Traditionally, the convocation ceremony is held at the Louis Kahn Plaza, where the convocation march is led by the Chairperson and Director of IIMA along with other Board members, faculty and students assemble. This year, owing to the pandemic, IIMA hosted the convocation in virtual mode on May 8, 2021. During the online ceremony, graduating students watched the convocation remotely, while the community members followed the live streaming of the convocation from their offices and homes.
The Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIMA) held its 56th annual convocation virtually on May 8, 2021. Mr. Kumar Mangalam Birla, Chairperson, Board of Governors (BoGs), IIMA and Professor Errol D’Souza, Director, IIMA graced the occasion, as other members of the Board, faculty, staff, alumni, graduating students and their families joined the event virtually. The ceremony was broadcasted at www.iima.ac.in/convocation2021/.
Mr. Kumar Mangalam Birla, Chairperson, BoGs, IIMA, declared opened the first virtual convocation followed by the invocation, setting the stage for a memorable graduation ceremony. Mr. Birla thereafter conferred Ph.D. titles, MBA, MBA-FABM, and MBA-PGPX degree and awarded scholastic medals. This was followed by the convocation address by Mr. Birla.
A total of 605 graduating students were conferred titles, degrees and included students from IIMA’s full-time long duration programmes, i.e. the Ph.D. Programme in Management, the Post Graduate Programme in Management (PGP), the Post Graduate Programme in Food and Agribusiness Management (FABM-MBA) and the Post Graduate Programme in Management for Executives (MBA-PGPX). The toppers from each programme were awarded gold medals in recognition of their accomplishments.
Students Graduating at the 56th Annual Convocation at IIMA
Delivering the convocation address, Mr. Birla, congratulated the graduates and said, “It is important that you have clarity on your North Star, but then be adventurous and experiment, use these experiences to build your flywheel and compliment your IQ with EQ. I don’t see IQ and EQ as binary qualities, but rather as complementary traits that make a personality wholesome You need to add other dimensions to your thinking, most importantly, of empathy and humility. When you look back in a few years you must ask yourself just one question. Did I make a difference? It doesn’t matter whether you are a marketer or a consultant, an entrepreneur or a techie. Have you advanced progress in your field and added to the cumulative repository of knowledge and wisdom? If the answer is yes. Then you have done justice to the education you have received and lived up to the rich legacy of this iconic institution.”
In his concluding address, Prof. Errol D’Souza, Director, IIMA, applauded the perseverance and hard work of the students and faculty in the face of the pandemic. Prof. D’Souza said, “Doing what is fair is often in conflict with showing loyalty and good citizenship behavior in organizations that the students will work in. However, in a VUCA world we require people who are just and fair.” He congratulated the students for navigating choppy waters during the challenging year at the institute and encouraged them to go out and give the best they are capable of that will be beneficial not only to their careers but also to humankind.
This academic year, despite the challenges of the ongoing pandemic, students across programme kept up their enthusiasm, giving their best in academic and extra-curricular activities. The Red Brick Summit, India’s biggest management symposium; Krishi Manthan, the largest International Food, Agribusiness and Rural Development Summit of Asia, were student-led events that met with success. The student’s social wing proactively reached out to the weaker sections of the community, during the pandemic to provide financial aid, build community kitchens and facilitate safe travel for migrant workers to their hometowns.
Although the online function was different in many ways, it brought alive the memories of many who studied, stayed and taught at the institute. While the graduating students, their family and friends watched the convocation ceremony from the safety of their homes remotely, a large number of faculty and staff joined the ceremony virtually from their secure offices or homes on the campus.
With the passing out of the students today, IIMA will have around 39,600 alumni who include, business leaders, entrepreneurs, policymakers, diplomats, academics, change makers in the social sector, artists, celebrated writers, among others.
With immense pride, the IIMA community congratulates the Class of 2021 and wishes them a successful career ahead!
OTHER COURSES OF THE INSTITUTE Due to the pandemic, the on-campus Armed Forces Programme (AFP) and Faculty Development Programme (FDP) for the year 2020-21 stood cancelled. However, the first online FDP in Pedagogy and Research Methods was conducted from June 22 to July 28, 2020.
AWARDS AND HONOURS
IIMA Alumni VVEF Outstanding Researcher Award 2021 – Prof. Jeevant Rampal The IIMA Alumni VVEF Outstanding Researcher Award has been instituted by the Vidya Vardhini Education Foundation; a Section 25 Company run by IIMA alumni. Outstanding Researcher award is given to a faculty member who is being recognized for his/her sustained research contribution and/or significant research of a path-breaking nature.
Marti Mannariah Gurunath Outstanding Teacher Award and SRK Distinguished PGPX Faculty Award – Prof. Saral Mukherjee This Award has been instituted by Prof Marti Subrahmanyam (1967-69), Professor at Stern School of Business, in memory of his father Mr Mannariah Gurunath. Every year, the Award goes to one faculty member who has taught the batches graduating in that convocation.
Philip Thomas Memorial Case Award 2021 – Prof. Chitra Singla On behalf of the Selection Committee comprising Prof. Abhinandan K. Jain and Prof. Mukund R. Dixit, the award has been conferred for the case “Tega Industries Ltd – Journey of an Indian MNC (A) and (B)” – STR0451 (A) and (B). This award has been instituted in memory of Mr Philip Thomas (PGP-1966) by Prof. Rishikesha T. Krishnan (FPM-1996). Philip Thomas Memorial Case Award goes to the author(s), who write a case in the area of Strategy/Business Policy and Public Systems during each calendar year.
Madan Mohanka Research on Internationalization of Business Award 2021 – Doctoral students Mr. Renganathan Krishnamurthy, Mr. Punyashlok Dwibedy, and Mr. Mayank Aggarwal, along with Prof. Amit Karna have been conferred the award for the case entitled “Tega Industries: The South Africa Acquisition“ – STR0449. This award has been set up by Shree Madan Mohanka (PGP 1967) of Tega Industries from the year (2017-18).
