Pakistan students come calling on IIM-Ahmedabad

It's not just the 'Men in Blue' who have been taking on their arch rivals these days. Students from some of the most prestigious B-schools from across the country will be competing head on with students from Pakistan.

For the first time in the history of 'Confluence', an annual four-day management summit organised by the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Ahmedabad, at least nine students from across the border will be participating.

The students are among the finalists of an online strategy game called 'Mouse Trap' floated by IIM-A, ahead of the summit. Titled as 'India Towards Economic Leadership', Confluence 2007 will comprise four sessions. Each session will typically include a combination of case contests, interactive management games, workshops and keynote addresses.

"In the decades after Independence, India has transformed itself from being an agriculture-based economy to a global player in manufacturing and services. Confluence 2007 will attempt at capturing the essence of this transformation and India's march towards becoming a leading global economy through a focus on the theme 'India Towards Economic Leadership'," said Sasikanth Dola, secretary, Confluence Students Affairs Council.

As against 1,068 students who participated in the last year's summit, the institute is expecting over 1,200 participants, apart from 25 international schools and over 50 domestic schools for Confluence 2007, Dola added.

The summit will also see over 25 speakers from varied fields of expertise for workshops and panel discussions over four days from November 22 to November 25, 2007.

"The sessions will be divided into four "" Challenges to Opportunities, Sustainability and Inclusive Growth, Innovation & Entrepreneurship and Global Footprints, and will gauge the country's growth trajectory," he said.