Follow your heart and interests to achieve your goals, said Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) director Vinay K. Nandicoori while addressing the 13th convocation of GITAM as chief guest on Saturday.
Sharing that his father was very upset over his decision of opting for B.Sc. in chemistry instead of engineering, Mr Nandicoori said, “Looking back, I feel that was the best decision. I followed my heart and my interest, not what my family wanted. I did pretty well in the IIT-Bombay entrance exam and was among the top performers. Serendipity, more than interest, took me to M.Sc in biotechnology. However, when I got it, I was distraught. The last time I studied biology was in class 10, and that too in Telugu medium. Besides, for the first time, I had to speak in English. Both transitions put together were a bit tough. As I stated, staying the course and putting in hard work pays off. Looking back, you realise how something that happens by chance changes our lives,” he added.
He then went on to discuss how he went to IISc for Ph.D and met Prof Varshney, who continues to be his mentor till date. “Mentors you choose play a vital role in shaping your Ph.D. journey. The major difference is that there is no exam at the end of six months to assess how much you have learned. More importantly, there is no competition; it is all about your determination, hard work, and ambition. We as people tend to think that success is due to our efforts, and we attribute failures to somebody else’s fault. Own your failures; learn from them, and show resilience,” he explained.
The degree of D.Litt was presented to child rights activist Shantha Sinha and Telugu novelist Ampashayya Naveen. GITAM Chancellor Veerender Singh Chauhan and president M. Sri Bharat were present.
