The SN Sinha Institute of Business Management (SNSIBM), Ranchi, conferred an honorary professorship on Dr Daisaku Ikeda, president Soka Gakkai International (SGI) in the Capital recently. This is Dr Ikeda’s 347th academic honour and the 12th award he has received from India. The SN Sinha Institute and Bharat Soka Gakkai jointly also organised a round table conference on Gandhian philosophy and global leadership.
Dr Ikeda is a Buddhist philosopher, poet laureate and peace proponent of world renown. In recognition of Dr Ikeda’s ceaseless efforts to create a peaceful world by focussing on the dignity of all people and thereby encouraging dialogue and mutual respect, the SNSIBM is conferring this professorship. The citation refers to Dr Ikeda as a humanistic philosopher, mentioning that Dr Ikeda has created “a great movement of human revolution around the world in awakening humanity to the great potential hidden in each human being.”
The SNSIBM, Ranchi, was established in 1978 under Satyendra Narayan Sinha Educational Trust for conducting various management degree programmes. SNSIBM provides opportunities for enterprising youths to learn the science of management and play an effective role in the social, economic and technological development of the country. The institute has carved a place for itself in the cutting edge areas of management education and caters to the human resource requirements of industries and other sectors.
In his acceptance speech, read out by Yoshitaka Oba, general director, SGI, Dr Ikeda praised the Institute’s vision and endeavour at providing an opportunity to the disadvantaged so that they can enter the mainstream. Dr Ikeda emphasised that, “the key to breaking through today’s social impasses lies in people’s willingness to engage in continuous innovation and progress, instead of settling for the status quo. It is especially noteworthy that your institute has integrated the Gandhian tradition of non-violence and Buddhist philosophy into their academic programme to examine ways in which compassion and creativity maybe introduced into our socio-economic system. Economic or political reforms alone cannot bring about a lasting change. Transforming our inner lives at the most fundamental level is what holds the key to realising genuinely meaningful change in every human endeavour.”
Prof Yedla C Simhadri, vice chancellor, Patna University, praising Dr Ikeda, said in his keynote address, “Dr Ikeda today is one of the leading personalities who is carrying on the legacy of Gandhi and Buddha.”