Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT), Vellore, held its 39th annual convocation on Friday, with speakers stressing the graduates to develop skills and adaptability in a rapidly changing world.
Prof. Anil D. Sahasrabudhe, Chairman of the National Educational Technology Forum (NETF), National Board of Accreditation (NBA), and Executive Committee of the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC), was the Chief Guest. Mr T.R. Parasuraman, Chairman of the ASSOCHAM Karnataka State Development Council and Senior Executive Advisor at Toyota Industries Engine India Pvt Ltd, was the Guest of Honour. Dr G. Viswanathan, Founder & Chancellor of Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT), presided over the convocation.
In his convocation address, Prof Anil D. Sahasrabudhe exhorted young graduates to be constant learners and strive to improve their employability. Becoming multi-dimensional, acquiring skills, and developing the right attitude would help in their career prospects and development, Prof Sahasrabudhe said.
“Jobs are plenty, and whichever profession you choose, how you become multi-dimensional and develop yourselves is important,” he said. For instance, those with a background in mechanical or civil engineering could consider pursuing courses in Computer Science or the Internet of Things to improve their employability, he said.
“Have a vision. There’s no dearth of opportunities if you are a constant learner,” Prof Sahasrabudhe said, adding that graduates should equip themselves to seize the opportunities as the country is inching towards becoming the third-largest economy.
Mr T.R. Parasuraman, Chairman of the ASSOCHAM Karnataka State Development Council and Senior Executive Advisor at Toyota Industries Engine India Pvt Ltd said there was no substitute for hard work and that one should learn from failures. “Attitude, knowledge, and skills are important for one’s development,” he added.
VIT Founder and Chancellor Dr G. Viswanathan underscored the role of educational institutions, government, and the private sector in further improving the education scenario.
“The rural, poor, and middle-class should be encouraged with scholarships to pursue higher education. Also, spending on higher education and research should be enhanced,” he said. He highlighted VIT’s role in providing scholarships to rural, poor, and middle-class sections for pursuing higher education.
VIT Vice-Presidents Mr Sankar Viswanathan and Dr G.V. Selvam, Assistant Vice-President Ms Kadhambari S. Viswanathan, Prof Kanchana Bhaaskaran V.S., Vice-Chancellor of VIT, Prof Partha Sharathi Mallick, Pro-Vice Chancellor (Vellore campus) at VIT, Prof Thygarajan T., Pro-Vice Chancellor (Chennai campus) at VIT, and Dr T. Jayabarathi, Registrar of VIT, also took part in the convocation ceremony.
A total of 8,205 undergraduate and postgraduate students and 357 PhD graduates were awarded degrees, with gold medals given to 65 candidates.
