By Aabha Gokhale, GIIS SMART Campus Journalism Club

After numerous events such as the Hackathon and STITCH workshops meant to better prepare students for the world out there, the GIIS SMART Campus hosted for the first time: the annual Real World Challenges Convention (RWCC), December 2018.

Numerous competitions intended to stimulate both ambition and collaboration, conventional thought and innovation were carried out around a new theme: Technology for Next Gen Learning.

To the students of the Journalism Club, and all the audience present, including the staff management team, judges and the Guest of Honour (GoH), the opening ceremony gave a clear taste of what was to come. Principal Melissa Maria addressed the gathering first, evincing that this platform “breaks myths” that only “adults” can find “solutions to problems”, and makes students come up with “viable” and “result-oriented solutions”.

Interestingly, she even encouraged the use of technology in classes instead of banning it, a truly refreshing idea that this RWCC is centred upon.

On the other hand, Guest of Honour Professor Aurobindo Ghosh from the Singapore Management University presented a different outlook in his keynote address. Recalling the real life experience of Andaman tribes during the Boxing Day Tsunami, Prof Ghosh stressed that the tribals survived because of ancient wisdom imparted through their ancestors on receding seas. It reiterated the importance of familial and intangible bonds in this world of ever-growing materialism.

Having said that, Prof Ghosh moved onto how machines now, through their Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning capabilities, can surpass even the brightest human minds; showing the power that is waiting to be harnessed, that, once again, RWCC is based on.

The school was abuzz with activity as students from GIIS campuses from Indore, Bangalore, Ahmedabad, Tokyo and Chinchwad participated with enthusiasm in the event alongside their peers from Singapore, winning awards in various categories like Quality Circles, Original Lyrical Composition called OPUS, Transformation Turncoat which are Debates with a Twist and Game Creation.

Teachers also participated in a few events on Educators' Perspectives. 

The SMART Campus multipurpose hall reveberated with hoots, claps and celebrations as students cheered on for teams from their geographies. In the end, multiple awards were given out by Guests of Honour, Teachers and Honorary members of the GIIS family. The SMART Campus bagged the overall prize. 

Having witnessed this event, it truly is safe to agree with Principal Melissa Maria’s words that “technology can become the wings that will allow education and the world to fly further and faster than ever before”.