12th September, 2025 – 2025 has indeed become THE year for Narayana business school as it concludes its first ever global immersion program at UCSI university, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in its 25th year of celebrating educational impact. Narayana Business School’s department of international relations, under the guidance Assoc. Prof. Dr. Shubhra Gautam, partnered with UCSI Uni which is ranked among world’s top 1% private universities by QS World University Rankings 2026, to ensure the maximum exposure for students of NBS Ahmedabad.
The program was designed to inculcate and help our students explore new ideas, culture and mindset. It was a 5-day immersion program starting from 8th September to 12th September 2025. Stay with us as we will walk you through how each day looked like for our students.
Day 1 – Malaysia Arrival
On 8th September our students landed at the Kuala Lumpur airport, followed by a hotel check-in. To keep things light and to get rid of the jet lag, Day 1 was easy and breezy which allowed everyone to relax and prepare for the next day. To start things off, in the evening, the group went to admire the KLCC Twin Towers and the Suria Mall.
Now they were ready for the next day, and to finally visit the UCSI university.
Day 2 – Academic Session Day 1
The first academic session at UCSI University was on Global Mergers & Acquisitions.
On paper, mergers and acquisitions are about numbers. But in class, students discovered they are really about people, culture, and vision. They were working in groups, creating their own merger ideas, and presenting them.
It was the perfect way to start: taking a big business concept and making it something they could actually grapple with.
Later in the day, the cohort visited the Batu Caves, a 400-million-year-old limestone hill housing one of the most famous Hindu shrines outside India. The visit combined cultural immersion with a sense of heritage.
Day 3 – Academic Session Day 2
Midway through the week, the academic spotlight shifted to Business Resilience: Strategy and Innovation. Students explored how organizations adapt to uncertainty, innovate under pressure, and maintain growth during crises.
The day closed with cultural visits to Thean Hou Temple, Petaling Street (Chinatown), and Central Market, offering a window into Malaysia’s multicultural fabric.
Day 4 – Academic Session Day 3
Day 4 opened with an industry benchmarking visit to the service sector, where students learned about industry blueprints, employee retention strategies, and customer-focused operations. Faculty mentor Dr. Shubhra Gautam, who teaches Service & Relationship Marketing at NBS, helped contextualize the visit for the students, linking theory with practice.
The academic session later that day focused on International Trade and Geoeconomics. Students were asked to pick a market, analyse pros and cons, forecast potential scenarios, and assess the impact of political interventions. This hands-on exercise encouraged them to view trade and markets with a sharper, globally aware lens.
Final Day – Day 5
The final day was devoted to cumulative presentations, where students summarized their learnings from Sessions 2 and 3. Every participant received individual certificates for completing each academic session.
In addition, the cohort was recognized in two groups for their efforts. One for Best Content and Analysis and the other for Best Presentation Delivery.
Certificates were presented by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Eva W.L. Lim, Deputy Dean, UCSI Graduate Business School. Later, Dr. Gautam presented a memento to Assoc. Prof. Dr. Keoy Kay Hooi, Dean, UCSI Graduate Business School, as a gesture of appreciation. Students also interacted further with UCSI faculty to understand Malaysian academic and cultural practices.
Our Next Steps For Global Immersion Programs:
The department of international relations at NBS Ahmedabad concludes its first ever global immersion program at UCSI university Malaysia. The rising India demands more, and the role of youth in nation building is the maximum. We at NBS, are truly shaping the human capital for the rising India.
The program concluded on a reflective note. For students, the experience was not just about lectures or sightseeing, it was about representing Ahmedabad and India on an international platform, learning how businesses operate across borders, and understanding how culture shapes management practices.
Narayana Business School expressed gratitude to UCSI University for hosting the program with such warmth and announced that it is open to future collaborations with global universities to expand immersion opportunities for its students.
