“Shaping Tomorrow’s Leaders for 21st Century Knowledge Era”

Mysore/Mysuru: Over 500 students are participating in the Fifth Edition of STUNA-2023, the day-long Students National Conference with the theme “Shaping Tomorrow’s Leaders for 21st Century Knowledge Era” organised by National Institute of Personnel Management (NIPM), Mysuru Chapter in association with the Department of Studies in Social Work, University of Mysore (UoM) at Senate Bhavan in Manasagangothri campus here this morning.

Swami Sri Veereshananda Saraswathi, President of Ramakrishna-Vivekananda Ashram, Tumakuru, inaugurated the event by lighting the lamp.

UoM Vice-Chancellor  Prof. N.K. Lokanath, who delivered presidential address, said in the dynamic landscape of 21st Century, the synergy between academia-industry is not merely advantageous but also imperative.

Pointing out that the Department of Social Work of the UoM is committed to bridge the gap between academia and industry, by aligning academic pursuits with the demands of the corporate world, Prof. Lokanath advocated 5 essential skills for shaping tomorrow’s leaders — 1. Critical Thinking and Problem Solving, 2. Communication Proficiency, 3. Adaptability and Resilience, 4. Technological Literacy and 5. Leadership and Emotional Intelligence.

Highlighting the need for navigating the uncharted waters of the 21st Century, the VC called upon the academia to commit themselves to the holistic development of students. The UoM, in collaboration with NIPM, calls upon all the concerned  to embark on this journey with the co-operation of UoM for shaping the leaders who will define the future, he said.

“Let the UoM and NIPM together make efforts for bridging the gap between the academia and the industry for equipping our students with the skills they need to thrive in the knowledge era,” he  added.

Dr. M.H. Raja, Hon. National President of NIPM, India, in his address, said that the First Edition of STUNA was held at Bengaluru which was a highly successful one. But subsequently, the event was held online due to COVID pandemic and today the Fifth Edition of the annual event is taking place in Mysuru, which is renowned for its cultural and historical significance.

Maintaining that the annual event has helped a lot of students in enhancing verbal and written communication skills, he stressed on the need for developing innovative solutions to complex challenges that come with the rapid advancements that is taking place in  Science and Technology. He lauded the efforts of the Department of Social Work of UoM for helping the students in aligning academic pursuits with the demands of the corporate world.

Prof. Y.S. Siddegowda, former Vice-Chancellor of Tumkur University and Past Chairman of NIPM, Mysuru, delivered the keynote address.

P.R. Basavaraju, Hon. National General Secretary, NIPM, India, C.V. Srinivasan, Chairman, NIPM, Mysuru Chapter, N. Devaraja, Hon. Secretary, NIPM, Mysuru, Dr. Chandramouli, Chairman, Department of Studies in Social Work, UoM and others were present. The day-long event features technical sessions.