Alumni Talks
We are pleased to feature our two alumnae in this section. While Ms Minal Rohit Sampat is a graduate from the first batch of Electronics & Communications Engineering, Institute of Technology, Ms Ananya Gupta is a graduate from the first batch of Industrial Design, Institute of Design, Nirma University.
Ms Minal Rohit Sampat
Institute of Technology (Class of 1999)
Scientist at Space Applications Centre
ISRO, Ahmedabad
Experience: What does it say? It is a reflection showing how we travelled a path not known before the commencement of this journey and during the journey what we do with all the learnings we gathered enroute. Here I write about my experiences and my learnings during my graduation programme at the Institute of Technology, Nirma University.
But, before I start with describing my journey, it would be worth mentioning that no matter how each one’s experience is in his/her journey it depends on what we gathered for ourselves in that journey; it could be memories, friends-for-life, some eye-opening findings about why you are on this path, and for some it could also be a journey that was just about reaching the destination but no other concrete end-goal other than reaching the final destination. No two persons would have the same experience even if they started at the same time, travelled the same route and reached the same destination.
It is very easy, I think, when you have to describe your experiences of graduating from an Engineering college that is well-established, has its brand-name known, has a whole lot of seniors who graduated and got settled in big companies and proudly sharing the do?s and don?ts on how to make it to Infosys, Wipro, Google, Facebook, Qualcomm, Accenture, Robert-Bosch, and many more. But here, we were the first batch of an Engineering college unknown to the world, a college that was yet to get its college building, a place where probably we were to become seniors for others but we didn?t have anyone to look at as seniors. It was an experience of starting up your own.
My journey at Nirma Institute of Technology, Ahmedabad (now renamed as Institute of Technology, Nirma University) was indeed the way I described above. I remember the first day of the inauguration of Nirma Institute at Thaltej in Bhavin Vidya Mandir school campus. It was a mixed feeling exactly opposite or if I may say completely 360 degree apart the way bollywood movies depict colleges. We were just getting the feeling of being back to school with strict management making it all feel like a boarding school where we had to do things a certain way. But, they say discipline is good as it inculcates a process and purpose. As the first batch; we got all the attention from professors, lecturers and management. We both, as students and as College both had to establish ourselves. So it was all the more important to keep an eagle?s eye on everything that we do towards becoming successful. It wouldn?t be wrong to say that we and the massive college wings/buildings that we see as today?s NIRMA University both grew up at the same time. We had good professors and young lecturers as a mix trying to do their best to equip us for our future. A lot of attention was being given to getting us equipped with practical knowledge although a large part of studies still revolved around books with pages that seemed never ending. It all looked and weighed like bricks. Neither opening up any page could offer glimpses of pictures but rather they would bombard all sorts of equations with the weirdest looking greek symbols explaining some math behind the logic.
The first year subjects seemed all mixed, as we were wondering what Surveying the ground with dumpy levels and other instruments had got to do with our branch of Engineering in Electronics ?. Engineering Drawing was another such monster subject for me. We thought maybe the first year was a glimpse of all branches of engineering so one could make a choice from the 2nd year. However, one part that all of us were in agreement with is the maths subject. Both the professor and subject seemed interesting, especially the way it was taught. The class of ?Surveying? as a subject seemed like a FUN PT-class as our lecturer would take us out in the field and teach us various surveying methods using different survey instruments. That was fun. Another really interesting subject was practical machining jobs where each one of us had to prepare a carpentry or iron smithing job. I think the first year seemed just fun.
Dr A P J Abdul Kalam while addressing the audience in one of his speech said, ?Look at the sky. We are not alone. The whole universe is friendly to us and conspires only to those who dream and work.?
I remember the day of the First Year Award ceremony of Nirma Institute of Technology. This was organised at the new campus which is currently known as Nirma University. We all went to the new campus in Nirma bus excited about the ceremony. During the ceremony the medals were awarded to the first year rankers from the college. Sitting on the chair, as one among the audience, I thought to myself, ?Where do I need to improve to be there on that stage and receive that Gold Medal?. That was the day I promised myself that I will not leave any stone unturned and I will give my best effort. With the guidance of my professors, help from my dear friends, moral support from my parents and self-motivation to achieve something, success was not behind. Since then, I have never looked back. I understood one thing that there is no shortcut in life and one must work hard and have clear goals in life to achieve success.
After completing my four years in college, when I was out in the market trying to be the best in the industry, I realised that success cannot be judged by Medals, Awards you win. Instead, you need clear goals, good mentors in your growth path who will tell you and inspire you to do your best and finally your determination and patience to be at it until you achieve it. According to me success is how your life inspires others, how your efforts are getting transferred to improve the common man?s life, how you bring happiness in others life.
My college has given me dreams and also showed me how to achieve my dreams.
Finally I would like to conclude with the famous saying, ?When there is a will, there is a Way?.
In Bhagavad Geeta, it is said:
“Karmanye Vadhika raste
Ma Phaleshu Kadachana,
Ma Karma Phal Hetur Bhurma Tey
Sangostva-karmani”
This means: Do your duty with full faith and devotion and be totally detached from its outcome. Don?t work merely to reap the fruits and never let the result overshadow your karma.
In the end, I would like to express my heartiest gratitude to Nirma Institute of Technology for giving me such a wonderful opportunity to share my experiences and thoughts.
Ms Ananya Gupta
Institute of Design (Class of 2021)
UX Researcher in Cars24
Four years ago, in this very hall, we were welcomed to this place by these very people and today, we are here, standing before them, I draped in a saree, expressing our gratitude. This feeling, it is so surreal, it feels whole and complete.
I don’t know how well I would be able to present my gratitude in a 3.5 minute note, but I’ll try?.
I have a colleague who recently asked me, (and this actually happened by the way) what else/apart did you do in design college, that one couldn?t through any online design courses ..listening to this I paused and wondered ?this fellow my friend, who clearly didn’t have the fortune of attending a design school – how to explain our four years in 2 lines.
So I asked myself what is our definition of a design school ?
Here we go?
It is a Place where misfits believe they belong together/somewhere
It is a place where You can never-ever get a straight feedback from your faculties
It is, Asking your friends to finish your work because you are “supposedly” ill
It is also a place where we drank approximately 29,203 cups of chai over charchas and long conversations with our friends and faculties.
What really makes a design school- is the environment, our friends, friends in the form of teachers, who gave us the freedom to think, the space for self-discovery, the eye to observe our surroundings, so much so that, to this day – that we often find ourselves staring at a machine and wonder ?ki yeh kaam kese karta h? .
It has penetrated in our blood so deep, that we can never ignore lack of signage?s everywhere we go, and wonder every freaking time we open a door, the relevance of handle, if ultimately we had to push it.
What we also learned – was to take criticism with an open heart, because this is inevitable in almost every phase of life and relationship, and the more openly we accept, the better we are able to think for the next steps.
Sanjeev sir once said, Never Ask for permission always ask for forgiveness , and after that I stopped asking my parents for permission to go out with friends , sadly it isn?t true, but this thought pushes to never limit ourselves from exploring.
During these years, time wasn?t very sparkly for us. We all had our fair shares of ups and down, we?ve all at some point hit rock bottom. Remember those nights, talking to each other “yr yeh kya kar rahe h ham life k saath” ? And then reaching out to one of the faculties the next day in C block, after lunch, trying to figure it out.
But the most important fact is that we came up, they guided us – we all are floating somewhere somehow. Because We all accepted a challenge, worked hard enough, strove through and came across.
To answer to my friend – here, We became better learners, because Hamne yeh seekha ki seekhte kese h. We have that will to always, accept whatever life throws at us and thrive beyond that. We all are still figuring, but we became capable individuals, capable enough to realise that this is a journey towards growth and improvement.
Prof Amit Gulati, once said- If you are not being an asset to this world, to this society, then you are just a structure giving out CO2.
To this day, these words ring in my ears, and cultivate the fire to become better than yesterday, to not only exist, but become a helping element in this system. Today, we want to use design to solve problems of this world and we want to do good for our ecosystem.
Because of this we want to use this tool to become problem solvers of the world, become better individual , creators, helping element in this system, question the system by being a part of the system. Better contributors.
As Suresh Sir, correctly said – Striking a fire is important but preserving it, is the challenge.
And for this preservation we, Thank you for not defining us by a 9-6 pm job, otherwise where is that hustle for doing more. Thank you for not presenting us a Thali of answers and, giving us buffet of options, enough to engage us. And lastly, we would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to all our faculties, friends, acquaintances and even these walls for building this wonderful community and bringing us to this day, the next and more such to come.
Events and Activities
Friendly Cricket Match
The Institute of Commerce, Nirma University Alumni Association organised a Friendly Cricket Match between the alumni and the Current Batch of BCom (Hons) of Institute of Commerce on Dec 5, 2021 at Nirma University Sports Ground. The event began with alumni winning the toss and electing to bat first. The alumni team emerged as the winners.
Alumni Association Meet of Institute of Pharmacy
IPNUAA, the Alumni Association of Institute of Pharmacy organised an online alumni meet on Jan 29, 2022. A total of 111 alumni members across all batches attended the event. Prof Manjunath Ghate (President, IPNUAA) delivered the annual report of the Institute, and Dr Dhaivat Parikh (Vice President, IPNUAA) talked about various activities conducted by the Alumni Association. The Heads of Departments and faculty members shared their views for healthy alumni networking. Mr Vicky Takhtani (Manager, Corporate Relations) urged the alumni for support in various placement and training activities. Alumni members shared their experiences and views. Dr Nrupesh Patel (Secretary, IPNUAA) delivered the Vote of thanks.
Online Meeting of alumni of EC department
The Department of Electronics & Communication Engineering, Institute of Technology organised an online get-together of the EC alumni on Jan 1, 2022. Around 90 alumni and faculty members participated in the event. Dr Dhaval Pujara, HoD of the EC Department address the gathering and briefed about the various activities, including the alumni-sponsored lab started in the department. An open discussion was also held on how the alumni can contribute to the department to strengthen the relationship between alumni and the department.
Alumni On Campus