Special Convocation Address at Symbiosis International University, Pune.
Symbiosis: Rising Together in a Deglobalising Fragmented World
Special Convocation Address at Symbiosis International University, Pune on 24 March 2026
Prof. S.B. Mujumdar, Hon’ble Chancelor of Symbiosis International University, Hon’ble Shri Sushilkumar Shinde-ji, veteran statesman and today’s honouree, Hon’ble Pro-Chancellor Dr. Vidya Yeravdekar, Hon’ble Vice Chancellor, Dr. Ramakrishnan Raman, distinguished faculty, proud families, and friends of symbiosis”
I want to begin by congratulating revered Sushil Kumar Shinde ji.
I always say that your beginnings don’t matter – where, to who and under what conditions you are born. Your future is in your own hands. Sir, you rose to be to Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Home Minister of India – became a stateman, who navigated some of the most complex moments in modern Indian democracy and all due to your own perseverance, passion, backed up by a great purpose.
Shinde Saheb — this D. Litt honours not just what you have achieved, but what you have modelled: that a life in public service, lived with integrity, is itself a form of scholarship. You have written your letters in the lives of the people of Maharashtra and of India.
Before I speak of the future that awaits you, it is only appropriate that we bow our heads in admiration to the visionary who made this moment possible – Dr. S.B. Mujumdar, our revered Dada as we call him. Nearly five decades ago, when the world was far less connected, far less global, and far less inclusive, he chose a word that was not merely a name, but a philosophy—Symbiosis.
In doing so, he gave institutional form to an ancient Indian civilizational ideal—Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam—the world is one family. What foresight it was! Long before globalization became a buzzword, before diversity became a policy, before inclusion became an aspiration, Dada had already imagined a world where cultures meet, minds merge, and humanity rises together. Today, as we stand in a deeply interconnected yet divided world, his vision shines not just as relevant—but as profoundly necessary.
Symbiosis has its origin is Greek — sym, meaning together, and bios, meaning life. To live together. Symbiosis International University did not choose this name casually. It chose it as a civilisational commitment. And I stand before you today believing, more deeply than ever, that this name is not merely a philosophy of education — it is the only viable philosophy for the world we are living in.
Consider what nature has to teach us — because nature has been running this experiment far longer than any government or institution. Nature never succeeded at isolationism. Every organism that tried it either adapted into a new symbiotic relationship — or vanished from the record entirely.
Look around our world today. Look at the trade wars, the fractured alliances, the retreat from multilateral institutions, the walls being constructed where bridges once stood. The world is, quite deliberately, sliding from mutualism toward parasitism. Every student of biology — and of history — knows where that trajectory leads.
My entire convocation is based on the deep meaning of Symbiosis, and what it means for our collective future.
Symbiosis is a simple word. But a profound philosophy.
Today, I will share with you not one—but five meanings of Symbiosis.
Five lenses through which you can shape your life, your leadership, and your legacy.
1. Symbiosis as Shared Becoming
Integration: “Two identities. One destiny.”
In a fragmented world, integration is no longer optional—it is essential.
Let me give you a powerful example:
India’s Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI)
- Aadhaar + UPI + CoWIN
- Government + technology + citizens
This is symbiosis at scale.
It has enabled:
- Financial inclusion for hundreds of millions
- Seamless digital transactions
- Real-time public service delivery
This is not technology alone.
This is:
Technology integrated with society.
And that is why it succeeds.
2. Symbiosis as Intelligent Interdependence
Integration + Geopolitics: “Independence of spirit. Interdependence of success.”
The Iran war has reminded us of one hard truth:
No nation is truly self-sufficient.
Energy, supply chains, data, semiconductors—
everything is interconnected.
When oil routes are disrupted, entire economies feel that shock.
Even AI—our most advanced technology—depends on:
- Energy
- Global chips
- Cross-border collaboration
So the lesson is clear:
Strategic autonomy must coexist with global interdependence.
The future belongs to nations that master collaborative sovereignty – a symbiosis in a different from.
” Compete to excel. Collaborate to scale.”
The old world was about competition.
The new world demands:
- Collaboration among competitors.
- Open innovation ecosystems.
- Shared platforms.
Symbiosis means:
Winning together – not alone.
3. Symbiosis as Fusion of Diverse Disciplines
“Not specialization alone—but synthesis beyond silos.”
For centuries, knowledge has been divided:
- Science vs Humanities
- Technology vs Society
- Economics vs Environment.
But the problems of today do not respect these boundaries.
Climate change is not just science.
It is economics, policy, behaviour, and ethics.
AI is not just technology.
It is philosophy, law, psychology, and governance.
Symbiosis means:
Creating thinkers who are not narrow experts—
but wide integrators.
4. Symbiosis as Connecting the Seemingly Unconnected
“Where dots that never met—create destinies together.”
The greatest breakthroughs do not come from linear thinking.
They come from unexpected connections.
- Biology meets engineering → Bio-inspired materials
- AI meets healthcare → Predictive diagnostics
- Agriculture meets satellites → Precision farming
Symbiosis is the courage to ask:
What if two worlds that never spoke—begin to collaborate?
Because innovation does not happen in silos.
It happens at intersections.
5. Symbiosis as Bridging Modern Science and Ancient Wisdom
“Future technologies, rooted in timeless truths.”
India has a unique strength.
We are not a young civilization.
We are an ancient civilization with a young nation.
Our past offers:
- Ayurveda → holistic health
- Yoga → mind-body integration
- Traditional knowledge → sustainability
Modern science offers:
- AI
- Biotechnology
- Advanced materials
Symbiosis is when: Ancient wisdom informs modern science—
and modern science validates ancient wisdom.
This is not nostalgia.
This is next-generation wave of symbiosis.
Symbiosis NextGen Leadership
“No boundaries in thinking. No limits in imagination.”
In a world divided by borders, the greatest leaders will be those with borderless minds.
- Not constrained by geography
- Not limited by discipline
- Not restricted by ideology
Symbiosis teaches us: Think globally. Act inclusively. Innovate universally.
A borderless mind:
- Learns from everywhere
- Collaborates with anyone
- Solves problems for everyone
Symbiosis International University is my university. I always say `my university’ because with an honorary doctorate from this university, I consider my self an alumnus of this university. I am sure we will produce such NextGen Symbiosis leaders, who will lead the world and change the world.
Closing Remarks
Let me close with a thought for everyone in this hall — and for the world you are each returning to after this ceremony.
Take this powerful gift our Dada has given to us , Symbiosis with you. In your careers, seek the partnership where both parties grow stronger. In your communities, build the bonds that hold even under pressure. In your nation, be the generation that chooses mutualism — because the alternative is a world that extracts rather than nurtures, that competes rather than compounds.
My friends, Symbiosis is not just coexistence.
It is convergence.
It is not just collaboration.
It is co-creation.
It is not just living together—
It is rising together.
The rising together even in deglobalising fragmented world.
Thank you.