A total of 7135 students of 2019–20 graduating batch of Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) Deemed to be University, Bhubaneswar received their degrees at its 16th Annual Convocation, held in virtual mode, on November 21, 2020. Students received degrees virtually from the Chief Guest
Professor Muhammad Yunus, Founder, Grameen Bank & Nobel Peace Laureate, Bangladesh in the presence of His Holiness Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Spiritual Leader & Founder, Art of Living and other dignitaries.
The university conferred Honoris Causa Degrees of D Litt upon His Holiness Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar and SK Chaudhary, Chairman & MD, IRCON International Ltd and Honoris Causa Degree of DSc on Dr Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, Director General of Meteorology, India Meteorological Department, Govt of India.
“You are entering a new phase of life. Education is a long and difficult journey but it makes you capable to transform the world”, Professor Muhammad Yunus told the graduating students in his convocation address.
Introducing Prof Yunus, who was awarded Nobel Peace Prize in 2006 for his social innovation of microcredit, to the students, Prof Achyuta Samanta, Founder, KIIT & KISS said that he has imagined and is relentlessly working for A World of Three Zeroes — zero poverty, zero unemployment and zero net carbon emissions. He expressed his gratitude to His Holiness Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Dr Mrutyunjay Mohapatra and S. K Chaudhary for accepting Honoris Causa degrees from KIIT Deemed to be University.
“The pandemic has damaged the lives and livelihoods of millions of people across the world. With 50% of the world struggling to make a living, it has revealed weaknesses in our system. It is an opportunity to redesign a world, which will be more just, more equal and more resilient”, the Nobel Laureate stated. Our present system suffers from an extreme polarisation of wealth with 99 per cent of wealth concentrated in the hands of 1 per cent population and global warming that is threatening our very existence. “
With your learning and imagination, it is possible to redesign a new world”, he told the graduates, while urging them to explore entrepreneurship as an option.
In his address, chief speakerSri Sri Ravi Shankar stated: “The purpose of education is to build a strong personality that is equipped to convert new challenges into opportunities and broadmindedness and humility to continue learning forever.”
He underscored the importance of inner strength, perseverance, patience and creativity for achieving success. He was awarded Honoris Causa D Litt for “his great contributions to the field of spiritualism and world peace”.
