Create Your Own Future, Actor Ashish Vidyarthi Tells SOA Engineering Students

Bhubaneswar: “You have a life beyond academics, and what matters is what you do with what life throws at you,” Bollywood actor and motivational speaker Ashish Vidyarthi told a large gathering of students at Siksha ‘O’ Anusandhan Deemed to be University in Bhubaneswar.

Speaking at the inauguration of the sixth edition of ‘SOA Proxima’, the actor exhorted the students to create their own future. “Nothing from your syllabus will be needed in life. It does not matter where you come from, what matters is where you are headed,” Vidyarthi, who has acted in more than 350 films in 11 different languages, said.

The actor, who won his first national award for the 1994 Govind Nihalani film ‘Droh Kaal’, said that he had stepped out from an obscure place to fulfil his dreams.

Vidyarthi advised the students not to regret if people made fun of them, saying they should try to stay relevant and valuable. “You should remain humble enough to make the corrections,” he added.

Over 5000 students, faculty members and corporate leaders attended the two-day annual mega HR conclave organised by the Institute of Technical Education and Research (ITER) in association with Times Now on Friday. It aimed to bridge the gap between academia and industry and help foster new ideas and technology while spreading knowledge for the benefit of young minds. It also sought to connect campus talent with industry leaders while enabling the students to have a peep into the corporate world and understand its expectations.

The conclave began with a presidential address by Chairman of the SOA Advisory Board Damodar Acharya while Director, Corporate Relations and Industry Engagement, Ripti Ranjan Dash,  delivered the welcome address. Delivery Center Head of Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) in Bhubaneswar Bibhu Panda and Regional Head of Academic Alliances Group, India (East) at TCS and Souvik Das also spoke.

The event included keynote addresses by 24 top HR leaders, 12 engaging panel discussions, a project exhibition showcasing 35 innovative projects by SOA engineering students and networking sessions providing a platform for delegates to connect and share experiences. The conclave focused on present industry expectations, desired skill sets beyond the curriculum and bridging the gap between academia and industry.

As many as 117 HR, talent acquisition and early career recruitment leaders representing 100 IT and core industries from across India participated in the event which concluded with a stand-up comedy show by Vipul Goyal and cultural performances by SOA students.