Students should look beyond conventional career paths and focus on building the capability to solve problems, create innovations and contribute to society, said Shankar Vanavarayar, President, Kumaraguru Institutions, on Monday, while addressing the Class of 2030 at Swagatham 2026, the formal induction ceremony for first-year BE and B.Tech students at Kumaraguru College of Technology (KCT).

Urging students to rethink the purpose of engineering education, he said they should move beyond simply asking who would employ them and instead ask what problems they could solve and what they could create for the world.

He encouraged students to explore research, innovation, entrepreneurship and startups alongside their academic pursuits.

“Instead of asking who will employ me, start thinking: What will I solve? What will I create?” he told the freshers, emphasising that marks and placements should not be the sole measures of success.

The ability to apply knowledge, solve real-world problems and create meaningful solutions would increasingly determine their opportunities in a rapidly changing world.

He also urged students to focus on capability rather than knowledge alone. While academic learning would remain important, he encouraged them to use classrooms, laboratories, industry interactions, research platforms and innovation spaces as interconnected parts of their learning journey.

Highlighting the need to prepare for a rapidly changing world, he introduced the “ALIVE” framework, urging students to adapt, learn continuously, integrate different experiences, venture beyond the familiar and engage with the world around them.

He said the ability to continuously learn, unlearn and relearn would be essential as technology, careers and society continue to evolve.

He said Kumaraguru would provide a student-centric environment that respects individual aspirations and ideas, while students were expected to extend the same respect to everyone in the institution, irrespective of their role.

He stressed that physical and mental well-being should remain an important part of their college experience.

Concluding his address, he urged the freshers not to approach their four years merely as a path towards graduation. Instead, he encouraged them to remain curious, resilient and responsible and to develop integrity, courage, kindness and respect.

Ezhilarasi, Principal, Kumaraguru College of Technology, welcomed the new cohort and highlighted its diversity and academic strength.

A total of 1,470 students across 14 BE and B.Tech programmes have joined KCT this year, representing 1,150 schools across 52 districts and six Indian States. Students have also joined from Qatar, Kenya, the UAE, Oman and Bahrain.

She said the students’ learning journey would extend beyond conventional classroom education through active learning, project-based learning, research, laboratory experiences, student teams and industry engagement.

She encouraged them to participate in clubs, forums, sports, cultural activities, entrepreneurship and research and to use their four years to experiment, build, create and contribute.

Ignite 2026 to ease transition into college

As part of the freshers’ induction experience, Kumaraguru has introduced Ignite 2026, a 10-day freshers immersion programme designed to help students transition from school to college and become familiar with the Kumaraguru ecosystem.

Ignite is a student-led programme facilitated by senior students. It enables freshers to build connections, understand the institution, discover their interests and strengths, and develop curiosity, critical thinking and leadership skills.

Built around the principles of growth, depth and rigour, the programme follows four stages — Belong, Explore, Engage and Become — and includes five learning modules covering personal growth, the Kumaraguru ecosystem, professional excellence, leadership and social responsibility, and engineering mindset, problem- solving and innovation.

Each fresher will be part of a brigade of around 35 students, supported by student leads and co-leads.

The programme includes 50+ learning exercises and more than 60 hours of engagement, providing the freshers with an early opportunity to build friendships, explore the campus and actively participate in the Kumaraguru community.