The 10th convocation of St. Philomena’s College in the city was held on Thursday, August 29, and 611 students who completed their respective courses were eligible to receive their degrees in various streams.
While 409 students completed their graduation, 202 students completed their postgraduation and took part in the convocation. Of these, 48 graduates were honoured with gold medals for their outstanding performance.
Prof. N.K. Lokanath, Vice-Chancellor, University of Mysore, in his address, said that the New Education Policy (NEP-2020) intends to rely heavily on transforming the teaching-learning process with the help of artificial intelligence and machines.
In this context, he said the age of AI and Machine Learning has already dawned and though some were using it, AI and ML were not accessible to a vast majority. The gap between those who have access to AI and those who do not, is glaring.
Prof. Lokanath said AI is fast unfolding to rival humans and poses a serious challenge and the question is whether it could replace humans in most sectors of the economy including education.
The Vice-Chancellor also said that education was increasingly being controlled by the market and therefore it was compelling authorities to cut corners even on such critical components as teachers and teaching-learning resources.
He also lauded the standards set by St. Philomena’s College in the field of education and said that it was a benchmark for other peer institutions to emulate.
F.B. Febin, Business Head of College Connect at L&T Edu Tech, Chennai, was the chief guest and said that education does not end with completing the college courses but is a life-long learning process. She said this mattered as what one learns in the present times may not be applicable in future.
She urged the students to pursue their passion and get completely involved in the area of their interest for their long-term benefit. Referring to the advent of AI and ML to point out that notwithstanding the proliferation of technology, individuals could still be a strong driving force if they were strong in their fundamentals.
Dr. Bernard Moras, Apostolic Administrator of Diocese of Mysuru, Alfred John Mendonca, Vicar General, Dr.Lourdu Prasad Joseph, Rector of St. Philomena’s Educational Institutions, Dr. Ravi J.D. Saldanha, Principal, St.Philomena’s College and others were present.
