The days of convocation are always presented as milestones in the lives of students, as if it is the culmination of the years that the students have spent studying, their sacrifices, and dreams. However, for teachers, the significance of these events is much deeper and quieter. It is the point at which teaching becomes trust, the trust in the students stepping out of the gates of campus is ready to face a world that is much less forgiving than the classroom.
This sense of transition is most visible when large cohorts of students move on at once. As graduates celebrate achievement, educators are left with reflection: on responsibility, resilience and whether learning has truly prepared young minds for uncertainty beyond syllabi and examinations.
Also Read | GATE 2026 answer key expected to be released soon: Check key details here
A recent convocation ceremony held in Kolkata was attended by senior academic leaders, judges, researchers, and industry representatives. Yet the strongest voices of the day came not from the dais alone, but also from educators speaking about what it truly means to prepare young people for life beyond textbooks.
"The real test begins after the degree"
For Taranjit Singh, Managing Director of the JIS Group and Chancellor of JIS University, convocation is less about ceremonial pride and more about focus.
Talking to News Ei Samay, Singh advised all the young professionals entering the real world with a timeless metaphor.
"Stay completely focused on your goal and think like Arjun," he said, referring to the single-minded concentration of the Mahabharata’s legendary archer.
Deans from the 6th Annual Convocation of JIS University.
Pride, gratitude and the burden of mentorship
That sense of responsibility was echoed by Simarpreet Singh, Director, JIS Group, who described convocation as an emotional moment for mentors.
"When we see students graduating, we feel happy, grateful and proud," he said. "They have worked hard through their graduation and post-graduation years. From today onwards, whatever they achieve in life, we feel proud as mentors."
For him, the relationship does not end with the degree. The success or failure of alumni, he suggested, remains intertwined with the institution that shaped them and with the country they represent.
Also Read | Jamia Millia Islamia opens 2026-27 admissions, launches 30 new programmes
His advice to graduates was practical and that is be lifelong learners, respect everyone, build teams, focus on work, and never let ambition override dignity.
JIS University 6th Annual Convocation inaugural song performance.
Education ends, challenges begin
Another reflective voice came from Dr. Bhaskar Gupta, Vice-Chancellor of JIS University, who has spent decades in academia. For him, every convocation is a reminder that universities can only prepare students so far.
"When I see a fresh graduate, the first thought is: here is a person ready to take on the world," Gupta said. "But how they tackle challenges cannot be trained by the university alone."
He spoke candidly about the difference between the protected environment of a campus and the unpredictability of real life. Challenges, he noted, do not arrive once but they will arrive daily, across an entire lifetime.
"The question is whether you see them as something to overcome or something that crushes you," he said. "That depends on attitude."
Gupta identified shaping character not just careers but as the greatest challenge of an educator. Imparting positivity and resilience, he said, mattered as much as academic instruction. Calling that transformation "the true success," he described it as the quiet victory most teachers strive for.
Also Read | UGC releases list of 32 fake universities in India, Delhi tops with 12 cases
For teachers, a convocation is not a conclusion but a quiet transfer of trust. It is the moment when guidance gives way to independence, and classrooms release students into a world that demands judgment as much as skill. What remains is a shared responsibility — to ensure that learning has equipped graduates not only to find work, but to think clearly, act ethically and navigate uncertainty with confidence.
