Nearly a hundred alumni from Amrita School of Engineering came together at their alma mater for the sixteenth Annual Alumni Meet on February 16, 2014.
For many of them who shared their experiences in the campus and their career with the gathering, the knowledge they gathered in classes and the inspiration given by the faculty have always stood them in good stead in life.
Present on the occasion were Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham’s Vice Chancellor Dr. P. Venkat Rangan, Director – Corporate & Industry Relations Prof. C. Parameswaran, Chair of PG Programs Dr. Bharat Jayaraman and President -Alumni Association Dr. M. Elangovan.
Dr. Venkat Rangan, Vice Chancellor, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, spoke about the presence of alumni in different parts of the world in prominent positions and their strong emotional bond with Amrita. He suggested that chapters be opened in such places in order to bring them actively into the implementation of alumni programs and objectives. He put forward that eminent alumni could be members of the academic board of studies and they could contribute to the periodic revision of syllabi. He also mentioned about the concept of Live-in-Labs program introduced recently in pursuance of ambitious service programs.
Prof. C. Parameswaran, Director, Corporate & Industry Relations, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, observed that with the strength of over 14000 alumni and the effective steps to bring more and more of them into a well-knit structure, the alumni association has a great future. He stated that it is a win-win situation for alumni, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham and the students alike. Speaking about some of the new initiatives, he said, “Apart from the distinguished alumni award, an alumni association ID card, an online alumni directory, a set of re-framed by-laws and memorabilia are being offered to revitalize the functioning of the association.”
The distinguished Amrita Alumni awards, instituted for the first time ever, were conferred to alumni for their notable contributions to academics, industry, entrepreneurship and social service.
Dr. K. Arul Prakash (Batch 1994-1998), currently the Assistant Professor in the Department of Applied Mechanics, Indian Institute of Technology, Madras, won the Achievement Award for distinguished contribution to Academics.
Senthilkumar Murugesan (Batch 1998-2002), the Managing Director, Unilogic Technologies Private Limited, won the award for distinguished contribution to Entrepreneurship.
Vijith K. P. Nambiar (Batch 1995-1999), presently working as the Director for Middle East operations at Dunbar & Boardman Partnership Ltd., won the award for distinguished contribution to Industry. On his behalf the award was received by Dr. Thirumalini, Chairperson, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Amrita School of Engineering.
The new office bearers were also selected. Prof. Subba Rao R., Professor and Chairperson, Department of Chemical Engineering, Amrita School of Engineering, was elected the President, Senthilkumar Murugesan was elected the Vice-President and Anju S. Pillai, Assistant Professor, Department of Electrical Engineering, Amrita School of Engineering, as the Secretary.
An exciting Just a Minute (JAM) session that ensued brought out the strong bond that Amritians share with their alma mater, as alumni from various batches volunteered to come up on stage and share their experiences with the august gathering..
This was followed by games and cultural performances of music and dance by students. In the department interactions, faculty members and current students joined their alumni for group discussions.
For the Amritians, the day was indeed very nostalgic and a pleasant home-visit to their alma mater. They unanimously gave a big thumbs-up and were effusive in their praise for the event, describing the same as Excellent, Awesome, Fantabulous, Divine, Superb and Refreshing.
February 16, 2014
Coimbatore Campus