- Chief Guest urges graduates to embrace uncertainty, self-learning and productivity-led growth
- Ambassador T. S. Tirumurti calls for responsible global citizenship in a changing world
- 11 President’s Gold Medals awarded as DAU marks a milestone convocation
- University confers 649 degrees across UG, PG and doctoral programmes
R MANICKAVASAGAM
GANDHINAGAR, JAN 18
A powerful message on navigating uncertainty, continuous learning and India’s productivity-driven future set the tone for the 20th Convocation Ceremony of Dhirubhai Ambani University (DAU), formerly DA-IICT, where 649 students were awarded degrees across undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral programmes.
Delivering the Convocation Address as Chief Guest, Prof. Bhaskar Ramamurthi, Professor Emeritus, Department of Electrical Engineering and former Director of IIT Madras, urged graduating students not to fear ambiguity but to learn through experience. Striking a deeply relatable chord, he said, “I won’t tell you do this or don’t do that, because I really don’t know what you should do. Things change a lot, and you will figure it out the way all of us do — by making mistakes.”
“You Cannot Assume the Future Will Look Like the Past”
Highlighting how life after campus is fundamentally different, Prof. Ramamurthi observed, “Up to the time you get out of college, things are somewhat predictable. After that, there is a lot of uncertainty, and you have to learn to cope with that.”
He reminded graduates that formal education is only the beginning. “Whatever you learn in college is only a small part of what you are going to need to know. You can’t learn everything you need in four years, especially in technology and engineering,” he said.
Underscoring the changing nature of education, he noted, “The nature of learning is changing. A lot of learning will be self-directed, and tools like AI are adding to the sources from which you can learn.” Stressing fundamentals, he added, “It’s important to learn basic tools — especially mathematics and analytical thinking — so that you can learn faster and not keep backtracking.”
Placing individual careers in a national context, Prof. Ramamurthi said, “India’s growth going forward will come largely from productivity increases, not just from more people entering the workforce.” He urged graduates to interpret macroeconomic numbers meaningfully, saying, “When you see large numbers like GDP, you should break them down and try to understand what they mean for families, for work, and for your own decisions.”
Looking ahead, he pointed to emerging opportunities, “As incomes rise, people will demand better quality in food, housing, healthcare, education, and how they live — and that creates enormous opportunities.” He concluded with a cautionary note: “You cannot assume that the future will look like the past. You have to keep revisiting your assumptions as the country and the world change.”
Ambassador Tirumurti Stresses Global Responsibility
Presiding over the ceremony, Ambassador T. S. Tirumurti, Member of the Board of Governors, reflected on India’s evolving global role and the responsibility it places on young professionals. He underlined the need for ethical leadership, informed decision-making and global awareness, noting that DAU graduates are entering a world shaped by rapid technological shifts, geopolitical complexity and shared global challenges.
Leadership Speaks on DAU’s Multidisciplinary Vision
Prof. (Dr.) Tathagata Bandyopadhyay, Director General, highlighted DAU’s journey from a technology-focused institute to a multidisciplinary university, emphasising its commitment to academic rigour, research excellence and societal relevance.
Dr. G. Venkatesh, Director, School of Technology, spoke on nurturing future-ready engineers equipped with strong fundamentals and adaptability in a fast-changing technological landscape.
Prof. (Dr.) Avinash Dadhich, Director, School of Law, underlined the importance of ethical reasoning, constitutional values and interdisciplinary thinking in legal education.
Siddharth Swaminarayan, Executive Registrar, reaffirmed the University’s focus on academic integrity, student-centric governance and continuous institutional growth.
11 President’s Gold Medals; 649 Degrees Conferred
A total of 11 students were honoured with the President’s Gold Medal for outstanding academic excellence.
The University conferred degrees on 348 undergraduate students from B.Tech (ICT), B.Tech (Mathematics & Computing), B.Tech (Honours) in ICT with a minor in Computational Science, and B.Tech (EVD).
At the postgraduate level, 295 students received degrees across M.Tech (ICT), M.Tech (EC), M.Sc (IT), M.Sc (Data Science), M.Sc (Agriculture Analytics) and M.Des (Communication Design). In addition, six scholars were awarded Ph.D. degrees.
The convocation celebrations were preceded by a Pre-Convocation Award Ceremony on January 16, recognising academic distinction, faculty excellence and student achievements in research and co-curricular domains.
Message from the President and Alumni Recognition
A special message from Tina Anil Ambani, President, DAU, was shared with the graduating class. She urged students to combine technology-driven innovation with human-centred design and reminded them that physical and mental health remain their greatest assets.
Marking its 25-year journey, DAU instituted the Distinguished Alumni Award, with the inaugural honour conferred on Pavitar Singh, B.Tech (ICT), Class of 2005, for exemplary professional achievement and sustained contribution to society.
