By OUR STAFF REPORTER
Dehradun, 22 Nov: The 22nd Convocation of UPES, a multidisciplinary university in Dehradun, commenced today. For the first time, the convocation will span five days, with separate ceremonies dedicated to each of UPES’s seven schools, providing an exclusive platform to honour students from every discipline individually. Degrees will be conferred on students across all seven schools at UPES from 22 to 26 November, creating a meaningful and memorable experience for graduates and their families as they receive their degrees with pride.
The celebrations began with the convocation of the School of Health Sciences and Technology (SOHST) and School of Law (SOL). UPES welcomed the Minister of State, Union Ministry of Law and Justice, Arjun Ram Meghwal as the Chief Guest, along with Justice JJ Munir, Judge, Allahabad High Court, and SN Babulkar, Advocate General, Uttarakhand, as guests of honour for the convocation. At the School of Health Sciences and Technology, Dr Kalaiselvi, Director General of CSIR and Secretary of DSIR, was the Chief Guest, accompanied by Dr Srini Kaveri, Director of INSERM, Paris, as a guest of honour, along with other dignitaries.
On 23 November, the School of Business (SOB) convocation ceremony will have Deepak Kumar Swain, Managing Director, Kongsberg Digital India, and May-Elin Stener, Ambassador of Norway to India and Sri Lanka, as Chief Guests. The list of prominent attendees will include Gautam Khanna, CEO, Hinduja Hospitals, Rajshekar Joshi, Vice-Chairman, Setu Aayog, Uttarakhand, Vartika Shukla, Chairman and Managing Director, Engineers India Limited. Following that, on 24 November, the School of Design (SOD) and the School of Liberal Studies and Media (SoLSM) will host Mukul Saxena, President and CTO of Havells India Ltd, and Anjilee Istwa, Senior Editor at India Today, as the respective Chief Guests.
The School of Computer Science’s convocation will take place over 25-26 November, featuring Robin Philip Varughese, Global Head of Applied Intelligence, Platforms & Engineering, DXC Technology, Naveen Kamat, Vice President & CTO, Data and AI Services, Kyndryl, and Lord Karan Bilimoria, British-Indian businessman, as Chief Guests. Other distinguished guests expected to attend include Ashish Pandey, Global CIO, Dabur India Limited, and Dr Achyuta Samanta, Founder Secretary of the Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) and Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS). The last day of the convocation will also see celebrations at the School of Advanced Engineering which will host Shalabh Goel, Managing Director, NCRTC, as the Chief Guest, and Dr Shushma Rawat, Director, Exploration, ONGC Ltd, as the guests of honour.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr Ram Sharma, Vice Chancellor of UPES, remarked, “This convocation represents a significant milestone in the journey of UPES, as we honour each student individually. We take immense pride in recognising their unique achievements and embracing a culture of excellence. This celebration also reflects our steady ascent in global and national rankings, driven by strong industry collaborations, groundbreaking research, a commitment to fostering entrepreneurship, and our dedication to shaping students into future leaders, innovators, and changemakers. I am confident that the graduating class of 2024 will forge a future imbued with purpose and impact.”
Dr Sharma also highlighted UPES’s recent achievements, including a remarkable rise in the QS World University Rankings: Asia 2025, where it secured the 148th position in Asia and 21st in South Asia. He also highlighted UPES’ extraordinary leap of over 300 ranks, into the prestigious band of the world’s top 501-600 universities, and among the top 7 institutions in India, in the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings 2025. Additionally, he spoke about how, with 46 faculty members now recognised among the world’s top 2% of researchers, according to Stanford List, and initiatives like the Runway Incubator, Himalayan Innovation Lab, and Srijan Social Internships, UPES has continued to advance its focus on research, innovation, and impactful social engagement. He emphasised how this commitment, coupled with industry collaboration and holistic student development, has empowered graduates with skills that resonate across a global landscape.
