The 40th Annual Convocation of the Indian Institute of Management Bangalore (IIMB) was held at the beautiful IIMB Campus this evening. A total of 592 students graduated from the prestigious institution this year in the presence of Dr. Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw – Chairman, Board of Governors, IIMB, Dr. Sushil Vachani – Director, IIMB and other fellow board members of IIMB. Padma Bhushan Dr. Devi Prasad Shetty, Chairman, Narayana Group of Hospitals, was the Chief Guest for the ceremony and delivered the Convocation address.
In his inspiring address, where he quoted the celebrated poet Robert Frost and exhorted students to pursue their dreams without fear of failure, IIMB Director Dr. Sushil Vachani emphasized the importance of students needing to develop a global perspective in today’s interconnected world. “An important area of focus for IIM Bangalore has been an increasing emphasis on globalization of our programs, our research and our impact. The launch of new international field courses has dramatically raised the number of PGP students who traveled abroad for study from 34 percent of the batch to 64 percent. Similarly, from the Executive PGP and the Public Policy and Management programs, 100 percent of our students spend time abroad. Such exposure prepares our students for leadership in the world economy,” he pointed out.
Dr. Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, in her address, highlighted the achievements of IIM Bangalore during the academic year 2014-15. She specifically spoke on how technology and globalization are creating a world that is a “boundary-less bazaar” of equitable opportunities. “IIM Bangalore is cognizant of these changes and has ensured that the Institution is in sync with what’s happening globally,” she added.
Dr. Devi Shetty sharing his own life experiences and career choices, with a special mention of the work that the Narayana Group of Hospitals has been doing in making healthcare affordable to the poor, he exhorted the young techno-savvy graduates to also be spiritual. “God did not create everyone alike. He gave the wisdom of creating wealth to very few people but he also gave them the responsibility of looking after the less privileged ones”, he added.
“Dream big, do not fear failure and do not ever give up. Always learn from others, preferably from their mistakes! Watching other surgeons operating, either you learn how to operate or how not to operate,” Dr. Shetty said to loud applause.
Pointing out that charity is not scalable, he advised students to steer clear of negativity and needless criticism. “Accept the world as it is; not as it should be. When things are going wrong remember, things are never as bad as they look and when things are looking great they are never as good as they look,” he pointed out, ending with “The world is not ruined by the activity of bad people but by the inactivity of good people.”
After Dr. Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw had presented the 592 students with their graduation diplomas; the chief guest Dr. Devi Shetty awarded the gold medals; and after the students had accepted their scrolls with humility and grace, the Open Air Auditorium at IIM Bangalore erupted into loud cheers. Convocation caps were thrown into the air and whoops of delight filled the campus as the evening marked the end of two rigorous and fulfilling years for the students in the country’s best B-school.
