I.I.M.U.N. Championship Conference 2023

About

I.I.M.U.N.'s 12th year Championship Conference took place from the 12th to the 15th of August, 2023. The flagship concourse of the organisation saw the participation of over 2000 delegates from across 100+ cities.

The inauguration ceremony was conducted on International Youth Day i.e. 12th of August, 2023. Aside from the student delegates, this ceremony was attended by School Owners, Directors & Principals and special guests and luminaries who have been instrumental to the organisation and its progress over the last 12 years including the Advisory Board Members of the organisation, leading Industrialists and Businessmen, Bollywood Celebrities, Television Personalities, Ministers and Ambassadors.

The evening was kick-started by a panel discussion involving Former Armed Force Chiefs- General Ved Prakash Malik, Air Chief Marshal Pradeep Vasant Naik and Admiral RK Dhowan. This segment was followed by an address by the Founder of the organisation, Mr Rishabh Shah. The next segment was one that was most enjoyed by all involved as this added to one of the firsts that the organisation and this country have seen- a debate between Dr Shashi Tharoor and Mr Jayant Sinha on the topic of "2047: Your idea of and vision for India". This segment was moderated by News Anchor, Rajdeep Sardesai. This segment was well received by students and also presented them with a unique opportunity to interact and ask questions to the panelists. To top this off, this segment was also aired on National Television as part of the Independence Day Special by India Today News a few days later. The final segment for the evening was a panel discussion with Dr Kiran Bedi, Ms PT Usha, and Ms Guneet Monga Kapoor. The panels and speeches were Interspersed by breathtaking performances depicting Indian Culture. The ceremony was moderated by the duo of Riddhi Dogra and Cyrus Broacha.

On the second and third days of the conference, the student delegates were spread across several venues in the city where they engaged in enriching discussions and debated on a plethora of issues ranging from the question of same-sex marriage in India to Advancing of the Indian Space Programme and from the Kargil War 1999 to the advent of social media activism. On the evening of the second day, the students at each of the conferencing centers were treated to a social evening with artists performing for them live. On the morning of the third day, students were part of a yoga session before they entered into fiery debates and discussions with the aim of arriving at resolution papers. At the end of day three, all the students received feedback on their performances by their committee judges and the exceptional performers were recognized and awarded with medals & certificates during the closing ceremonies that took place in these individual conferencing centres.

On the sidelines of this conference for students, the organisation had planned its annual Global Principals Network Meet which took place at the Taj Hotel in Mumbai on 13th of August, 2023- this saw an attendance of 100+ school Principals/Directors and Owners. There was a special interaction arranged for them with a panel comprising Dr Shashi Tharoor, Mr Nadir Godrej, Gen V.P. Malik and Boman Irani. This session was hosted by Dr Jamshed Bharucha. Following this was a tea break after which the Principals engaged in another session with Oscar winner Guneet Monga who addressed the gathering and spoke about several social issues pertaining to the girl child and also gave these Head of Schools a glimpse into one of her upcoming documentaries - a special surprise for all!

Aside from this, the organisation also saw the attendance and participation of the Advisory Board Members in their Annual Meeting which took place on the 13th of August and also the Meet of the Academic Advisory Council which was held on the 14th of August.

Overall, the event was a testament to the high standards of excellence that the organisation has set for itself and all involved went back with the creation of fond memories.