ATHENORA 2025

ATHENORA, organized by CAPS, served as a comprehensive platform to engage students in a diverse array of fourteen intellectually stimulating and creatively enriching activities. Designed to foster critical thinking, practical skills, and interdisciplinary learning, the event encompassed workshops, competitive events, and creative showcases, including Trading and Research Workshops, Debate, Poster Making, Storytelling, Shipwreck, and Short Video Making. By integrating experiential learning with collaborative and competitive formats, ATHENORA successfully encouraged participants to explore innovative ideas, enhance their skill sets, and demonstrate both academic and creative excellence across multiple domains.

Trading workshop: The Centre for Academic and Professional Support (CAPS) conducted a practical workshop titled “Understanding Stock Markets, Trading Strategies, and Financial Literacy” for BSc, BBA, and law students. Led by Dr. Abhijeet Birari, Head of Department (MBA), the session introduced students to the functioning of stock markets, the roles of investors and regulatory bodies, and the economic factors that influence price movements.

Students learned key trading strategies such as long-term investing, intraday trading, diversification, and risk management. Dr. Birari also gave an introduction to algorithmic trading and explained how technology shapes modern financial markets.A strong emphasis was placed on financial literacy, covering budgeting, saving habits, financial products, and assessing risks before investing. Real-life examples and interactive explanations helped students understand how to apply these concepts in everyday financial decisions.Overall, the workshop enhanced student’s analytical skills, financial confidence, and practical understanding of trading and investment practices.

Research Workshop: Conducted by Dr. Parul Gupta, this workshop provided first-year BBA students with a clear and practical introduction to the complete research process. Dr. Gupta began by explaining how to identify a meaningful problem or research gap and guided students in formulating precise research objectives and well-structured hypotheses. She also demonstrated how to design an appropriate methodology, choose effective data collection tools, and apply suitable data analysis techniques. A significant part of the session focused on transforming simple ideas into well-defined research topics, helping students understand how to refine and structure their thoughts into workable research plans. Dr. Gupta also addressed ethical considerations, accuracy, and proper documentation throughout the process. Towards the end, she actively engaged with the students, answering their questions and clarifying doubts related to research challenges. Overall, the workshop equipped first-year BBA students with foundational skills, confidence, and a clearer roadmap for conducting meaningful academic research.

“Competence Over Compliance” Debate Event: The Centre for Academic and Professional Support (CAPS) hosted the “Competence Over Compliance” Debate as part of Athenora, providing students with a dynamic platform to articulate their ideas, challenge assumptions, and engage with pressing contemporary issues. Participants were presented with thought-provoking topics on the spot, encouraging them to think critically and distinguish between essential compliance and counterproductive overcompliance within institutional and public spheres. Throughout the event, debaters demonstrated strong analytical abilities as they constructed well-reasoned arguments and responded to opposing viewpoints with clarity and poise. The format demanded quick thinking, effective communication, and the ability to present nuanced perspectives under time constraints. Engaging exchanges between participants fostered a spirited yet respectful environment that highlighted the value of informed decision-making. The session not only enhanced public speaking confidence but also nurtured essential leadership qualities by emphasizing competence, judgment, and intellectual flexibility. The event concluded with recognition of standout speakers whose arguments best reflected depth, coherence, and persuasive impact. Overall, the debate successfully encouraged meaningful dialogue and inspired participants to approach real-world challenges with critical insight and confidence.

“Maze Challenge: Decode, Decide, Deliver” was an interactive, skill-based event conducted to test students’ analytical thinking, and decision-making abilities. Designed as a problem-solving maze, the competition required participants to navigate through a series of intellectual checkpoints, each containing puzzles, legal scenarios, and logical challenges. Players had to decode clues, make quick yet well-reasoned decisions, and deliver effective solutions under time constraints. The event promoted critical thinking, communication, and leadership skills, encouraging students to strategize efficiently while adapting to unexpected twists. The engaging format kept the atmosphere energetic and competitive, drawing enthusiastic participation from various departments. Overall, the Maze Challenge successfully combined learning with fun, providing students with a dynamic platform to sharpen their problem-solving skills and collaborative abilities.

“Poster making: Design your Destiny” was a vibrant event that encouraged students to explore creativity, design thinking, and visual storytelling. Participants developed posters that reflected thoughtful themes, employed artistic techniques, and conveyed clear messages. The event created an interactive environment where students shared ideas, received feedback, and enhanced their communication skills. It also supported confidence-building, aesthetic awareness, and collaborative learning, aligning with CAPS’ objective of holistic student development. The session concluded with acknowledgment of outstanding posters and appreciation for the enthusiastic participation displayed by all attendees.

“Escape Room” It was the event that proved to be an engaging and collaborative experience for everyone involved. Participants were divided into teams and tasked with solving a series of challenging riddles and clues under a set time limit. Each group navigated through themed scenarios, which demanded creative thinking, strong teamwork, and effective communication. Throughout the event, participants demonstrated their problem-solving abilities and resourcefulness, often uncovering unexpected surprises and collaborating to advance to the next stage. The thrill of racing against the clock generated excitement and fostered a spirit of camaraderie among attendees. Organizers ensured smooth progression by providing hints when necessary, allowing all teams to feel a sense of accomplishment. The event concluded with recognition of the fastest team. Overall, the escape room encouraged meaningful interactions and provided a memorable team-building experience, leaving everyone with a sense of achievement and enjoyment.

“The Shipwreck competition” was a part of ATHENORA, organized by CAPS, and was a highly engaging and intellectually stimulating event designed to test participants’ problem-solving, critical thinking, and teamwork skills. In this simulation-based challenge, teams were presented with a hypothetical shipwreck scenario and tasked with making strategic decisions under time constraints, prioritizing resources, and collaborating effectively to ensure survival and success. The competition emphasized analytical reasoning, decision-making under pressure, and creative strategizing, encouraging participants to think innovatively while working cohesively within their teams. Judges assessed each team’s approach based on logic, feasibility, and teamwork, providing constructive feedback to enhance learning outcomes. The event witnessed enthusiastic participation from students across various disciplines, fostering healthy competition and collaborative learning. Overall, Shipwreck successfully combined experiential learning with strategic thinking, offering participants a unique platform to develop leadership, adaptability, and practical problem-solving skills applicable in real-world scenarios.

ATHENORA concluded as a resounding success, achieving its objectives of fostering critical thinking, creativity, and practical skills among participants. The event provided a holistic platform for learning, collaboration, and innovation, leaving a lasting impact on students’ academic, personal, and professional development. By seamlessly integrating workshops, competitions, and creative activities, ATHENORA not only enriched participants’ knowledge and skills but also strengthened CAPS’s vision of promoting holistic growth, engagement, and excellence within the student community.