Fathers hold a special place in a girl’s and later a woman’s life as they are the first men that she interacts with, learns from and grows up with. I have been exceptionally fortunate in this regard, as my father, Dr S B Mujumdar, is a man who is deeply respected not only by me but also by lakhs of students, faculty, staff and many others from all across the world.
My early childhood days were spent in an academic environment as my father was a Professor of Botany at Fergusson College, the Rector of the boy’s hostel, and the Foreign Students Advisor appointed by Pune University, and my mother was pursuing her PhD at that time. I spent my childhood on the Fergusson College Campus, one of Pune’s oldest and most prestigious colleges. I remember during my childhood playing in my mother’s zoology lab at the Pune University campus, where she was pursuing her PhD.
Teachers were greatly revered by their students at that time, and I remember how my father’s students would come home and take his advice. He would also invite them home for lunch to have their doubts about any academic topics resolved. He would also be engaged in writing books on botany. I was blessed to be part of this wonderfully engaging academic environment at home. Unknowingly, the environment I witnessed growing up shaped my life and brought me closer to academics later.
My father is also a person who has shaped the governance of Symbiosis, and while he leads us, he has also brought in the decentralized governance system, which was a great learning and leadership lessons that I learnt from him. He never practiced an orthodox or restricted system of upbringing at home. At a time when Maharashtrian families practiced a very conservative system of living at home, and there were many restrictions for girls than there were for boys, my father was liberal in his thoughts and actions. In fact, for both me and my sister, there was a lot of autonomy given and our opinions on various subjects were greatly respected. During my childhood, I constantly witnessed foreign students being welcomed to come and stay at home by my parents. Therefore, I became privy to a cosmopolitan, secular and empathetic environment at home, which has shaped my personality.
At one time, an American boy, a Nigerian boy, and a boy from Iran stayed at our house. That was how I learned my lessons in inclusion and diversity. For me, Symbiosis was growing up as a third sibling, and I enjoyed the journey. The evolution of Symbiosis was unfolding right before my eyes, and now, in hindsight, I feel so grateful to have witnessed this phenomenon.
Even now, his sense of discipline is worth emulating. He comes to the office daily and keeps abreast of new developments and changes in education in India and abroad. His keen interest in studying the lives of Chief Guests who are invited to Symbiosis or even now when he updates his knowledge on the topic that he has been invited to speak on, shows his humility and dedication. Among all the qualities he portrays so well, his calmness and humility are aspects of his personality that I admire the most.
Today, as I manage the affairs of Symbiosis International University, I seek his guidance and mentorship as I continue to look up to him as my idol.
He has dedicated his birthday, which is on the 31st of July, to foreign students and so we celebrate it as International Students Day! I wish him a healthy life ahead!