Welcoming the Class of 2029: Ashoka’s Orientation Week 2025

Ashoka University welcomed its new undergraduate cohort with a vibrant and memorable Orientation Week (O-Week) 2025, held from 16th to 22nd August on campus. Designed to ease the transition into university life, O-Week blended academic insights, community-building activities, and cultural immersion, laying a strong foundation for the students’ journey at Ashoka.

The week opened with check-ins, campus tours, and a welcome session thoughtfully curated to introduce the incoming cohort and their families to Ashoka’s vision, growth story, and wide network of student support offices. Organised by the Office of Admissions, the session featured a faculty talk by Somak Raychaudhury, Vice Chancellor, addresses by Pramath Raj Sinha, Chairperson of the Board of Trustees, and Ali Imran, Vice President of External Engagement, as well as introductions to student-related offices by Professor Bikram Phookun, Dean of Academic Affairs, and Dheeraj Sanghi, Dean of Student Affairs. The session also included a special talk on Transitioning Spaces by Arvinder J. Singh, Director of the Ashoka Centre for Well-Being, highlighting the University’s commitment to holistic student support.

Over the course of the week, the new cohort engaged in sessions reflecting Ashoka’s ethos of academic rigour, personal responsibility, and collective well-being. Day One highlights included Professor Somak Raychaudhury’s talk on “21st Century University Education: Learning and Research”, the Academic Expo, and the Clubs & Societies Expo, which offered students their first glimpse into the wide spectrum of academic and extracurricular opportunities available at Ashoka.

Workshops and interactive discussions shaped Day Two, with sessions on inclusive education and well-being, led by Reena Gupta, Senior Director of the Office of Learning Support, and Arvinder J. Singh. Students also met their cohort leaders and resident assistants, who will guide them through their induction journey. In the following days, the new Ashokans were introduced to the Student Government, key committees such as the Equal Opportunity Cell, Anti-Ragging Committee, Committee Against Disciplinary Infraction (CADI), and the Committee Against Sexual Harassment (CASH), along with a Sopaan workshop led by the Cultural Ministry.

Special sessions added depth to the week’s programming, including Reflecting on Educational Experience by Sayan Chaudhuri (Critical Writing Faculty, YIF) and Vrinda Bhatia (Aaina), as well as Makerspace: The Buildup by Deepraj Pandey, Kanishk Singh, and Sai Khurana, co-leads of Makerspace.

Career pathways and global opportunities were foregrounded through sessions with the Office of Global Education, the Career Development Office, and the Office of Postgraduate Studies, helping students envision the journeys ahead. A memorable highlight was a special conversation between Chancellor Rudrangshu Mukherjee and Founding Chairperson Ashish Dhawan, moderated by Venkat Eshwara, Pro Vice-Chancellor of Development, Placements, Alumni Relations and Strategic Communications, which offered invaluable insights into Ashoka’s origins and its larger role in shaping higher education in India.

The week concluded with Shaam-e-Jazba, an immersive cultural presentation by the Cultural Ministry, where students experienced the vibrancy of Ashoka’s campus life and began forming friendships beyond classrooms.

By the close of O-Week 2025, students had not only met their peers, faculty, and cohort leaders but had also taken their first steps into the dynamic, interdisciplinary, and inclusive ecosystem that defines Ashoka University. Orientation Week thus served as both a welcome and a promise of intellectual growth, lifelong friendships, and the confidence to carve out unique journeys at Ashoka and beyond.