‘Academic excellence and virtues promote better humanity’

Director of NIT Tiruchi emphasizes virtues, critical thinking, and research for engineering graduates at TCE graduation ceremony.

Achieving academic excellence is not just about intellectual achievement but also about cultivating virtues that promote better humanity, said Director of National Institute of Technology, Tiruchi, G. Aghila, at the graduation day of Thiagarajar College of Engineering in Madurai on Saturday.

An alumna of the college, Ms. Aghila said that she was a student of the first batch (Batch of 1988) of B.E. in Computer Science and Engineering (Honours). She told the graduands to remember that engineering was not just about solving technical problems. It was also about understanding the social, cultural and environmental context in which those problems existed.

She advised the graduands to develop critical thinking, problem solving ability and creativity. She told them that research was the foundation of progress and commitment to research involved actively seeking new knowledge, exploring uncharted territories and contributing to the academic community by generating new ideas, theories and solutions.

She urged them to think of becoming entrepreneurs and also emphasised on the importance of industry-institute collaboration and startup culture. She told them to have responsibility and accountability, be open minded and not to get disappointed when things were not working. She told the graduands that they should contribute towards nation building.

TCE Chairman and Correspondent K. Hari Thiagarajan told the graduands to stay connected with their alma mater. Sharing time, energy and ideas with the college will in turn serve as a guiding light to future students, he said. He advised them to continue learning.

“Once you stop learning you stop growing”, he told them adding that they should learn about the developing areas.

TCE Principal L. Ashok Kumar told the graduands to be open to new experiences, continue learning and not to lose sight of their dreams. TCE Registrar S. Rajaram proposed a vote of thanks. A total of 1,046 graduands were conferred degrees at the graduation day.