NEW DELHI — Education possesses a profound, transformative power that extends far beyond the traditional confines of classrooms and lecture halls; it has the unique capacity to transcend geopolitical borders, forge enduring human relationships, and draw nations closer together through shared understanding. This foundational philosophy took center stage on October 9, 2026, as distinguished academics, ambassadors, foreign diplomats, and key institutional stakeholders gathered in the national capital for the annual diplomatic dinner hosted by Symbiosis International (Deemed University).
Addressing the high-profile gathering of international delegates, Dr. Vidya Yeravdekar, Chancellor of Symbiosis International, delivered a compelling keynote address that reflected upon the institution’s remarkable five-decade journey in international education. She underscored the university’s steadily growing global footprint and its unwavering, long-standing commitment to fostering deep cross-cultural understanding in an increasingly interconnected and complex world.
Welcoming the diplomats and dignitaries to the prestigious annual event, Dr. Yeravdekar invited the audience to look back at the visionary roots that led to the establishment of Symbiosis in Pune way back in 1971—an era long before internationalization became a prominent buzzword or a central strategic theme in modern higher education. The institution was originally founded by Prof. (Dr) S.B. Mujumdar, who was working at the time as a dedicated teacher at Fergusson College in Pune. Observing the numerous international students arriving in India for their higher studies, Professor Mujumdar recognized a pressing and unmet need to support these young scholars, who often arrived in a completely unfamiliar country without a support network.
His pioneering vision was straightforward yet profoundly impactful: to create an inclusive, nurturing environment where students hailing from diverse countries, cultures, and socioeconomic backgrounds could study, live, and learn together harmoniously. The overarching goal was to ensure these international scholars would carry deeply positive, enriching memories of India back to their respective home countries upon the completion of their academic pursuits.
As Dr. Yeravdekar vividly explained during her address, these international students were envisioned from the very beginning as "unofficial ambassadors" of goodwill. Through their firsthand personal experiences, daily interactions, and academic connections built on Indian soil, they would naturally strengthen bilateral and multilateral relationships between India and their home nations over the course of their professional lives.
This noble founding philosophy continues to serve as the beating heart and guiding compass for the university today. Even the institution’s carefully chosen name—Symbiosis—reflects a mutually beneficial, harmonious relationship between different biological organisms, symbolizing how diverse cultures can coexist and thrive together. Furthermore, its guiding Sanskrit motto, Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, which translates to "the world is one family," captures the university’s overarching commitment to universal brotherhood and international 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 her address, powerfully underscoring the critical importance of cultural exchange running parallel to rigorous academic learning.
From an Indian Institution to a Flourishing Global Community
Over the course of the past five decades, Symbiosis has undergone a monumental transformation, evolving steadily from a modest local initiative into a sprawling, multidisciplinary university with well-established campuses spanning across six major Indian cities, alongside a dynamic international campus situated in the heart of Dubai. Today, the university proudly welcomes a vibrant student body hailing from more than 85 distinct countries around the globe, creating extraordinary opportunities for young minds from wildly diverse backgrounds to interact, collaborate, and learn directly from one another on a daily basis.
During her remarks, Dr. Yeravdekar took the opportunity to highlight the unique strategic advantages of Pune, the historic city where the university originated and maintains its primary roots. Renowned widely as a premier educational, cultural, and industrial hub within India, Pune offers an exceptionally fertile ground for holistic student development. The city’s thriving manufacturing sector, robust services industry, and rapidly expanding, high-energy start-up ecosystem provide international students with invaluable opportunities to experience the breadth and depth of modern India far beyond the traditional boundaries of the classroom. These experiential learning avenues include immersive short-term academic programs, cultural workshops, and practical professional internships that prepare students for real-world global challenges.
The university’s ambitious international expansion strategy reached a historic, highly significant milestone with the official establishment of its state-of-the-art Dubai campus in 2024. Explaining the strategic rationale behind selecting Dubai as the destination for its first major overseas campus, Dr. Yeravdekar described the emirate as a premier global gateway and a vital international meeting point where people from countless diverse nationalities, cultures, and professional backgrounds converge.
Expressing deep satisfaction with the rapid progress and early performance of the Dubai campus, she noted that the institution is already successfully attracting students from a wide array of countries across the Middle East and beyond, thereby significantly extending Symbiosis’s international reach, academic reputation, and collaborative potential.
Addressing the assembled members of the diplomatic corps directly, Dr. Yeravdekar acknowledged and deeply appreciated their invaluable contributions to the institution’s long and arduous journey. She specifically credited the continuous support played by various foreign diplomatic missions, embassies, and high commissions in encouraging educational exchanges, facilitating student mobility, and strengthening academic ties between India and the global community.
"The success that Symbiosis has achieved today is possible because of the blessings and support of each one of you," she stated warmly, expressing her profound gratitude to the ambassadors, high commissioners, cultural attachés, and their respective representatives who have stood by the institution over the years.
Expanding Horizons: Healthcare, Research, and Entrepreneurship
While delivering quality international education remains the undisputed core of Symbiosis’s identity and mission, Dr. Yeravdekar also used the platform to outline the institution’s rapidly expanding academic priorities and strategic focus areas. She drew special attention to the university’s recent, robust advancements in the fields of healthcare, advanced medical education, and cutting-edge technology.
She highlighted the university’s comprehensive, multidisciplinary work in medical and health sciences, which includes specialized programs in nursing, allied health sciences, and specialized medical technology. These particular educational tracks are considered especially vital and relevant for international students originating from developing regions such as Africa, South Asia, and Southeast Asia, where building robust public health infrastructure and training skilled healthcare professionals remains an urgent national and regional priority.
The university’s continually evolving academic portfolio reflects a broader, highly ambitious institutional goal: to respond proactively to the rapidly changing needs of modern society while simultaneously contributing meaningfully to national and international capacity-building across borders.
In addition to healthcare, Dr. Yeravdekar pointed toward the university’s heavily increasing emphasis on fostering a culture of entrepreneurship and scientific research. Supported by a robust, dedicated incubation ecosystem that currently nurtures and accelerates more than 80 innovative start-ups, the university is actively encouraging its students to look far beyond conventional employment pathways. Instead, students are empowered to conceptualize, develop, and launch their own innovative business ventures. She proudly noted that international students have frequently collaborated hand-in-hand with their Indian peers to conceptualize and establish successful entrepreneurial start-ups within the university’s incubation centers.
Describing this notable strategic transition within the institution, she explained that Symbiosis is actively shifting from being primarily an employment-oriented university toward a dynamic, entrepreneurship-led model, while simultaneously strengthening its institutional focus on high-impact research and development.
For Symbiosis, this steady evolutionary process represents a concerted effort to equip young people with the essential modern skills, unwavering self-confidence, and a truly global outlook required to successfully navigate and lead in a rapidly changing, unpredictable world.
Education as a Bridge to Global Understanding
Throughout the course of her comprehensive address, Dr. Yeravdekar repeatedly returned to the fundamental premise that the true achievements and milestones of Symbiosis must always be understood within the proper context of its original founding purpose. For the leadership and faculty at Symbiosis, international education is never viewed merely as a commercial exercise in attracting overseas student enrollment; rather, it is approached as a sacred mission to create an inclusive environment where cultural differences and national boundaries are transformed into rich opportunities for mutual learning and deep-seated respect.
Furthermore, she spoke with immense pride about the institution’s extensive, highly successful global alumni network. Over the past five decades, thousands of graduates have progressed into prominent professional roles across diverse sectors, including corporate leadership, public administration, diplomacy, healthcare, research, and entrepreneurship in countries all over the world. Their impressive professional achievements and personal success stories, she suggested, remain a constant source of profound satisfaction for the university community because they visibly reflect the enduring, lifelong impact of an educational experience that reaches far beyond the acquisition of formal academic qualifications and degrees.
Concluding her keynote address at the glittering New Delhi event, Dr. Yeravdekar extended a warm, personal invitation to the foreign diplomats and dignitaries present who had not yet had the opportunity to visit the university. She urged them to experience the vibrant, multicultural campuses in Pune and Dubai firsthand, welcoming them to witness the unique spirit of international camaraderie that defines the everyday life of the Symbiosis community.
