November at Anant was abuzz with preparations for the upcoming 7th Convocation. Other highlights included the launch of Collaborative Studio, a unique initiative bridging classroom learning and on-field experience, and the highly anticipated MOOO Fest 2025. The month also brought a moment of deep sadness for the Anant community with the passing of Dr Akshai Aggarwal, a valued member of the University’s Board of Governors, whose wisdom and warmth will be deeply missed.
It is with deep sorrow that we share the news of the passing of Dr Akshai Aggarwal, a valued member of Anant National University’s Board of Governors. Dr Aggarwal was an inspiring educator, an empathetic leader and a strong believer in the power of universities to serve society. Beyond his professional achievements as the former Vice-Chancellor of Gujarat Technological University, he was a passionate writer and founder of his own online newspaper, a reflection of his lifelong curiosity and commitment to sharing ideas. His legacy of dedication and integrity will remain an enduring part of Anant’s story.
Anant is all set to host the 7th Convocation on 6 December 2025, celebrating the achievements of 299 graduating students from the Bachelor of Design, Bachelor of Architecture, Master of Design, Anant Fellowship in Sustainability and Built Environment, MSc in Sustainability and Built Environment and Anant Fellowship in Climate Action. Padma Shri awardee and Chief Scientist and Co-founder of Zoho Corporation, Sridhar Vembu, will be the Chief Guest for the 7th Convocation.
Anant hosted Collaborative Studio, a series of 10 interdisciplinary workshops, bringing together artisans, experts and faculty to help Anant’s design students engage deeply with India’s vast Indigenous knowledge heritage. The featured workshops included Bastar’s ironwork, Madhubani papier-mâché, lacquered woodcraft of Madhya Pradesh, Kutch’s leatherwork, sustainable fashion, designing resilient villages and reviving Kashmir’s musical heritage. As part of the studio, design students visited Alwar and the Chambal region, working with Dr Rajendra Singh, Professor of Practice, Anant National University, to witness firsthand how indigenous knowledge and community-driven initiatives have impacted millions of lives.
The Anant Community recently came together to celebrate the impactful journey of the Anant Student Council (AY 2024–25) in the presence of Dr Sanjeev Vidyarthi, Provost, Anant National University, along with members of the Student Council and the Office of Student Services. The celebration featured a warm valedictory luncheon filled with reflections, shared experiences and discussions on ideas and visions for the future of Anant’s student life.
Anant hosted Mooo Fest 2025, a biennial celebration of moving image storytelling, held from 25-29 November 2025. An initiative by the Centre for Moving Image, Mooo brings fresh energy, global perspectives and a fierce commitment to nurturing all kinds of motion-based storytelling. The festival is hosting award-winning national and international filmmakers, including Gailė Cijūnaitytė and Prof Gintarė Valevičiūtė Brazauskienė from Lithuania; Prof Hans Koch from Germany; Silas Hickey from Japan; Vaibhav Kumaresh from India; Francoise Chalet from Switzerland, among others. It also features film screenings, workshops on filmmaking, discussions on the world of cinema and a lot more.
Suryansh Yadav, an MDes student from the Class of 2025, was recently selected as a Junior Product Designer at Adiance Technologies Pvt Ltd through Anant’s campus placement drive by the Career Service Office. At Anant, we help students transform their creativity into real careers through a flexible curriculum, mentorship from experienced faculty and strong placement support that connects talent with opportunity.
Anant students put up an impressive on-field show with powerful performances in both national and university-level tournaments. The women’s Table Tennis Team won the Champion Trophy at Concours 2025, the national-level inter-college sports fest organised by Dhirubhai Ambani University (DAU). The 4th Edition of the Interdisciplinary Football Tournament (IDFT) saw team IXD FC emerge victorious after a thrilling contest among eight teams.
As part of Anant’s commitment to providing industry-aligned learning, Anant’s design students participated in multiple industry-focused learning visits, including the Vibrant Gujarat Regional Conference, Sahajanand Laser Technology Ltd, Gandhinagar and Shreedhar Printing Press, Dudheshwar. These visits helped students connect with healthtech and greentech start-up founders, explore advanced industrial processes and gain hands-on experience in pre-press to post-production workflows.
Different department-led exhibitions showcased students’ journeys of conceptual learning, ideation and execution. 5th-semester Interaction Design students showcased projects from the ‘Virtual Realities and Building 3D Gameworlds’ module, while the Sustainable Fashion and Textile Design students put up an impressive fashion show, 'The Mosaic Collection’, highlighting sustainability and innovation through surface development, printmaking and embroidery.
