Amidst great pride and honor, 382 students of the 14th batch of BITS Pilani, Dubai Campus, were awarded Engineering Degrees. The convocation ceremony was conducted in BITS Pilani, Dubai Campus located in the Academic City. The occasion was graced by the Chief Guest, Mr Navdeep Suri, the Ambassador of India to UAE , Vice Chancellor of BITS Pilani, Dubai Campus, Prof Souvik Bhattacharya, Prof R. N Saha, Director BITS Pilani, Dubai Campus, Industry Partners, BITS Alumni, Faculty Members, friends and parents of the graduating students.
During this prestigious event, the degrees were conferred on 382 Graduates who graduated with Ph.D, Higher Degree and First Degree in the following disciplines of engineering: Chemical Engineering, Electrical and Electronics, Mechanical Engineering, Computer Science, Electronics and Instrumentation Engineering, Electronics and Communication, Biotechnology, Design Engineering, Microelectronics, Software Systems and M.B.A. Awards for academic excellence and all-round achievement were awarded to the deserving students.
Mr. Navdeep Suri, in his address, congratulated the graduates and emphasized their good fortune in receiving top quality education which has broadened their horizons in terms of career prospects. He highlighted the strong economic and business relations between India and UAE, which would be instrumental in attracting students to become young entrepreneurs. He motivated the graduates to look at joining Indian Foreign Service and consequently contribute towards developing the country’s foreign policy.
Dr. Kumar Mangalam Birla, Chancellor, BITS Pilani, in his remote address stressed that the future is full of uncertainty and change is the only certainty. Change should be viewed as a positive challenge and an opportunity. Combating it can prove to be rejuvenating. He emphasized on two aspects: Firstly, youngsters are increasingly thinking afresh and becoming innovative disruptors. Innovation and disruption are both creative processes. Secondly, maintain a balance between success and peace of mind both at the professional and personal front. His vision of younger generation is evident from the following statement: “It is the responsibility of every generation to leave behind a safer, superior, more enlightened world than the one that they inherit. When future generations look back upon us, they must credit us for being a generation that actually foresaw the future and helped give the world a better tomorrow. As they say, giving is true having. The teachings of the Buddha tell us that thousands of candles can be lit from a single candle, and yet the life of that candle will not be shortened.”
Delivering the convocation address, Vice Chancellor, Prof. Souvik Bhattacharyya, congratulated the graduating students on their achievement. He also highlighted the achievements of BITS Pilani’s four campuses together with the growing number of Graduate, Post Graduate and Ph.D students. Admission of international students has now been extended to all four campuses. He highlighted that this year BITS Pilani has been ranked in the World University rankings of both Times Higher Education and QS University Rankings – the most eminent international Rankings today. The Entrepreneurship Incubation Centre caters to the entrepreneurial spirits of our students in the UAE, which is a hub for entrepreneurial activity. Many alumni from Dubai Campus are successful entrepreneurs, embodying the spirit of the UAE and BITS Pilani. A course on Islamic Economy has been introduced to help students develop diverse perspectives in Islamic economy, in order to meet the challenges and opportunities associated with transforming Dubai into a business hub of the world’s Islamic economy, in line with the vision of the Government of Dubai. The Expo 2020 has paved the way for a large number of infrastructure projects in Dubai. Keeping this in mind, the Civil Engineering branch was started last year.
Prof. Dr. R.N. Saha, Director BITS Pilani, Dubai Campus, congratulated both the graduating students and their parents for this remarkable achievement. During his report, he revealed the growth plan of expanding program offerings, research and community outreach activities, faculty development and student placement. He emphasized the growing R&D activity in the form of MOUs, funded research, international conferences and so on.
He put special emphasis on the Practice School Programme offered by BITS Pilani and how it not only gave the students work experience, but helped them get placed into the companies they interned in. He also elaborated the niche BITS students have, due to the Campus placement facility offered to them.
This year 70 companies participated in Campus Placement Program. Some of the prominent recruiters who participated in our campus placement programs are: Mitsubishi Elevators, Schindler, Tetrapak, Qualcomm, Zomato, Teknoware, PwC, IBM, Roamworks. The pay packages ranged from AED 6,000 to a maximum of AED 18,000. A good number of students were hired by their PS Companies soon after their successful completion of PS II program namely NSI Global, Monaco Engineering Services, Eagle Industries, Daikin, Lucy Switchgears FZE.
As part of faculty development, BITS has introduced two schemes – the Industry Immersion Programme and University Exposure Abroad Programme, which have benefited the faculty members. The Institute has also established Teaching and Learning Centre (TLC) in line with university-wide shift towards a greater emphasis on teaching and learning.
The ceremony concluded solemnly leaving the students in mixed emotions as they bid farewell to their Alma mater and step ahead into their glorious future.
