University of Madras launches year-long celebration marking its 170th anniversary

The University of Madras has launched "UoM: Legacy 170", a year-long celebration series that began as the institution entered its 170th year on September 5. The date coincides with Teachers' Day in India, which marks the birthday of former President Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, himself an alumnus of the university.

A core committee of about 25 members, comprising faculty, non-teaching staff, and student leaders from the five campuses, has been established to plan the activities. The authorities have designed the initiative to unfold through monthly events, with September's calendar featuring five distinct programmes.

Month-long events to showcase academic and sports achievements

The September lineup includes UoM: Acumen 170, an e-poster competition showcasing academic milestones. UoM, Triumph 170 will feature cricket and badminton competitions highlighting the university's sports milestones. UoM: Mosaic 170 will present events featuring dance, music, fine arts, and literature for students.

UoM, Thirai 170 has been planned to create reels and short videos on the legacy and various achievements of the university and distribute them on social media. UoM: Awaken 170, a marathon promoting education for all, rounds out the month's schedule.

These events will continue for the whole month and culminate in a larger event involving alumni members as well. "Our alumni network is a bit poor, and we'll have to pick it up," says Rita John, Registrar. "Such activities make the campus vibrant and will surely attract more people," she adds.

Archives to reveal historic milestones

For the remainder of the year, the committee is working on the schedule of events. "We intend to have events every month, leading up to a gala event next year," John says.

"The university has a rich history and legacy which the new generation students may not be aware of. In the course of the year, we'll dig into the university archives and pull out interesting documents depicting milestone decisions and put them up at an exhibition," she maintains.

To meet the expenses for the year-long series of events, the university plans to tap into sponsorships and appeal to the alumni as well.

Source: The Hindu