Architecture must blend excellence, ethics and sustainability, expert tells SPA Vijayawada graduates
Director of the Centre for Cell Science, Pune, Shekhar C. Mande, on Wednesday called for socially responsible and climate-responsive architecture, urging young architects and planners
Director of the Centre for Cell Science, Pune, Shekhar C. Mande, on Wednesday called for socially responsible and climate-responsive architecture, urging young architects and planners to combine professional excellence with compassion, ethics and sustainability. Delivering the convocation address at the 10th convocation of the School of Planning and Architecture (SPA), Vijayawada, Dr. Mande said architecture must go beyond aesthetics and functionality to address the challenges posed by climate change and the need for nature conservation. He urged the graduating students to develop inclusive and sustainable solutions to societal challenges and said that true success rested on integrity and human values. Quoting Mahatma Gandhi’s Seven Social Sins, he exhorted the graduates to uphold character, morality and responsibility in their personal and professional lives.
Chairperson of the Board of Governors Amogh Kumar Gupta, who presided over the function, congratulated the graduates and advised them to use Artificial Intelligence as an aid rather than become dependent on it. Stressing that creativity, ethics and critical thinking should guide the use of technology, he encouraged the students to follow the principles of the Three D’s. Decide, Dare and Develop. And the Three F’s. Faith, Focus and Fortitude. He said these values would help them serve society through responsible planning and design. A total of 262 students received degrees across undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral programmes. They included 102 Bachelor of Architecture, 23 Bachelor of Planning, 19 Master of Architecture (Sustainable Architecture), 12 Master of Architecture (Landscape Architecture), four Master of Architecture (Architectural Conservation), 21 Master of Building Engineering and Management, 17 Master of Urban Design, eight Master of Design, 13 Master of Planning (Environmental Planning and Management), 21 Master of Planning (Urban and Regional Planning), 17 Master of Planning (Transportation and Infrastructure Planning), two Bachelor in Building Sciences, one Postgraduate Diploma in Sustainable Architecture and two Ph.D.
scholars. Twelve students received gold medals for the academic year 2025-26, while 12 Best Thesis Awards were presented to undergraduate and postgraduate students in Architecture and Planning. Presenting the annual report, Director Ramesh Srikonda highlighted the institute’s academic, research and institutional achievements during 2025-26. Reaffirming SPA Vijayawada’s commitment to excellence, innovation and sustainability, he said the institute had expanded its international collaborations through student and credit exchange programmes with École Bleue Global Design, Paris, and Université de Lille, France. Srikonda said the AMRUT Centre of Excellence in Urban Planning Capacity Building, recognised by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, had completed seven research projects on climate-sensitive urban planning across South India and trained more than 185 government officials. He added that the Design and Innovation Centre had filed 44 patents during the year.
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