Econverge'23: College Students Unite for Economic Extravaganza at Scottish Church College, Kolkata

Students from various colleges got together to engage in different fun-filled events at Econverge’23, hosted by the Economics Department of Scottish Church College on 22nd and 23rd September 2023.

Folks from Jadavpur University, St. Xavier’s College, The Bhawanipore Education Society, Bethune College, and more joined in the two-day extravaganza. Over 500 students took part in the on-ground event. There were in total 11 different events spread across these two days, which included Lord of the Pitch, Quid Pro Quo, Bidding Wars, Mock Stock Exchange, Group Discussion, G20 - Committee Simulation, Creative Writing, Short Documentary, Infographics, Photography, and the flagship event Paper Presentation.

Bidding Wars was a game inspired by the IPL auction and attracted the most participants. “As cricket enthusiasts, we all know about the IPL and the auction that takes place well before the games. It was fascinating to sit in those chairs, strategizing, and have a real-life experience of those tense yet fun moments. For us, it was sweet; everyone involved in organizing was cooperative, and, yes, fighting with 40+ teams was fun. It was truly pleasing to emerge victorious above all”, said Anindya Swarnakar of Heramba Chandra College, whose team placed first and was bidding for 'Rajasthan Royals'.

Quid Pro Quo, a simulation game of international trade, proved to be both fun and challenging. Despite its complexity, all the teams performed admirably. However, it was the team from The Bhawanipur Education Society College that stood out and bagged the first prize with a total accumulated capital of Rs 1,03,000.

Lord of the Pitch delivered an experience reminiscent of the popular show Shark Tank. It was the team from Vivekananda College who pitched the most unique idea of recycling coffee grounds to make diet products out of it. This earned them the first place.

The Mock Stock Exchange event lived up to its name, perfectly capturing the bustling ambiance of the 90s Bombay Stock Exchange. The team from Jadavpur University displayed exceptional skills and bagged the first spot.

In the G20: 4th FMCGB Meeting delegates engaged in extensive discussions on agendas like roadmap to enhance International Economic Cooperation, Food Security, and Energy Price Inflation. "In a state of apprehension, I walked into Econverge's G20 Simulation. It lived up to being one of the most competitive simulations of the G20 financial working group I've come across. From thematic discussions to devising financial deliverables, from holding bilateral and multilateral discussions to drafting multiple Memorandum of Understandings (MOUs) this committee had it all. Competing with people having majored in economics and competing against their nuanced understanding of economics, helped me grow as an individual and as a delegate. I hope to be a part of this exemplary conference again next time", said Diptesh Banerjee of Jadavpur University, delegation of USA. He was awarded the Best Delegate prize.

In Photography, Shivsundar Chowdhury of St. Xavier’s University secured the first position, while a team from Shri Shikshayatan College clinched the first prize in a Short Documentary.

This year's edition saw the debut of events like Infographics, Group Discussions, Paper Presentations and Creative Writing. In Infographics, participants crafted handmade posters that blended creativity with information. "I took part in the Paletto Paradiso event, and it turned out to be a wonderful experience for me. It allowed me to explore other creative minds and weave my creativity into a thread. I also got a chance to explore some other events at the festival, and in a nutshell, Econverge'23 served as a perfect example of an academic fest", said Jacintha Rimti Nandi of Scottish Church College, who stood first in infographics.

The Group Discussion event, as the name implies, sparked intense conversations, with Mainak Bhattacharya of Scottish Church College winning the first prize.

The flagship event for this edition was the Paper Presentation, "Having attended two editions and the plethora (literally) of the events at Econverge over the past two years, I can say with guarantee that they organise the largest departmental fest in the city in terms of a number of participants and it's no small feat. It contributes to the amazing experience, new friends, new networks, knowing your fellow budding economists, finding contacts in the MUN circuit, in the public speaking circuit, and whatnot. The event head was really helpful! Moreover, the judges were friendly (rare) and provided really valuable feedback (rarer). So yes, the prolonged travel was totally worth it!", said Annay De of St. Xavier's College, who secured the first spot.

Finally, creative writing, which was conducted online before the 2-day fest, witnessed some remarkable entries. Sarkar of St. Paul's Cathedral Mission College and Sampad Banerjee of Asutosh College jointly claimed the first position.

"They say when you have a perfect Team to work with, every other thing automatically falls in place and seems flawless at the end! Starting from the Core Committee to the Organizing Committee, to the respective Event Heads, and lastly to all the Volunteers from the very initial batch of our department, have literally worked round the clock to make this very Event look in its due shape today. Apart from being all excited and enthusiastic, the major responsibility that I shouldered was to maintain the legacy of our department’s fest which stepped into its 4th edition this year. Here, we stand together be it either as a Team, batchmates, or organizers after successful two days of the event withstanding a lot of delays and arguments in between, we pulled it off!", said Manisha Ghosh, director of Econverge'23.