Greetings fellow learners and Knowledge Influencers! Ten days after getting back to a campus setting I wish to paint a Canvas of Contentment at the Gujarat National Law University, Gandhinagar, Gujarat. This has been a week full of learning, teaching, and celebration in this fascinating capital of a wonderful Geographical State of Western India.
As bookends the week started off and close on a peaceful note with the joy to attend online worship service at the Bombay Baptist Church in Colaba, Mumbai. It was the perfect way to frame the busy week. The opportunities to stay connected unwrapped during the pandemic have in some ways continued to give an option to find spiritual nourishment. Thanks for a fairly effective campus wi-fi!
Busy-bee I may not choose as an option and yet the week saw me spend a lot of Sunday time fine-tuning the first week of the "Naval Ops Law - Long Duration Course" on Laws of the Sea. This course in its third edition has four Indian Navy Officers, and let me tell you – it sounds intense! It's also exciting to think about all the knowledge, experience and skills they bring in and will gain over the next three months. Personally the learning hours and the times in between provides the joy of finding nautical refresh in a fascinating campus atmosphere. Academics and operations can co-exist!
By the way it wasn't all work and no play. The atmosphere and the pre-dominant age profile in the campus draws daily morning walks amidst lively nature in an otherwise dry topography. I even got to hang out with peacocks, squirrels, dogs, and a stray langur! How cool is that? Being on campus is always an exciting experience, with over a thousand learners ranging from teenagers to seenagers.
The last Sunday saw a Convocation of another Central University and as a special highlights, the week closed on Saturday with the convocation ceremony for Batch 2016-2021 of integrated 5-year law graduates, LLM, and PhD graduants. Congratulations to all the graduates! It's amazing to see all their hard work pay off and witness the joy on their faces as they received their degrees. After the ceremony, we all enjoyed a relaxed dinner at Punit Van. It was the perfect way to end the week on a high note and celebrate our achievements together. It was wonderful to catch up with many who I first met first in 2019 at the first All India Legal History Congress at the same Campus! Dr Richa Sharma, Founder Secretary of Indian Legal History Association was missed.
Overall, this "Campus Times: Canvas of Contentment" is a reminder of how great it is to learn new things and celebrate our achievements. Learning doesn't have to be a chore – it can be fun, exciting, and even relaxing. Much needs to be read, reviewed and reflected upon. Research is an essential accompaniment to examine the ocean of the large body of knowledge. The fun moment is to have the trigger to examine a slice and possibly contribute back to the growing ocean of learning!
As we head into a new week, let's remember to stay curious and take advantage of all the amazing opportunities around us. Learning is a lifelong journey, and we should embrace it every step of the way.
Thanks for joining on this journey, and I'll catch you some time soon for another exciting campus canvas! Wanna relish the journey of knowledge influence? Stay connected at www.johnsonodakkal.com