Teri University Confers Honorary Degrees on Eminent Luminaries

Online, February 6, 2014 (Newswire.com) - During the sixth convocation ceremony,a total of 10 doctoral degrees and 194 master's degrees were awarded.

New Delhi: 5th February 2014:TERI University organized its sixth convocation,during which honorary doctorates were conferred on Mr Anshu Jain, Co-CEO, Deutsche Bank; Dr. Yuan-Tseh Lee, Nobel Laureate and President, International Council for Science, Taiwan ; Mr. Hemendra Kothari, Chairman, DSP BlackRock Investment and Ms. Shabana Azmi, Actor and Social Worker.

Speaking at the occasion, Ambassador Hardeep Singh Puri, Former Indian Permanent Representative at the United Nations said "Universities can and must bring about transformational change in society by assuming the responsibility of building skills and generating knowledge for sustainable development. Equally, the organization paradigm of universities also needs to change if they are to deliver on education for sustainable development. It is difficult to bring meaningful inter-disciplinarity in the traditional modes of teaching and learning- all are on absolute imperative if we succeed on a difficult journey of sustainable development".

He added "Education for Sustainable Development is also about empowerment. In that sense, it should contribute to creating opportunitiesin the developing world for learnersto apply their skills and derive a sense of well-being out of it. In this context, the question of what education covers and how it is designed becomes equally important".

Accepting the honorary doctorate, Ms. Shabana Azmi, Actor and Social Worker, said
"I am overwhelmed by the stature of the past and present recipients of the TERIhonorary doctorate and am humbled to be included amongst such distinguished
leaders. I am cognisant of the fact that this honour places on me the responsibility of working harder in the field of social justice and I am very grateful for this opportunity".

She added, "We have to warn ourselves not to fall prey to the ubiquitous, unbridled market where 'want' is manufactured into becoming 'need' by messaging that is both direct and subliminal. We need to preempt the scarcity in supply of energy, water andfood that is likely to come our way as Dr Pachauri warns us' unless measures are taken in hand early. The contribution of TERI towards this goal cannot be overstated".

Dr Yuan-Tseh Lee, Nobel Laureate and President, International Council for Science, Taiwansaid "This doctorate will be very unique and special since it comes from a University which focuses on sustainable development and sustainable transformation, connecting knowledge to action and humanity to nature".
Mr. Anshu Jain, Co-CEO, Deutsche Bank, in his video message said "I am honoured to accept the Honorary Doctorate bestowed upon me by TERI University. TERI does vital work: deepening our understanding of energy usage, climate change and our natural environment. These subjects are close to my heart hence this award means a great deal to me. I congratulate my fellow recipients of honorary doctorates, and all those being awarded doctorates and masters degrees this year. I am encouraged to see so many well-qualified people in such an important area."

Mr. Hemendra Kothari, Chairman, DSP BlackRock Investment "This doctorate will go a long way to achieve my objective and encourage me to do better."

Dr. R.K.Pachauri, Chancellor, TERI University and Director General, TERI said "TERI University is perhaps the only institution of higher learning in the world which focuses solely on the theme of sustainable development. It is gratifying to see that not only in the disciplines in which students qualify is there an increasing in demand in the job market, but that the students who graduate from TERI University have in a short period of time acquitted themselves admirably in the professions which they have entered. Mr. Hardeep Singh Puri, former Permanent Representative of India to the United Nations in New York would be the Chief Guest in the Convocation of the University 2014. This would be a proud moment for the graduating students and an event which would inspire them with hope for the future and imbue them with a missionary zeal".

Dr. Leena Srivastava,Vice Chancellor, TERI University and Hony. Executive Director, TERI said "Knowledge acquisition and learning are life-long processes and cannot, should not, be treated as a completed journey -- the journey of continuous learning and the journey of creating exciting career paths will have to move along with other important journeys in life in an inter twined, indistinguishable manner".

Dr. Rajiv Seth, Dean (Admn) & Registrar, TERI University said "The TERI University is committed to academic excellence and an environment which would encourage personal and intellectual growth. The University encourages exchange of ideas, cultural understanding, a stress on values, and a wide range of knowledge that would result from international perspectives".

Until date, fifteen Honorary Doctorates have been awarded by the University. The names include: Mr Nandan Nilekani, CEO and MD, Infosys Technologies (2006), Mr Tejendra Khanna, Lt Governor, Delhi, Dr Sultan Al-Jaber, CEO Abu Dhabi Future Energy Co., Dr KK Yumkella, DG UNIDO (2010), Mr James A Michel, President of Seychelles, Mr Bharrat Jagdeo, Former President of Guyana, Mr Erik Solheim, Minister of Environment, Norway, Dr Elinor Ostrom, Nobel Laureate, and Ms Naina Lal Kidwai, Country Head, HSBC (2012). Mr Sam Pitroda, Adviser to the PM ( Public Information Infrastructure and Innovations), Prof Carlo Rubbia, Nobel Laureate, Mr BS Hooda, Chief Minister, Haryana, Mr Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser, President of the 66th session of the UN General Assembly, Mr Zhang Yue, Chairman of BROAD Group, and Mr Thomas Friedman, Journalist and columnist, New York Times (2013)

In keeping with its global outlook, the TERI University has academic collaborations with select foreign universities, which provide for joint research and curriculum development as well as faculty and student exchanges. Top performers in the masters programmes get an opportunity to carry out their major project abroad. The University attracts students from all over the country and a fair number of international students.

ABOUT TERI UNIVERSITY:
TERI University was set up in 1998 and was granted deemed-to-be-university status by the University Grants Commission in 1999. The university transcends the traditional teaching and its courses attract students from various fields like economics, geography, engineering that has allowed a concoction of various perspectives into the curriculum, which provides a holistic approach to their study. The University has partnered with several leading universities of USA, UK and Australia that has created a platform for an exchange of ideas, knowledge and research for both the faculty and students. Keeping the environmental challenges of the 21st century in mind, today the University offers 11 master's level programmes - 5 M Sc, 2 MA, 2 M Tech and 2 MBA besidesits prestigious doctoral programmes.
Accredited with an 'A' grade by the National Assessment and Accreditation Council of India (NAAC), the University has received accolades for incorporating new and innovative elements in education.For more information, please click: http://www.teriuniversity.ac.in/

For more information, please contact:

TERI
Zainab Naeem: 8800286575
Rajul Dube: 8447911797