The Delhi School of Communication hosted its Annual Convocation offline, after two years, for the Post Graduate Diploma Programme in Communication XXVI (PGDPC 26) on 30th April 2022 (Saturday) at Alliance Francaise, Lodhi Estate, New Delhi. The Chief Guest was Mr Nitin Mantri, Group CEO, Avian WE and the Guest of Honour was Ms Ritu Nakra, Senior Vice President, Wunderman Thompson. The Dean, Professor Ramola Kumar formally announced the completion of the course for the 26th batch of the institute. Best wishes were extended to the group, as they stepped into the workplace defining the‘new normal’.
DSC has continued the tradition of securing placements in premier Marketing, PR and Advertising agencies like Group M, Perfect Relations, Value 360, MSL, Wunderman Thompson, Razorpod, YAAP, ARM, Leo Burnett, KAPS, The Claridges, Hakuhodo, Tanishq, The Open Heart Project, Cheil, Sociowash, Edelman, Adlift, HyeOye, Kati Patang, ET Media Labs, PR Pandit amongst others.
Mr Nitin Mantri felt this generation “is a league apart, thanks to what they have endured and been exposed to”. He went on to explain how the older generation often doles out complaints, but “these traits that often come up as critiques are actually great assets” which would give them an advantage in the business of Public Relations & Communications.
The first critique was – “You live your life on your phones and laptops” but he emphasized how screen time negotiation is important and they are already “masters of sophisticated tech and gadgetry, they are Meta-workers”. The second critique was – “You are self-absorbed, outspoken and prioritize only yourself” to which he exclaimed – “I love that you guys are purpose-driven and not afraid to speak up and take charge to make things better” with concern for social, political and environmental issues. You are equipped with professional and personal ethics. And the last critique was –“You don’t value things because you have it easy. Our generation had to face tougher challenges”. He had one word in their defense – Pandemic. “Your generation has experienced what is undisputedly the most devastating global disasters of all time, at the peak of your youth. And the impact of this will continue to be felt for a long time to come – on your minds, your bodies, your work, and your lives.” This experience will give them “a special edge and they will emerge stronger, more resilient and infinitely more empathetic making them New Age leaders who will create business environments that put compassion above commerce and purpose, and people above profit”.
Motivating the students, Ms Ritu Nakra pointed out that we are in the business of storytelling, and elucidated – “Each of you will make an impact on the world of communication. Each of you will become a brand in yourself, with a strong following of your own. You will all become an ambitious army of influencers. Creating disruption with your fresh creativity”, and added – “Manage your brand well – both personal and professional. Be clear on your brand’s purpose and steer it with integrity and passion.Use your platform and your voice mindfully”.
Professor Ramola Kumar, Dean at DSC said, “These students have faced many diverse challenges during their 2 year program. But they heard us carefully, learnt – unlearnt – relearnt issues and thought processes. Performing outstandingly well and clearing all the hurdles with a deep sense of responsibility. My heartfelt congratulations to them….All the best!”
During the event, the students were awarded with certificates for the PGDPC XXVI programme, and it was time to bid them farewell. DSC’s PGDPC is a two-year course in which students are given a formal education and professional training in all fields of mass communication – Digital Marketing, Advertising, Public Relations, Film Marketing, Entertainment, Branding, Market Research, Data Analytics, Entrepreneurship and so on.
As the students’ academic journey at DSC came to an end, meritorious graduating students were honoured with various awards and medals, regarding their attainment of excellence.
The occasion also saw several other awards for subjects such as Public Relations, Cultural Studies, Advertising & Sales Promotion, Brand Architecture, to name a few.
The prestigious bronze medal went to Shiva Singh Mittal, the silver medal was awarded to Amisha Tewari, and the gold was bagged by Itika Juyal. The Surojit Lahiri Memorial award for Holistic Excellence went to Vaishnavi Agarwal. This year, a new DigiMaverick award was bagged by Bharath K Narayanan.
The occasion also saw Dean Prof. Ramola Kumar launch her 14th book – ‘Life’s Mystique’, which is a collection of poems. Her earlier books include – ‘Dream Words I’, ‘Dream Words II’, ‘Through the Woods’, ‘The Dawn’, ‘The Sacred Urn’, ‘Images’, ‘Chin Chin and the worm, and other short stories’ – to name a few. Sharing the experience of writing poems, Professor Ramola Kumar commented, “Poetry is evergreen and holds a special place in our hearts. It is the essence of life.”
