni Corner
Alumnus Recognition in Forbes
Mr. Tushar Mittal, NICMAR alumnus and founder of officebanao.com, has been featured in Forbes. Tushar's story reflects perseverance, dedication, and achievement,feeling us with immense pride, bringing immense. We congratulate him on this well-deserved recognition.
For insights into his entrepreneurial journey and the impact of NICMAR and Harvard on his success, please read the Forbes article:
https://www.forbesindia.com/article/startups/tushar-mittal-journey-from-an-enterprising-boy-to-an-insatiable-entrepreneur/90343/1
January 2024
Student Nook
KALAKSHETRA 2023
As a tribute to Indian Cinema, KALAKSHETRA – A Symphony of Stagecraft, was held on 20th December, 2023. The interdisciplinary cultural evening hosted performances from cultural, literary, and design clubs for the students of NICMAR University, Pune. Cinema enthusiasts were geared up in their favourite movie character attire to witness the show.
January 2024
Placement Spotlight
We are thrilled to share exciting news regarding a significant uptick in campus placement (Final Placements 2023-24) participation by esteemed Middle East companies in recent months. Our university has become a preferred destination for top-notch organizations seeking to recruit the brightest talents, and this is truly a testament to the excellence of our students.
A few standout Middle East companies that have actively engaged in our campus placement activities include Jacobs Engineering Group, Al Tayer Stocks, Kooheji Contractors, Almoayyed Group, Al Basti & Muktha LLC, Shapoorji Pallonji Mideast. Their participation highlights the recognition of the high-quality education and training our students receive. As we continue to build bridges between academia and industry, we look forward to witnessing more success stories and fostering mutually beneficial relationships with esteemed organizations.
Dr. Anil Kashyap
President and Chancellor
NICMAR University, Pune
Dr. Mrs. Sushma S. Kulkarni
Vice Chancellor,
NICMAR University, Pune
Dr. Rahul Deshpande
Dean IQAC,
NICMAR University, Pune
Dr. Vandana Bhavsar
Associate Professor,
NICMAR University, Pune
Dr. Soumi Rai
Associate Professor,
NICMAR University, Pune
25/1, N.I.A. Post Office,
Balewadi, Pune – 411 045,
Maharashtra, India