Media Release
Mangaluru, Feb 24: The 18th graduation ceremony of St Joseph Engineering College (SJEC), Mangaluru, was held on Saturday February 24 in the open-air stage of the college. The ceremony witnessed the awarding of graduation certificates by the institution to the class of 2023 comprising 531 undergraduates (BE) and 200 postgraduates (MBA, MCA and PhD).
Dr Neeraj Saxena, pro chancellor, JIS University, graced the occasion as chief guest and presented the degree certificates to the graduands. Irol Melisa Pinto, cloud solution architect manager, Microsoft, Bengaluru, was the guest of honour on the occasion. Dr Peter Paul Saldanha, bishop, diocese of Mangalore and president of SJEC, presided over the ceremony.
Fr Wilfred Prakash D’Souza, director of SJEC, welcomed the graduands from the class of 2023 and dignitaries to the graduation ceremony. Dr Ramananda H S, dean - student welfare, introduced the chief guest and the guest of honour.
Irol Melisa Pinto spoke about her own experiences and recalled her days as a student. She called upon the students to align their sustainable development efforts to create a positive global impact and also harness the power of knowledge to achieve excellence. She insisted to pursue the goals with gratitude for those who influenced and stay humble, tackle challenges boldly, and courageously to make a difference.
Dr Neeraj Saxena, in his address, mentioned the importance of unbiased vision and perseverance underscored through anecdotes of historical figures such as Thomas Alva Edison and APJ Abdul Kalam. He spoke about the changes that have been witnessed due to science and technology. He congratulated the graduates and emphasized the importance of education, especially during challenging times such as the COVID era. He encouraged the graduates to nurture their dreams, tackle challenges with determination and creativity, and contribute positively to society.
Dr Rio D'Souza administered the graduation oath. Akshatha, graduand from the department of business administration and Muhammed Kaif, graduand from the department of electronics & communication engineering, were the valedictorians from the class of 2023 and delivered the valedictorian addresses sharing the reflections on the transformative journey of education and gratitude was expressed towards all individuals who contributed to shaping the graduates into who they are today.
Scholastic achievers and Sports achievers were recognized and awarded by Bishop Dr Peter Paul Saldanha.
Delivering the presidential address, the bishop said, “In just two years, AI and ChatGPT have transformed our world, even becoming part of the SJEC syllabus. While AI offers speed, it lacks the humanity found in flesh and compassion. As graduates, let us prioritize humanity in our use of AI, ensuring our contributions propel our country forward.” He also spoke about developing a skill wherever you are, the soft skills of building a relationship and being innovative, which is the soul of all education.
Fr Kenneth Ryner Crasta, assistant director, Dr Purushothama Chippar, vice principal, Rakesh Lobo, HR manager and Ramya co-convenor were also present. Manjunath B, convenor of the event offered the vote of thanks. Preetha D’Souza and Davor John D’Souza compered the programme.