The year 2020 has even changed the way students graduate, what else has this year in its bucket for us, we can’t tell. The pandemic changed the ways of living; the way we socialized with each other several months back compared to now is entirely different.
Academics got affected the most world-wide, and the event we are sharing with you is a real example of the changing world.
The event was all over the internet, and a topic of conversation for many as the world never witnessed an online graduation ceremony ever before. It happened, and it happened in India where graduates of the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay had their graduation ceremony done in virtual reality.
The graduation ceremonies held in the world that we lived in a year ago gave the students a sense of achievement; it used to be a moment of pride for the students and their parents. Families of friends get to meet each other, and everyone remembers it as the last day of their academics. However, seems like the virus has taken that golden moment away from a lot of unfortunate students who were to pass out during these times, and the universities not being able to wait any longer resulting in such an event had to be held in virtual reality.
Indian Institute of Technology Bombay pioneered in using the virtual reality tech for conducting an online graduation ceremony. They executed it in such a right way that the students were almost compensated for not having an actual one. More than two thousand graduates participated in the virtual reality convocation event, and their exclusive avatars represented each student. It was a full-fledge event that even consisted of the avatars of faculty members handing over the degrees to the students.
“The convocation is normally a chance for students to socialize with their friends and faculty one last time. This year the institute provided an opportunity for students to do so via virtual presence, allowing students to roam around a virtual campus, visit their hostels and departments virtually, and bump into/meet their friends and faculty.” said a statement from Indian Institute of Technology Bombay.
The exclusive avatars walked on a virtually created stage just as a student would do on their convocation. While being on the screen, they got their degrees and certifications by the avatar of Director Prof. Subhasis Chaudhuri.
As each of them received their degrees, the clapping and appreciation did not stop a moment. It was like a real event, but just on the computer screens! The event got lots of attention, as it went live on various social networking sites as well as on Youtube.
Instead of only designated guests, the event was seen by thousands of others, making an addition to the pros of virtual reality convocations.
The degrees could have been sent to the student’s homes, and everyone would have understood it accepting the hard times we are in; however, this university’s management did not want to deprive its graduates of one of the most memorable moments.
The Institute prioritizes health and safety, and the primary prevention from the spread of the virus is social distancing. They did not want to risk the lives of many, or to pose any risk to the society; therefore, it was the best they could do, and they delivered.
