The Alumni Cell at Central University of Punjab, under the leadership of Vice-Chancellor Prof. Raghavendra P. Tiwari, hosted an interactive session with alumnus Dr. Devendra Meena, now a Research Associate at Imperial College London. In his welcome address, Prof. Felix Bast introduced Dr. Meena as a proud alumnus who completed his M.Phil. from CU Punjab in 2014, D.Phil. from Oxford University in 2018, and Postdoctoral Research from the Centre for Brain Research, IISc Bangalore, in 2020.
During the session, Dr. Meena shared his journey, emphasizing that hardwork, coupled with mentorship of his guides, played a pivotal role in his achievements. Coming from a small town in Rajasthan, Dr. Meena credited his decision to pursue an M.Phil. at CU Punjab as a turning point in his life. Under the mentorship of Prof. Felix Bast and Prof. Sanjeev Thakur, he qualified for JRF and received a scholarship to study at Oxford University.
He also presented his Ph.D. and D.Phil. Research Work conducted in the field of Genetics of normal human features and expressed gratitude to his teachers and mentors for their guidance. Dr. Meena also discussed his current work at Imperial College London, highlighting the importance of persistence in conducting quality research. He shared insights about international scholarships such as The Felix Scholarship, The Rhodes Scholarship, Chevening Scholarships, President’s Ph.D. Scholarships, New Rhein Emerging Leaders Academy Scholarship, and National Overseas Scholarships, encouraging students to explore opportunities for higher education abroad.
Dr. Meena concluded his lecture by inspiring youngsters to stay curious to understand new concepts in their discipline and always set a roadmap to achieve big targets. Prof. Sanjeev Thakur, Dean of Student Welfare, praised Dr. Meena’s dedication and urged students to draw inspiration from his success.
He reaffirmed the university's commitment to organizing similar events to motivate students and strengthen ties with alumni.