Leadership
ENVISIONING A NEW DAWNIN SCHOOL EDUCATION
Dr. G. VISWANATHAN
Founder & Chancellor - VIT Group of Institutions
Dr. G. Viswanathan (G. V.), the Founder-Chancellor of VIT University, was born on December 8, 1938, in a remote village near Vellore in Tamil Nadu. Dr. G. V.’s life is a source of inspiration to aspiring youth.
He had his early education in his small village, where he studied in Tamil, his mother tongue. Having excelled in education right from his childhood, he joined Voorhees College, Vellore for higher education. He obtained his Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees in Economics from the prestigious Loyola College, Chennai. Then, he graduated in Law from Madras Law College. He completed the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School in 2003, nearly four decades after he completed his university education, reaffirming his commitment to lifelong learning.
Dr. G. V. has left an indelible mark in politics – as a dedicated student leader, as an active Parliamentarian and as a Minister. His abiding passion for societal development and compassion for the underprivileged prompted Dr. G. V. to launch several schemes for the upliftment of women and unemployed youth to help them become self-reliant. He has adopted several villages with the objective of improving the quality of lives of the rural people. His vision of transforming Vellore into a greener and cooler town by planting one million saplings has begun to yield fruit.
Dr. G. V. established Vellore Engineering College in 1984 at Vellore, which has now evolved as Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT). VIT has been recognized as an Institution of Eminence (IOE) by the Government of India, a rare distinction bestowed only on twenty higher education institutions from the thousands of Universities in India. It has been consistently ranked among the top private engineering institutions in India by NIRF, Government of India. The institution received ISO Certification from Holland in the 1990s, International accreditation from the United Kingdom and USA, and the highest accreditation grade from the Government of India. VIS is founded on the guiding principles of Dr. G. V.’s vision and compassion, which will enable the school to evolve as one of the top international schools in Chennai for holistic education.
Dr. G. V. SELVAM
Vice President - Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT) & Chairman - Vellore International School (VIS)
Dr. Selvam spearheaded the elevation of Vellore Engineering College to VIT University in 2001, and became its first Pro-Chancellor. Dr. Selvam enjoys the distinction of being the youngest Pro-Chancellor of a University which has been recognized by the Limca Book of Records, 2005. He holds a postgraduate degree in Business Administration from the University of Madras. A self-motivated and industrious person, and a farsighted educationalist, he possesses an innate ability to spot and nurture talent–be it with the faculty, staff or students. He became the first Vice-President of VIT Chennai in 2010, where he sculptured the campus from the scratch. Dr. Selvam was instrumental in introducing new and need-based programmes of study such as Law, Architecture, Hotel Management and Agriculture. He played a significant role in establishing the VIT Technology Business Incubator (VITTBI), which has received national acclaim for its service to budding entrepreneurs.
The world class infrastructure and the special character of VIT are being replicated by Dr. Selvam in the creation of Vellore International School (VIS). The campus is spread across 35 acres with a lush green ambience to inspire and facilitate learning. To inculcate a deep rooted cultural ethos, Indian value systems and an enterprising sports mindset in students, appropriate academic and administrative guidelines have been put together. Highly qualified members of faculty and staff will thoughtfully implement the guidelines to make learning enjoyable and profitable. The novel Houseparent initiative ensures that students are personally cared for. The objective is to provide modern education interwoven with Indian Value systems resulting in holistic education.
The values that Dr. Selvam holds dear are honesty, hard work, and integrity. His commitment to nurturing individual ambitions and building productive teams helps individuals manage life in the changing world.
