Sonipat, July 28 — O.P. Jindal Global University (JGU) successfully concluded its 15th Convocation Ceremony, held over two days on July 25-26. The convocation marked a significant milestone in the University’s journey, with 5,604 students graduating across undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral programmes.

The convocation brought together graduating students, their families, faculty members, alumni, and distinguished national and international dignitaries to celebrate academic excellence, leadership, innovation, and public service.

The ceremonies commenced with a Welcome Address and Presentation of the University Report by Prof (Dr) C. Raj Kumar, Founding Vice Chancellor of JGU, who reflected on the University’s continued growth as a globally recognised institution committed to excellence in teaching, research, public service, and international collaborations. This was followed by the address by Naveen Jindal, Chancellor of JGU, who congratulated the graduating class and encouraged them to uphold the values of integrity, compassion, leadership, and nation-building throughout their professional and personal lives.

The occasion was enhanced with the presence of august luminaries, including Justice P.S. Narasimha, Judge, Supreme Court of India; Professor (Dr) Dawn Freshwater, Executive Director, Worldwide Universities Network, and Former Vice Chancellor, University of Auckland, New Zealand; Dr Tarun Khanna, Jorge Paulo Lemann Professor, Harvard Business School, Harvard University, USA; and Dr Abhishek M. Singhvi, Senior Advocate, Supreme Court of India & Member of Parliament (Rajya Sabha).

Naveen Jindal, Founding Chancellor, JGU, congratulated the graduating students and said, “You graduate at a remarkable time in history. This world is looking towards India with hope and confidence. We are one of the youngest nations in the world. We are becoming a global leader in technology, innovation, entrepreneurship, healthcare and research. But India’s strength will never be its economy alone. It will always be its 1.5 billion people, and that is why your responsibility is much greater than that of previous generations. A degree may help you earn a livelihood, but purpose gives your life meaning. We dreamt of establishing this university as a fitting tribute to my father, O.P. Jindal. He believed that the best gift you can give to anyone is a good-quality education. And he really believed in educating the girl child. This university is about creating a place where students would get a really conducive environment for learning.”

In his Convocation Address, the Chief Guest, Justice P.S. Narasimha, Judge, Supreme Court of India, congratulated the successful students and their parents and said, “Today, we celebrate years of perseverance, discipline, and aspiration. We celebrate families who stood by their children through moments of uncertainty. Teachers who encouraged their students to think beyond the obvious and an institution that has nurtured talent with care and conviction. O.P. Jindal Global University stands as a tribute to the vision and generosity of O.P. Jindal, whose belief in nation-building through education continues to inspire generations, and O.P. Jindal Global University is definitely one such university. It has emerged as one of India’s leading multidisciplinary universities. Modern-day challenges compel the generation to transcend disciplinary boundaries of formal education. Society will expect not just competence from you but judgment. Whatever profession you choose, you will become custodians of institutions, and the obligation remains the same: to strengthen the rule of law and create a fair and just society.”

Professor (Dr Dawn Freshwater, Executive Director, Worldwide Universities Network, and Former Vice Chancellor, University of Auckland, New Zealand, was the Special Guest of Honour. She said, “Graduation is a culmination of vision, belief, experimentation, and failure. But today is also a moment when graduating students can look forward to the next stage in their lives. I intend to cause you to pause, to look up and to speak, to consciously reflect on the responsibility that enjoying a higher education brings. How it shapes your role and future in society and why this societal shaping cannot be left to accident! You are required to be fully present and fully intentional. For centuries, knowledge was scarce. Information travelled slowly. Expertise took years to acquire. Today, all that knowledge is in your hands right now. Over the next decade, yes, we can expect artificial intelligence to become more capable, more autonomous and more integrated, but we can also work towards sharing a universal ethic, an ethic of social responsibility. Your future lies not in trying to imitate AI but in cultivating the qualities that machines cannot and do not possess.”

During the course of the afternoon, the Chief Guest, Professor (Dr) Tarun Khanna, Jorge Paulo Lemann Professor, Harvard Business School, Harvard University, USA, said in his Convocation Address, “Good knowledge knows no boundaries. The principles remain the same: an enduring curiosity is what leads you forward. You must learn to understand and embrace failure. Follow your curiosity wherever it takes you, accept that failure will come nine times out of ten, even 99 times out of a 100, and each time, pick yourself up, learn from the experience, and keep moving forward. You are about to embark on the next stage of your lives and careers, thinking about how you will grow and succeed. Let me tell you this: life is unlikely to unfold according to your plan. Instead, it follows a greater design whose wisdom is often beyond our understanding. The best advice I can offer is to embrace that journey, travel through it with an open mind and learn from every experience along the way.”

On the second day, Dr Abhishek M. Singhvi, Senior Advocate, Supreme Court of India & Member of Parliament (Rajya Sabha), was the Chief Guest and said, “Every convocation marks the completion of an academic journey, but the finest convocations remind us that they are, in truth, new beginnings. Each one of you has travelled a unique path defined by aspiration, sacrifice, perseverance, and achievement. Today, your accomplishments become part of the story of this institution, your profession, our nation and, indeed, humanity’s enduring pursuit of justice. Behind every graduate stands a story of encouragement, sacrifice, and unwavering faith. Long before success was certain, you invested your time, energy and hope. You celebrated achievements, overcame disappointments, and quietly carried burdens that often went unseen. Knowledge alone will never be enough. Knowledge tells us what is possible; wisdom reminds us what is desirable. Skills enable us to earn a livelihood, but values determine whether that livelihood serves society. Universities can impart knowledge, but character is shaped collectively by the environment, experiences, and people who influence us. Curiosity is the engine of progress and humility is its compass. That is why universities occupy such an important place in every civilization. The true measure of a university lies in the questions it encourages, the ideas it nurtures, and the confidence with which it prepares its students to engage with a rapidly changing world. For this, I congratulate Naveen Jindal for his vision in establishing JGU as a tribute to the memory of his father, O.P. Jindal, whose unwavering commitment to education continues to inspire generations.”

Professor (Dr) C. Raj Kumar, the Founding Vice Chancellor of JGU, said in his address at the Convocation, “This year, JGU marks 17 years of its establishment. Our journey began with the vision to bring world-class education to India. What started in 2009 as an idea with a single school has evolved into a 12-school multidisciplinary institution; an institution that brings faculty from 51 countries of the world, students from 160+ countries, and has collaborated with 600+ leading institutions from 80+ countries to bring international experiences to the Indian higher education system. As we have grown stronger with over 16,000 students, we have also ensured a consistent expansion of our academic community to bring quality education to our students. Our institution-building activities contribute to addressing broader national challenges. In doing this, the principles of academic freedom and the pursuit of institutional excellence have underpinned our efforts.”

Professor Dabiru Sridhar Patnaik, Registrar of O.P. Jindal Global University, proposed the vote of thanks. Professor (Dr) Upasana Mahanta, Dean, Admissions and Outreach, introduced the Chief Guests and the Guests of Honour.

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