NEW DELHI — Education has the profound power to transcend borders, build lasting relationships, and bring nations closer together through shared understanding. This foundational philosophy took center stage on October 9, 2026, as Dr. Vidya Yeravdekar, Chancellor of Symbiosis International (Deemed University), delivered a keynote address at the university’s prestigious annual diplomatic dinner in New Delhi. The high-profile gathering brought together an influential audience of ambassadors, foreign diplomats, and key international education stakeholders to reflect on the institution’s remarkable five-decade journey in cross-cultural higher education.
Welcoming the distinguished guests to the capital, Dr. Yeravdekar offered a comprehensive retrospective on the visionary ideals that led to the establishment of Symbiosis in 1971. Long before "internationalisation" became a dominant strategic priority for modern higher education institutions worldwide, the university was conceived out of a fundamental need to support and integrate international students arriving in India for their studies.
The institution was originally founded by Prof. (Dr) S.B. Mujumdar, who at the time was a dedicated teacher at Fergusson College in Pune. Recognizing the distinct challenges and social isolation often faced by foreign students navigating an unfamiliar academic and cultural landscape in India, Professor Mujumdar envisioned a welcoming community. His core concept was to build an inclusive environment where young scholars from diverse countries could study, live, and learn side by side, ultimately returning to their home nations with deeply positive memories of India and its people.
As Dr. Yeravdekar elaborated during her address, these international scholars were always envisioned as "unofficial ambassadors." Through their personal experiences, daily interactions, and lasting friendships forged on campus, these students would naturally strengthen bilateral and multilateral relationships between India and their respective countries.
This enduring founding philosophy continues to serve as the moral and operational compass for the university today. The very name "Symbiosis" was deliberately chosen to reflect a mutually beneficial, harmonious relationship between different living entities. Furthermore, the university’s guiding motto—Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, which translates from Sanskrit to mean "the world is one family"—encapsulates its overarching commitment to fostering global harmony, inclusivity, and cross-cultural understanding.
"Students should carry good memories, not just of the education that they went through, but also of the country they studied in," Dr. Yeravdekar emphasized during the evening, underscoring the vital importance of prioritizing meaningful cultural exchange alongside rigorous academic learning.
From an Indian Institution to a Thriving Global Community
Over the course of the past five decades, Symbiosis has transformed dramatically from its modest origins into a sprawling, multidisciplinary university network. Today, the institution operates comprehensive campuses spread across six major Indian cities, alongside a strategically positioned international campus located in Dubai. The university proudly welcomes student cohorts hailing from more than 85 distinct countries, creating a vibrant, multicultural ecosystem where young people from vastly different socioeconomic and geographic backgrounds can regularly interact, collaborate, and learn directly from one another.
During her remarks, Dr. Yeravdekar drew specific attention to the city of Pune, where the university first took root, describing it as a powerhouse industrial, technological, and educational hub. Pune’s thriving manufacturing sector, advanced services industry, and rapidly expanding start-up ecosystem provide international students with invaluable opportunities to experience contemporary India far beyond the traditional confines of the classroom. These real-world engagements frequently materialize through structured short-term academic programmes, professional workshops, and hands-on corporate internships.
The university’s international expansion reached a major historical milestone with the official launch of its state-of-the-art Dubai campus in 2024. Providing context on the strategic rationale behind selecting Dubai as the site for the university’s first major international venture, Dr. Yeravdekar described the city as a dynamic global gateway and a natural convergence point for individuals from a vast multitude of nationalities and cultural traditions.
Addressing the diplomats gathered in New Delhi, she expressed deep satisfaction with the rapid early progress of the Dubai campus. She noted that the overseas location has already succeeded in attracting students from several countries across the region, thereby extending the institutional reach and academic reputation of Symbiosis onto the global stage.
Dr. Yeravdekar also took a moment to formally acknowledge the invaluable contributions made by the diplomatic missions represented in the room, praising their ongoing support in facilitating educational mobility and cross-border exchanges.
"The success that Symbiosis has achieved today is possible because of the blessings and support of each one of you," she stated, directing her gratitude toward the ambassadors, high commissioners, and diplomatic representatives in attendance.
Expanding Horizons: Healthcare, Research, and Entrepreneurship
While international education and student mobility remain the beating heart of the Symbiosis identity, Dr. Yeravdekar used the platform to outline the institution’s rapidly broadening strategic priorities, with a particular emphasis on healthcare, specialized medical education, and emerging technologies.
She shed light on the university’s extensive footprint in medical and health sciences, which encompasses comprehensive training programmes in nursing, allied health sciences, and advanced medical technology. These specific academic offerings carry profound relevance for developing regions, particularly nations across Africa, South Asia, and Southeast Asia, where cultivating a highly skilled workforce of healthcare professionals remains a critical national priority.
The ongoing evolution of the university’s academic portfolio mirrors a broader institutional ambition to respond dynamically to changing societal demands while simultaneously contributing to human capacity-building across developing economies.
In addition to healthcare, Dr. Yeravdekar pointed toward an escalating institutional focus on fostering entrepreneurship and driving cutting-edge research. Powered by an active campus incubation ecosystem that currently provides mentorship and resources to more than 80 start-ups, the university is actively encouraging its student body to look beyond conventional employment pathways and instead conceptualize, test, and launch innovative commercial ventures. She noted with pride that international students have frequently partnered with their Indian peers to co-found successful start-ups within this supportive incubation framework.
Describing this significant paradigm shift, she explained that the institution is steadily transitioning from being primarily an employment-oriented university toward a modern, entrepreneurship-led model, while concurrently elevating its commitment to high-impact academic research.
For Symbiosis, this evolutionary path represents a concerted effort to equip young leaders with the practical skills, self-confidence, and sophisticated international outlook required to navigate and succeed in a rapidly shifting, interconnected global landscape.
Throughout her engaging address, Dr. Yeravdekar consistently returned to the fundamental premise that the university’s overarching achievements must be evaluated through the lens of its original founding purpose. For the leadership and faculty at Symbiosis, international education is never treated as a mere administrative metric of recruiting overseas students; rather, it is viewed as a vital mission to curate an immersive environment where cultural differences are transformed into unique opportunities for profound learning and mutual respect.
She also spoke warmly of the university’s expansive global alumni network, whose members have steadily advanced into influential professional roles across diverse industrial sectors, governmental bodies, and international organizations spanning the globe. Their ongoing professional and personal achievements, she suggested, stand as the ultimate source of institutional satisfaction because they vividly reflect the lasting, transformative impact of an educational journey that reaches far beyond the acquisition of academic qualifications.
Concluding her remarks at the annual gathering, Dr. Yeravdekar extended a warm invitation to all the diplomats and international representatives who had not yet visited the university, urging them to experience the vibrant campuses in Pune and witness the unique multicultural environment firsthand.
