Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham supports SDG 4 by hosting public lectures, community educational programmes and workshops that promote lifelong learning and knowledge sharing.
By opening these events to the general public, the university encourages community engagement and makes learning accessible beyond traditional educational settings, in line with its ethos of “Education for Life”.
On September 27, 2025, Amritapuri hosted Amritavarsham 72, a free public celebration attended by tens of thousands of people from across India and around the world. Open to all, the event included free food and an educational address by Chancellor Sri Mata Amritanandamayi Devi (Amma), focusing on the role of education in personal development, social responsibility and human well-being.
Amma’s one-hour discourse presented education as serving two complementary purposes: education for livelihood and education for life. It emphasised five goals of education: developing professional capabilities, building character and emotional maturity, cultivating love and gratitude, fostering responsibility towards society and the natural world, and deepening self-awareness. The address also highlighted patience, perseverance, compassion, constructive relationships and the responsible use of one’s potential. It encouraged an approach to lifelong learning that extends beyond professional knowledge to the development of personal values and the capacity to contribute positively to society.
The event also marked the inauguration of the UNESCO Chair on Assistive Technologies in Education at Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham by Dr. Shashi Tharoor, Member of Parliament. Established in partnership with UNESCO, the Chair aims to advance accessible educational technologies for persons with disabilities through research, capacity-building, training, industry partnerships and international collaboration. Its focus includes AI chatbots, Indian Sign Language video recognition and audio-description tools.
By bringing educational ideas and initiatives to a large public audience, the event connected education for personal and social development with practical efforts to make learning more inclusive and accessible. It illustrates Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham’s contribution to lifelong learning and public access to educational knowledge beyond formal academic programmes.
In March 2025, the School of Social and Behavioural Sciences (SSBS) organised a three-day symposium on an integrated approach to brief therapies, open to all participants interested in psychology, including those from outside Amrita. The event brought together 210 students and practitioners, including 185 participants from outside institutions. Through plenary sessions, guided practice, feedback from experienced academics and practitioners, an Art Therapy practicum and an introduction to Brief Therapy, participants engaged in learning and skills development. As the event took place one month before the admissions period, participants were required to register free of charge and provide their names, phone numbers and email addresses for logistical purposes.
As part of the 72nd Birthday Celebrations of Amma, Sadguru Sri Mata Amritanandamayi Devi, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham hosted the One World, One Heart Exhibition at its Amritapuri campus from 25 to 27 September 2025. Free and open to the general public, the exhibition was part of the campus celebrations, which attracted tens of thousands of participants.
The exhibition showcased initiatives and projects undertaken by the Mata Amritanandamayi Math in eco-friendliness, nature conservation, waste management and recycling, resource efficiency, and sustainable development. It provided visitors with an opportunity to learn about environmental sustainability and practices for more eco-conscious living.
The inauguration was attended by university representatives and public officials, who highlighted sustainability, youth participation and community engagement in achieving sustainable development goals. Students, faculty, ashram residents, devotees and volunteers contributed to the exhibition and related cleanliness drives.
From 1–3 September 2025, the Department of Food Science and Nutrition and the Nutrition Sustenance Forum, School of Physical Sciences, organised a free, three-day event open to the general public at Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham’s Coimbatore campus. The event promoted nutrition awareness and healthy lifestyles through invited talks, competitions and activities on balanced diets and sustainable food practices.
On 24 June 2025, the Department of Food Science and Nutrition, School of Physical Sciences, hosted a free guest talk open to the general public at Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham’s Coimbatore campus by Dr C. Anandharamakrishnan, Director of CSIR–NIIST and Rashtriya Vigyan Shri awardee. The talk explored how science and technology can address climate change and promote sustainable food systems through low-carbon food processing, sustainable packaging and bio-based materials. The audience was captivated by his examples of scientific innovations supporting food security, public health and sustainable livelihoods.
On 29 August 2025, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham hosted the International Conference on Sustainable & Resilient Futures (ICSRF 2025), centred on the theme “Experiential Learning, Inclusiveness, and Sustainable Innovations.” The conference was open to anyone interested in sustainable solutions and aimed to foster dialogue and collaboration among researchers, scientists, policymakers, practitioners and industry leaders to address global sustainability challenges. It brought together 60 speakers representing 20 nationalities across nine thematic tracks.
