October at Anant was all about inspiring interactions and vibrant celebrations. From award-winning architects visiting the campus to Anant students excelling in nationwide competitions, Anant continued to make its mark. Special screenings to celebrate the Hon’ble Prime Minister’s 75th birthday, to spirited Anant Ratri festivities, October was truly a month to remember.
Padma Bhushan awardee and one of India’s most celebrated architects, Ar Hafeez Contractor, visited the Anant campus, exploring Anant’s upcoming state-of-the-art infrastructure, part of the University’s expansion to create a world-class, future-ready learning environment. He also interacted with BArch and BDes (Space Design) students, stressing the need for affordable housing while preserving farmlands and forests in urban planning.
Dignitaries from NAMTECH, Anant’s sister institution, were at Anant to explore design curriculum and develop collaborative research. Led by Maulik Bhagat, Board Member, NAMTECH, the team included Valerie Mulvin, Ruth O’Herlihy, Coran O’Connor and Alok Kher from McCullough Mulvin Architects; Michael O’Brien and John Bynum from ARUP and Sohrab Dalal from DesignPlus Architecture, among others. The delegation also interacted with Dr Sanjeev Vidyarthi, Provost, Anant National University, expressing appreciation for Anant’s efforts in providing a supportive learning environment, concluding the visit with a campus tour.
Anant organised a special screening of the short film ‘Chalo Jeete Hain’ on the inspirational life of Hon’ble Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, to mark his 75th birthday on 17 September. This was followed by an interactive talk with Shri Amrutbhai Patel, Former Chief Information Commissioner of Gujarat, Gujarat Information Commission and member of the Board of Management at Anant. He spoke about the unique privilege of working closely with the Hon’ble Prime Minister and how those interactions left a lasting impact.
Anant hosted a university-wide Alumni Gathering on 27 September at the campus, bringing together the Anant Graduates to reconnect, relive and reignite fond memories. Organised by the Anant Alumni Relations Office (AARO), the day kicked off with a welcome address by Prof Jasmine Gohil, Professor and Associate Dean, Academic Affairs and Head, Office of Student Services, followed by an interactive session discussing the exciting pathways for alumni to stay involved and collaborate on impactful initiatives.
The Navratri spirit took over the campus with Anant Ratri 2025, bringing the entire Anant community together for an evening full of joy, music and dance. With themed decorations curated by different departments, energetic Garba on DJ beats and traditional mandali, a cultural awards ceremony and delicious festive delicacies, the event turned out to be an unforgettable evening of celebration and togetherness.
Foundation Year students from the BDes Class of 2029 displayed their work as part of the Visualisation and Representation module, which enabled them to understand and explore a variety of media and colours. The 7th-semester Interaction Design students also exhibited their work as part of the Design for Smart Living course, led by Prof TB Dinesh, Visiting Faculty at Anant, and co-taught by Prof Prayas Abhinav, Assistant Professor, School of Design. The course enabled the students to explore innovative projects that redefine convenience.
A team of 7th-semester BDes students from the Class of 2026 received design registration (IPR) and the SSIP grant of up to Rs 2.5 lakh for their idea, Lunch Box. The team comprises Emil Jojo and Arjun Abhilash, with major in Product Design and minor in Interaction Design, and Gourave Prasad, with major in Interaction Design and minor in Product Design. Palash Pradhan, an Interaction Design Graduate of the Class of 2024, with minor in Moving Image, secured admission for the MSc Design Leadership programme at the Technische Hochschule Ingolstadt, Germany.
The Live-Action Project ‘Samman’ by Anant Fellows, Ankit Singh and Yashwardhan Bansal, from the Cohort of 2025 of the Anant Fellowship in Sustainability and Built Environment, emerged as top winners in the Senior Category of the Youth for Earth (Y4E) Campaign at the 7th International Conference on Sustainable Education, New Delhi, earning a cash award of Rs 25,000.
