Know Your University Day

18 July 2016

To help students get settled during their first days in Pune and to learn more about our university, SSIS has designed a special Know Your University Day with tips, trips, information and lots of opportunities to bond.

The first stop was at the SB Road campus. The students were taken on a tour of the Symbiosis Society’s Babasaheb Ambedkar Museum, which was stablished on 14th April 1990 commemorating the birth- centenary year of Dr. Ambedkar. The students took an active interest in the genesis of the Museum and Memorial. Symbiosis Society's Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Museum and Memorial houses a large number of his personal belongings including, the bed on which he breathed his last, the table and chair which he used while writing the Constitution of India, the statue of Bhagwan Buddha before which he bowed every day, his rare photographs, the urn containing his sacred ashes, the coveted Bharat - Ratna award, his books and personal items of daily use which speak of this great scholar and make his presence felt.

The next stop was the Symbiosis Society’s Afro-Asian Museum which was inaugurated on December 19, 2001 by the President of India Shree K. R. Narayanan. The museum is arranged in sections according to continents. Each section houses artefacts, currency, national costumes and panels containing information of the country. Each panel give information about the countries detailed profile, location, history, culture, sports, national anthems, languages. The students were fascinated by the collection.

Thereafter the students were taken to the Symbiosis International (Deemed University) Lavale campus. Located among lush hills, Lavale offers a chance to coexist with nature as it stands over a valley surrounded by clouds and painted green in its best season. Designed to conserve natural resources, the Lavale campus incorporates solar power technology and a rain water harvesting project to conserve water and re-use it effectively for various purposes. The students were encouraged to walk and informed about the availability of bicycles provided by SIU for transport. They were shown the 'Bandhara', a water reservoir maintained by SIU at the foothills of Symbiosis Lavale campus, which not only makes the campus self-sufficient for its needs, but also helps the villages nearby, as the excess water from the reservoir will be used by the surrounding for irrigation. It will also support in raising the water table in the region. The students were also acquainted with the facilities at the Lavale campus, viz. - the Central Library, the gymnasium, the state of the art auditorium & the convention hall, the helipad, the sports facilities, the swimming pool, the Symbiosis Centre for Research & Innovation (SCRI), the Symbiosis Teaching Learning Resource Centre (STLRC) and the SIU Offices. This was followed by an informal lunch with the faculty and staff.