Success is most often not meaningfully measured in more conventional notions of status, titles and wealth, but in the ordinary acts of humanity, according to C Raj Kumar, Founding Vice-Chancellor of OP Jindal Global, Institution of Eminence (deemed-to-be university), Sonipat, Haryana.
Addressing the students on the opening day of 28th convocation of Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE) on Friday, through virtual platform, he said: “Whatever you do henceforth in your life, always remember that small acts of courage, kindness, empathy and courtesies of the heart will make a great difference to those around you.” Success is meaningfully measured in these ordinary acts of humanity, he said.
No shortcuts
Urging the graduating students to work hard, he said there is no short-cut in life. He also asked them to stay focussed on the task at hand, and to remain trustworthy in life. Suggesting them to think big, he said those are the ideas that will shape the world around. The current pandemic has yet again showed the world citizens the VUCA (volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity) they we live in, he said.
The Pro Chancellor of MAHE, HS Ballal, said that convocation ceremony holds a very special place in a student’s life. But due to this unprecedented time, once in a lifetime ceremony is forced to be conducted virtually. “While there is no personal interaction and exchange of greetings this time, we wholeheartedly wish all our students a glorious future,” he said.
Growth trajectory
Lt Gen (retd) MD Venkatesh, Vice-Chancellor of MAHE, said that as a group of higher education institutions with over 350 programmes across 31 disciplines, and home to over 28,000 students from 57 nations in its various campuses, MAHE is very proud of its growth trajectory. Recognised as an ‘Institution of Eminence’ by the Union Ministry of Education and ranked as one of the world’s leading global universities have indeed opened a path to build our nation’s global footprint, and make India stand out on the education world map, he said.
Keya Bakshi, Welcomgroup Graduate School of Hotel Administration, Manipal; Shetty Varun Vivek Vinaya, Manipal Institute of Management, Manipal; Jesly Anna James, Manipal College of Nursing; Shambhavi S Shetye, Manipal College of Health Professions; Nikita Jain, Manipal School of Architecture and Planning; Jane Mendonca, KMC Mangaluru; and Spoorthi, Prasanna School of Public Health, Manipal, were awarded the Dr TMA Pai gold medal on the first day of the three-day convocation.