Manipal University concluded its three-day 25th convocation held recently at KMC Greens in Manipal, Karnataka. On this occasion, 13 gold medal winners were honoured and a total of 3,779 under and post-graduates, PhD and super speciality students received their degrees. Elaborate arrangements were made to host close to 5,000 students and parents on each day. The chief guests of the event on day one was Anand Sudarshan, founder and director, Sylvant Advisors, Sandeep Kumar Maini, Chairman, Maini Group, Bengaluru on day two and Dr Ashok Jhunjhunwala, principal advisor, Ministry of Power, New and Renewable Energy on day three.
The convocation was declared open by Pro-Chancellor, Dr HS Ballal and the Vice-Chancellor, Dr H Vinod Bhat who gave an overview of the progress and activity of the university in the last year.
The chief guest on the day one of the convocations, Anand Sudarshan, founder and Director Sylvant Advisors, shared with the batch of 2017 five suggestions that he believed would stand them in good stead. “Be Curious, Imaginative and Creative; Be Purposeful, True and Courageous; Be Positive and Joyous; Be Committed and Resilient; Be both Passionate and Compassionate. These will be your companion traits as you shape your future and succeed in it,” Sudarshan said.
The chief guest on day two, Sandeep Maini, Chairman, Maini Group told the graduating students that: “Use this opportunity to fulfill your dreams, work hard and passionately and nurture your ambitions. This is the time to do things differently, innovate and pioneer, take calculated risks and enjoy the experience while learning. And we being the youngest country in the world will wield this power in the years to come. This tremendous power and potential of the youth if channelised positively and cohesively can change the destiny of our nation and the world in the years to come. We can chart a course of progress be it political, social, economic or spiritual.”
Addressing the students, Dr Jhunjhunwala said: “You are walking into the beginning of this transition. Robotics, 3D-manufacturing (also called additive manufacturing), nano-materials have all arrived and is going to transform the society. There will be many occasions in the future when you will find that all you have learnt here, in the class and outside, to be very useful.”