IIT Bombay hosts virtual convocation attended by digital avatars of students

COVID-19 pandemic is making people use their creativity in the best way. Welcome to the new normal. Taking virtual graduation to the next level, the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay awarded medals and degrees to the digital avatars of their students. The 58th annual convocation ceremony of IIT Bombay was held in virtual reality due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

This is for the first time in the institute’s 62- year history that it gave away medals, awards and degrees to the virtual avatars of the students.

Students along with the chief guest Nobel Prize winner Professor Duncan Haldane couldn’t congregate for the convocation, they attended the ceremony through their digital avatars on a virtual stage.

Over 2000 students participated in the ceremony from the safety of their homes and had their e-avatars walk up the dais to receive medals and degrees from the virtual avatars of dignitaries and the director.

It took a team of around 20 people over two months to put together the glorious ceremony. Apart from the convocation, IIT Bombay also virtually connected the students with friends and organized viewing of hostel videos.

Students virtually walked through their departments and loitered in the corridors too.
In June, IIT Bombay became the first major institute to scrap all face to face lectures for the rest of the year.

While many were impressed with the idea there were many who thought the quality of animation could be much better. Here are a few reactions: