Biocon Academy Presents 182 Industry Ready Graduates to the Biotech Sector

Bengaluru 1 – Biocon Academy, a Centre of Excellence for Advanced Biosciences Learning and a CSR initiative of Biocon, a leading global biopharmaceutical company, announced today that 182 students donned their graduation caps to take on aspiring careers in the Biotech world.

Due to the ongoing pandemic situation, the virtual convocation ceremony was held for multiple batches of students who graduated from Biocon KGI Certificate Program in Biosciences, Biocon KGI Certificate Program in Clinical Development, BITS Biocon Certificate Program in Applied Industrial Microbiology, and Biocon Ramaiah Certificate Program in Quality Control Analytical.

The virtual graduation ceremony was attended by faculty members, industry experts and mentors. ‘Gold Medals for Academic Excellence’ were awarded to eight students for topping their respective batches.

Delivering the Graduation Address at the Biocon Academy Convocation Ceremony, Dr Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, Chief Mentor, Biocon Academy said, “I congratulate each of the 182 students who have graduated from the Biocon Academy. The Academy is committed to building the ecosystem for biotechnology-related skills in India through an enabling environment that moulds individuals into highly capable bioscientists equipped with the skills, experience, and knowledge to propel India ahead. Despite the challenges posed by the pandemic, the Academy’s faculty have imparted high quality academic lessons and world-class industrial training on applied aspects of various life sciences disciplines, empowering the students to take on assignments in leading biotech companies. We continue to maintain a 100% placement record, and our graduates are making us proud through their work. They are contributing to fulfilling India’s aspiration of emerging as a leader in various aspects of biopharmaceuticals, from vaccines to biosimilars to novel biologics.”

Speaking at the launch, Bindu Ajit, Program Dean, Biocon Academy, said, “I am delighted and proud to see the bright young graduates pass out and ready to take on industry challenges. We are happy to share that we have achieved 100% placement for all our batches even during the pandemic. Some batches even witnessed 100% placement in just a few hours on the first day of the placement drive. I thank everyone who have been part of this wonderful journey to shape the career of these future biotech leaders.” She also added, “More than 60% of the students are placed outside Biocon and that’s a big step towards achieving our mission of addressing the biotech skill deficit of India.”

Dr. Sheldon Schuster, President, Keck Graduate Institute said, “The Biocon Academy has prepared the students to advance their biotech careers and make a mark in India’s rapidly growing biopharma sector. I appreciate the dedication and commitment of the students in pursuing this industry program despite the challenges posed by a global pandemic. I look forward to seeing them become science leaders and utilizing the knowledge gained from the Biocon KGI Certificate Program in Biosciences to lay the foundation for the future of the biotech industry.” He added, “I am honoured to celebrate this Graduation Day with these talented students and to share the goodwill of this KGI with Biocon Academy partnership.”

Dr. Nagarathna Amaresh, Principal, Ramaiah College of Arts, Science & Commerce said, “I congratulate all the students on this impressive, certified achievement. It is significant to appreciate these students who have worked hard and have crossed all the hardships in this pandemic and yet managed to accomplish their desired goal on this Graduation Day. I strongly believe that everyone who have learnt the knowledge and skills throughout their program would inculcate it in their future endeavours successfully.”

Dr. Srikanth Kolluru, Associate Dean of Assessment and Faculty Development, Keck Graduate Institute said, “It was my honour to have an opportunity to teach the students and it makes me happy to see them celebrating their achievement on this Graduation Day. As they have crossed the paths of learning, I want them to utilize this opportunity to excel further in their workspace while they learn more and fulfil their job responsibilities.”

Rajiv Tandon, CEO (WILP), BITS, Pilani said, “I would like to congratulate all the students for earning this prestigious credential from Biocon and BITS, Pilani. We are very proud of the students on this achievement of becoming industry ready in a domain that is in high demand. I’m sure the students have been benefited a lot by acquiring strong conceptual knowledge and honed the skills guided by some of the eminent professionals of Biocon and BITS, Pilani.”

Amidst the pandemic, Biocon Academy organized virtual placement drives where leading biotech companies participated and found the students to be extremely good. The objective of the programs is to improve the employability quotient of the students, and this has been substantially achieved with the successful placement of all 182 students from various batches of our certificate programs. The students have been hired by various leading pharma and biopharma companies for distinct functions, such as Production, Quality Assurance, Regulatory Affairs, Research & Development and Marketing.

Here are the details of students graduated in the Virtual Convocation Ceremony held on Oct 11, 2021:

About Biocon Academy:

Biocon Academy, a Centre of Excellence for Advanced Learning in Biosciences, is a CSR initiative of Biocon, Asia’s leading biopharmaceutical company. It is aimed at developing high-end, industry-ready, talent for the Indian biotech sector to address the skill deficit. The Academy aims at enhancing the employability of bioscience graduates by providing them advanced experiential learning through practical training. It has been instrumental in shaping careers of aspiring biotech graduates while bridging the industry-academia gap. The Academy has collaborated with leading global institutes like Keck Graduate Institute, California, USA, BITS Pilani, India, MS Ramaiah College of Arts, Science and Commerce, Bengaluru, India, and JSS AHER, Mysuru, India, to offer global quality learning to the students of Biocon Academy. Biocon offers scholarships that cover 60 – 75% of the cost of these international programs. For more information, visit www.bioconacademy.com