ISB host families give students home away from home

'Aikya' is a host family network programme, that has been functioning at the Indian School of Business (ISB), Mohali. 'Aikya' is a Sanskrit word, which means 'coming together'.

The programme is a way of bonding between students and families. Each year, host families welcome students into their homes over weekends, term breaks, and festive occasions. With five or six students per family, about 100 families across Hyderabad and Mohali are part of the AIKYA community. At Mohali this year there are around 42 Student Study Groups and hence, around 40 leading families have been selected to be a part of the AIKYA network. The families that are part of the AIKYA network at both the campuses in Hyderabad and Mohali include prominent industrialists, businessmen and government officials.

The interactions and meetings help the students in developing soft skills and understanding the city's corporate culture. The programme brings together ISB students and various well-connected individuals and their families, which benefits both in various ways. It's a home away from home for the students and an opportunity to be a part of the families' functions and festivities and get to know their culture. Shiv Kumar, Director, Student Engagement and Applied Learning (SEAL), ISB, said that the programme was initiated in the Hyderabad campus to familiarize the students with the unique culture that the city offers. The programme was then extended to the Mohali campus.

According to Subramanian, a student at ISB, who belongs to Bangalore, said, "My outings with Scott Slessor, Consul General, Canada, has been really interesting and informative. I can relate to and learn from him as both of us are not from the city. ".

Some of the prominent families of the region on ISB's AIKYA network are Punit Vatsayan, President, TiE, Punjab and Chandigarh, Vivek Atray, HCS, Former Director IT, Chandigarh, Scott Slessor, Consul General, Canada, Khushwant Singh, well known author, Keshni Anand Arora, HCS, Deputy Director General - UID, Manmohan (Mac) Sarin, Senior Advocate, Former Advocate General Of Punjab and Haryana, General V P Malik, Retired Chief of army staff, Manmohan S Kohli, CEO, Aroma Group of Hospitality and Sanjeev Mahajan, Director- Bombay Traders.

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