“You may do the best work in the world and have the best ideas, but unless you communicate them effectively, they may go unnoticed. You have to create your own luck by continually trying, and success will follow. Have a sense of humour during setbacks, smile through difficulties; you are your own boss,” said Venkat Padmanabhan, Managing Director of Microsoft Research India, Bengaluru, the chief guest of PSG College of Technology’s graduation ceremony.
The ceremony was held on Monday for the Science stream. Shina Sheen, Head, Department of Applied Mathematics and Computational Sciences, welcomed the gathering. Thyla, Principal (FAC) of the college, declared the ceremony open and administered the graduation pledge.
Gopalakrishnan, Managing Trustee, PSG & Sons’ Charities, graced the event. Nadarajan, Dean of the college, Giriraj, Principal, PSG Polytechnic College, Past Principals, heads of the department, faculty members, and parents graced the occasion and congratulated the graduates.
Panmugathalvar Award
At the ceremony, the “Panmugathalvar Award” was presented to Sukhi of the Department of Computer Applications. She received a certificate of excellence, a cash prize and a rolling trophy.
The award recognises a student who possesses multifaceted talents, demonstrates excellence across diverse fields and exemplifies an outstanding all-round personality.
The award was instituted by Professor P. Naveethan, former Head of the Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, under the aegis of the Gugapriyan Endowment for Excellence.
Thyla, Principal (FAC), said that a total of 1,964 students are graduating this year. The graduation ceremony is being conducted in four ceremonies. “The first ceremony for the Science stream is today (Monday), while the remaining ceremonies will be held on July 3 for Electrical and Allied Engineering programmes, July 13 for Computer programmes, and July 24 for Mechanical and Allied Engineering programmes.
Addressing the graduates, she said, “Graduating during the college’s Diamond Jubilee year is a rare honour.”
She urged the students to prepare for a rapidly changing world driven by technological advancements. “You are entering a world of rapid technological progress, immense opportunities and unprecedented challenges. Today marks the culmination of your years of dedication,” she said.
Emphasising the importance of adaptability in the era of artificial intelligence, she said, “Success in the AI era lies in the ability to learn and adapt quickly. Innovate with purpose and live with integrity. Use technology to enhance your capabilities, but let your values guide your decisions.”
“As you move from being students to alumni, carry with you a commitment to lifelong learning, the courage to embrace change, and unwavering integrity in all your pursuits,” she added.
In his chief guest address, Venkat Padmanabhan said, “We are witnessing a world of rapid change. Whenever there is change, there are both opportunities and challenges. It is up to you whether you become overwhelmed by the challenges or overcome them.”
Speaking about artificial intelligence, he said that AI is not the end of technological advancement but a continuously evolving field. “Be grounded. As AI continues to advance, humans will increasingly become supervisors, while machines perform many tasks. People must develop the ability to observe, evaluate and guide what machines are doing,” he said.
Highlighting the opportunities in the AI era, he identified three broad areas. “The first is creating new core technologies. The second is designing systems with redundancy. The third is combining ideas from theory and formal methods with security, while remaining adaptable,” he said.
Padmanabhan urged graduates to leverage AI for meaningful applications. “We have many good teachers and doctors, but not nearly enough. AI should be used to amplify the capabilities of teachers and doctors, not replace them. It should also become a tool for your daily work and lifelong learning,” he said.
Encouraging students to make a meaningful impact, he said, “Create something that benefits others. In this rapidly changing world, you must continuously learn. Develop an intuitive understanding of problems so that you can make better decisions. Leveraging the resources available to you and identifying meaningful problems to solve are critical to creating opportunities and achieving success.
