A Unique and Innovative Convocation with Actual Participation of Graduates by On-line During the Pandemic

During the pandemic it was a challenge to hold the convocation. World over universities have resorted to different ways of doing it including animated candidates in the name of virtual or mixed reality, playing a pre-recorded picture of a candidate, robotic devices with the picture of a candidate, only list of candidates appearing on a screen etc., but possibly never with the actual participation of a remotely located candidate.

At IIT Bhubaneswar, Prof Raja Kumar has personally created the concept of a remote candidate actually participating live in the degree receiving act, but by online, implemented the same and applied the process to hold the 9th and 10th convocations of IIT Bhubaneswar very flawlessly and successfully. A 4-stage pipelined video sessions with the remotely located student was created and sessions were made to span across all the remotely located candidates using video mixers and switches. Online scheduling of the sessions were manually done and moved over the entire set of candidates. The chief guest too participated by video conferencing, while the director,, and senators etc., participated in reality following the protocols and distance norms.

Though this method was primarily done for pandemic time, the same can be used for normal convocations too to award degrees to a remote graduating candidate. Except for a student not receiving his/her degree on hand, the participation is real, the degree reception gesture is real, ne can including the self can see the picture, the audience can see and it is available for recording or webcasting. The convocation robes too were sent to the students by couriers and they could actually participate with the robes on. Perhaps, this type of convocation with the actual participation by degree recipients is unique across the world.

IIT Bhubaneswar holds its 9th convocation with live participation of graduates by On-line During the Pandemic
IIT Bhubaneswar holds its 9th Convocation by in person mode, on-line during the pandemic