World's Number One Ranked University of Oxford Vice Chancellor Prof Louise Richardson 35th Banasthali Convocation Chief Guest

To quote Dr Vartan Gregorian, the President of the Carnegie Corporation, “Education is the bridge that allows us to travel from where we are, to that further place, where we can become who we want to be, and do all the wonderful things we might otherwise only dream of.”

The 3.4 Square Kilometre Banasthali Campus was at its very best of festive mood on Friday 05 Oct 2018 to mark the 35th Convocation function. University of Oxford Vice Chancellor Prof Louise Richardson was the Chief Guest for same. She had been associated with top ranking universities for her own education such as Trinity College Dublin, University of California Los Angeles UCLA and Harvard USA. Professor Richardson’s research specializes in international security with a particular emphasis on terrorist movements. She has written widely on international terrorism, British foreign and defence policy, security institutions, and international relations. Professor Richardson’s commitment to teaching won her both the Levenson Prize and the Abramson Prize during her time at Harvard University. She also holds honorary doctorates from the Universities of Edinburgh, Aberdeen and St Andrews in Scotland; Trinity College Dublin and Queen’s University Belfast in Ireland; Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO) in Russia; the University of the West Indies; and Notre Dame University in the United States.

On her arrival, she had a grand reception at Swagat Dwar and visited the Shantabai Shiksha Kutir which is the birth place of Banasthali. At Gandhi Ghar, she had a breakfast meeting with senior officers of Banasthali and faculty members which was followed by a ceremonial parade at Laxmibhai Maidan. She visited various landmarks in the campus and witnessed a spectacular display by students of horse riding club.

Banasthali Vice Chancellor Prof Aditya Shastri gave the welcome address highlighting the evolution of Bansathali as an institution and the unique Panchmukhi Shiksha Five - Fold education model for empowering women. There was a thunderous applause from the audience when Prof Aditya Shastri gave a biography of the chief guest describing her as the first female Vice Chancellor of the 800+ year old University of Oxford.

Pro Vie Chancellor Banasthali Prof Ina Shastri called the doctoral candidates to come on stage and subsequently various Deans which included Prof Sarla Pareek, Prof Ritu Vijay, Prof Shaily Sharma, Prof Jaya Dwivedi, Prof Vandana Goswami, Prof Harsh Purohit, Prof Indu Bansal, Prof Preeti Sharma, Prof Anita Jain, Prof Himadri Ghosh, Prof Rashmi Sharma called out the names of their respective faculty students. Banasthali President Prof Chita Purohit administered the oath to all graduating students and urged them to dedicate their life to betterment of others. In all 3761 students received their degree certificates at the 35th convocation of which 207 were PhD and 123 got gold medal for topping their branch of study.

There was a big round of applause, when the chief guest said that it was indeed a honour for her to address the graduating students of Banasthali “a University for women which is truly a University with a difference.” Calling graduation ceremonies above all as a time for optimism, she mentioned that it took 750 years for Oxford to admit women as full members of the University in 1920 and another 95 years before appointing a female as Vice Chancellor. She talked about Cornelia Sorabji who was the first female Indian student to attend Oxford and mentioned that the first female Prime Minister of India Indira Gandhi had studied at Oxford. She described in detail the longstanding Oxford India linkages including the current statistics of Indian students and faculty at Oxford and expressed serious concerns over declining number of Indian students coming to study in the UK since 2010. The entire convocation hall thundered when she quoted the old African proverb “If you educate a man, you educate an individual but if you educate a woman you educate an entire nation.”

The Chief Guest congratulated Banasthali for having alumni in a range of fields by quoting names of Meira Kumar Lok Sabha Speaker, Kamla Beniwal Governor of various states, Avani Chaturvedi the first female fighter plane pilot, Sunita Godara Marathon runner, Anuradha Singh Hollywood Film editor and Binny Yanga social worker. She wished the very best for the graduating students and urged them to pursue their mission with passion.

On behalf of Banasthali, President Prof Chitra Purohit presented a shawl and Vice President Prof Siddharth Shastri who proposed the vote of thanks presented a glittering memento to the chief guest.

As part of the Convocation function, Banasthali had made elaborate arrangements for all dignitaries and parents to visit various departments, a spectacular air show, rifle shooting display and horse riding prowess. The students, alumni, parents and faculty of Banasthali who attended the 35th Convocation left with beaming faces displaying a pride that they were indeed part of an institution which is a jewel in the crown among the women’s universities not only in India today but across the globe.

For more details about Banasthali see http://www.banasthali.org/

About Banasthali: Established in 1935, the Institution which is also the largest fully residential women’s university in the world has played a big role in revolutionizing women’s education and empowerment in India for the last eight decades. Banasthali has scripted numerous success stories in a wide range of fields, and stands tall among the citadels of learning in India today. Proud to be Banasthali alumni who call themselves as Banasthalites can be found in all latitudes, longitudes and altitudes in all walks of life across the globe. Banasthali has the pride of being chosen as a Faculty Development Centre under the MHRD Govt of India Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya National Mission on Teachers and Teaching (PMMMNMTT) as well as for hosting Atal Incubation Centre (AIC) by NITI Aayog. Banasthali also has Quacquarelli Symonds QS Four Star Ranking and Diamond Status.

Banasthali Vidyapith
Banasthali Rajasthan – 304022
Phone 91 1438 228456 / 228341
Email: info@banasthali.ac.in
Website: http://www.banasthali.org
Facebook: www.facebook.com/Banasthali.org

This release was published on openPR.