AU alumni come forward to contribute generously to alma mater

Visakhapatnam: A high-level alumni interaction meeting was organised at YVS Murty Auditorium of Andhra University (AU) here on Sunday, underscoring the deep commitment of its alumni towards the university's growth.

As Andhra University is gearing up for the centenary celebrations, the session, chaired by the varsity’s Vice-Chancellor GP Raja Sekhar, resulted in substantial financial pledges and offers of academic support.

During the meeting, the V-C briefed the update on the university's centenary activities and future plans. He appealed to the alumni to actively engage in collaborative initiatives designed for social impact, specifically mentioning ‘Graamena Anusandhanam’ programme, including cluster-level activities. The projects focused on skilling and welfare of tribal students, he added.

The Vice-Chancellor emphasised that alumni expertise and resources are indispensable for driving academic excellence and community outreach. Dr Deva H Puranam, an alumnus of inorganic chemistry and head of Global Quality Investigations and Regulatory Communications, contributed a total of Rs 70 lakh, earmarked Rs 50 lakh for campus beautification programme and Rs 20 lakh for the establishment of postdoctoral fellowships to boost advanced research. Vice-Chancellor Raja Sekhar thanked several other alumni for their contributions, including former Prof VS Raju and Prof RV Raj Kumar.

In addition to the financial support, the alumni offered valuable insights on various aspects to contribute academically to the university.

Principal, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, G Girija Shankar highlighted the college's significant achievements, crediting the invaluable support and contributions from its alumni base.