MUMBAI (India CSR): Sustainability at Somaiya Vidyavihar University (SVU) is not a concept; it is a way of life. The university cultivates students who engage responsibly with the world, lead with empathy, and approach ecological and social challenges with ethics and action. SVU’s vision goes beyond producing skilled professionals; it is about shaping conscious citizens who understand their role in maintaining the delicate balance between humans, animals, and nature.
The Somaiya Sustainability Dialogue 2026 reflected this vision, integrating culture, science, ethics, and action into an immersive learning ecosystem. The dialogue encouraged participants to experience sustainability, question it, and internalise it as both personal and collective responsibility, centred on the theme Human–Animal–Nature Interactions.
CASCADE: Anchoring Sustainability Across Somaiya Vidyavihar University
A flagship initiative of the Centre for Achieving Sustainable Climate Action, Development and Engagement (CASCADE) in collaboration with the Somaiya Institute for Research and Consultancy (SIRAC), the Dialogue exemplified SVU’s approach to sustainability: linking research, education, and community engagement to tackle ecological challenges with creativity, ethics, and practical solutions. Over 150 students, educators, researchers, creators, and community practitioners participated, exploring sustainability as a lived experience shaped by culture, empathy, and responsibility.
Learning by Living Sustainability
The Dialogue unfolded across two complementary tracks:
- Book-Centred Dialogue: Focused on Chola Maati, documenting the cultural, ecological, and everyday wisdom of the Pradhan Gond community. Featuring Ms Padmaja Srivastava, author; Ms Komal Bedi Sohal, creative designer; and Mr Mayank Singh Shyam, Gond artist, in conversation with Dr Shivangi Pareek, sociocultural anthropologist, the session highlighted how indigenous knowledge systems have preserved ecological balance, reinforcing the importance of humility, stewardship, and coexistence in modern sustainability.
- Film-Based Dialogue: Showcased Beyond the Conflict, a documentary by wildlife filmmaker Atharva Raut, examining real-world human–wildlife interactions. Discussions encouraged participants to move from conflict to coexistence, compassion, and shared ecological responsibility.
From Reflection to Action
The Dialogue also launched the Somaiya Citizen Science Initiative through The Nest – Build Homes for Wings workshops. Guided by Dr Ninad Marathe and inspired by bird conservationist Rakesh Khatri, participants observed urban bird behaviour, identified species, learned ethical wildlife observation, and built bird nests. The initiative demonstrates SVU’s philosophy that change begins at the grassroots and grows through everyday awareness, translating dialogue into actionable impact.
Voices Shaping the Dialogue
Reflecting on the essence of sustainability, Samir Somaiya, Chancellor, Somaiya Vidyavihar University, said, “For me, sustainability is the sense of being alive, alive as an individual and alive as a planet. My son captured this when he was 11, writing about fog on the mountains, bees starting their day, a drop of water becoming a river, and then saying, ‘As this all happens, I open my laptop to start my online day.’ It reminded me that the littlest things we overlook make the biggest difference, and that sustainability begins with awareness and connection.”
Mathew, Associate Provost and Dean, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Michigan State University, said, “Sustainability to me is stewardship and abundance. It’s not about doing less, it’s about creating more value with what we have. What I really appreciate at Somaiya Vidyavihar University is how this shows up in practice, through the zero-waste campus model and composting, where the focus is on giving back instead of just taking. True sustainability is shifting from extraction to contribution, and paying it forward to future generations, leaving behind a better world than the one we inherited.”
Building a University Ecosystem of Sustainability
The Dialogue was guided academically and culturally by Dr Deepti Gupta, Associate Professor, Life Sciences, and Dr Monalisa Behera, Assistant Professor, Visual Culture. Dr Parvathi JR, Assistant Director of SIRAC and Co-Director of CASCADE, anchored the initiative as a flagship program, building an interdisciplinary framework that links research, learning, and community action. Through CASCADE, SVU ensures sustainability is embedded into curriculum, research agendas, and campus life, equipping students with practical tools to translate awareness into responsibility.
Looking ahead, the Dialogue sets the stage for a larger, university-wide engagement in January 2027, reaffirming SVU’s vision of education that links inquiry with action and cultivates students who care for nature as both a responsibility and a way of life.
(India CSR)
