The Department of Psychology at Sister Nivedita University in Kolkata hosted a two days seminar on 29th and 30th of April titled “From Theory to Practice: A Symposium on Industrial Psychological Insights,” which served as the foundation for the development of the Bengal Industrial Psychological Association (BIPA). Eminent guests, professionals, scholars, along with faculty and students from the department, attended the seminar.
The first day of the seminar was divided into two segments. At the inaugural ceremony, Prof. Dr. Raj Sekhar Aich said, “the reality is Industrial Organisational Psychology has almost no existence in Bengal, and very little in the rest of the country, although it has been taught at university levels in the state for at least the last 20 years, that I know of. While there have been only 2 organisations in Bengal which hire IO Psychologists. The situation is a double-edged sword, in one sense there is nothing, so starting from zero is mountainously difficult, at the same time, because of this virgin territory it becomes the right soil to sow new seeds of growth.”
The first segment of the day’s seminar was dedicated to developing the structure of BIPA, while the second focused on a panel discussion on women’s experiences, challenges, and contributions in the workplace, where all respected panelists shared their thoughts. The Honorable Vice Chancellor, Prof. Dhrubajyoti Chattopadhyay, expressed his views on the symposium. Prof. Dr. Rooprekha Bakshi, Assistant Professor at Amity University Kolkata, Mrs. Paromita Mitra Bhaumik, Consultant Psychologist, Miss Bipasha Basu, Academician & OB Specialist, and Miss Nilofa Kabir, Emotional Intelligence coach, NLP Practitioner expressed their thoughts regarding this seminar. Dr. Shrannya Ghosh, Anesthesiologist, Ina Bose, Director of Industry connect at Sister Nivedita University, Miss Angira Chakravorty Dasgupta, Mental Health counselor also and Susan Lucas shared their insights about the Women in Workplace.
Susan Lucas, a writer and Public Relations Specialist, said, “Women at the Workplace is a huge topic. I was from a humble background and tried hard to put the ends together. I was a brilliant student. When I stepped into my professional career, the path was undulating, but all these failures became learning lessons for me. I had worked with several organizations and faced a lot of triumphs as well as failures, but I tried to make failures my friends.” She said every woman should imagine themselves as what they aspire to be. Working smart can be more effective than working hard. She repeatedly emphasized the focus should be on skill sets and self. She reiterated, “With no fears, think limitless. Women should make a statement as they take a step forward. Young women should learn to take up space, as men do. In many workplaces after COVID, women are underrepresented, so try to be seen, be heard. Every day, consistently try to know your subject, enhance your skills. In your organization, try to create a passion for who you are, build your reputation, build networks, and stay updated.”
On the second day of the seminar, a Prevention of Sexual Harassment (POSH) training session was conducted by Miss Shampa Das, followed by a table discussion on the prospect of I/O Psychology through HR LENS was organized, where esteemed professionals, managers, and heads joined to share their experiences, knowledge, and wisdom. Mr. Srijit Chatterjee, Manager of Training and Placement cell at Sister Nivedita University, Mr. Partha Sarkar, Regional Head of Academic Interface Program, TCS, Mr. Anubrata Chatterjee, Deputy General Manager- Anmol Industries Ltd., Ma’am Paromita Ghosh, Founder, Director Candid Communication, Vice President WICCI, BCCI, CII, Ms. Shriya Chatterjee, HR Business Partner at SREI Infrastructure Finance Ltd. and Dhrubajyoti Majumder, Regional HR Manager (East) of Larsen and Toubro, shared their valuable views during the event.
The success of the seminar was evident from the enthusiasm of all participants involved. The establishment of BIPA is a commendable endeavor; it’s definitely a need of the hour to put theories into practice, and for this, all professionals, scholars, and students should join hands to unlock new opportunities for I/O Psychology.
