December 23, 2010
School of Business, Coimbatore
 

How does it feel to return to your alma mater after a gap of nearly ten years?
 

“We feel happy, nostalgic and proud,” responded the alumni of the Amrita School of Business, who were on campus with their families, some having traveled from as far as Zurich and Dubai.
 

Dean Designate, Prof. G.K. Kalyanaram shared some exciting details about the B-School.
 

“We are applying for certification to the AACSB (Association to Advance Collegiate Schools),” he stated. “We hope to be accredited by them within the next few years. When that happens, we may be the first B-School in India to achieve that distinction.”
 

Dean Dr. Sanjay Banerjee, who spoke next, fondly recalled teaching this batch of students.
 

“An institution of higher education is judged by its alumni and their performance in the corporate world,” noted Registrar, Dr. Krishnamoorthy. “You have brought accolades to our institution by your hard work and achievements.”
 

Dr. Krishnamoorthy invited the assembled alumni to bring their industry experience to the current students, by visiting as guest faculty or by simply mentoring them.
 

Reminiscing about their days on campus, several of the invited alumni also spoke, warmly interacting with students of the current batches. Nearly ten years senior to these students, they spoke with authority about what works and what doesn’t on campus and in the world outside.
 

“Make sure you take full benefit of the extensive ASB library,” they emphasized. “Reading helps widen one’s intellectual horizons and systematizes the thought processes.”
 

Several alumni shared personal experiences. One mentioned that meeting tight deadlines and maintaining a disciplined daily schedule were some things that she learned during her MBA at Amrita, and that these have helped her immensely in the corporate world.
 

“Achieve your dreams, turn them into reality,” another told the students.
 

The guests were taken on a campus tour. Much had changed since they were studying on campus. Now there was a new swimming pool of Olympic standards and lush green gardens everywhere.
 

“It was a grand homecoming for our alumni,” stated the professors. “What surprised us was that they chanted the college prayers during the customary lighting of the lamp. Even after a decade they still remembered the Sanskrit shlokas.”
 

“May their lives light up the entire world; may their actions become an offering unto humanity.”