PsychFest 2.0: NMIMS Navi Mumbai's Dynamic Initiative to Raise Awareness About the Field of Psychology and Mental Health

NAVI MUMBAI, India , March 12, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The School of Science & Psychology Committee at NMIMS Navi Mumbai hosted the second edition of PsychFest, a dynamic initiative aimed at raising awareness about psychology and mental health. Scheduled from February 29 to March 2, 2024, this immersive campus-wide event proved to be a blend of education, inspiration and celebration for all participants.

 PsychFest 2.0 was organised to break down barriers surrounding mental health and promote a better understanding of the human mind through a series of interactive activities. From seminars featuring distinguished guest speakers to engaging workshops and competitions, the event offered something for everyone. Participating schools included School of Science (SOS), School of Commerce (SOC), School of Law (SOL) and School of Technology Management and Engineering (STME).

The event kicked off with an inauguration ceremony on Day 1, featuring the lighting of lamps and welcome speeches by distinguished guests. Attendees then had the opportunity to participate in a seminar led by Ms. Malavika Karnad, Founder of M for Mental Health, through which she has successfully leveraged social media to disseminate crucial awareness regarding mental health and overall well-being. The seminar was followed by the start of Calming Corner sessions which catered to the experience of relaxation among its participants, Psychological Testing - a systematic and scientific method used to assess various aspects of an individual's cognitive functioning, behaviour, and personality, Spectrum, a photography competition, and Trivia Talkies based on Hollywood and Bollywood.

The highlight of the event was Lights, Camera, Action, a documentary competition based on psychology and dealing with stress, mental health, social experiments, positive psychology etc, which was adjudicated by the esteemed Mr. Suvahhdan Angre, a luminary in the Marathi television and film industry known for his impressive repertoire as an international award-winning filmmaker, producer, media coach, and assistant director of renowned films such as 'The Myth', 'Jodhaa Akbar', and 'Taare Zameen Par'.

Day 2 of  PsychFest 2.0 brought more excitement to the event, with participants engaging in more documentary competitions and the continuation of the Calming Corner and Psychology Testing. Participants showcased their creativity through Alfaaz, a poetry writing competition, and embarked on a fun scavenger hunt in Talaash. The day ended on a high note with Karoake Night, where many participants joined the singing fun. The chief guests for Day 2 included Ms. Radhika Goyal, the Co-Founder of 'Socially Souled', a mental health online platform, who is a Counselling Psychologist and Clinical Hypnotherapist and Mr. Sanjay Gajria, an actor cum director.

The last day of  PsychFest 2.0 offered an array of captivating events; from more documentary competitions to art showcases in the Gallery Gala. The day was packed with opportunities for expression and exploration. Attendees participated in fandom meet-ups, improv games, and stage performances, which led to the grand finale: a riveting performance by indie-pop artist Akshath Acharya, known for his captivating originals and chart-topping hits. The Day 3 concluded with DJ night for everyone to enjoy after many days of hard work.

Dr. Shubhasheesh Bhattacharya, Campus Director, NMIMS Navi Mumbai remarked, "PsychFest 2.0 was more than just an event; it aimed to educate, inspire, and foster a sense of community and support. One of the uniqueness of this event is that part of this event is connected with marks /evaluation and students enjoyed it. Students worked on the themes, prepared plan to make movie clips, conceptualised what they wanted to communicate, enacted and executed very well. Imagine, if the students are allowed to get immersed and allowed to feel the themes like Hope, Gratitude, Courage etc… this is going to get reinforced with them… which is a great learning &transformational experience to the students. Then only, they can become competent professionals to help others in the field of Psychology.

Judges and guests like Mr. Suvahhdan Angre (one who was part of the film Taare Zameen Par and Jodha Akbar), Malavika Karnad and many more, added tremendous value to our event. It truly was a tribute to mental health and the power of psychology to transform lives."

About NMIMS Navi Mumbai

Sunandan Divatia School of Science was started in 2007 with a view to provide undergraduate and post graduate students an opportunity to be a part of the unique learning methodology of the university, which lays emphasis on academic excellence combined with industry oriented training. With the boom in information technology and more and more sophistication in instrumentation techniques, there is now a very thin dividing line between the various disciplines of science. Therefore, there is a greater need for flexibility in scientific thought as well as training manpower on an interdisciplinary plane. With this thought in view, the SVKM's NMIMS introduced, highly innovative and unique interdisciplinary courses at the Sunandan Divatia School of Science from the academic year 2007-2008. The goal of the Sunandan Divatia School of Science is to be a Center of Excellence in the domain of Pure and Applied Science by providing quality education and research.

https://www.nmimsnavimumbai.org/