Altogether 2530 students of Gauhati University were conferred with bachelor, diploma, MPHIL and PHD degrees under various disciplines during the 28th convocation on February 24.
Assam Governor and Chancellor of Gauhati University Jagdish Mukhi presided over the convocation. Mukhi congratulated the graduates and emphasised upon the university’s commitment to rigorous scholarship and strong values which have contributed to its growth into a large institution marked by diversity in its human resources, in its curricula and in its remarkable bio-regional situation that it has nurtured and sustained.
The governor also reiterated the vision of the new education policy towards an India-centred education system that contributes directly to transforming the nation sustainably into an equitable and vibrant knowledge society by providing high quality education to all.
He called for blending quality teaching with research which would mean finding more effective ways for faculty in the colleges and in the university’s postgraduate departments to undergo regular training and programs of self-improvement.
Driving home the importance of inculcating the spirit of independent thinking and openness among its community of teachers, students and officers, he also exuded confidence that the university would continue to grow, sustain its strengths and position as one of the most sought after destinations for students from across the region.
The chief guest for the occasion, Sudhir Kumar Sopory, eminent scientist, Padmashree and Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar awardee and former Vice Chancellor of Jawaharlal Nehru University, in his address said a university is a place to understand the physical and biological world, to understand social systems and behavior, to impart holistic knowledge, to bring about social and scientific innovation for the benefit of the society at large which have the potential to unlock the worth of every individual learner by converting their potential into creativity.
He emphasised on moving beyond the boundaries of academic disciplines and academic institutions for a broader mental horizon.
As part of its strong social commitment and respect for tradition and culture of the region in the convocation, two eminent personalities, Arup Kumar Dutta, eminent littérateur and columnist, and Biren Singha, illustrious artist and sculptor, were respectively awarded the degree of Doctor of Letters (Honoris Causa) and Doctor of Philosophy (Honoris Causa).
Vice-Chancellor of Gauhati University, Pratap Jyoti Handique, stressed upon the urgent need for the universities to design appropriate curriculum, improve industry-academia relations and put healthy effort to create employable human resources.
He referred to the ongoing massive changes in the business analytics, dynamics in the industry set-up and use of high-end R&D inputs, all of which have led to the consideration of the present century as the “century of knowledge”.
