-
PMI South Asia’s Campus-to-Career Challenge brings students from six cities together to solve community and sustainability challenges while building skills for the workplace. -
Nine students gain global exposure
The regional ‘Campus to Career’ Challenge brought together 133 students from Kerala, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Pune and Gujarat, who applied project leadership skills to real-world challenges, including waste segregation and sustainability awarenessFive top-performing students presented their solutions at the Project Management South Asia Conference (PMSAC26) in Bengaluru, presenting their work to project professionals and leaders from India and around the worldAdditionally, four students gained global exposure at the PMI Global Leadership Institute Meeting (LIM) in Seoul, taking their experiences beyond the classroom and into the global project management community.
 |
Students at PMI, Leadership Institute Meeting 2026 in Seoul, South Korea
The initiative gave students a hands-on experience in solving problems rooted in their local communitiesStudents tackled sustainability and waste management challenges, identifying problems, mapping stakeholders, assessing risks and constraints, developing implementation plans and considering how outcomes could be measuredStudents from Presidency University, Bengaluru, explored reducing groundwater dependency through integrated water resource management; L.DCollege of Engineering, Ahmedabad, developed a structured waste segregation initiative; while SMEF’s Brick School of Architecture, Pune, focused on building sustainable habits among school children.
Amit Goyal, Managing Director, South Asia, PMI, said, “The transition from campus to the workplace requires students to move beyond theoretical knowledge and develop the confidence to navigate ambiguity, collaborate with stakeholders and deliver outcomesThrough the Campus-to-Career Challenge, we are creating opportunities for students to experience these realities early in their journeyBy combining practical problem solving with mentoring, leadership development and exposure to the project management community, we aim to help young talent build capabilities that will remain relevant across industries and geographiesOur focus is to strengthen the connection between academia and the professional world while preparing the next generation of project leaders.”
Reflecting on the experience, AbhinA, a student leader from the PMI-DUK Student Club at Kerala University of Digital Sciences, Innovation and Technology, said: “The Asia Pacific-South Asia Leadership Institute Meeting 2026 was a transformative experience that broadened my understanding of leadership, student engagement and community buildingRepresenting PMI Kerala Chapter and PMI-DUK Student Club on an international platform gave me the opportunity to learn from diverse perspectives and connect with PMI leaders and student members across the region. The experience strengthened my confidence and inspired me to create more mentoring, leadership and collaboration opportunities within our student community.”
The challenge demonstrated how project leadership can help translate local needs into practical solutions, with students navigating collaboration, stakeholder expectations, changing assumptions and execution constraintsParticipation from Kerala, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Pune and Gujarat also brought diverse regional perspectives to the programmeThrough global professional platforms such as the PMI Leadership Institute Meeting in Seoul and PMSAC26, students can take their experiences addressing real-world challenges beyond the classroom, gaining exposure to diverse perspectives and a broader understanding of how project leadership can be applied across different contexts.
With over 25 student clubs and 1,800+ student members across South Asia, PMI offers students an opportunity to learn, lead, and enhance project management skills for their careersStudents can join as PMI Student Members and become part of an existing Student Club, while universities interested in starting a new club can apply through the PMI Student Club program on projectmanagement.com.
PMI hosted the 18th annual PMSAC26 on 3 October in Bengaluru, bringing together more than 800 project leaders and representatives from over 180 organisations under the theme “MORE, Together: Future-Ready in the Age of AI.
About Project Management Institute (PMI)
PMI is the leading authority in project successSince 1969, PMI has shone a light on the people and advanced practices behind successful projectsSupported by a global community of millions of project professionals and by thousands of corporations, government agencies and academic institutions, PMI provides the knowledge, resources and certifications to lead projects and transformations effectively and responsiblyJoin PMI in elevating our world – one project at a timeConnect with us at www.pmi.org, linkedin.com/company/projectmanagementinstitute, on Instagram @pmi_org, and on TikTok @PMInstitute.
PMI Trademarks
Project Management Institute and PMI are trademarks and/or registered marks of Project Management Institute, Inc., in the U.S., in India, and/or in other countries.
Third Party Trademarks
All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
*PMI South Asia market includes India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives and Afghanistan primarily.