Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan’s S P Jain Institute of Management and Research (SPJIMR) organised its first ever virtual convocation on Saturday, 24th July, 2021. A total of 596 students graduated today, from five SPJIMR programmes. The participants, their families, faculty, alumni and staff of the Institute attended the event via a custom-made virtual platform.
Ms Arundhati Bhattacharya, Chairperson and CEO, Salesforce India, was the chief guest for the occasion. The Convocation was chaired by corporate leader and author Mr R. Gopalakrishnan, Member, Governing Council, SPJIMR. He was standing in for Mr Deepak Parekh, Chairman of SPJIMR’s Governing Council. The students were also addressed by Dr Vasant Sivaraman, Associate Dean – Academics & Full-Time Programmes.
Chairpersons of five graduating programmes, the 2-year PGDM, the 21-month PGEMP, the 15-month PGPM, the 11-month PGMPW (all at the Mumbai campus) and the 24-month alternate weekend PGPGM (at SPJIMR’s Delhi campus), read out the names of students and showcased their virtual graduation certificates. They also announced the list of participants who made it to the Dean’s Merit List and the Gold Medal awardees. The digital copies of the Post-Graduation certificates and Dean’s Merit certificates were shared with the graduates immediately after the ceremony.
In his opening address, Mr Gopalakrishnan emphasised the importance of sharing knowledge, which in turn will help them grow as business leaders. He said, “Knowledge is the only commodity which the more you share, the more you enjoy and the more you develop.” He also said managers should be ready to swim in tough waters to become powerful and socially responsible leaders.
Ms Arundhati Bhattacharya emphasised the need for students to keep learning and having an entrepreneurial mindset. “There is no alternative to hard work, you make your own luck … failures … teach more than success. Believe in yourself to reach the pinnacle of your career,” she said, adding that businesses have to be agile and have “hybrid ways of working”.
Dr Sivaraman congratulated the outgoing students and urged them to enjoy their careers and give it their best. He said, “My wish is for you to achieve your dreams, follow your heart and be the best that you can be on a day-to-day basis.” He also spoke about some of the key initiatives taken by SPJIMR in these challenging times and highlighted the prestigious recognitions that the Institute has received in recent months.
